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Department of Homeland Security's Authority to Expand Expedited Removal [Updated April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "Non-U.S. nationals ('aliens', as the term is used in federal statute [hyperlink]) apprehended by immigration authorities when attempting to unlawfully enter the United States are generally subject to a streamlined, expedited removal process [hyperlink], in which there is no hearing or further review of an administrative determination that the alien should be removed. Since the enactment of the expedited removal statute in 1996, expedited removal has been used primarily with respect to [hyperlink] aliens who have either arrived at a designated port of entry or were apprehended near the border shortly after surreptitiously entering the United States. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), however, authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to apply expedited removal more broadly to aliens in 'any part' of the United States who have not been admitted or paroled [hyperlink] by immigration authorities, if those aliens have been physically present in the country for less than two years and either did not obtain valid entry documents or procured their admission through fraud or misrepresentation. In 2019, during the Trump Administration, DHS issued notice that it was expanding the use of expedited removal to the full extent permitted under the INA. A federal appellate court upheld [hyperlink] the expansion against a legal challenge seeking to stop its implementation. However, in March 2022, during the Biden Administration, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas rescinded [hyperlink] the expansion. As a result, expedited removal remains limited in its application to aliens apprehended at or near the border. Nonetheless, DHS retains the authority to expand the use of expedited removal, and that authority may continue to prompt significant questions concerning the relationship between the federal government's broad power over the entry and removal of aliens and the due process rights of aliens located within the United States."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office
Smith, Hillel R.
2022-04-06
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Education for Afghan Girls Under the Taliban: Status and Issues for Congress [April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "On March 23, 2022, the Taliban government reversed its previously announced intention to resume secondary education for Afghan girls. The last-minute policy change has prompted widespread U.S. and international criticism and drawn renewed attention to the status of women and girls in Afghanistan, a longstanding issue of congressional concern. The Taliban decision, together with other recently imposed restrictions, raises questions about how Taliban policies on women's rights may be evolving, as well as about the group's responsiveness to outside pressure. Many Members of Congress have expressed deep concerns about the fate of Afghan women and girls (a focus of prior [hyperlink] U.S. development efforts), and the issue has significant policy implications for Congress and for U.S. approaches to the Taliban's rule."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2022-04-06
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China's Economy: Current Trends and Issues [Updated April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "The People's Republic of China (PRC or China) was the first major economy to announce a return to economic growth in June 2020 since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; its economic performance since then has been uneven. Repeated lockdowns under zero-COVID tolerance policies have periodically disrupted manufacturing and transportation. Tightened border controls have curtailed two-way goods and services trade, tourism, and student and business travel. Weak domestic demand and debt pressures, particularly in the property sector, are also constraining growth. In 2021, China relied on government spending and exports to boost economic growth by 8.1%, from a low 2020 base of 2.2% growth. The PRC government targets 5.5% growth for 2022, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects 4.8% growth. Some economists assess China may struggle to meet these targets due to domestic constraints and global economic pressures with Russia's invasion of Ukraine."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sutter, Karen M.; Sutherland, Michael D.
2022-04-06
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Taiwan: Political and Security Issues [Updated April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), is a democracy of 23.5 million people located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. Its government claims 'effective jurisdiction' over the island of Taiwan, the archipelagos of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, and some smaller islands. It also claims disputed islands in the East and South China Seas. U.S.-Taiwan relations have been unofficial since January 1, 1979, when the Carter Administration established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) and broke diplomatic ties with self-ruled Taiwan, over which the PRC claims sovereignty. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, P.L. [Public Law] 96-8; 22 U.S.C. [United States Code] §§3301 et seq.) provides a legal basis for this unofficial bilateral relationship."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawrence, Susan V.; Campbell, Caitlin
2022-04-06
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Major Questions Doctrine [April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress frequently delegates authority to agencies to regulate particular aspects of society, in general or broad terms. However, in a number of decisions, the Supreme Court has declared that if an agency seeks to decide an issue of major national significance, its action must be supported by 'clear' statutory authorization. Courts, commentators, and individual Supreme Court Justices have referred to this doctrine as the 'major questions doctrine' (or major rules doctrine), although the Court has never used that term in a majority opinion. This In Focus provides an overview of the major questions doctrine. It discusses the doctrine's framework, provides examples of its application, explores recent Supreme Court developments, and offers considerations for Congress in crafting legislation against the backdrop of the doctrine."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sheffner, Daniel J.
2022-04-06
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Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated April 6, 2022]
From the Summary: "Members of Congress and Pentagon officials are increasingly focused on developing emerging military technologies to enhance U.S. national security and keep pace with U.S. competitors. The U.S. military has long relied upon technological superiority to ensure its dominance in conflict and to underwrite U.S. national security. In recent years, however, technology has both rapidly evolved and rapidly proliferated--largely as a result of advances in the commercial sector. [...] This report provides an overview of selected emerging military technologies in the United States, China, and Russia: [1] artificial intelligence, [2] lethal autonomous weapons, [3] hypersonic weapons, [4] directed energy weapons, [5] biotechnology, and [6] quantum technology."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sayler, Kelley M.
2022-04-06
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Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court? Legal Questions and Considerations [Updated April 6, 2022]
From the Document: "This Sidebar canvasses the relevant legal considerations surrounding proposals to establish a Supreme Court code of conduct. After discussing the existing Code that applies to lower federal judges, the Sidebar describes recent legislative proposals to create a similar code for the Supreme Court, as well as potential constitutional obstacles to those proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lampe, Joanna R.
2022-04-06
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of State
From the Document: "Addressing systemic racism and strengthening democracy worldwide is a core tenet of President Biden's foreign policy. The State Department is the lead foreign affairs agency within the Executive Branch for conducting diplomacy and has outlined five key priorities for integrating equity into the State Department's foreign affairs work, including through foreign assistance, foreign policy development and implementation, public diplomacy, consular services, and procurement, contracts, and grants. The State Department will integrate equity into every aspect of its foreign affairs mission."
United States. Department of State
2022-04-06?
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Evaluation of Department of Defense Military Medical Treatment Facility Challenges During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Fiscal Year 2021 (DODIG-2022-081)
From the Webpage: "The objective of this evaluation was to determine the challenges and concerns encountered by medical personnel working at DoD Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [...] On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak an emergency. Since March 2020, the DoD's COVID-19 response operations supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 9, 2020, the Secretary of Defense issued guidance stating that the Military Departments are responsible for readiness, giving the Military Departments the 'unilateral authority to deploy military medical personnel from the MTFs to support wartime and related operational missions with feasible notice to the DHA [Defense Health Agency].' In 2021, the DoD also supported Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome. [...] We analyzed interview responses and documentation provided by senior officials at 30 MTFs, the Military Medical Departments, the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). Based on this information, we identified the most serious reported challenges and future concerns for the MTFs. We also identified whether challenges reported by MTF officials in a 2020 DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) report remained challenges in 2021."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2022-04-06
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Evaluation of Department of Defense Military Medical Treatment Facility Challenges During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Fiscal Year 2021 [Redacted]
From the Document: "The objective of this evaluation was to determine the challenges and concerns encountered by medical personnel working at DoD Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. [...] On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak an emergency. Since March 2020, the DoD's COVID-19 response operations supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the whole-of-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 9, 2020, the Secretary of Defense issued guidance stating that the Military Departments are responsible for readiness, giving the Military Departments the 'unilateral authority to deploy military medical personnel from the MTFs to support wartime and related operational missions with feasible notice to the DHA [Defense Health Agency].' In 2021, the DoD also supported Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2022-04-05
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Fleet Management: Preliminary Observations on Electric Vehicles in the Postal and Federal Fleets, Statement of Jill Naamane, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "USPS [United States Postal Service] operates almost 200,000 vehicles that provide mail delivery across the country. USPS, along with the rest of the federal government, relies largely on gas or diesel fuel vehicles in its fleet. Efforts to transition the USPS and other federal fleets to electric vehicles are underway. In December 2021, the Biden Administration issued an Executive Order calling for federal vehicle acquisitions to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, including 100 percent zero-emission light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027. This statement provides GAO [Government Accountability Office]'s preliminary observations on (1) USPS's efforts to determine the number of gas and electric delivery vehicles to purchase, and (2) factors that may affect the transition of federal fleets to electric vehicles."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Naamane, Jill
2022-04-05
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Defense Primer: Quantum Technology [Updated April 5, 2022]
From the Document: "Quantum technology translates the principles of quantum physics into technological applications. In general, quantum technology has not yet reached maturity; however, it could hold significant implications for the future of military sensing, encryption, and communications, as well as for congressional oversight, authorizations, and appropriations. [...] The Defense Science Board (DSB), an independent Department of Defense (DOD) board of scientific advisors, has concluded that three applications of quantum technology hold the most promise for DOD: quantum sensing, quantum computers, and quantum communications."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sayler, Kelley M.
2022-04-05
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Defense Primer: Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) [Updated April 5, 2022]
From the Document: "The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)--recently designated the LGM-35A Sentinel missile--is expected to replace the Minuteman III (MMIII) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in the U.S. nuclear force structure. MMIII has served as the ground-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad--land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and nuclear-capable bombers-- since 1970. (For details, see CRS Report RL33640, U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues, by Amy F. Woolf.) The Air Force expects the Sentinel (GBSD) to begin replacing MMIII in 2029. Although some in Congress and outside government have debated whether to continue the program, the Biden Administration has included $3.6 billion for the GBSD program in its FY2023 budget request and is expected to endorse the program in its Nuclear Posture Review." The updated CRS Report RL33640 can be found here: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=862361].
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2022-04-05
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Section 301 Tariffs on Goods from China: International and Domestic Legal Challenges [Updated April 5, 2022]
From the Document: "In August 2017, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiated [hyperlink] an investigation, under Section 301 [hyperlink] of the Trade Act of 1974, into several allegedly unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices carried out by the People's Republic of China (China). On March 22, 2018, the Trump Administration issued a report [hyperlink] finding that several of these practices were unreasonable or discriminatory and burdened U.S. commerce. Following this announcement, the Administration imposed additional tariffs on a variety of imported goods from China. These tariffs, imposed in four stages (or 'tranches') between 2018 and 2019, have been challenged by China and U.S.-based importers in international and domestic legal fora. Although these legal challenges involve the Section 301 investigation and tariff actions initiated by the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration has left the tariffs in place, and the related legal disputes remain ongoing. This Sidebar analyzes the litigation at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hart, Nina M.; Murrill, Brandon J.
2022-04-05
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United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System [Updated April 5, 2022]
From the Document: "The United States is the single largest financial contributor to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N. system activities and whether U.S. contributions are used efficiently and effectively. U.S. policymakers' perspectives on U.N. funding have varied over time. For example, the Trump Administration consistently proposed significant decreases in U.N. funding and withheld contributions to some U.N. bodies. At the same time, Congress funded most U.N. entities at higher levels than the Administration requested. The Biden Administration supports U.S. engagement with U.N. entities; the President's FY2023 budget request proposes fully funding assessed contributions to U.N. bodies and paying selected U.S. arrears."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchfield, Luisa
2022-04-05
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Legislation to Repeal Mandatory Securities Arbitration [April 5, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Virtually all securities broker-dealers and reportedly most investor advisors require their customers to agree that disputes that may arise between them must be resolved through arbitration rather than through lawsuits filed in federal or state courts. Critics of this practice argue it unfairly denies investors the right to seek redress through other avenues. Proponents of the practice argue arbitration results in fair outcomes at less cost to the parties involved. Two companion bills--S. 1171 and H.R. 2620, which was marked up by the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) on November 16, 2021--would prohibit financial intermediaries from mandating that their customers submit to arbitration to resolve disputes instead of litigating them through federal or state courts. To do so, the bills would amend the Securities Act of 1933 (P.L. 73-22) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (P.L. 76-768). Specifically, they would prohibit broker-dealers, investment advisers, and other intermediaries from incorporating mandatory arbitration clauses in customer agreements. Supporters argue that this would more fairly give investors the benefit of seeking redress in several ways."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shorter, Gary W.
2022-04-05
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National Security Implications of Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Technologies [Updated April 5, 2022]
From the Document: "The fifth generation (5G) of mobile technologies will increase the speed of data transfer and improve bandwidth over existing fourth generation (4G) technologies, in turn enabling new military and commercial applications. 5G technologies are expected to support interconnected or autonomous devices, such as smart homes, self-driving vehicles, precision agriculture systems, industrial machinery, and advanced robotics. 5G for the military could additionally improve intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and processing; enable new methods of command and control (C2); and streamline logistics systems for increased efficiency, among other uses. As 5G technologies are developed and deployed, Congress may consider policies for spectrum management and national security, as well as implications for U.S. military operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.; Sayler, Kelley M.
2022-04-05
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Growing Constraints on Language and Ethnic Identity in Today's China
From the Document: "This hearing will look at the issue of language rights and ethnic identity in China, including through a discussion of government policy toward ethnic minorities, language rights, and educational policy. The hearing will examine recent developments in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and elsewhere in China where authorities have restricted the language and cultural rights of ethnic minority communities."
United States. Congressional-Executive Commission on China
2022-04-05
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FACT SHEET: Implementation of the Australia - United Kingdom - United States Partnership (AUKUS)
From the Document: "Today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States reviewed progress in implementing the Australia - United Kingdom - United States (AUKUS) partnership. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and more broadly to an international system that respects human rights, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes free from coercion - a commitment whose importance has only grown in response to Russia's unprovoked, unjustified, and unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Implementation of the AUKUS partnership has now begun. It has two related lines of effort. [1] Submarines. AUKUS will provide Australia with a conventionally armed, nuclear powered submarine capability at the earliest possible date, while upholding the highest non-proliferation standards. [2] Advanced capabilities. AUKUS will develop and provide joint advanced military capabilities to promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
United States. White House Office
2022-04-05
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Long Covid Impact on Adult Americans: Early Indicators Estimating Prevalence and Cost
From the Executive Summary: "While most patients recover from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], as many as half experience lingering symptoms six or more months after their initial infection.1 Long Covid is the patient-preferred term used to describe this experience of post-infection illness. Long Covid includes a broad range of symptoms that can be disabling, prevent the patient's recovery to pre-infection health, and thwart the patient's return to the workforce. Using mathematical models, publicly available data, patient-led research, and the published natural histories of other post-infection illnesses, specifically myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/ CFS), Solve M.E. estimates the prevalence and cost of Long Covid on adult Americans, presented here. Most importantly, these estimates differentiate between persons with milder symptoms and those experiencing disability or inability to work. While noting limitations of population and serology data, including under-reporting and gender bias, these mathematical models and analyses were developed with a specific emphasis on the impacts of this mass disabling event on American labor markets and labor shortages."
Solve ME/CFS Initiative
2022-04-05
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Estimated Budgetary Effects of the Bipartisan COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on April 4, 2022. From the Document: "Title I of the legislation would provide funding for federal agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Title II would rescind or repurpose about $10,465 million in unobligated balances from a variety of accounts and specify requirements for the budgetary treatment of section 1206 and sections 1209 through 1211. In keeping with those requirements, and at the direction of the Senate Committee on the Budget, those four sections are considered authorizing legislation rather than appropriation legislation. As a result, the estimated budgetary effects of section 1206 and sections 1209 through 1211 are subject to pay-as-you-go procedures. However, section 1206 also requires the estimated budgetary effects stemming from that section to be excluded from the pay-as-you-go scorecards maintained by the Senate and the Office of Management and Budget."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-04
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H. Rept. 117-288: Relating to the Consideration of House Report 117-284 and an Accompanying Resolution, Report to Accompany H. Res. 1023, April 4, 2022
From the Document: "The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House Resolution 1023, by a record vote of 9 to 4, report the same to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted. [...] The resolution provides that if H. Rept. [House Report] 117-284 is called up by direction of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, all points of order against the report shall be waived and it shall be considered as read. The resolution provides for consideration of the resolution accompanying H. Rept. 117-284 under a closed rule. The resolution provides one hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by Representative Thompson of Mississippi, Representative Cheney of Wyoming, and an opponent, or their respective designees. The resolution waives all points of order against consideration of the resolution accompanying the report."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-04-04
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Areas of Economic Distress for EDA Activities and Programs [April 4, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress has used program criteria to direct federal assistance to areas that are economically distressed or comparatively disadvantaged. Place-based measures frequently associated with economic distress include indicators such as poverty, unemployment rates, and income levels. The term 'economically distressed area' lacks a standardized definition and may vary by agency, program, or executive branch initiative. This In Focus summarizes the criteria as well as the data sources and mapping tools used for determining economic distress for activities and programs administered by the Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA). It also includes considerations for Congress regarding the EDA's criteria."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawhorn, Julie M.
2022-04-04
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Budget Reconciliation Measures Enacted into Law Since 1980 [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Summary: "The budget reconciliation process is an optional procedure that operates as an adjunct to the budget resolution process established by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The chief purpose of the reconciliation process is to enhance Congress's ability to change current law in order to bring revenue, spending, and debt-limit levels into conformity with the policies of the annual budget resolution. This report identifies and briefly summarizes the 22 budget reconciliation measures enacted into law since 1980, when reconciliation procedures were first used by both chambers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lynch, Megan Suzanne
2022-04-04
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DOE's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Removal Programs [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Document: "Federally funded research and development (R&D) on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon removal is supported primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This analysis summarizes recent authorizations and appropriations for these activities, covering FY2021 and FY2022."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Ashley J.
2022-04-04
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Budget Resolution and the Senate's Automatic Discharge Process [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Document: "The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 [hyperlink] (the Budget Act) provides for the annual adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget that establishes an agreement between the House and Senate on budgetary levels for the upcoming fiscal year (and at least four additional years). The budget resolution assists Congress in developing federal budget policy, and its adoption allows Congress to trigger the budget reconciliation process. [...] Section 304 of the Budget Act [hyperlink] provides that Congress may revise or reaffirm the budget resolution for the fiscal year most recently agreed to. [...] A revised budget resolution is an optional procedure, and there is no comparable deadline established under Sections 300 or 304 of the Budget Act for it to be reported from committee. Accordingly, any revised budget resolution would have to be reported by the Budget Committee or discharged under regular Budget Committee and Senate rules, including those rules in force under the recent 'powersharing' agreement. Because the Senate has not considered a revised budget resolution under Section 304 since the 1983 precedent that allows a non-debatable motion to proceed to be made to consider a budget resolution, it is not clear that the precedent would then be applicable. One additional difference for the consideration of a revised budget resolution is that Section 305(b)(1) limits debate to 15 hours."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Saturno, James; Lynch, Megan Suzanne
2022-04-04
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Replacing the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Document: "The U.S. Air Force recently expressed its interest to replace the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet. Over the summer and fall of 2021, several senior Air Force officials, including Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Commander of Pacific Air Forces General Kenneth Wilsbach, discussed plans to replace the E-3 AWACS. The officials stated that the Air Force needs to replace its fleet of E-3 AWACS aircraft due to their age, low mission capable rates, and the inability to procure parts to maintain 40-year-old aircraft. The Air Force released a request for information on February 8, 2022, seeking to replace the AWACS beginning in FY2023. The FY2023 budget request seeks $227 million in research development, test, and evaluation to begin E-3 AWACS recapitalization."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.; Gertler, Jeremiah
2022-04-04
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National Flood Insurance Program: The Current Rating Structure and Risk Rating 2.0 [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Summary: "The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source of flood insurance coverage for residential properties in the United States, with more than 5 million policies in over 22,000 communities in 56 states and jurisdictions. FEMA is in the process of introducing the biggest change to the way the NFIP calculates flood insurance premiums, known as Risk Rating 2.0, since the inception of the NFIP in 1968. The new premium rates went into effect on October 1, 2021, for new NFIP policies only. The new rates for existing NFIP policyholders took effect on April 1, 2022. Risk Rating 2.0 will continue the overall policy of phasing out NFIP subsidies, which began with the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and continued with the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. Under the change, premiums for individual properties will be tied to their actual flood risk. Because the limitations on annual premium increases are set in statute, Risk Rating 2.0 will not be able to increase rates faster than the existing limit for primary residences of 5%-18% increase per year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2022-04-04
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India's Domestic Political Setting [Updated April 4, 2022]
From the Overview: "India, the world's most populous democracy, is, according to its Constitution, a 'sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic' where the bulk of executive power rests with the prime minister and his Council of Ministers (the Indian president is a ceremonial chief of state with limited executive powers). Since its 1947 independence, most of India's 14 prime ministers have come from the country's Hindi-speaking northern regions, and all but 3 have been upper-caste Hindus. The 543-seat 'Lok Sabha (House of the People)' is the locus of national power, with directly elected representatives from each of the country's 28 states and 8 union territories. The president has the power to dissolve this body. A smaller upper house of a maximum 250 seats, the 'Rajya Sabha (Council of States)', may review, but not veto, revenue legislation, and has no power over the prime minister or his/her cabinet. Lok Sabha and state legislators are elected to five-year terms. Rajya Sabha legislators are elected by state assemblies to six-year terms; 12 are appointed by the president."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2022-04-04
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International Emergency Economic Powers Act: Key Facts [Updated April 4, 2022] [infographic]
From the Document: "[1] In the 1970's Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act (NEA) and IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] to replace previous emergency authorities and place new limits on presidential emergency power. [2] Presidents have declared '75 national emergencies' since the enactment of the NEA and IEEPA. [3] Presidents have declared national emergencies invoking IEEPA with respect to '37 countries' as part of the U.S. sanctions regime. [4] IEEPA was used to continue enforcement of the 'Export Administration Act (EAA)' upon its expiration 6 times for a total of 29 years. IEEPA authority is still used to continue certain export controls related to WMD [weapons of mass destruction]. [5] Today '37 of the 40 ongoing' national emergencies cite IEEPA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Christopher A.
2022-04-04
