Naval Station Guantanamo Bay: History and Legal Issues Regarding Its Lease Agreements
This report briefly outlines the history of the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, its changing relationship to the surrounding community, and its heightened importance due to military operation...
Big Tech in Financial Services
For the past decade or so, “Big Tech”—which hereinafter refers to the large technology companies Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook (now Meta Platforms), unless otherwise noted—has been offering a va...
Protection of Health Information Under HIPAA and the FTC Act: A Comparison
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade, and holding that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Following...
Back to the Future? Lessons from the “Great Inflation”
Since April 2021, the U.S. economy has grappled with high inflation, which reached 6.3% in May 2022, as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index. (For more information, see CRS Re...
The School Foodservice Workforce: Characteristics and Labor Market Outcomes
In 2019, an estimated 339,000 workers were employed in foodservice operations in the nation’s elementary and secondary schools. While news stories often focus on so-called lunch ladies, the school foo...
Highway Bridges: Conditions, Funding Programs, and Issues for Congress
The United States has approximately 620,000 bridges longer than 20 feet on public roads. About 48% of these bridges are owned by state governments and 50% by local governments. The number of bridges c...
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
Overview
CAFTA-DR is a free trade agreement (FTA) among the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It eliminated on a reciprocal basis tari...
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Roles, Missions, and Future Concepts
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have gained increased prominence in U.S. military operations. The Department of Defense (DOD) is currently developing advanced UAS, along with optionally crewed aircraf...
The H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952, as amended, enumerates categories of foreign nationals, known as nonimmigrants, who are admitted to the United States for a temporary period of time ...
Supreme Court Addresses Major Questions Doctrine and EPA’s Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
On June 30, 2022, the Supreme Court decided West Virginia v. EPA, a case with significant implications for U.S. environmental policy and, more broadly, for Congress’s ability to delegate authority ove...
Trade-Related Agencies: FY2022 Appropriations, Commerce, Science, Justice and Related Agencies (CJS)
This report provides an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget request and appropriations for the International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), and t...
Abortion, Data Privacy, and Law Enforcement Access: A Legal Overview
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, some Members of Congress and commentators have expressed concerns that law enforcement officials may seek...
Taxpayer Advocate Service: Purpose, History, Performance, and Resources
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is intended to play a significant role in protecting taxpayer rights and fostering taxpayer confidence in the accountability and integrity of the Internal Revenue S...