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• Navy and Marine Corps: Rebuilding Ship, Submarine, and Aviation Readiness Will Require Time and Sustained Management Attention, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Seapower and Readiness and Management Support, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Senate

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  "The 2018 National Defense Strategy emphasizes that restoring and retaining readiness is critical to success in the emerging security environment. The Navy and Marine Corps are working to rebuild the readiness of their forces while growing and modernizing their aging fleet of ships and aircraft. However, achieving readiness recovery goals will take years as both services continue to be challenged to rebuild readiness amid continued operational demands. This statement provides information on current and future readiness challenges facing (1) the Navy ship and submarine fleet and (2) Navy and Marine Corps aviation. GAO [Government Accountability Office] also discusses prior recommendations on Navy and Marine Corps readiness and progress to address them. This statement is based on previously published work since 2015 related to Navy and Marine Corps readiness challenges, including shipyard workforce and capital investment, ship crewing, weapon system sustainment, the fighter pilot workforce, and modernizing force structure. GAO conducted site visits to the Pacific fleet in November 2018 and analyzed updated data, as appropriate."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-12-12
• Information Technology: Implementation of Recommendations is Needed to Strengthen Acquisitions, Operations, and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information Technology, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives

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  "The federal government planned to invest more than $96 billion in IT [information technology] in fiscal year 2018. However, IT investments have often failed or contributed little to mission-related outcomes. Further, increasingly sophisticated threats and frequent cyber incidents underscore the need for effective information security. As a result, GAO [Government Accountability Office] added two areas to its high-risk list: cybersecurity in 1997 and the management of IT acquisitions and operations in 2015. This statement summarizes federal agencies' progress in improving the management, and ensuring the security, of federal IT. It is primarily based on GAO's reports issued between February 1997 and August 2018 (and an ongoing review) on (1) CIO [Chief Information Officer] responsibilities, (2) agency CIOs' involvement in approving IT contracts, (3) data center consolidation efforts, (4) the management of software licenses, and (5) compliance with cybersecurity requirements."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-12-12
• 'Waters of the United States' (Wotus): Current Status of the 2015 Clean Water Rule [December 12, 2018]

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  "The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the principal federal law governing pollution of the nation's surface waters. The statute protects 'navigable waters,' which it defines as 'the waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.' The scope of the term waters of the United States, or WOTUS, is not defined in the CWA. Thus, the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have defined the term in regulations several times as part of their implementation of the act."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Gatz, Laura

  2018-12-12
• Sexual Assault: Information on the Availability of Forensic Examiners, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives

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  "In 2016, about 323,000 individuals age 12 or older were reported victims of sexual assault, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Studies have shown that exams performed by sexual assault forensic examiners--medical providers trained in collecting and preserving forensic evidence--may result in better physical and mental health care for victims, better evidence collection, and higher prosecution rates. Yet, concerns have been raised about the availability of such examiners. The Department of Justice administers grant programs that can be used by states and other eligible entities to train and fund examiners. This statement summarizes GAO's findings from its March 2016 report (GAO-16-334) describing (1) what was known in 2016 about the availability of sexual assault forensic examiners nationally and in selected states and (2) the challenges selected states faced in maintaining a supply of sexual assault forensic examiners. For that report, GAO reviewed literature on the availability of examiners and challenges training and retaining them. GAO also interviewed knowledgeable officials, including recipients of federal sexual assault examiner related grants and officials from sexual assault coalitions in six states (Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin) selected to achieve variation in factors such as population and geographic location."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-12-12
• Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects [December 10, 2018]

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  "When federal agencies and programs lack funding after the expiration of full-year or interim appropriations, the agencies and programs experience a funding gap. If funding does not resume in time to continue government operations, then, under the Antideficiency Act, an agency must cease operations, except in certain situations when law authorizes continued activity. Funding gaps are distinct from shutdowns, and the criteria that flow from the Antideficiency Act for determining which activities are affected by a shutdown are complex. Failure of the President and Congress to reach agreement on full-year or interim funding measures occasionally has caused shutdowns of affected federal government activities. The longest such shutdown lasted 21 full days during FY1996, from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996. More recently, a relatively long funding gap commenced on October 1, 2013, the first day of FY2014, after funding for the previous fiscal year expired. Because funding did not resume on October 1, affected agencies began to cease operations and furlough personnel that day. A 16-full-day shutdown ensued, the first to occur in over 17 years. Subsequently, two comparatively brief shutdowns occurred during FY2018, in January and February 2018, respectively."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Brass, Clinton T.; Brudnick, Ida A.; Keegan, Natalie; McMillion, Barry J.; Rollins, John W.; Yeh, Brian T.

  2018-12-10
• Cybersecurity Strategy Report

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  "In today's connected world, where nearly all devices--from the phones in our pockets, to the refrigerators in our kitchens, to the multi-million-dollar equipment that runs our electric grid--are linked together through the Internet, cybersecurity has at once become a household term and one of the most complicated, difficult issues facing society. Once a topic seen mostly as a nuisance, requiring the occasional password reset or new credit card, cybersecurity now regularly makes headlines as the Internet and connected technologies have become not only economic, diplomatic, and military tools, but integral parts of our daily lives. However, even as the Internet has rapidly developed to become a vital part of modern society, it appears that the integration of effective cybersecurity has not kept pace. Recognizing this reality, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee has spent the past several years analyzing certain cybersecurity issues with impacts across the Energy and Commerce Committee's broad jurisdiction. Several patterns have emerged from the Subcommittee's work. Regardless of industry, size, or sophistication, the cybersecurity challenges organizations face are largely the same. Further, traditional information technology (IT) strategies seem largely ineffective at stemming the growing tide of cybersecurity incidents--which now range from ransomware attacks that can hold an entire company hostage to hackers' exploitation of a security vulnerability in the latest cellphone model."

  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce

  2018-12-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2315: Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act

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  "S. 2315 would change the oversight of the commercial marketing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill would authorize the collection and spending of fees through 2023 to cover the costs of expediting the FDA's administrative procedures for certain regulatory activities relating to OTC products. Such fees could be collected and made available for obligation only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation acts. Assuming appropriation actions consistent with the bill, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2315 would increase fee collections and related spending. Over the 2019-2023 period, spending would lag collections by $10 million."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2018-12-07
• Cryptocurrency: The Economics of Money and Selected Policy Issues [December 7, 2018]

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  "In 2008, an unknown computer programmer or group of programmers using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto created a computer platform that would allow users to make valid transfers of digital representations of value. The system, called Bitcoin, is the first known cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency is digital money in an electronic payment system in which payments are validated by a decentralized network of system users and cryptographic protocols instead of by a centralized intermediary (such as a bank). Since 2009, cryptocurrencies have gone from little-known, niche technological curiosities to rapidly proliferating financial instruments that are the subject of intense public interest. Recently, they have been incorporated into a variety of other financial transactions and products. For example, cryptocurrencies have been sold to investors to raise funding through initial coin offerings (ICOs), and the terms of certain derivatives are now based on cryptocurrencies. Some government central banks have examined the possibility of issuing cryptocurrencies or other digital currency. Media coverage of cryptocurrencies has been widespread, and various observers have characterized cryptocurrencies as either the future of monetary and payment systems that will displace government-backed currencies or a fad with little real value."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Perkins, David W.

  2018-12-07
• Buprenorphine and the Opioid Crisis: A Primer for Congress [December 7, 2018]

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  "Buprenorphine is one of three medications currently used in medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorders. As such, buprenorphine's effectiveness, safety, and availability are of considerable interest to policymakers seeking to address the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States. During the 115th Congress, committees held hearings on opioid-related topics such as implementation of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA, P.L. 114-198), the effects of the opioid crisis on families, and opioid use among veterans. Members have introduced more than 150 bills related to opioids. On October 24, 2018, President Trump signed into law H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (the SUPPORT Act; P.L. 115-271), a broad measure designed to address widespread over prescribing and abuse of opioids in the United States. Congressional actions taken in recent years to address the opioid crisis, including the SUPPORT Act, have included attempts to increase access to buprenorphine."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Duff, Johnathan H.

  2018-12-07
• Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [December 7, 2018]

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  "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's programs for procuring 8 National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), and 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs). The Coast Guard's proposed FY2019 budget requests a total of $705 million in acquisition funding for the NSC, OPC, and FRC programs.The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Coast Guard's funding requests and acquisition strategies for the NSC, OPC, and FRC programs. Congress's decisions on these three programs could substantially affect Coast Guard capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2018-12-07
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6511: Strategic Petroleum Reserve Reform Act

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  "H.R. 6511 would authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to lease certain facilities at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to the private sector, subject to certain conditions. The act would direct DOE to implement a pilot program for leasing storage capacity for up to 200 million barrels of crude oil and authorize the department to use funds appropriated to the Energy Security and Infrastructure Modernization Fund (ESIMF) to make any capital improvements necessary for commercial use. Finally, DOE would be required to charge fees sufficient to fully compensate the government for costs incurred for commercial leasing activities. DOE would be allowed to spend any such proceeds on operating expenses without further appropriation."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2018-12-07
• Cybersecurity: Federal Agencies Met Legislative Requirements for Protecting Privacy When Sharing Threat Information

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  "Federal agencies and our nation's critical infrastructures, such as communications and financial services, are dependent on information technology systems and electronic data to carry out operations and to process, maintain, and report essential information. The security of these systems and data is vital to public confidence and national security, prosperity, and well-being. Yet, cyber-based intrusions and attacks on federal and nonfederal systems have become not only more numerous and diverse, but also more damaging and disruptive. For example, a data breach reported in July 2015 at the Office of Personnel Management affected at least 21.5 million individuals and compromised federal employees' personal information, including Social Security numbers, residency and education history, employment history, financial history, and the fingerprints of approximately 5.6 million individuals. Due to cyber-based threats to federal systems and critical infrastructure, the persistent nature of information security vulnerabilities, and associated risks, we have continued to designate information security as a government-wide high-risk area in our most recent biennial report to Congress--a designation we have made in each high-risk report since 1997. We expanded this area beyond federal information systems to include the protection of cyber critical infrastructure in 2003 and protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information in 2015."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-12-06
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6378: Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2018

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  "H.R. 6378 would authorize funding for certain activities to support national preparedness for public health emergencies (PHEs) and widespread medical emergencies, including acts of bioterrorism. Using information from affected federal agencies, CBO estimates that implementing the act would cost about $11.9 billion over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts. The Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 115-245), included funding of $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2019 for similar activities. H.R. 6378 also would allow medical professionals in the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to participate in the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program. CBO estimates that provision would increase direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2019-2028 period. Because the act would affect direct spending, pay-as -you-go procedures apply. Enacting H.R. 6378 would not affect revenues."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2018-12-06
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1272: Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018

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  "H.R. 1272 would make federal information about investigations of unsolved civil rights cases more readily available to the public. The bill would authorize the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to create a collection of unsolved civil rights cases. In addition, the legislation would establish a Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board (Review Board) to determine which records can be released to the public. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1272 would cost $9 million over the 2019-2023 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 1272 could affect direct spending by agencies that are authorized to use receipts from the sale of goods, fees, and other collections to cover operating costs; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Because most agencies can adjust the amounts collected as operating costs change, CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2018-12-06
• U.S.-Mexico Economic Relations: Trends,Issues, and Implications [December 6, 2018]

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  "The U.S.-Mexico bilateral economic relationship is of key interest to the United States because of Mexico's proximity, the extensive cultural and economic ties between the two countries, and the strong economic relationship with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The United States and Mexico share many common economic interests related to trade, investment, and regulatory cooperation. The two countries share a 2,000-mile border and have extensive interconnections through the Gulf of Mexico. There are also links through migration, tourism, environmental issues, health concerns, and family and cultural relationships. Congress has maintained an active interest on issues related to NAFTA renegotiations and the recently signed U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA); U.S.-Mexico trade and investment relations; Mexico's economic reform measures, especially in the energy sector; the Mexican 2018 presidential elections; U.S.-Mexico border management; and other related issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Villarreal, M. Angeles

  2018-12-06
• U.S. International Food Assistance: An Overview [December 6, 2018]

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  "The United States has played a leading role in global efforts to alleviate hunger and improve food security. Current food assistance programs originated in 1954 with the passage of what isnow named the Food for Peace Act (FFPA, P.L.83-480). This legislation, commonly referred to as 'P.L. 480,'established the Food for Peace program (FFP). Originally, FFP had multiple aims: (1) to provide food to undernourished people abroad,(2) to reduce U.S. stocks of surplus grains that had accumulated under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity support programs,and (3) to expand potential markets for U.S. food commodities. Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. food assistance goals have shifted away from the latter two aims and more toward emergency response and supporting recipient country agriculture markets."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Casey, Alyssa R.

  2018-12-06
• Venue: A Legal Analysis of Where a Federal Crime May Be Tried [December 6, 2018]

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  "The United States Constitution assures those charged with a serious federal crime that they will be prosecuted in the state and district in which the crime occurred. A crime occurs in any district in which any of its 'conduct' elements are committed. Some offenses are committed entirely within a single district; there they may be tried. Other crimes have elements that have occurred in more than one district. Still other crimes have been committed overseas and so have occurred outside any district. Statutory provisions, court rules, and judicial interpretations implement the Constitution's requirements and dictate where multi-district crimes or overseas crimes may be tried."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Doyle, Charles

  2018-12-06
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Resources for Frequently Asked Questions [December 6, 2018]

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  "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended) had numerous provisions affecting private health insurance and public health coverage programs. This report provides resources to help congressional staff respond to constituents' frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the ACA. It lists selected resources regarding consumers, employers, and other stakeholders, with a focus on federal sources. It also lists Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports that summarize the ACA's provisions. This report begins with links to contacts for constituents' specific questions on insurance coverage (such as state insurance departments and the U.S. Department of Labor's consumer hotline for questions on employer-based coverage) and contacts for questions about HealthCare.gov and ACA tax provisions. It also lists sources for congressional staff to contact federal agencies with ACA questions. The report then provides basic consumer sources, including a glossary of health coverage terms and sources for obtaining the law's full text. The next sections focus onthe individual mandate, private health insurance, exchanges,and employer-sponsored coverage. These are followed by information on public health care programs, such as Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Napili, Angela

  2018-12-06
• Use of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) in Federal Health Programs [December 6, 2018]

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  "Certain portions of federal health programs rely on means testing for eligibility and other purposes. Medicare premiums, the individual mandate exemptions and penalties, eligibility and amounts for tax credits for health insurance exchange coverage, and Medicaid eligibility are determined, in part, using modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). MAGI is a concept that is used throughout federal tax law and certain federal programs. There is no uniform definition of MAGI; rather, the term has different definitions depending on the purpose for which it is being calculated. For each of these federal health programs, MAGI begins with adjusted gross income (AGI) as calculated for tax purposes. From there, various types of income are included (or, in the case of Medicaid, subtracted) to calculate MAGI for each particular program. The different health programs do not necessarily define household income using the same groupings of people. For example, married couples living together are counted as the same Medicaid household regardless of whether they file a joint tax return. By contrast, married couples must file a joint tax return to be eligible for premium credits."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Baumrucker, Evelyne; Davis, Patricia A.; Fernandez, Bernadette; Rosso, Ryan J.; Yeh, Brian T.

  2018-12-06
• Venue: An Abridged Legal Analysis of Where a Federal Crime May Be Tried [December 6, 2018]

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  "The United States Constitution assures those charged with a serious federal crime that they will be prosecuted in the state and district in which the crime occurred. A crime occurs in any district in which any of its 'conduct' elements are committed. Some offenses are committed entirely within a single district; there they may be tried. Other crimes have elements that have occurred in more than one district. Still other crimes have been committed overseas and so have occurred outside any district. Statutory provisions, court rules, and judicial interpretations implement the Constitution's requirements and dictate where multi-district crimes or overseas crimes may be tried. Most litigation involves either a question of whether the government's selection of venue in a multi-district case is proper or whether the court should grant the accused's request for a change of venue. The government bears the burden of establishing venue by a preponderance of the evidence. The defendant may waive trial in a proper venue either explicitly or by failing to object to prosecution in an improper venue in a timely manner."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Doyle, Charles

  2018-12-06
• Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [December 4, 2018]

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  "The Bahrain government's repression has presented a policy dilemma for the United States because Bahrain is along time ally that is pivotal to maintaining Persian Gulf security. The country has hosted a U.S. naval command headquarters for the Gulf region since 1948; the United States and Bahrain have had a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) since 1991; and Bahrain was designated by the United States as a 'major non-NATO ally' in 2002. There are over 7,000 U.S. forces, mostly Navy, in Bahrain. Bahrain relies on U.S.-made arms, but, because of the government's use of force against protesters, the Obama Administration held up some new weapons sales to Bahrain and curtailed U.S. assistance to Bahrain's internal security organizations. In 2014, Bahrain joined the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and flew strikes against the group's fighters in Syria that year, and has expressed willingness to join a U.S.-backed concept for a broad Arab coalition to counter Iran, the 'Middle East Strategic Alliance.'"

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2018-12-04
• Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Background and Selected Options for Further Reform [December 4, 2018]

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  "This report provides a review of congressional oversight of the intelligence community (IC) since establishment of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), particularly since the 9-11 Commission published its recommendations in its 2004 report. It also explores selected options for further reform, and offers questions that Congress may consider to assess the effectiveness of its oversight. In legislating, confirming appointees, authorizing programs,and appropriating funds, Congress enables the IC, a community of 17 discrete intelligence elements,to conduct the business of intelligence in support of U.S. national security. In addition, Congress has perspective that few others outside of the IC have. Oversight of the IC enables Congress to determine whether classified intelligence programs that are restricted from public disclosure are legal, ethical,and respectful of civil liberties. When there have been perceived abuses, Congress has often intervened to conduct hearings and legislate changes in intelligence process or organization."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  DeVine, Michael E.

  2018-12-04
• Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [December 4, 2018]

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  "Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades-long U.S. effort to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with U.S. military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. Kuwait and the United States have a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), under which the United States maintains over 13,000 military personnel in country and prepositioned military equipment in Kuwait to project power in the region. Only Germany, Japan, and South Korea host more U.S. troops than does Kuwait. Kuwait usually acts in concert not only with the United States but also with allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman). However, Kuwait tends to favor mediation of regional issues over commitments of military force. Kuwaitis the lead Gulf mediator of the intra-GCC rift that erupted in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, UAE,and Bahrain moved to isolate Qatar. Kuwait hosts the operational command center for U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) that has combatted the Islamic State. Refraining from intervening in Syria's civil war, Kuwait has instead hosting donor conferences for civilian victims of the conflict and providing aid to Jordan for its hosting of Syrian refugees."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2018-12-04
• Qatar: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [December 4, 2018]

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  "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 alliance of six Gulf monarchies called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman). 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.However, Qatar's independent policies, which include supporting regional Muslim Brotherhood organizations and establishing a global media network called Al Jazeera, have caused a backlash against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and some other GCC members. The GCC has been on the verge of dissolution since June 5, 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, joined by Egypt and a few other governments, severed relations with Qatar and imposed limits on the entry and transit of Qatari nationals and vessels in their territories, waters, and airspace."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2018-12-04
• Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [December 3, 2018]

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  "An uprising against Bahrain's Al Khalifa ruling family that began on February 14, 2011, has diminished in intensity, but punishments of oppositionists and periodic demonstrations continue. The mostly Shiite opposition to the Sunni-minority-led regime has not achieved its goal of establishing a constitutional monarchy, but the unrest has compelled the ruling family to undertake some modest reforms. The mainstream opposition uses peaceful forms of dissent, but small factions, reportedly backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for bombings and other attacks on security officials. Elections for a legislative body, held most recently during November 24-December 1, 2018, have been marred by the banning of opposition political societies and allegations of gerrymandering to prevent opposition victories."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2018-12-03
• European Union: Ongoing Challenges and Future Prospects [December 3, 2018]

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  "The European Union (EU) is a unique partnership in which member states have pooled sovereignty in certain policy areas and harmonized laws on a wide range of economic and political issues. The EU is the latest stage in a process of European integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to promote peace, security, and economic development. The EU currently consists of 28 member states, including most of the formerly communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The EU is largely viewed as a cornerstone of European stability and prosperity. For much of the last decade, however, many EU countries have faced considerable economic difficulties. Despite an improved economic situation in the EU since 2017, economic pressures and societal changes have contributed to the rise of populist and antiestablishment political parties, at least some of which harbor anti-EU or 'euroskeptic' sentiments."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Archick, Kristin

  2018-12-03
• CBP's Searches of Electronic Devices at Ports of Entry - Redacted

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  "The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA) requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) t o establish standard operating procedures (SOP) for searching, reviewing, retaining, and sharing information in communication, electronic, or digital devices at U.S. ports of entry. The TFTEA also requires the DHS Office of Inspector General to conduct three annual audits to determine to what extent CBP conducted searches of electronic devices in accordance with the SOPs."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  2018-12-03
• U.S. Trade Trends and Developments [December 3, 2018]

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  "The United States is the world's biggest economy (in nominal dollars), leading trading nation(goods and services), and largest source of and destination for foreign direct investment. The U.S. output of goods and services, or gross domestic product (GDP), totaled $19.5 trillion in 2017. That is almost the combined GDP of the next three largest economies. All told, the United States, with close to 5% of the world's population, accounted for almost 25% of the world's output and more than 16% of its growth in 2017. While the United States is the world's largest exporter (goods and services combined), U.S. exports are overshadowed by the large U.S. demand for imported products. However, the level of both U.S. exports and imports of goods and services depends on many interrelated domestic and international factors, including the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, global demand for other dollar-denominated assets--including U.S. Treasury securities, and the relative strength of the U.S. and world economies. While the United States is still by far the dominant economy in the world, its relative position has shifted in the past two decades."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Schwarzenberg , Andres B.

  2018-12-03
• Transportation Spending Under an Earmark Ban [December 3, 2018]

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  "Since the beginning of the 112th Congress, convened in January 2011, the House and Senate have observed a ban on earmarks, formally known as congressionally directed spending. The ban has led to changes in the way transportation funding decisions are made. This report explains what earmarks are and discusses their use in surface transportation finance. It then discusses how federal transportation funding is distributed with a ban in place and how Members of Congress might influence the distribution."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kirk, Robert S.; Mallett, William J.; Peterman, David Randall

  2018-12-03
• National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP): Issues in Brief [December 3, 2018]

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  "Under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), four federal agencies have responsibility for long-term earthquake risk reduction: the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These agencies assess U.S. earthquake hazards, deliver notifications of seismic events, develop measures to reduce earthquake hazards, and conduct research to help reduce overall U.S. vulnerability to earthquakes.Congressional oversight of the NEHRP program encompasses how well the four agencies coordinate their activities to address the earthquake hazard. Better coordination was a concern that led to changes to the program in legislation enacted in 2004 (the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2004; P.L. 108-360; 42 U.S.C. 7704)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin)

  2018-12-03