Policy Library

7,020 documents

Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-03 · Resources · 1,335 words · PDF available
Overview Since the early 1990s, the United States periodically has engaged in diplomacy with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea’s official name). A focus of these efforts has...
Parliamentary Rights of the Delegates and Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-02 · Reports · 1,553 words
As officers who represent territories and properties possessed or administered by the United States but not admitted to statehood, the five House delegates and the resident commissioner from Puerto Ri...
ACA Connects v. Bonta: Ninth Circuit Upholds California’s Net Neutrality Law in Preemption Challenge
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-02 · Posts · 2,371 words · PDF available
On January 28, 2022, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in ACA Connects v. Bonta that California’s net neutrality law, SB-822, is not preempted by federal law....
Russian Cyber Units
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-02 · Resources · 1,598 words · PDF available
Russia has deployed sophisticated cyber capabilities to conduct disinformation, propaganda, espionage, and destructive cyberattacks globally. To conduct these operations, Russia maintains numerous uni...
Immunization Information Systems: Overview and Current Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-01 · Reports · 9,351 words · PDF available
As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Immunization Information Systems (IIS) are “confidential, population-based, computerized databases that record all immunization dose...
U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominees Confirmed During the First Year of the Biden Presidency: Overview and Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-01 · Reports · 8,917 words · PDF available
This report provides statistics related to the nomination and confirmation of U.S. circuit and district court nominees during the first year of the Biden presidency. This report also compares these st...
Financial Regulation: Systemic Risk
Congressional Research Service · 2022-02-01 · Reports · 16,182 words · PDF available
The U.S. financial system has experienced two major episodes of financial instability in the 21st century (as well as a few minor incidents)—the 2007-2009 financial crisis and instability surrounding ...
Supreme Court Rules on Retirement Plan Fiduciary Duty in Hughes v. Northwestern University
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-31 · Posts · 1,376 words · PDF available
Among Congress’s policy priorities is safeguarding retirement income security for working Americans, retirees, and their families. In January 2022, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Hughes v. N...
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits: PermanentLaw Programs and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-31 · Reports · 10,286 words · PDF available
The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is constructed as a joint federal-state partnership, in which the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program and the UC benefit are the foundation of the UI system. ...
The Broadband Digital Divide: What Comes Next for Congress?
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-31 · Resources · 1,469 words · PDF available
As classrooms, workplaces, and social activities migrated online during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to broadband internet...
Private Activity Bonds: An Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-31 · Reports · 8,217 words
The federal tax code classifies state and local bonds as either governmental bonds or private activity bonds. Governmental bonds are intended for governmental projects, and private activity bonds are ...
SelectUSA: U.S. Inbound Investment Promotion
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-28 · Resources · 1,466 words · PDF available
U.S. efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) primarily take place at U.S. state and local levels, such as through economic development organizations (EDOs), which work to attract business i...
Decommissioning 3G Networks: Impact on Consumer Devices
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-28 · Resources · 1,623 words · PDF available
Background About every 10 years, a new generation of wireless technologies emerges, offering greater capacity, higher speeds, and new features. Private telecommunications providers invest billions int...
Department of the Interior and Environmental Justice: Overview and Current Policies
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-27 · Reports · 7,268 words · PDF available
The term environmental justice has different meanings in different contexts but generally refers to the notion of equitable or fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. Although there i...
Global Refugee Resettlement: Selected Issues and Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-27 · Resources · 1,666 words · PDF available
Congress has demonstrated a continued interest in refugee resettlement, although such opportunities are available to only a tiny percentage of the global refugee population. (For more information on t...
U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-27 · Resources · 1,575 words · PDF available
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA), an independent U.S. government agency, operates under a dual mission to advance overseas economic development and promote U.S. commercial interests. TDA ai...
Ferry Programs in the Department of Transportation
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-27 · Resources · 1,486 words · PDF available
Ferries provide transportation services in a wide variety of settings and for many purposes. The main types of ferry service in the United States are commuter passenger service in urban areas, and hig...
Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-27 · Resources · 1,516 words · PDF available
Humanitarian and displacement crises worldwide have become significantly worse in the past five years. The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated humanitarian need. In ad...
Aviation Concerns Regarding the Rollout of 5G Wireless Telecommunications Networks
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-26 · Resources · 1,590 words · PDF available
The rollout of fifth-generation (5G) wireless telecommunications networks in the United States has roiled passenger and cargo airlines and other aviation operators over fears that certain mid-band or ...
An Analysis of Bank Charters and Selected Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-21 · Reports · 13,996 words · PDF available
A bank charter is effectively a business license that is required for depository institutions and certain financial institutions providing other bank-like services. A financial institution that wants ...
FHA-Insured Home Loans: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-21 · Reports · 10,252 words
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an agency of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was created by the National Housing Act of 1934. FHA insures private lenders against the p...
Tracking turnover in the Biden administration
Brookings Institution · 2022-01-20 · Article · 465 words
View the latest stats from Brookings scholars on turnover in the Biden administration.
Federal Research and Development (R&D) Funding: FY2022
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-19 · Reports · 32,183 words · PDF available
President Biden’s budget request for FY2022 includes approximately $171.3 billion for research and development (R&D), $13.5 billion (8.5%) above the FY2021 estimated level of $157.8 billion. In consta...
Cybersecurity: Deterrence Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-18 · Reports · 10,251 words · PDF available
Many policymakers have embraced deterrence as a driving policy position for addressing attacks in cyberspace. However, deterring attacks remains elusive as nations disagree on acceptable behavior and ...
Social Security: Who Is Covered Under the Program?
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-18 · Resources · 1,898 words · PDF available
Social Security pays cash benefits to over 65 million people each month. In all cases, a Social Security beneficiary becomes eligible for benefits either by working in a job that is covered by Social ...
The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: Moral Reasoning and the National Ethos (Part 6)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-13 · Posts · 1,032 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar Post is the sixth in a nine-part series that discusses certain “methods” or “modes” of analysis that the Supreme Court has employed to determine the meaning of a provision within th...
The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: Structuralism (Part 7)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-13 · Posts · 1,155 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar Post is the seventh in a nine-part series that discusses certain “methods” or “modes” of analysis that the Supreme Court has employed to determine the meaning of a provision within ...
Semiconductors, CHIPS for America, and Appropriations in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S. 1260)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-13 · Resources · 1,490 words · PDF available
Global Landscape for Semiconductor Fabrication Semiconductors, or computer chips, enable nearly all industrial activities, including systems that undergird U.S. industrial competitiveness and national...
International Food Assistance and Agricultural Cargo Preference
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-13 · Resources · 1,428 words · PDF available
The United States is the largest provider of international food assistance globally. Approximately 40% of funding for such assistance in FY2020 (the most recent year for which comprehensive data are a...
The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: Historical Practices (Part 8)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-13 · Posts · 868 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar Post is the eighth in a nine-part series that discusses certain “methods” or “modes” of analysis that the Supreme Court has employed to determine the meaning of a provision within t...
Military Families and Financial Readiness
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-12 · Reports · 12,047 words · PDF available
DOD identifies financial readiness as one of the major components of military family readiness and, ultimately, operational readiness. It has been defined as, “the state in which successful management...
Economic Growth Approaches in U.S. Foreign Assistance
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-12 · Reports · 18,883 words · PDF available
U.S. assistance for economic growth has declined as a share of total foreign assistance for international development over the course of the 21st century. However, several high-profile foreign aid ini...
FBI v. Fazaga: Supreme Court Examines Interplay of State Secrets Privilege and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-12 · Posts · 1,747 words · PDF available
On November 8, 2021, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) v. Fazaga, a case that explores the circumstances in which a federal court may examine classified i...
The Alien Tort Statute: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-11 · Reports · 16,134 words · PDF available
Passed by the First Congress as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), in its current form, provides the following: “The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of a...
Law Enforcement and Technology: Using Social Media
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-11 · Reports · 6,134 words · PDF available
As the ways in which individuals interact continue to evolve, social media has had an increasing role in facilitating communication and the sharing of content online—including moderated and unmoderate...
Social Security Retirement Earnings Test Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-11 · Resources · 1,624 words · PDF available
Background Social Security is a work-related, federal insurance program that provides monthly cash benefits to workers and their eligible family members in the event of the worker’s retirement, disabi...
Foreign Assistance: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-10 · Reports · 15,323 words
Foreign assistance is the largest component of the international affairs budget and is viewed by many Members of Congress as an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy. On the basis of national se...
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation: Overview and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-10 · Reports · 19,559 words · PDF available
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is the U.S. government’s development finance institution (DFI). It is authorized by the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Develo...
Treasury Securities Market Disruptions and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-10 · Resources · 1,673 words · PDF available
The U.S. Treasury securities market is considered one of the most important financial markets in the world. The market provides a low-risk (backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government) ...
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, S. 4 (117th Congress): Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-10 · Resources · 1,658 words · PDF available
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, S. 4 (117th Congress), currently pending in the Senate, would primarily amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). In part, S. 4 appears to res...
The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund: Issues and Legislation in the 117th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-07 · Resources · 1,746 words · PDF available
Coal mining and production in the United States in the 20th century contributed to the nation meeting its energy requirements and left a legacy of unreclaimed lands. As amended, Title IV of the Surfac...
Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-06 · Reports · 22,680 words
Addressing tax evasion and avoidance through use of tax havens has been the subject of a number of proposals in Congress and by the President. Actions by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and ...
Indian Health Service (IHS) FY2022 Budget Request and Funding History: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-06 · Reports · 3,430 words · PDF available
The Indian Health Service (IHS), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the lead federal agency charged with improving the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. IHS prov...
U.S. Restrictions on Huawei Technologies: National Security, Foreign Policy, and Economic Interests
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-05 · Reports · 23,127 words · PDF available
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., is a China-based company that designs, manufactures, and sells telecommunications network equipment and devices. Founded in 1987, the company has grown from a small rese...
Special Authorities for Veterans’ Educational Assistance Programs During the COVID-19 Emergency
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-05 · Resources · 1,610 words · PDF available
On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency (COVID-19 emergency) under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §247d). The Depart...
Federal Grants to States and Local Governments Under Continuing Resolutions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-05 · Resources · 1,385 words · PDF available
Introduction Congress uses an annual appropriations process to fund the routine activities of most federal agencies. This process anticipates the enactment of 12 regular appropriations bills before th...
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-04 · Reports · 10,968 words · PDF available
In recent years, multiple events have increased attention to the condition of the nation’s local drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and the financial challenges that communities confront in...
Corporate Income Taxation in a Global Economy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-04 · Reports · 11,666 words · PDF available
The taxation of corporate income in a global economy is arguably the most complex area of U.S. tax policy. The United States’ increasing interconnection with the rest of the world through trade and fi...
Money Laundering in the U.S. Real Estate Sector
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-04 · Resources · 1,654 words · PDF available
Global Trends and Domestic Concerns Money laundering and other financial crimes in the real estate sector take many forms and continue to challenge real estate, financial institution, law enforcement,...
1994 Land-Grant Universities: Background and Selected Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-01-04 · Resources · 1,487 words · PDF available
The 1994 Institutions are the Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) that belong to the U.S. land-grant university (LGU) system. As such, they receive federal funds for agricultural research, educati...