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U.S.-China Trade and Economic Relations: Overview [Updated November 19, 2019]
From the Document: "As U.S.-China economic ties have grown, so too have U.S. concerns about the business environment in China and China's trade practices. Top U.S. concerns include the Chinese state's increasingly direct and powerful role in the economy and China's policies requiring U.S. firms to disclose increasingly sensitive information as a precondition to operate in China. Beijing's slowness to acknowledge and address priority U.S. concerns while Chinese firms expand their activities in the United States and globally has highlighted uneven levels of market openness, divergent approaches to global rules, and significant differences in the operating conditions and tenets of the U.S. and Chinese economic systems."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sutter, Karen M.
2019-11-19
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U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims: A Brief Introduction [November 18, 2019]
From the Document: "The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) provides the exclusive forum for veterans and other claimants, such as veterans' surviving spouses, to appeal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decisions denying various veterans' benefits. This In Focus describes the CAVC's creation, jurisdiction, authority, and procedures before identifying several issues that may interest the 116th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gaffney, Jonathan M.
2019-11-18
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Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund: Status and Funding Issues [November 27, 2019]
From the Document: "Decades of uranium enrichment by the federal government resulted in the contamination of buildings and structures, generated substantial volumes of radioactive and other hazardous wastes, and resulted in environmental contamination of the soil, sediments, surface water, and groundwater at federal uranium enrichment facilities. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-486; Title XI) established the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning (UED&D) Fund to support the closure of federal uranium enrichment facilities and the remediation of related waste and contamination. With monies appropriated annually from the UED&D Fund, the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) administers closure and remediation of federal uranium enrichment facilities and reimburses eligible uranium and thorium licensees for cleanup activities. As of FY2019, DOE estimates that remaining liabilities associated with the UED&D Fund range from $40.4 billion to $47.9 billion. The end-of-year balance of the UED&D Fund was $2.2 billion in FY2018, which presents an issue for Congress about how and whether to provide funding for the remaining liabilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Larson, Lance N.
2019-11-27
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Amazon Protest of the Department of Defense's Jedi Cloud Contract Award to Microsoft [Updated November 22, 2019]
From the Document: "In September 2017, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum calling for the adoption of a Department of Defense (DOD) enterprise-wide cloud services solution. As part of its ongoing technology modernization efforts, DOD sought to acquire a commercial cloud services solution known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Cloud. In April 2019, DOD selected Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (henceforth Amazon) to contend for the contract award from qualified proposals submitted by IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle. In October 2019, DOD announced it had awarded the JEDI contract to Microsoft. [...] In November 2019, Amazon filed a post-award bid protest with COFC [U.S. Court of Federal Claims], alleging potentially improper 'political influence' in DOD's award decision and 'clear deficiencies' in the contract evaluation process. Many observers trace Amazon's accusation of political influence in part to President Donald Trump's July 2019 remarks that his Administration would 'take a very strong look' at the JEDI Cloud acquisition process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peters, Heidi M.
2019-11-22
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Emergency Alerting--False Alarm in Hawaii [January 17, 2018]
From the Background: "On Saturday, January 13, 2018, at 8:07 a.m., an emergency alert was issued by Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) warning residents and visitors in Hawaii of an incoming ballistic missile. The message was sent by HI-EMA through the state's emergency alert system which distributed it to radio and television stations and to thousands of cell phone users in Hawaii. Widespread fear and panic was reported. Within minutes, HI-EMA officials received the alert on their own cell phones and realized the message was sent in error. HI-EMA reported that a team member issued an actual alert instead of a test alert during a required test of the system at a shift change. HI-EMA then had difficulty issuing a correction/retraction message. [...] HI-EMA posted a 'FALSE ALARM' message on Facebook and Twitter at 8:20 a.m., but the official correction from HI-EMA through the state's emergency alerting system was not released until 8:45 a.m.--38 minutes after the initial alert. Residents and elected officials criticized the length of time HI-EMA took to issue the correction."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gallagher, Jill C.
2018-01-17
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What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses? [Updated November 26, 2019]
From the Document: "This Insight provides a short overview of what would happen if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were not to be reauthorized by December 20, 2019, and allowed to lapse."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2019-11-26
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Al Qaeda and Islamic State Affiliates in Afghanistan [Updated February 12, 2019]
From the Document: "Afghanistan's geography, complex ethnic makeup, and recent history of unstable and decentralized government have made it a hotspot for regional armed groups. This product outlines major terrorist groups affiliated and allied with Al Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or by the Arabic acronym Da'esh) and the complex, often shifting relations between them and various other state and non-state actors. While Al Qaeda and the Taliban have fought alongside each other in Afghanistan, the Taliban is not an affiliate of Al Qaeda and has not been assessed as a threat to the U.S. homeland, and thus is considered only peripherally here. This product provides context for lawmakers as they assess the state of the conflict in Afghanistan and the U.S. position in the region in light of ongoing U.S.-Taliban negotiations focused largely on counterterrorism concerns."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2019-02-12
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Immigration [Updated December 14, 2018]
From the Document: "Immigration is a broad, multifaceted policy issue that involves temporarily or permanently admitting foreign nationals (aliens) into the United States and enforcing immigration laws. It is a perennial topic of congressional oversight and legislation. In recent years, the executive branch has taken the lead in implementing numerous policy initiatives, relying on discretionary authority conferred by statute. During the 115th Congress, the Trump Administration has pursued various immigration policies through executive branch action, including the imposition of entry restrictions known as the 'travel ban,' the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, and the 'zero tolerance' policy regarding illegal border crossing. Courts have blocked some of these actions. For other proposals, such as constructing a border wall and restricting family-based immigration, the Administration has sought congressional action."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kandel, William; Wilson, Jill, 1974-
2018-12-14
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Dam Safety: Federal Programs and Authorities [Updated December 9, 2019]
From the Document: "In recent years, several incidents have highlighted the public safety risks posed by the failure of dams and related facilities. From 2015 to 2018, over 100 dams breached in North Carolina and South Carolina due to record flooding. In 2017, the near failure of Oroville Dam's spillway in California resulted in a precautionary evacuation of approximately 200,000 people and cost more than $1.1 billion in emergency response and repair. The 2019 failure of Spencer Dam in Nebraska resulted in the first dam-failure fatality in the nation since 2006. In response to these incidents, Congress may consider additional oversight and legislation that could improve dam safety. This In Focus summarizes the U.S. dam inventory, rehabilitation and repair estimates, federal dam safety activities, and related issues for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.
2019-12-09
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Defense Primer: Command and Control of Nuclear Forces [Updated December 11, 2018]
From the Document: "The U.S. President has sole authority to authorize the use of U.S. nuclear weapons. This authority is inherent in his constitutional role as Commander in Chief. The President can seek counsel from his military advisors; those advisors are then required to transmit and implement the orders authorizing nuclear use. But, as General John Hyten, the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), noted during his September 2016 confirmation hearing, his job is to give advice, while the authority to order a launch lies with the president."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2018-12-11
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Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence [Updated December 19, 2018]
From the Introduction: "Intelligence Community (IC) programs provide the resources (money and manpower) to accomplish IC goals and responsibilities as defined by the U.S. Code and Executive Order 12333. IC programs are funded under two programs: (1) the National Intelligence Program (NIP), which covers the programs, projects, and activities of the IC oriented towards the strategic requirements of policymakers, and (2) the Military Intelligence Program (MIP), which funds defense intelligence activities intended to support tactical military operations and priorities. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) manage the NIP and MIP, respectively, under different authorities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeVine, Michael E.
2018-12-19
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Defense Primer: Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Process [Updated November 30, 2018]
From the Introduction: "Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) is an annual Department of Defense (DOD) process for allocating resources. It serves as the framework for DOD civilian and military leaders to decide which programs and force structure requirements to fund based on strategic objectives. The department's Defense Acquisition University (DAU) defines PPBE in part as 'a formal, systematic structure for making decisions on policy, strategy, and the development of forces and capabilities to accomplish anticipated missions.' DOD Directive 7045.14 states the objective of PPBE 'is to provide the DOD with the most effective mix of forces, equipment, manpower, and support attainable within fiscal constraints.' The process is designed to produce DOD's portion of the President's annual budget request to Congress and updates to the department's five-year spending plan known as the Future Years Defense Program, or FYDP (pronounced 'fiddip')."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McGarry, Brendan W.; Peters, Heidi M.
2018-11-30
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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) [Updated December 13, 2018]
From the Document: "The primary mechanism for the Secretary of Defense to request, allocate, track, and expend DOD funds is known as the Planning, Programing, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. The 'Future Years Defense Program' (FYDP) is an annually compiled summary of the forces, resources, and programs associated with DOD operations. The FYDP is typically completed during the 'programming' phase of the PPBE process, and is generally updated during the 'budgeting' phase to reflect DOD's final funding decisions presented in the annual Presidential Budget Request (PBR). [...] Formally approved by the Secretary of Defense, the FYDP projects DOD funding, manpower, and force structure needs over a 5-year period. The FYDP depicts the allocation of defense resources in the two previous fiscal years and the current fiscal year and it provides force structure estimates for eight years. Section 221 of Title 10, United States Code, requires the Secretary of Defense to submit the FYDP to Congress in conjunction with the President's annual budget request. The FYDP is generally submitted to the congressional committees with jurisdiction over defense matters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McGarry, Brendan W.; Peters, Heidi M.
2018-12-13
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Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated December 17, 2019]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program--the Coast Guard's program for acquiring new polar icebreakers. The PSC program has received a total of $1,034.6 million (i.e., about $1.0 billion) in procurement funding through FY2019. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2020 budget requests $35 million in procurement funding for the PSC program, which is enough to cover FY2020 program-management costs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2019-12-17
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Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated December 18, 2019]
From the Introduction: "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 FY2020 budget requests a total of $657 million in procurement funding for the NSC, OPC, and FRC programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2019-12-18
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Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) [Updated December 17, 2019]
From the Document: "The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency body comprised of nine Cabinet members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President, that assists the President in reviewing the national security aspects of foreign direct investment in the U.S. economy. While the group often operated in relative obscurity, the perceived change in the nation's national security and economic concerns following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed CFIUS's review procedures under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress and the public. In 2018, prompted by concerns over Chinese and other foreign investment in U.S. companies with advanced technology, Members of Congress and the Trump Administration enacted the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA), which became effective on November 11, 2018. This measure marked the most comprehensive revision of the foreign investment review process under CFIUS since the previous revision in 2007, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act (FINSA). On September 17, 2019, the Department of the Treasury proposed regulations for public notice and comment to implement key parts of FIRRMA concerning how certain real estate and noncontrolling investments will be scrutinized."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-
2019-12-17
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Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Background and U.S.-Baltic Relations [Updated January 2, 2020]
From the Summary: "Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, often referred to as the Baltic states, are close U.S. allies and considered among the most pro-U.S. countries in Europe. Strong U.S. relations with these three states are rooted in history. The United States never recognized the Soviet Union's forcible incorporation of the Baltic states in 1940, and it applauded the restoration of their independence in 1991. These policies were backed by Congress on a bipartisan basis. The United States supported the Baltic states' accession to NATO and the European Union (EU) in 2004. Especially since Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine, potential threats posed to the Baltic states by Russia have been a primary driver of increased U.S. and congressional interest in the region. Congressional interest in the Baltic states has focused largely on defense cooperation and security assistance for the purposes of deterring potential Russian aggression and countering hybrid threats, such as disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. Energy security is another main area of U.S. and congressional interest in the Baltic region."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mix, Derek E.
2020-01-02
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Do Warrantless Searches of Electronic Devices at the Border Violate the Fourth Amendment? [December 20, 2019]
From the Document: "The Fourth Amendment commands that searches and seizures be reasonable, and generally requires the government to secure a warrant based on probable cause before arresting or searching an individual. But the Supreme Court has long recognized that the government may conduct routine inspections and searches of individuals entering at the U.S. border without a warrant or any individualized suspicion of criminal activity. In recent decades, some federal courts have applied the 'border search exception' to allow relatively limited, manual searches at the border of electronic devices such as computers and cell phones. Courts, however, have disagreed over whether more intrusive, forensic examinations of such devices require heightened suspicion of criminal activity. [...] This Legal Sidebar examines the application of the Fourth Amendment's border search exception to searches of electronic devices and the district court's decision in 'Alasaad' limiting the government's border search authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2019-12-20
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Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act: An Overview [December 11, 2019]
From the Document: "Amid increased legislative and public attention to issues relating to harassment, the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act (CAA Reform Act) passed both chambers of Congress by unanimous consent and was signed into law on December 21, 2018. As the one-year-mark of the Act's passage approaches--and with an annual report required of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights soon due in January 2020--this Legal Sidebar provides background on the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), and an overview of several key changes resulting from the CAA Reform Act."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Back, Christine J.
2019-12-11
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Congress Considers Making it Harder to File for Bankruptcy in New York or Delaware [Updated December 11, 2019]
From the Document: "Commentators, citing the significant concentration of business bankruptcies filed in New York and Delaware to the exclusion of other jurisdictions, have debated for several decades whether Congress should reduce the flexibility that many companies currently enjoy when selecting where to file for bankruptcy. Critics maintain that the current bankruptcy venue rules--many of which offer large companies a wide range of forums in which they may permissibly file for bankruptcy--encourage debtors to file for bankruptcy in courts that favor debtors and their attorneys to the detriment of creditors and other stakeholders. Supporters of the existing venue rules, by contrast, argue that concentrating large business bankruptcies in a few forums allows judges and attorneys in those jurisdictions to develop extensive expertise and experience with complex bankruptcy matters, benefiting debtors, creditors, and stakeholders alike."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lewis, Kevin M.
2019-12-11
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Dispute Settlement in the WTO and U.S. Trade Agreements [Updated December 6, 2019]
From the Document: "The United States traditionally has championed the use of effective and reciprocal dispute settlement (DS) mechanisms to enforce commitments in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs). While effective and enforceable DS has been a long-standing U.S. trade negotiating objective, its use has become controversial following some adverse decisions, particularly with regard to U.S. trade remedy law."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fergusson, Ian F.
2019-12-06
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Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States [Updated December 16, 2019]
From the Overview: "The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee that serves the President in overseeing the national security implications of foreign investment in the economy. It reviews foreign investment transactions to determine if (1) they threaten to impair the national security; (2) the foreign investor is controlled by a foreign government; or (3) the transaction could affect homeland security or would result in control of any critical infrastructure that could impair the national security. The President has the authority to block proposed or pending foreign investment transactions that threaten to impair the national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-
2019-12-16
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Power of Congress and the Executive to Exclude Aliens: Constitutional Principles [December 30, 2019]
From the Document: "Under long-standing Supreme Court precedent, Congress has 'plenary power' to regulate immigration. This power, according to the Court, is the most complete that Congress possesses. It allows Congress to make laws concerning non-U.S. nationals (aliens) that would be unconstitutional if applied to citizens. And while the immigration power has proven less than absolute when directed at aliens already physically present within the United States, the Supreme Court has interpreted the power to apply with most force to the admission and exclusion of nonresident aliens. The Court has upheld or shown approval of laws excluding aliens on the basis of ethnicity, gender and legitimacy, and political belief. It has also upheld an executive exclusion policy that was premised on a broad statutory delegation of authority, even though some evidence considered by the Court tended to show that religious hostility may have prompted the policy. Outside of the immigration context, in contrast, laws and policies that discriminate on such bases are almost always struck down as unconstitutional. To date, the only judicially recognized limit on Congress's power to exclude aliens concerns lawful permanent residents (LPRs): they, unlike nonresident aliens, generally cannot be denied entry without a fair hearing as to their admissibility."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Harrington, Ben
2019-12-30
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Russia's Nuclear Weapons: Doctrine, Forces, and Modernization [Updated January 2, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report [...] is divided into five sections. The first section describes Russia's nuclear strategy and focuses on ways in which that strategy differs from that of the Soviet Union. The second section provides a historical overview of the Soviet Union's nuclear force structure. The third section details Russia's current force structure, including its long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), and heavy bombers and shorter-range nonstrategic nuclear weapons. This section also highlights key elements of relevant infrastructure, including early warning, command and control, production, testing, and warhead storage. It also describes the key modernization programs that Russia is pursuing to maintain and, in some cases, expand its nuclear arsenal. The fourth section focuses on how arms control has affected the size and structure of Russia's nuclear forces. The fifth section discusses several potential issues for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2020-01-02
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Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress [Updated December 30, 2019]
From the Background: "Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress. For most of the 19th century, U.S. law included language explicitly assigning the Secretary of the Navy the task of naming new Navy ships. The reference to the Secretary of the Navy disappeared from the U.S. Code in 1925. The code today (10 U.S.C. §8662) is silent on the issue of who has the authority to name new Navy ships, but the Secretary of the Navy arguably retains implicit authority, given the location of Section 8662 in subtitle C of Title 10, which covers the Navy and Marine Corps."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2019-12-30
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Defense Primer: Military Use of the Electromagnetic Spectrum [Updated December 30, 2019]
From the Document: "Since the introduction of the two-way radio in the early 1900s, militaries have been interested in the electromagnetic spectrum ('the spectrum'). The proliferation of spectrum-dependent systems in all military domains--air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace--along with Department of Defense (DOD) concepts, such as net-centric warfare and multidomain battle, increases the military's dependence on the spectrum."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.
2019-12-30
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Defense Primer: Special Operations Forces [Updated January 2, 2020]
From the Overview: "Special Operations Forces (SOF) are those active duty and reserve component forces of the military services designated by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and specifically selected, organized, trained, and equipped to conduct and support special operations. Special operations frequently require unique modes of employment, tactics, techniques, procedures, and equipment. They are often conducted in hostile, politically, and/or diplomatically sensitive environments, and are characterized by one or more of the following: time-sensitivity, clandestine or covert nature, low visibility, work with or through indigenous forces, greater requirements for regional orientation and cultural expertise, and a high degree of risk."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Torreon, Barbara Salazar; Feickert, Andrew
2020-01-02
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Enforcing International Trade Obligations in USMCA: The State-State Dispute Settlement Mechanism [January 3, 2020]
From the Document: "Enforcement of many obligations in the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if ratified, is covered by the dispute settlement mechanism in USMCA's Chapter 31. This mechanism would permit any of the three Parties who intend to join the Agreement (i.e., the United States, Mexico, and Canada) to bring a claim against another Party that is allegedly violating its USMCA obligations. Chapter 31, which draws substantially on NAFTA's Chapter 20 mechanism, applies to a majority of the Parties' USMCA obligations, but there are exceptions. For instance, article 32.12 exempts certain investment decisions reviewed under the 'Investment Canada Act' from Chapter 31. Additionally, USMCA includes more complex enforcement provisions for some of its chapters, including the Environment and Labor Chapters. This InFocus provides an overview of USMCA's Chapter 31 process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hart, Nina M.
2020-01-03
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Defense Primer: Organization of U.S. Ground Forces [Updated January 2, 2020]
From the Document: "The Army and Marine Corps are organized as hierarchies of units, with each type of unit commanded by a noncommissioned or commissioned officer of a specific rank. These units are described from smallest to largest."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Torreon, Barbara Salazar; Feickert, Andrew
2020-01-02
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Capital Markets: Asset Management and Related Policy Issues [October 11, 2019]
From the Introduction: "The asset management industry operates in a complex system with many components. Asset management companies have two major product categories--public funds and private funds. [...] The first part of this report provides an overview of the asset management industry and its regulation. [...] The second part of this report considers current trends and policy issues, including (1) whether the asset management industry affects the financial stability of the United States; (2) whether regulation of the asset management industry provides sufficient protection for the retail investors who invest money in the industry; and (3) the impact of financial technology, or 'fintech,' on the industry, and whether the current regulatory framework is adequate to address these new technologies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Su, Eva
2019-10-11
