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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5658, DHS Roles and Responsibilities in Cyber Space Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on October 26, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 5658 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to the Congress on the effectiveness of the department's responses to cybersecurity incidents. Under the bill, DHS also would provide the Congress with recommendations to further clarify cybersecurity responsibilities across the department's component agencies. Based on the costs of similar studies, CBO estimates that preparing and delivering the required report would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriations. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aldo Prosperi. The estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-22
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MMWR Surveillance Summaries: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 19, 2021: Homicides of American Indians/Alaska Natives -- National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2003-2018
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Surveillance Summaries issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Homicides of American Indians/Alaska Natives -- National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2003-2018." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-11-19
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 19, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Prevalence and Characteristics of Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Unpaid Caregivers Aged ≥45 Years -- 22 States, 2015-2019"; "Health Care Access and Use Among Adults with Diabetes During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic -- United States, February-March 2021"; "Automated Digital Notification of COVID-19 Diagnoses Through Text and Email Messaging -- North Carolina, December 2020-January 2021"; "Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infection, Emergency Department Visits, and Hospitalizations Because of COVID-19 Among Persons Aged ≥12 Years, by COVID-19 Vaccination Status -- Oregon and Washington, July 4-September 25, 2021"; "Impact of Hospital Strain on Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic -- United States, July 2020-July 2021"; "'Notes from the Field': Acute Nonviral Hepatitis Linked to a Brand of Alkaline Bottled Water -- Clark County, Nevada and California, 2020"; and "'QuickStats': Age-Adjusted Death Rates from Heart Disease Among Adults Aged 45-64 Years, by Urbanization Level§ and Sex -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-11-19
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Digital Services: Considerations for a Federal Academy to Develop a Pipeline of Digital Staff
From the Document: "A talented and diverse cadre of digital-ready, tech-savvy federal employees is critical to a modern, efficient government that can help agencies carry out their missions and address challenges facing the United States. As the federal government continues its modernization efforts across agencies, it faces a severe shortage of digital expertise in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, application development, cybersecurity, computational biology, and robotics process automation. Federal agencies have faced challenges in hiring, managing, and retaining staff with digital service skills because of a limited pipeline of candidates and slow bureaucratic processes. [...] You asked us to gather perspectives of federal technology leaders on establishing an academy that could provide a dedicated talent pool to help meet the federal government's needs for digital expertise. This report summarizes the perspectives that selected technology leaders shared on 1) federal workforce needs for digital services staff, 2) key characteristics of a digital service academy, and 3) considerations to help ensure agencies can absorb graduates of a digital service academy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 658, National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act of 2021 [November 19, 2021]
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on October 26, 2021. From the Document: "S. 658 would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate with a consortium of academic and nonprofit entities to help state and local governments prepare for and respond to cybersecurity risks. [...] On April 5, 2021, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 658 [hyperlink], the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act of 2021, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on March 17, 2021. The two bills are similar, and CBO's estimates of their costs are similar. Differences in CBO's estimates of the cost of implementing the bills reflect the assumption that the bill ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security will be enacted in 2022."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-19
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Government's Preparedness for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Government on Risk Management
From the Summary: "This report sets out the facts on: [1] the government's approach to risk management and emergency planning (Part One); [2] the actions the government took to identify the risk of a pandemic like COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] (Part Two); [3] the actions the government took to prepare for a pandemic like COVID-19 (Part Three); and [4] recent developments (Part Four). [...] The report sets out central government's risk analysis, planning, and mitigation strategies prior to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of drawing out wider learning for the government's overall risk management approach. It does not cover local-level risk planning, wider aspects of resilience planning or top-level disaster response procedures. It also does not cover the government's response to COVID-19 or how prepared it was for subsequent waves of the pandemic."
Great Britain. National Audit Office
Davies, Gareth (Comptroller and Auditor General)
2021-11-19
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 19, 2021: Risk for Stillbirth Among Women With and Without COVID-19 at Delivery Hospitalization -- United States, March 2020-September 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Risk for Stillbirth Among Women With and Without COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] at Delivery Hospitalization -- United States, March 2020-September 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-11-19
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 19, 2021: COVID-19-Associated Deaths After SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy -- Mississippi, March 1, 2020-October 6, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]-Associated Deaths After SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infection During Pregnancy -- Mississippi, March 1, 2020-October 6, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-11-19
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VA Acquisition Management: Fundamental Challenges Could Hinder Supply Chain Modernization Efforts If Not Addressed, Statement of Shelby S. Oakley, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "GAO [Government Accountability Office]'s prior work shows that VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] has long faced challenges in achieving efficient acquisitions. Further, VA faced supply chain challenges during the early stages of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, as GAO testified in June 2020 [hyperlink], September 2020 [hyperlink], and March 2021 [hyperlink]. This statement discusses VA's supply chain and broader acquisition management challenges, its efforts to address them, and implications for improving VA's overall acquisition management. This statement is largely based on information from GAO reports and testimony statements issued from 2017-2021 and preliminary observations from ongoing work. The ongoing work includes reviews focused on VA's management of major acquisitions and its acquisition workforce, on which GAO plans to issue reports in summer 2022."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Oakley, Shelby S.
2021-11-18
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 46, November 18, 2021
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "The state of research on firefighter PFAS [Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances] exposures"; "Behavioral Approach to Violence Prevention reference aid for homeland security partners"; "FEMA launches new Building Science Resource Library and advocates use of building codes to increase resilience to natural disasters"; "CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] holds 2021 Chemical Security Summit as virtual seminar series in December"; "CISA adds four known exploited vulnerabilities to catalog"; "Iranian government-sponsored APT [advanced persistent threat] cyber actors exploiting Microsoft Exchange and Fortinet vulnerabilities"; "Bad form: FBI server sending fake emails taken offline and fixed, no data impacted"; "Ohio teen linked to group accused in more than 30 nationwide bomb threats, swatting incidents"; "Your DDR4 [Double Data Rate 4] memory could be facing the return of some serious assaults"; and "Emotet makes a comeback."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-11-18
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Letter from CBO Director Phillip L. Swagel to Lindsey Graham, Ranking Member of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget, Regarding Estimated Revenue Effects of Increased Funding for the Internal Revenue Service in H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, November 18, 2021
From the Document: "This letter responds to your request for information about the revenue effects of an increase in funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that would be provided by the current version of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act (Rules Committee Print 117-18 incorporating a manager's amendment by Congressman Yarmuth). The Congressional Budget Office [CBO] estimates that the funding for tax enforcement activities provided by the bill would increase outlays by $80 billion and revenues by $207 billion, thus decreasing the deficit by $127 billion, through 2031. That change in revenues is not included in CBO's estimate of the budgetary effects of the Build Back Better Act." The letter then addresses the following questions: "What Would the Legislation Do?"; "How Would Outlays and Revenues Change?"; "What Is the Basis for the Estimate?"; "What Are the Deterrent Effects of Enforcement?"; and "Why Are the Estimates Uncertain?"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Swagel, Phillip
2021-11-18
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H. Rept. 117-175: Providing for Further Consideration of the Bill (H.R. 5376), Report To Accompany H. Res. 803, November 18, 2021
From the Document: "The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House Resolution 803, by a record vote of 9 to 3, report the same to the House with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted. [...] The resolution provides for further consideration of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act. The resolution provides that the further amendment printed in this report shall be considered as adopted."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-11-18
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DOD and VA Health Care: Suicide Prevention Efforts and Recommendations for Improvement, Statement of Alyssa M. Hundrup, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on National Security, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In its Annual Suicide Report, DOD reported that the suicide rate for active-duty servicemembers increased over the past 6 years, reaching 28.7 per 100,000 individuals in 2020. VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] has also reported rising rates of suicides among veterans, totaling 31.6 per 100,000 individuals in 2019. This rate of suicides was almost two times higher for veterans than non-veterans. DOD and VA have taken steps to help prevent suicides among servicemembers and veterans. For example, DOD and VA both established suicide prevention strategies and created offices to oversee their suicide prevention efforts. Additionally, VA has identified suicide prevention as its highest clinical priority in its strategic plan for fiscal years 2018 through 2024. This statement describes GAO [Government Accountability Office]'s recent work examining DOD and VA suicide prevention efforts, including recommendations GAO made on (1) DOD's efforts to assess its non-clinical suicide prevention efforts and report data on suicides; (2) VA's use of and staffing for suicide prevention teams; and (3) VA's collection and analysis of data on suicides that occur on its campuses."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Hundrup, Alyssa M.
2021-11-17
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COVID-19 and Access to Medical Products: Implications of Section 301 Tariffs [Updated November 17, 2021]
From the Overview: "On October 8, 2021, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published a 'Federal Register' notice seeking comments on whether to reopen the process by which U.S. stakeholders may apply for exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on U.S. imports from China. Specifically, the agency is requesting comments on whether to reinstate 549 exclusions that were previously extended and have now expired or are set to expire in the coming weeks. Some of these exclusions cover products with known or potential medical uses related to the U.S. response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The USTR is to collect comments through its portal until December 1, 2021. Separately, in light of the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant this summer and developments in the production capacity of U.S.-based manufacturers to satisfy various national needs, the USTR recently concluded a review of public comments on whether 99 current exclusions on medical-care and/or COVID-19 response products needed to be further extended for six months ('COVID-19 Review'). In response to these comments and the advice from advisory committees, the interagency Section 301 Committee, and the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the USTR determined on November 9 to provide a transition period for all COVID-19 exclusions set to expire on November 14 (through November 30) and to extend 81 of the 99 COVID-19 exclusions through May 31, 2022."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schwarzenberg, Andres B.
2021-11-17
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Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Better Manage Shore Infrastructure, Statement of Heather Macleod, Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Why GAO [United States Government Accountability Office] Did This Study[:] The Coast Guard, within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), owns or leases more than 20,000 shore facilities--such as piers, boat stations, air stations, runways, and housing units--at more than 2,700 locations. This statement addresses (1) the condition of Coast Guard infrastructure, (2) Coast Guard actions to improve management of its shore infrastructure, and (3) challenges for the Coast Guard to address. This statement is based primarily on four GAO products issued from October 2017 through July 2020 and updates as of October 2021 on actions the Coast Guard has taken to address recommendations from these reports. GAO analyzed relevant Coast Guard documents and management processes, and interviewed Coast Guard officials. To conduct updates, GAO also reviewed Coast Guard budget information and other documentation, and interviewed officials on actions taken to implement prior GAO recommendations. What GAO Recommends: GAO has made recommendations in prior reports to improve the Coast Guard's asset management efforts, including reporting shore infrastructure needs more completely and accurately. DHS concurred with most of these recommendations and, in some cases, has taken steps toward addressing them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11-16
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Review of the Department of Defense's Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and Its Aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021
This is a redacted report from the Department of Defense, and made available for public access. From the Introduction: "This report presents the results of the DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) review of the DoD's role, responsibilities, and actions to prepare for and respond to the protest and its aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021. The DoD Acting Inspector General initiated this review on January 15, 2021. Our review evaluated requests for DoD support before January 6, 2021, how the DoD responded to such requests, the requests for support the DoD received as the events unfolded on January 6, 2021, and how the DoD responded to the protests and rioting at the U.S. Capitol Campus. We evaluated whether the DoD's actions were appropriate and supported by requirements. We also examined whether the DoD complied with applicable laws, regulations, and other guidance in its response to requests for assistance. To conduct the review, we assembled a multidisciplinary team of DoD OIG administrative and criminal investigators, evaluators, auditors, and attorneys. We examined approximately 24.6 gigabytes of e-mails and documents, including letters, memorandums, agreements, plans, orders, reports, briefings, calendars, statements witnesses made in congressional hearings, and comments witnesses made to journalists as reported in media articles and network news broadcasts."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2021-11-16
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Bureau of Land Management: Better Workforce Planning and Data Would Help Mitigate the Effects of Recent Staff Vacancies, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "BLM's [Bureau of Land Management's] workforce of about 8,800 permanent staff is responsible for a portfolio of public lands, which, according to BLM, encompasses more than 245 million surface acres, primarily in western states. BLM's mission includes managing these lands for a variety of uses while maintaining natural and cultural resources. BLM headquarters provides national policy direction to the rest of BLM, while state offices generally administer programs in the states. Since 2016, BLM's workforce has experienced hiring restrictions and a reorganization. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review recent changes to BLM's workforce and the agency's workforce planning efforts. This report examines, for the period since 2016, (1) changes in BLM's organizational structure, (2) changes in BLM's workforce composition, and (3) the extent to which BLM has had a strategic workforce plan that supports its mission and goals. GAO analyzed BLM workforce data, information on organizational changes, and workforce planning documents from 2016 to 2021, and interviewed 13 BLM staff members from offices affected by organizational and workforce changes. [...] GAO recommends that BLM (1) track data on vacancies and details for all offices, and (2) develop an agency-wide strategic workforce plan that aligns its human capital program with emerging mission goals and includes long-term staffing strategies. Interior agreed with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-11-16
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Recent Funding Increases for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance [Updated November 16, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced that $3.46 billion in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding [hyperlink] (HMGP) will be made available to states, territories, and tribes (STTs) with major disaster declarations for the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic [hyperlink]. FEMA also announced increased funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program for FY2021 [hyperlink]. In addition, significant new mitigation funding will be available from FY2022 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [hyperlink] (IIJA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-11-16
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4133, Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4133 would authorize appropriations of $75 million each year over the 2022-2026 period for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, a regional foreign assistance program. Under that initiative, those funds would be used to: [1] Promote citizen safety, security, and the rule of law in the Caribbean; [2] Reduce trafficking in narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and other contraband in the region; [3] Reduce corruption and the malign influence of authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia; [4] Raise public awareness about the benefits of United States assistance programs; and [5] Strengthen the ability of beneficiary countries to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Using historical spending rates of appropriations for those purposes, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost a total of $156 million over the 2022-2026 period and $354 million over the next 10 years, subject to appropriation of the authorized amounts."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-15
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Conflict, Extremism, Resilience and Peace in South Asia; Can COVID-19 Provide a Bridge for Peace and Rapprochement?
From the Document: "South Asia, home to 1.97 billion people (25% of the world's population), is no stranger to conflict and confrontation. Longstanding border disputes (such as between India and China and the decades-old standoff between India and Pakistan), the forced displacement of Myanmar Muslims to Bangladesh, and the 2021 rise of the Taliban triggering a mass exodus of professionals and educated women from Afghanistan underscore the enormous volatility and unpredictability of the region. Climate change poses a further challenge, with the real risk of interstate 'water wars.' Indeed, South Asia now faces a range of threats, with real risks of these spilling over into interstate conflict. [...] The history of conflict and vast inequities meant the region was a sitting duck for an infectious disease outbreak that took full advantage of social vulnerability. The covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has clearly exposed the extreme fragility of health systems, the limitations of emergency response capacity, inadequate early disease warning capabilities, and miniscule social support systems in the region. Consequently, South Asia has fared badly, with massive social and economic disruptions and the emergence of the delta variant leading to tremendous excess mortality across many countries in the region, including Sri Lanka, which had been less affected in the early phases of the pandemic. Education was interrupted for an estimated 434 million children, and numbers of teenage pregnancies rose by over 450 000 as young girls were married after dropping out of school." This document includes charts, tables, and graphs to illustrate the text.
BMJ Publishing Group
Bhutta, Zulfiqar Ahmed, 1955-; Mitra, Arun; Salman, Afsah . . .
2021-11-15
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 12, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following articles: "Progress Toward Regional Measles Elimination -- Worldwide, 2000-2020"; "HIV Prevention Program Eligibility Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women -- Namibia, 2019"; "Influenza Vaccinations During the COVID-19 [coronavirus 2019] Pandemic -- 11 U.S. Jurisdictions, September-December 2020"; "The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in Children Aged 5-11 Years -- United States, November 2021"; and "Notes from the Field: Childhood Lead Poisoning Associated with Turmeric Spices -- Las Vegas, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-11-12
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2915, Homeland Procurement Reform Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on October 5, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 2915 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to contract with manufacturers and suppliers that are domestic small businesses for at least one-third of spending for uniforms and certain protective gear for designated offices and agencies within the department. The requirement would apply to any contracts signed six months after the bill's enactment. H.R. 2915 also would require DHS to brief the Congress annually about the failure of any vendors to meet delivery deadlines for covered items. It also would require a report within 180 days of enactment about how DHS could acquire additional items from domestic sources and a study within 18 months of enactment on the adequacy of DHS uniform allowances."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-12
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Independent Auditors' Report on DHS' FY 2021 Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
From the Highlights: "Why We Did This Audit[:] The Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-576) and the Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act (Public Law 108-330) require us to conduct an annual audit of the Department of Homeland Security's consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting. What We Recommend[:] KPMG [independent public accounting firm, KPMG LLP] made 20 recommendations to improve the Department's internal control over financial reporting."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2021-11-12
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Iraq and U.S. Policy [Updated November 12, 2021]
From the Document: "Iraq held a national election on October 10, 2021, with voters selecting 329 members for the unicameral legislature, the Council of Representatives (COR). The COR elects Iraq's president and approves the prime minister's program and cabinet nominees. The election results will inform negotiations among political groups to identify the new COR's 'largest bloc,' which nominates the prime minister. The largest bloc may or may not include the coalition or party that won the most COR seats. Past government formation talks have taken months to resolve. [...] For the United States, the election result could reduce the formal influence of Iran-aligned groups who seek to revise or rescind plans for a continued U.S. military advisory presence in Iraq after December 31, 2021. However, Iraqi analysts expect a compromise coalition government to emerge that includes or reflects the interests of Iran-backed groups alongside their more electorally successful rivals. Such a government could lower the risk of political violence, but also may make systemic reforms less likely."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Christopher M.
2021-11-12
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Climate Change, Slow-Onset Disasters, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency [Updated November 12, 2021]
From the Document: "The United States is already experiencing [hyperlink] certain effects of climate change, including high temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events [hyperlink]. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, among many other bodies, expects [hyperlink] these trends to continue and intensify, likely resulting in more severe and frequent 'slow-onset [hyperlink]' events (e.g., drought; sea level rise), compound disasters [hyperlink] (e.g., extreme rainfall combined with coastal flooding), and cascading [hyperlink] events (e.g., landslides following wildfires). Such events may not have clearly defined start or end dates, and cumulative damage may not be immediately apparent. Congress may consider how these events affect the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers federal disaster relief authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [hyperlink] (Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288, as amended). Although FEMA does not have an explicit mission to address climate change, the agency is increasing its activities [hyperlink] related to nationwide adaptation to some of its effects [hyperlink], including extreme weather events. This Insight highlights issues FEMA may face when activating the Stafford Act for slow-onset events endemic to a changing climate. Slow-onset disasters are not mentioned or defined in the Stafford Act, FEMA's regulations, or guidance, nor are they included in existing emergency or major disaster definitions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.; Lee, Erica A.
2021-11-12
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What's in the New U.S.-EU Steel and Aluminum Deal? [November 12, 2021]
From the Document: "On October 31, 2021, the United States [hyperlink] and European Union [hyperlink] (EU) announced a multifaceted agreement [hyperlink] to address U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs on EU exports, imposed by the Trump Administration under Section 232, and EU retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. exports. The deal establishes a new tariff rate quota (TRQ) to replace original Section 232 tariffs. It also creates a new forum to strengthen U.S.-EU cooperation to address global overcapacity, ensure market-oriented conditions, and reduce carbon intensity in these industries. In addressing the tariffs, President Biden sought [hyperlink] to decrease trade tensions with allies, build partnerships to tackle global issues, and protect U.S. jobs and industry from unfair competition, stemming from China's excess capacity and industrial policies. [...] The full impact of the deal will take time to emerge; it goes into effect in January 2022, and the new Global Arrangement may not be finalized for two years. Potential areas of congressional interest and oversight may include the impact of the tariff elimination and TRQ system on U.S. industry and bilateral trade, the joint efforts to tackle China-driven global overcapacity, and the Biden Administration's announced consultations with Japan [hyperlink] and the United Kingdom [hyperlink] on the tariffs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2021-11-12
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Build Back Better Act, Universal Comprehensive Paid Leave Benefit Formula (As in November 3 Text), and State-Level Distribution of Workers: In Brief [November 12, 2021]
From the Document: "On November 3, 2021, the House Rules Committee released text of a modified version of H.R. 5376, commonly referred to as the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). Title XIII, Subtitle A, of the act (titled 'Universal Comprehensive Paid Leave') proposes a new federal cash benefit for eligible individuals engaged in certain types of family and medical caregiving. The November 3 text modifies a similar paid leave benefit program proposed in an earlier version of H.R. 5376 that was introduced on September 27, 2021. This report describes the weekly benefit formula for qualified caregiving as included in the November 3, 2021, version of the BBBA. The weekly benefit formula has a progressive structure (i.e., it is designed to replace a larger share of earnings for individuals with lower earnings and a smaller share of earnings for those with higher earnings)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Donovan, Sarah A.
2021-11-12
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Department of Defense (DOD) Budget: An Orientation [November 12, 2021]
From the Summary: "This report uses the FY2022 budget request for the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide a general orientation to the composition and activities of that agency. The report divides the budget request into sections that largely correspond to the major divisions (or 'titles') of the annual defense authorization and appropriations bills. Using DOD budget data, the report identifies several categories of activity funded within each of those parts of the budget and--in some cases--provides more specific, selected examples. The report is not designed to provide detailed analysis of elements of the budget request, but it incorporates cross-references to many CRS products intended for that purpose."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Towell, Pat
2021-11-12
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Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces [Updated November 12, 2021]
From the Document: "Since the early 1960s the United States has maintained a 'triad' of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles. These include long-range land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and long-range heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear-armed cruise missiles and nuclear-armed gravity bombs. The number of nuclear warheads carried on these delivery vehicles peaked in the late 1980s, at around 14,000 warheads. It has been declining ever since, both as the United States complies with limits in U.S.-Russian arms control agreements and as it has changed requirements after the Cold War. As of February 2018, the United States had reduced its forces to comply with the New START Treaty [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty], which entered into force in early 2011. 'Table 1' displays the U.S. forces that count under the treaty limits, as of September 1, 2020. These forces fall below the treaty limits of 1,550 deployed warheads on 700 deployed missiles due to maintenance schedules and operational requirements. An update released in March 2021 indicated that the United States had 1,357 warheads deployed on 651 missiles and bombers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2021-11-12
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Congressional Review Act (CRA): Frequently Asked Questions [Updated November 12, 2021]
From the Summary: "The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a tool that Congress may use to overturn rules issued by federal agencies. The CRA was included as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), which was signed into law on March 29, 1996. The CRA requires agencies to report on their rulemaking activities to Congress and provides Congress with a special set of procedures under which to consider legislation to overturn those rules. Under the CRA, before a rule can take effect, an agency must submit a report to each house of Congress and the comptroller general containing a copy of the rule; a concise general statement describing the rule, including whether it is a major rule; and the proposed effective date of the rule. After receiving the report, Members of Congress have specified time periods during which they must submit and act on a joint resolution of disapproval to take advantage of the CRA's special 'fast track' procedures. If both houses pass the resolution, it is sent to the President for signature or veto. If the President were to veto the resolution, Congress could vote to override the veto. If a joint resolution of disapproval is submitted within the CRA-specified deadline, passed by Congress, and signed by the President, the CRA states that the disapproved rule 'shall not take effect (or continue).' The rule would be deemed not to have had any effect at any time, and even provisions that had become effective would be retroactively negated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carey, Maeve P.; Davis, Christopher M., 1966-
2021-11-12
