Advanced search Help
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Federal Cloud Computing Strategy
From the Key Actions: "The Chief Information Officers Council (CIO Council) has developed a list of action items to execute the Cloud Smart strategy. These actions will constitute a work plan aimed at creating and updating programs, policies, and resources that the whole of Government will use to advance the Cloud Smart agenda. Additionally, all Federal agencies will rationalize their application portfolios to drive Federal cloud adoption. The rationalization process will involve reducing an application portfolio by 1) assessing the need for and usage of applications; and 2) discarding obsolete, redundant, or overly resource-intensive applications. Decreased application management responsibilities will free agencies to focus on improving service delivery by optimizing their remaining applications. To support these rationalization efforts, the CIO Council will develop best practices and other resources. Furthermore, while the initial Cloud Smart work plan will be executed over an eighteen-month period, its actions will be refreshed continuously as needed to keep up with the changing cloud market and emerging technologies."
United States. White House Office; United States. Office of Management and Budget; Chief Financial Officers Council (U.S.)
Kent, Suzette
2019-06-24
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1585: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019
From the Document: "H.R. 1585 would specifically authorize the appropriation of nearly $1.1 billion annually over the 2020-2024 period for programs administered by DOJ [Department of Justice], HHS [Department of Health and Human Services], HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development], and DOL [Department of Labor] to combat violence against women. In addition, the act would increase direct spending and revenues by expanding eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-21
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1900: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019
From the Document: "S. 1900 would provide supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2019 to expand federal agencies' capacity to respond to the large number of foreign nationals attempting to enter the United States through the southern border and to provide humanitarian assistance--including food, shelter, and medical services--to such individuals. The bill would designate those amounts as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. The limits on discretionary budget authority established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25), as amended, would be adjusted to accommodate the funding"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-21
-
Board Diversity: Strategies to Increase Representation of Women and Minorities, Statement of Chelsa Gurkin, Acting Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Testimony Before the Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "Corporate boards take actions and make decisions that not only affect the lives of millions of employees and consumers, but also influence the policies and practices of the global marketplace. Many organizations and businesses have recognized the importance of recruiting and retaining women and minorities for key positions to improve performance and better meet the needs of a diverse customer base. Academic researchers and others have highlighted how diversity among board directors increases the range of perspectives for better decision making, among other benefits. Prior GAO reports have found challenges to increasing diversity on boards and underscored the need to identify strategies that can improve or accelerate efforts to boost representation of women and minorities. These include reports examining the diversity of publicly-traded company boards and the boards of federally chartered banks, such as the FHLBanks [Federal Home Loan Banks]. This statement is based on two GAO reports, issued in December 2015 and February 2019, on the representation of women on corporate boards and the representation of women and minorities on the boards of FHLBanks, respectively. Information about the scope and methodologies used can be found in the original reports. This statement focuses on (1) the extent of diversity on such boards (2) factors that hinder diversity on these boards, and (3) strategies to promote board diversity on corporate and FHLBank boards."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Gurkin, Chelsa
2019-06-20
-
Black Lung Benefits Program: Financing and Oversight Challenges Are Adversely Affecting the Trust Fund, Testimony Before the Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, House of Representatives
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Office: "Since 2009, GAO has produced a body of work on the Black Lung Benefits Program. In 2018, for instance, GAO reported that the Trust Fund, which pays benefits to certain coal miners, faced financial challenges due, in part, to the coal tax rate decrease that took effect in 2019 and declining coal production. Trust Fund finances could be further strained by coal mine operator bankruptcies, as they can lead to benefit liabilities being transferred to the Trust Fund. This testimony describes Trust Fund finances through 2050 and provides preliminary observations from ongoing work for this committee regarding the Department of Labor's (DOL) oversight of coal mine operator insurance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Barnes, Cindy Brown
2019-06-20
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1079, CASES Act
From the Document: "H.R. 1079 would require the Office of Management and Budget to create an electronic system to enable Members of Congress to act on behalf of consenting individuals concerning matters with any federal agency. Currently, most Congressional offices performing constituent services with federal agencies utilize a paper-based authorization process to conduct those services and to comply with privacy protection laws. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that creating the electronic authorization process envisioned in H.R. 1079 would be similar to the effort that was required to develop another federal system known as Login.gov. The cost of developing Login.gov--a system that offers 14 million users secure access to 18 federal agencies and more than 30 applications--was $30 million over a four year period. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1079, which would require a system with a single application and that would have fewer users would cost around $15 million, or less than $1 million per major federal agency. Most of those costs would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1815, SEC Disclosure Effectiveness Testing Act
From the Bill Summary: "Financial professionals such as broker-dealers and investment advisors are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to disclose a variety of documents and other information to retail investors. Disclosures are designed to educate retail investors about financial choices, standards of care, fiduciary relationships, and other aspects of investing. H.R. 1815 would require the SEC to test the usability of any disclosure that it mandates through a final rule to be provided to retail investors by broker dealers or investment advisors. Those usability tests would be required before the SEC adopts final rules governing such disclosures. If proposed disclosures undergo substantive changes before the final rule is promulgated, an additional usability test would be required. Disclosures previously mandated before the bill's enactment also would require a usability test. Each usability test would include the following: [1] One-on-one interviews with retail investors to assess their understanding of the disclosure in question; [2] A nationwide survey of retail investors to assess the usefulness of the disclosure; [3] An analysis of the interview and survey results, which would be published in the Federal Register; and [4] An opportunity for public comment on those published results."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
-
Post-9/11 GI Bill: Veterans Affected by School Closures, Statement of Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "The Post-9/11 GI Bill is VA's [Department of Veterans Affairs] largest educational program. It provides payments for eligible veterans to cover tuition and fees, housing and other costs while they pursue a higher education. However, for some veterans this pursuit is interrupted when the school they attend unexpectedly closes. This testimony addresses (1) the distribution of Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition and fee payments among schools, (2) outcomes of students at schools that receive the most Post-9/11 GI Bill payments, and (3) how school closures can affect student veterans."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Emrey-Arras, Melissa
2019-06-19
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1207: Navajo Utah Water Rights Settlement Act of 2019
From the Bill Summary: "S. 1207 would secure up to 81,500 acre-feet of water annually for the Navajo Nation in Utah by ratifying a settlement among the federal government, the State of Utah, and the Navajo Nation. CBO estimates that the bill would authorize the appropriation of $241 million (including adjustments to account for inflation and interest earnings) to capitalize the Navajo Utah Settlement Trust Fund, an interest-bearing fund established under the bill that would be administered by the Department of the Interior. After the parties have satisfied certain conditions, the federal government would transfer ownership of the fund (including any appropriated interest earnings) to the nation for constructing projects to deliver water to the Navajo reservation in Utah. The bill also would direct the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to survey water use on the reservation."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2534: Insider Trading Prohibition Act
From the Document: "H.R. 2534 would define and prohibit illegal insider trading. It also would prohibit instances in which one person wrongfully communicates nonpublic, material information to another person in connection with securities trading, regardless of whether or not a payment or a promised personal benefit was involved. Under H.R. 2534, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would determine if the new insider trading prohibitions also apply to automated security-trading transactions."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
-
Letter to the U.S. House Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services Adam Smith Regarding Direct Spending and Revenue Effects of H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020
From the Letter: "The Congressional Budget Office has completed the enclosed estimate of the direct spending and revenue effects of H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on June 13, 2019. CBO's complete estimate, including discretionary costs, will be provided shortly. Enacting the bill would reduce net direct spending by $9 million over the 2020-2029 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-18
-
Regulating Big Tech: Legal Implications [Updated June 17, 2019]
From the Document: "Amidst growing debate over the legal framework governing social media sites and other technology companies, several Members of Congress have expressed interest in expanding current regulations of the major American technology companies, often referred to as 'Big Tech.' This Legal Sidebar provides a high-level overview of the current regulatory framework governing Big Tech, several proposed changes to that framework, and the legal issues those proposals may implicate. The Sidebar also contains a list of additional resources that may be helpful for a more detailed evaluation of any given regulatory proposal."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brannon, Valerie C.
2019-06-17
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2515, Whistleblower Protection Reform Act of 2019
From the Document: "H.R. 2515 would expand protections for whistleblowers seeking legal recourse under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) by prohibiting employers from retaliating against employees who report possible violations of securities laws or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations to their supervisors. Existing protections under Dodd-Frank provide whistleblowers with legal recourse only if they are retaliated against in connection with reporting potential violations to the SEC. The SEC has taken three anti-retaliatory enforcement actions since 2010 under the current statutory framework. On that basis, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] anticipates that any additional enforcement actions taken under the bill would be few and would not have a significant effect on the agency's workload or costs. Moreover, because the SEC is authorized to collect fees each year to offset their annual appropriation, and assuming appropriation action consistent with that authority, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2515 would have a negligible effect on spending subject to appropriation."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-17
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 3253, Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019
This report from the Congressional Budget Office is the preliminary cost estimate through 2029 for H.R. 3253, the "Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-17
-
CBO Presentation: Damage from Hurricane Winds and Storm-Related Flooding: Expected Costs and Implications for Federal Spending
This presentation from the Congressional Budget Office focuses on the "Expected Costs of Damage From Hurricane Winds and Storm-Related Flooding" in the United States.
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Dinan, Terry
2019-06-17
-
Hong Kong's Proposed Extradition Law Amendments [Updated June 17, 2019]
From the Document: "Two proposed changes to Hong Kong's extradition law sparked three massive demonstrations that shut down the center of the city. If adopted, the changes could make anyone--including U.S. citizens--residing in, visiting, or transiting the Hong Kong Special Administrative District (HKSAR) vulnerable to investigation by or extradition to mainland China, raising concerns about possible political prosecutions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Martin, Michael F.
2019-06-17
-
DHS Needs to Improve Its Oversight of Misconduct and Discipline
From the Document: "We conducted this department-wide audit to determine whether the Department of Homeland Security has sufficient processes and procedures to address conduct issues. This report presents our findings on DHS oversight and the results of our employee survey."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-06-17
-
Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions in Brief [Updated June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "This report provides background and definitions for covert action and clandestine activities carried out by the Intelligence Community (IC) and military. Congress has defined several of these terms in statute; others appear only in committee reports. Still others are military terms. These definitions describe activities that support U.S. national security policy, and are, therefore, important to Congress's intelligence and defense oversight responsibilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeVine, Michael E.
2019-06-14
-
U.S. Election Assistance Commission: Overview and Selected Issues for Congress [June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent federal agency charged with helping improve the administration of federal elections. It was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 107-252; 116 Stat. 1666; 52 U.S.C. §§20901-21145) and includes a four-member commission, a professional staff, an inspector general, and three advisory bodies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shanton, Karen L.
2019-06-14
-
U.S. Election Assistance Commission: An Overview [June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "The 2000 presidential election exposed weaknesses in state election systems. Congress responded with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 107-252). Among other changes, such as setting certain national requirements for election administration, HAVA created a federal agency to help states, territories, and localities administer federal elections: the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Proposals have since been introduced both to terminate the EAC and to extend or expand it. Most recently, the agency has taken on new roles as part of the federal response to attempted foreign interference in the 2016 elections."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shanton, Karen L.
2019-06-14
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2083, Homeland Procurement Reform Act
From the Document: "H.R. 2083 would require (to the extent possible) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ensure contracts with small businesses constitute one-third of the department's spending to procure uniforms and certain protective gear for selected components of the department (including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The act's provisions would apply to contracts signed on or after October 1, 2020. Currently, uniforms and protective gear made by small businesses account for roughly 40 percent of DHS spending on the items affected by H.R. 2083. Thus, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the act would not significantly affect the department's spending on uniforms and protective gear for the affected agencies."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-14
-
Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package [Updated June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "In early 2018, the Trump Administration--citing concerns over national security and unfair trade practices--imposed increased tariffs on certain imported products in general and on U.S. imports from China in particular. Several of the affected foreign trading partners (including China) responded to the U.S. tariffs with their own retaliatory tariffs targeting various U.S. products, especially agricultural commodities. On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several temporary actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, Jim; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2019-06-14
-
Impeachment Process in the House of Representatives [June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "Under the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to formally charge a federal officer with wrongdoing, a process known as impeachment. The House impeaches an individual when a majority agrees to a House resolution containing explanations of the charges. The explanations in the resolution are referred to as 'articles of impeachment.' After the House agrees to impeach an officer, the role of the Senate is to conduct a trial to determine whether the charged individual should be removed from office. Removal requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rybicki, Elizabeth; Greene, Michael
2019-06-14
-
Harbor Dredging: Issues and Historical Funding [June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "Congress is debating whether to support increased funding for dredging to better maintain harbor channel depths and widths. A bill approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (H.R. 2440) seeks to boost dredging activity by utilizing more of the collections from a port tax levied to fund harbor maintenance. However, it is not clear how the additional funding would change the volume of material dredged from U.S. harbors, as limits on the U.S. dredge fleet and environmental restrictions on when dredging can be performed, among other factors, affect the cost and performance of harbor dredging."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Frittelli, John
2019-06-14
-
Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy [Updated June 13, 2019]
From the Document: "According to estimates from the digital publication 'Lawfare', approximately 265,000 people, on average, have left the Northern Triangle region of Central America (composed of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) in each of the past five years, with the majority bound for the United States. More than twice as many people may leave the region this year, however, as an estimated 508,000 Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans left their homes and headed north during the first eight months of FY2019. Although total U.S. apprehensions of unauthorized migrants had been near historic lows in recent years, the arrival at the Southwest border of a growing number of Central American families and children, many of whom are seeking asylum, reportedly has strained the U.S. immigration system. Congress has sought to understand and address the root causes of these migration trends."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.; Taft-Morales, Maureen
2019-06-13
-
Qatar: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated June 13, 2019]
From the Document: "The State of Qatar has employed its ample financial resources to exert regional influence separate from and independent of Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman), an alliance of six Gulf monarchies. Qatar has intervened in several regional conflicts, including in Syria and Libya, and has engaged both Sunni Islamist and Iran-backed Shiite groups in Lebanon, Sudan, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Qatar has maintained consistent dialogue with Iran while also supporting U.S. and GCC efforts to limit Iran's regional influence."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeSantis, Mark K.; Johnson, Sandra
2019-06-13
-
U.S.-Japan Alliance Updated [June 13, 2019]
From the Document: "The U.S.-Japan alliance has long been an anchor of the U.S. security role in Asia and arguably a contributor to peace and prosperity in the region. Forged during the U.S. occupation of Japan after its defeat in World War II, the alliance provides a platform for U.S. military readiness in the Pacific. About 54,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan and have the exclusive use of 85 facilities. In exchange for the use of these bases, the United States guarantees Japan's security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Campbell, Caitlin; Williams, Joshua A.
2019-06-13
-
Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy [Updated June 13, 2019]
From the Document: "The political situation in Venezuela is at a stalemate. Highlevel military leaders did not back interim President Juan Guaidó's April 30, 2019, call for an uprising against Nicolás Maduro. Clashes between pro-Guaidó protesters and security forces resulted in four deaths and hundreds of injuries. While some observers maintain that Maduro is weak politically, others fear a prolonged, potentially violent standoff between the respective supporters of Maduro and Guaidó. Both sides sent envoys to Norway in May for exploratory talks, but actions taken against the opposition by Maduro could hinder a negotiated solution to the crisis."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2019-06-13
-
U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate [Updated June 13, 2019]
From the Document: "U.S.-Iran tensions have escalated as the Trump Administration took several significant steps in its campaign of applying 'maximum pressure' on Iran, and Iran responded. U.S. officials state that Iran-linked threats to U.S. forces and interests prompted the Administration to send additional military assets to the region. Yet, President Donald Trump, while warning Iran not to take action against the United States, has said he prefers a diplomatic solution that would lower tensions. Members of Congress have received additional information from the Administration about the causes of the uptick in U.S.-Iran tensions and Administration planning for further U.S. responses. Some in Congress have sought to minimize the potential for the tensions to escalate into conflict."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-06-13
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1340, Ebola Eradication Act of 2019
From the Document: "S. 1340 would require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide certain foreign assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to address the recent Ebola outbreak. Under current law, the United States can provide humanitarian assistance such as medical supplies to the DRC. However, it is prohibited from providing other foreign assistance such as support for medical personnel, community outreach programs, and infrastructure improvements to that country because its government does not meet the minimum standards to combat human trafficking as required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). While the Administration may waive that restriction, it has not done so. Before the TVPA restrictions were applied to the DRC in 2018, USAID provided an average of $130 million annually over the previous five years for health-related assistance to that country. Under the bill, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that the agency would use about 50 percent of that amount for foreign assistance to address the Ebola outbreak in the eastern region of the DRC. CBO expects the other 50 percent would be for purposes unrelated to Ebola in the western region of the country; USAID would not be required to provide that assistance as a result of enacting this bill. Thus, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1340 would cost $70 million over the 2020-2024 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-13
