U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Appropriations: FY2024 President’s Budget Request
Since FY2006, Congress has funded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriation acts. For FY2024, the President requested $12.08 billi...
National Heritage Areas: Background and Issues for Congress
Since 1984, Congress has established 61 national heritage areas (NHAs) to conserve, enhance, and interpret nationally significant natural, historic, scenic, and cultural resources of areas that illust...
Overview of the Federal Procurement Process and Resources
In the basic federal procurement process, acquisition personnel, after determining their agencies’ requirements (that is, the goods and services the agencies need), post solicitations on the federal g...
Dam Safety Overview and the Federal Role
Dams provide various services, including flood control, hydroelectric power, recreation, navigation, and water supply, but they require maintenance, and sometimes rehabilitation and repair, to ensure ...
Economic Development Conveyances for BRAC Properties
Congress has approved five rounds of military base realignments and closures under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process: in 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 2005. Since 2005, Congress has not au...
Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act: Eligibility and Funding
Since 1996, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA; 28 U.S.C. §§ 1602-11) has authorized U.S. courts to order state sponsors of terrorism—namely, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria, and previously...
Silicon Valley Bank’s Failure and Potential Director/Officer Liability
On March 10, 2023, a California banking regulator closed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), making it the second-largest bank by assets to fail in U.S. history. At the same time, the state regulator appointed...
The Feres Doctrine: Congress, the Courts, and Military Servicemember Lawsuits Against the United States
The Supreme Court’s 1950 decision in Feres v. United States generally bars individuals from pursuing tort lawsuits against the United States for injuries arising from active-duty military service, est...
Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2023 Annual Report
According to the 2023 report of the Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds, the program’s finances are in a similar, albeit marginally worse, position in 2023 relative to what they were ...
DHS Budget Request Analysis: FY2024
On March 9, 2023, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Administration released its budget request for FY2024, including $103.18 billion in total budget authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS...
The Willow Project: History and Litigation
On March 13, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency within the Department of the Interior tasked with management of federal public lands and resources, issued a new Record of Decision ap...
Energy and Minerals Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58)
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58). This broad infrastructure law addresses a range of issues, including surface transportation...
House Rules Changes Affecting Floor Proceedings in the 118th Congress (2023-2024)
As agreed to in the House, H.Res. 5, a resolution adopting the rules of the House of Representatives, provided amendments to the standing rules and separate orders that affect floor proceedings in the...
Reasonable Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities
Three federal laws provide the primary protections for employees and job applicants with disabilities. First, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12111–12117, prohibits ...