Policy Library

6,587 documents

Private Equity and Capital Markets Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-28 · Reports · 9,172 words · PDF available
Private equity (PE) is a type of private fund, meaning a fund that generally pools money from institutional and individual investors that meet certain criteria indicating they are more sophisticated a...
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2022 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-28 · Resources · 1,104 words · PDF available
Overview The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), part of the Department of the Interior, is responsible for construction and operation of hundreds of large dams and water diversion structures in the ...
U.S. Nationals and Foreign Military Service
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-28 · Resources · 1,815 words · PDF available
Background International law grants rights to and imposes duties upon a neutral state during an armed conflict between belligerent nations. One of these duties is that neutral states shall not furnish...
Expedited Removal of Aliens: An Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-25 · Resources · 1,643 words · PDF available
Non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who do not meet requirements governing their entry or continued presence in the United States may be subject to removal. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) establish...
Farm Bill Primer: U.S. International Food Assistance Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-25 · Resources · 1,306 words · PDF available
The U.S. government administers international food assistance programs that aim to alleviate hunger and improve food security around the world. Some of these programs provide emergency assistance to p...
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2022
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-24 · Reports · 18,060 words · PDF available
On May 28, 2021, the Joseph R. Biden Administration released its annual budget request for FY2022, including a $90.80 billion budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The request ...
The Fourth Amendment and the Internet: Legal Limits on Digital Searches for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-24 · Posts · 2,595 words · PDF available
Various federal statutes criminalize the production, distribution, solicitation, and possession of “child pornography,” defined in part as “any visual depiction” of sexually explicit conduct involving...
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on Health Care Employment and Vaccinations and Testing for Large Employers
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-24 · Reports · 10,104 words
On June 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for the prevention of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes...
U.S. Export Controls and China
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-24 · Resources · 1,733 words · PDF available
Since 2018, Congress and the executive branch have revised—through legislation, regulation, and licensing practices—the U.S. export control system that regulates dual-use exports (goods and technology...
FEMA Hazard Mitigation: A First Step Toward Climate Adaptation
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-23 · Reports · 12,597 words · PDF available
With the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters, attributed at least in part to climate change, policymakers often view mitigation funding as a way to control disaster-related spending...
Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals, 2022
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-23 · Infographics · 632 words · PDF available
/ Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals Medicare pays most acute-care hospitals under the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS). Some IPPS hospitals receive payment adj...
Stratospheric Ozone Treaties and the Kigali Amendment: Ratification Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-23 · Posts · 2,223 words · PDF available
For at least four decades, the United States has been engaged in global efforts to protect the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer. The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation that...
Crude Oil Windfall Profits Taxes: Background and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-23 · Resources · 1,521 words · PDF available
Recent increases in gasoline prices and reports of high profits from large oil companies have contributed to congressional interest in a crude oil windfall profits tax. What Are Windfall Profits? Wind...
Using Retirement Account Features for Short-Term Savings
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-23 · Resources · 1,440 words · PDF available
Introduction Workers can often use retirement savings for unexpected expenses. However, policymakers have expressed an interest in helping workers save for emergencies in ways that do not draw down th...
The LIBOR Transition
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-21 · Resources · 1,728 words · PDF available
LIBOR is a key benchmark interest rate underpinning many financial contracts, but it is being discontinued between December 2021 and June 2023. This In Focus discusses efforts to transition away from ...
Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-21 · Reports · 7,124 words · PDF available
Delegates, representing territories that had not yet achieved statehood, have served in the House since the late 1700s. In the 20th century, the concept of delegate grew to include representation of t...
Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management: An Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-21 · Resources · 1,633 words · PDF available
Introduction A supply chain consists of the system of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources that provide products or services to consumers. Like other types of goods, a global ...
State-Administered IRA Programs: Overview and Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-18 · Resources · 1,640 words · PDF available
Overview While Congress addresses retirement security at the national level and establishes federal pension and other savings incentives, several states have enacted or implemented state-administered ...
Questioning Judicial Nominees: Legal Limitations and Practice
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-17 · Reports · 27,729 words · PDF available
The U.S. Constitution vests the Senate with the role of providing “advice” and granting or withholding “consent” when a President nominates a candidate to be an Article III judge—a federal judge poten...
The Law of War and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-16 · Posts · 2,104 words · PDF available
In the days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many countries condemned the action as a violation of international law governing when countries may use force against one another....
Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience: Countering Russian and Other Nation-State Cyber Threats
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-16 · Resources · 1,484 words · PDF available
The United States and its allies have levied economic sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Many observers fear Russian state or state-sponsored cyberattacks against U.S. critica...
Methane Emissions: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-16 · Resources · 1,555 words · PDF available
Methane: The Chemical Methane is the world’s simplest hydrocarbon, with a chemical formula of CH4 (one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen). It is gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions an...
Social Security Retirement Benefit Claiming Age
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-15 · Resources · 1,486 words · PDF available
Background Social Security provides monthly cash benefits to retired or disabled workers and their family members, as well as to the family members of deceased workers. The Social Security full retire...
Children and the Internet: Legal Considerations in Restricting Access to Content
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-14 · Reports · 9,918 words · PDF available
Throughout the internet’s history, the medium’s effect on children has been a recurring topic of interest to legislators and the public. In the internet’s early days, much attention focused on childre...
Amendments Between the Houses: Procedural Options and Effects
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-14 · Reports · 18,584 words
The House and Senate must agree to the same measure with the same legislative language before a bill can be presented to the President. To resolve differences between House and Senate versions of legi...
U.S. Farm Income Outlook: 2021 Forecast
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-14 · Reports · 16,502 words · PDF available
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS) forecasts that U.S. farm profitability—as measured by net farm income and net cash income—increased in 2021 for the third ...
Supreme Court Revisits Scope of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) Under the Clean Water Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-11 · Posts · 2,526 words · PDF available
On January 24, 2022, the Supreme Court agreed to review Sackett v. EPA, a long-running dispute regarding whether certain wetlands are “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) subject to protection under ...
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-10 · Reports · 12,435 words · PDF available
The COVID-19 pandemic and recession in early 2020 resulted in the swift and marked deterioration of national labor market conditions, with some lasting effects. While public focus has largely been on ...
Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Natural Gas Pipeline to Germany Halted
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-10 · Resources · 1,549 words · PDF available
In connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the German government has suspended certification of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The pipeline—which has been constructed but has not become...
USDA Rural Housing Programs: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-08 · Reports · 13,229 words · PDF available
While residents of rural areas are potentially eligible to participate in the full range of housing programs administered by the federal government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Rural...
Supreme Court Appointment Process: President’s Selection of a Nominee
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-08 · Reports · 17,607 words · PDF available
The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises...
Terrorism Risk Insurance: Overview and Issue Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-08 · Reports · 8,682 words · PDF available
Prior to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, coverage for losses from such attacks was normally included in general insurance policies without additional cost to the policyholders. Following th...
Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 to 2020: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-08 · Reports · 19,607 words
The process of appointing Supreme Court Justices has undergone changes over two centuries, but its most basic feature, the sharing of power between the President and Senate, has remained unchanged. To...
Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs): Overview and Related History
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-07 · Reports · 12,360 words · PDF available
A health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) is a tax-advantaged arrangement that reimburses individuals for qualified health care costs. With some exceptions, qualified health care costs generally includ...
Social Security: Trust Fund Status in the Early 1980s and Today and the 1980s Greenspan Commission
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-04 · Reports · 12,764 words · PDF available
Under current law, the Social Security Board of Trustees is required to provide Congress with an annual report on the current and projected financial status of the Social Security trust funds. There a...
Surface Transportation and Climate Change: Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-04 · Resources · 1,548 words · PDF available
Surface transportation is a major source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one of the main greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to climate change. The effects of climate change, such as extreme hea...
House Committee Reports: Required Contents
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-04 · Reports · 2,242 words · PDF available
House rules and certain statutes detail several substantive requirements for items to be included in reports accompanying bills reported from House committees. Most committee reports explain a bill’s ...
Locomotive Idling, Air Quality, and Blocked Crossings
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-04 · Resources · 1,784 words · PDF available
When a train is not moving but its engines are running, it can present risks and disruptions for the surrounding community. Locomotives emit fuel exhaust that degrades air quality and generates noise ...
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: Selected Primary Material
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-03 · Posts · 1,666 words · PDF available
On February 25, 2022, President Joseph Biden announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) to become an Assoc...
Geographic Cost of Living Differences: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-03-02 · Reports · 3,358 words · PDF available
Cost of living is generally important to the standard of living of individuals across the United States. Changes to cost of living over time measure how quickly prices increase in a given area compare...
How Unanimous Consent Agreements Regulate Senate Floor Action
The Senate often regulates consideration of a measure or other matter by means of a unanimous consent agreement (also called a “UC agreement” or “consent agreement”). A consent agreement typically reg...
Synthetic Nicotine: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-28 · Reports · 4,646 words · PDF available
Some electronic-cigarette brands have begun using synthetic nicotine solutions, or nicotine derived from non-tobacco sources, in their nicotine delivery systems. The manufacturer of one the most popul...
Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-25 · Reports · 13,331 words
In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded in Roe v. Wade that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s decision to terminate her pregnancy. In a companion decision, Doe v. Bolton, the Court found that...
U.S.-South Korea Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-24 · Reports · 32,285 words · PDF available
Overview South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea or ROK) is one of the United States’ most important strategic and economic partners in Asia. The 1953 U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty commits the ...
Federal Data Integration and Individual Rights: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-23 · Resources · 1,698 words · PDF available
Executive branch agencies face an ever-evolving policy, regulatory, and technological landscape when seeking to share or combine individual-level data across organizational or programmatic boundaries....
Rules and Practices Governing Consideration of Revenue Legislation in the House and Senate
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-22 · Reports · 9,532 words · PDF available
The collection of revenue is a fundamental component of the federal budget, as it provides the government with money to fund agencies, programs, and activities. It is also an important tool in the pol...
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Voting Rights Act Challenge to Congressional Redistricting Map and Stays Lower Court Ruling: Implications for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-22 · Posts · 2,521 words · PDF available
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a significant case challenging an Alabama congressional redistricting map under the Voting Rights Act (VRA). On February 7, in the consolidated case Merrill v....
U.S. District Court Vacates Gray Wolf Delisting Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-18 · Posts · 2,657 words · PDF available
On February 10, 2022, a district court vacated and remanded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS’s) rule (the “delisting rule”) that delisted—that is, removed from the list of endangered and thre...
Federal Support for Domestic COVID-19 Test Availability
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-18 · Resources · 1,653 words · PDF available
In January 2022, the White House launched several actions to boost the availability of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests to the general public, including the distribution of rapid antigen test...
The Department of Energy’s Appliance and Equipment Standards Program
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-18 · Reports · 11,965 words · PDF available
Since 1978 Congress has authorized mandatory federal programs to regulate the energy and water consumption of appliances and commercial equipment used in buildings. The Department of Energy (DOE) has ...