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• State Innovation Waivers: Frequently Asked Questions [January 9, 2019]

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  "This report answers frequently asked questions about how states can use and apply for state innovation waivers. It also addresses recent changes to the Section 1332 waiver process, as made by the 2018 CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] guidance."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Rosso, Ryan J.

  2019-01-09
• Adults in Families Losing Jobs During the Pandemic Also Lost Employer-sponsored Health Insurance

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  From the Document: "The recession caused by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic is expected to lead to losses of employer-sponsored health insurance coverage (ESI) and a rise in uninsurance (Banthin et al. 2020; Garfield et al. 2020; Garrett and Gangopadhyaya 2020). These coverage losses would test the health care safety net established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Further, the strength of this safety net varies across states: adults who lose ESI in the 15 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA face greater challenges finding replacement coverage (Garfield et al. 2020)."

  Urban Institute

  Karpman, Michael; Zuckerman, Stephen; Peterson, Graeme

  2020-07
• Hispanic Adults in Families with Noncitizens Disproportionately Feel the Economic Fallout from COVID-19

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  From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic threatens to upend the well-being of many Hispanic adults and their families. Already, the pandemic is affecting Hispanic adults' family financial security to a greater extent than other racial/ethnic groups. As of late March/early April 2020, nearly 6 in 10 nonelderly Hispanic adults were in families where someone lost a job, work hours, or work-related income because of the coronavirus outbreak, and close to 5 in 10 experienced some material hardship in the past 30 days (Karpman et al. 2020). Underlying these disparities for Hispanic adults is their disproportionate representation in industries most likely affected by the pandemic and their lower likelihood of having jobs that can be performed from home (Berube and Bateman 2020)."

  Urban Institute

  Gonzalez, Dulce; Karpman, Michael; Kenney, Genevieve M. . . .

  2020-05
• Systemically Important or 'Too Big to Fail' Financial Institutions [January 13, 2012]

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  "Although 'too big to fail' (TBTF) has been a perennial policy issue, it was brought to the forefront by the near-collapse of several large financial firms in 2008. Financial firms are said to be TBTF when policymakers judge that their failure would cause unacceptable disruptions to the overall financial system. Financial firms can be TBTF because of their size or interconnectedness. In addition to fairness issues raised by preventing a TBTF firm from failing, economic theory suggests that TBTF causes a moral hazard problem. Moral hazard refers to the fact that if TBTF firms know that failure will be prevented, they have an incentive to take greater risks than they otherwise would because they are shielded from the negative consequences of those risks. Specific assistance to TBTF firms, in contrast to broadly based programs, has proven to be the most costly intervention that the government undertook in the crisis. There are a number of policy approaches--some complementary, some conflicting--to coping with the TBTF problem. [...] A comprehensive policy is likely to incorporate more than one approach since some approaches are aimed at preventing TBTF, and some at containing fallout when a TBTF firm has failed. Parts of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act, P.L. 111-203) address all of these policy approaches. [...] The major changes in the Dodd-Frank Act remain in the implementation phase. The U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council has not yet identified any firm as 'systemically significant,' and therefore subject to heightened prudential regulation. The Financial Stability Board, an international forum, identified 29 financial firms as 'systemically important financial institutions' in November 2011. Eight of the 29 firms are headquartered in the United States."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Labonte, Marc

  2012-01-13
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Authorization, Operation, and Drawdown Policy [April 25, 2012]

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  "Congress authorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 to help prevent a repetition of the economic disruption caused by the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo. EPCA specifically authorizes the President to draw down the SPR upon a finding that there is a 'severe energy supply interruption.' The meaning of a 'severe energy supply interruption' has been controversial. The authors of EPCA intended the SPR only to ameliorate discernible physical shortages of crude oil. Historically, increasing crude oil prices typically signal market concerns for supply availability. However, Congress deliberately kept price trigger considerations out of the President's SPR drawdown authority because of the question about what price level should trigger a drawdown, and the concern that a price threshold could influence market behavior and industry inventory practices. As a member of the International Energy Agency-a coalition of 28 countries-the United States agrees to support energy supply security through energy policy cooperation, commit to maintaining emergency reserves equal to 90 days of net petroleum oil imports, develop programs for demand restraint in the event of emergencies, and participate in allocation of oil deliveries among the signatory nations to balance a shortage. […] The 30.64 million barrel SPR sale in 2011 reduced the SPR's inventory from 726.6 million barrels to 695.9 million barrels. The SPR currently holds the equivalent of 80 days of import protection (based on 2012 data of 8.72 million barrels per day of net petroleum imports)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Andrews, Anthony; Pirog, Robert L.

  2012-04-25
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [May 17, 2012]

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  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act, known as the SAFER Act, was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for recruitment and retention of volunteers. [...] Concern over local fire departments' budgetary problems has framed debate over the SAFER reauthorization, which is included in S. 550/H.R. 2269, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011. Previously in the 111th Congress, reauthorization legislation for SAFER was passed by the House but not passed by the Senate. As part of the reauthorization debate, Congress may consider whether some SAFER rules and restrictions governing the hiring grants should be eliminated or altered in order to make it economically feasible for more fire departments to participate in the program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2012-05-17
• Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues [April 2, 2012]

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  "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in spots around the world, concerns arise over the safety of foreign nationals from these troubled places who are in the United States. Provisions exist in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to offer temporary protected status (TPS) or relief from removal under specified circumstances. A foreign national who is granted TPS receives a registration document and an employment authorization for the duration of TPS. The United States currently provides TPS or deferred enforced departure (DED) to over 300,000 foreign nationals from a total of eight countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, and most recently Southern Sudan and Syria. Liberians had relief from removal for the longest period, first receiving TPS in March 1991 following the outbreak of civil war and ultimately ending DED on September 30, 2011. On March 29, 2012, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano designated the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) for TPS through September 30, 2013, citing temporary extraordinary conditions that would make it unsafe for Syrian nationals already in the United States to return to the country. Over the past year, the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al Asad has escalated to the point that the nation verges on a civil war. The government crackdown in Syria has reportedly killed over 8,000 people since March 2011. Under the INA, the executive branch grants TPS or relief from removal. Congress, however, has also provided TPS legislatively. Legislation pertaining to TPS has been introduced in the 112th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Wasem, Ruth Ellen; Ester, Karma

  2012-04-02
• Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and Status of the North-South Peace Agreement [October 8, 2010]

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  "Sudan, geographically the largest country in Africa, has been ravaged by civil war intermittently for four decades. More than 2 million people have died in Southern Sudan over the past two decades due to war-related causes and famine, and millions have been displaced from their homes. There were many failed attempts to end the civil war in Southern Sudan. In July 2002, the Sudan government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a peace framework agreement in Kenya. On May 26, 2004, the government of Sudan and the SPLM signed three protocols on Power Sharing, on the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile, and on the long disputed Abyei area. The signing of these protocols resolved all outstanding issues between the parties. On June 5, 2004, the parties signed 'the Nairobi Declaration on the Final Phase of Peace in the Sudan.' On January 9, 2005, the government of Sudan and the SPLM signed the final peace agreement at a ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya. In April 2010, Sudan held national and regional elections. In January 2011, South Sudan will hold a referendum to decide on unity or independence. Abyei is also expected to hold a referendum in January 2011 to decide whether to retain the current special administrative status or to be part of South Sudan."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dagne, Theodore S.

  2010-10-08
• Stability in Russia's Chechnya and Other Regions of the North Caucasus: Recent Developments [December 13, 2010]

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  "Terrorist attacks in Russia's North Caucasus--a border area between the Black and Caspian Seas that includes the formerly breakaway Chechnya and other ethnic-based regions--appeared to increase substantially in 2007-2009. Moreover, civilian and government casualties reached levels not seen in several years and terrorist attacks again took place outside the North Caucasus. Although the number of terrorist incidents may have leveled off or even declined slightly in 2010 from the high levels of 2009, the rate of civilian and government casualties continued to increase throughout the North Caucasus in 2010 and a rising number of terrorist incidents took place outside of Chechnya. Illustrative of the new range and scope of violence, the Moscow subway system was bombed in March 2010, resulting in over 40 deaths and dozens of injuries. Before the recent rise in terrorism, it seemed that government security forces had been successful in tamping down their range and scope by aggressively carrying out over a thousand sweep operations ('zachistki') in the North Caucasus. [...] The United States generally has supported the Russian government's efforts to combat terrorism in the North Caucasus. However, successive Administrations and Congress have continued to raise concerns about the wide scope of human rights abuses committed by the Russian government in the North Caucasus. The conference agreement on Consolidated Appropriations for FY2010 (P.L. 111-117), calls for $7.0 million to continue humanitarian, conflict mitigation, human rights, civil society and relief and recovery assistance programs in the North Caucasus. It also repeats language used for several years that directs that 60% of the assistance allocated to Russia will be withheld (excluding medical, human trafficking, and Comprehensive Threat Reduction aid) until the President certifies that Russia is facilitating full access to Chechnya for international nongovernmental organizations providing humanitarian relief to displaced persons."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Nichol, James P.

  2010-12-13
• Maternity Care Financing: Challenges and Opportunities Highlighted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  From the Document: "Maternal mortality and serious morbidity rates are considerably higher in the United States than in other wealthy nations, and women of color are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Black and indigenous women are two to three times more likely to experience poor maternal and infant outcomes than white women in the United States. Even before the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, structural racism--including in how maternity care is delivered and financed-- has driven maternal health disparities. In this brief, we identify emerging challenges and key priorities for financing maternity care and other services for pregnant and postpartum women in ways that promote health equity."

  Urban Institute; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

  Allen, Eva H.; Benatar, Sarah

  2020-10
• State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts [February 8, 2011]

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  "The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations legislation provides annual funding for almost all of the international affairs programs generally considered as part of the 150 International Affairs Budget Function (the major exception being food assistance). The legislation has also served as a vehicle for Congress to place conditions on the expenditure of those funds, and express its views regarding certain foreign policy issues. This report briefly discusses the legislation generally and then provides a short description of the various funding accounts as they appear in Division F, 'Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2010,' of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117). For FY2011, State, Foreign Operations programs are currently being funded under a continuing resolution (P.L. 111-242, as amended) that funds these programs through March 4, 2011."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Tarnoff, Curt; Resler, Tamara J.

  2011-02-08
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [March 11, 2011]

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  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act--popularly called the 'SAFER Act'--was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. The SAFER grant program is authorized through FY2010. [...] Concerns over local fire departments' budgetary problems have framed debate over the SAFER reauthorization, which was included in H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, passed by the House on November 18, 2009. On April 27, 2010, S. 3267, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010, was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ultimately, the 111th Congress did not enact the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. S. 550, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011, was introduced into the 112th Congress on March 10, 2011. As part of the reauthorization debate, Congress may consider whether some SAFER rules and restrictions governing the hiring grants should be permanently eliminated or altered in order to make it economically feasible for more fire departments to participate in the program. The 112th Congress is also likely to consider appropriate funding levels for SAFER in FY2011 and FY2012."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2011-03-11
• TANF Emergency Contingency Fund [October 6, 2010]

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  "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; P.L. 111-5) created a $5 billion Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to help states, Indian tribes, and the territories pay for additional economic aid to families during the current economic downturn. It was part of a package of tax and benefit program provisions aimed at stemming the decline in family incomes and purchasing power caused by increased unemployment. The ECF was a temporary fund for two years, FY2009 and FY2010, and expired on September 30, 2010. All of the available $5 billion was awarded by the fund's expiration date to states, tribes, and territories. [...] Though the economy grew in the last half of 2009 and the first half of 2010, unemployment remained high. Historically, the trends in cash welfare caseload have sometimes followed economic conditions, but sometimes not. After the 1990-1991 recession, welfare caseloads actually peaked in March 1994 before beginning their decline. President Obama's FY2011 budget proposed continuing emergency funds through FY2011. Thus far in 2010, the House has twice passed bills that included extensions to the ECF in 2010; proposals that included ECF extensions have also been before the Senate during the year but have not passed. Basic TANF funding was also scheduled to expire on September 30, 2010. TANF was extended through December 3, 2010, as part of a government-wide continuing resolution (P.L. 111-242), but the ECF was not extended. Congress did provide a $506 million appropriation for the TANF 'regular' contingency fund (created in the 1996 welfare law), which is currently the source of any additional federal TANF funds to meet additional costs associated with the lingering effects of the 2007-2009 recession."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Falk, Gene

  2010-10-06
• TANF Emergency Contingency Fund [December 22, 2010]

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  "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; P.L. 111-5) created a $5 billion Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to help states, Indian tribes, and the territories pay for additional economic aid to families during the current economic downturn. It was part of a package of tax and benefit program provisions aimed at stemming the decline in family incomes and purchasing power caused by increased unemployment. The ECF was a temporary fund for two years, FY2009 and FY2010, and expired on September 30, 2010. All of the available $5 billion was awarded by the fund's expiration date to states, tribes, and territories. Though the economy grew in the last half of 2009 and the first three quarters of 2010, unemployment remained high. Historically, the trend in the cash welfare caseload has sometimes followed economic conditions, but sometimes not. After the 1990-1991 recession, welfare caseloads actually peaked in March 1994 before beginning their decline. The 111th Congress considered legislation in 2010 to extend the ECF beyond September 30, 2010. However, though the House twice passed bills to extend the ECF, none of these measures received Senate approval. A provision of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-291) extended the basic TANF program through the end of FY2011 without the ECF."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Falk, Gene

  2010-12-22
• Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and Status of the North-South Peace Agreement [April 8, 2011]

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  "Sudan, geographically the largest country in Africa, has been ravaged by civil war intermittently for four decades. More than 2 million people have died in Southern Sudan over the past two decades due to war-related causes and famine, and millions have been displaced from their homes. There were many failed attempts to end the civil war in Southern Sudan. In July 2002, the Sudan government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a peace framework agreement in Kenya. On May 26, 2004, the government of Sudan and the SPLM signed three protocols on Power Sharing, on the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile, and on the long disputed Abyei area. The signing of these protocols resolved all outstanding issues between the parties. On June 5, 2004, the parties signed 'the Nairobi Declaration on the Final Phase of Peace in the Sudan.' On January 9, 2005, the government of Sudan and the SPLM signed the final peace agreement at a ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenya. In April 2010, Sudan held national and regional elections. In January 2011, South Sudan held a referendum to decide on unity or independence. Abyei was also expected to hold a referendum in January 2011 to decide whether to retain the current special administrative status or to be part of South Sudan. The Abyei referendum did not take place. In the Southern referendum, 98.8% voted for independence and 1.17% for unity."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dagne, Theodore S.

  2011-04-08
• Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and Status of the North-South Peace Agreement [December 16, 2010]

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  "The crisis in Darfur began in February 2003, when two rebel groups emerged to challenge the National Congress Party (NCP) government in Darfur. The crisis in Darfur in western Sudan has led to a major humanitarian disaster, with an estimated 2.7 million people displaced, more than 240,000 people forced into neighboring Chad, and an estimated 450,000 people killed. In July 2004, the House and Senate declared the atrocities in Darfur genocide, and the Bush Administration reached the same conclusion in September 2004. On May 4, 2006, the Government of National Unity and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) after almost two years of negotiations. In December 2010, the Government of Sudan began a major military offensive against the SLM. In July 2007, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1769, authorizing the deployment of a robust peacekeeping force to Darfur. The resolution calls for the deployment of 26,000 peacekeeping troops to Darfur. The resolution authorizes the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to take all necessary measures to protect its personnel and humanitarian workers. As of August 2010, UNAMID deployed a total of 22,007 peacekeeping personnel. As of August 2010, 73 peacekeeping personnel have been killed in Darfur. In July 2008, International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo accused President Omar Bashir of Sudan of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes and asked ICC judges to issue an arrest warrant for President Bashir. On March 4, 2009, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued a warrant of arrest for President Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In late October 2009, the Obama Administration announced a new Sudan policy. The new Sudan policy focuses on three policy priorities: the crisis in Darfur, the implementation of the North- South peace agreement, and counter-terrorism. The new policy links the lifting of sanctions and incentives to verifiable progress on the ground. In mid-September, the Obama Administration announced new policy initiatives on Sudan. The new policy update focuses on the Administration's active and expanded diplomatic engagement and relaxation of sanctions and restrictions. In December 2010, the State Department appointed former Ambassador Dane Smith as Senior Advisor on Darfur."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dagne, Theodore S.

  2010-12-16
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [June 4, 2010]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act--popularly called the 'SAFER Act'--was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. The SAFER grant program is authorized through FY2010. With the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns have arisen that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to more effectively participate in the program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) included a provision (section 603) that waives the matching requirements for SAFER grants awarded in FY2009 and FY2010. The FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32) included a provision authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive further limitations and restrictions in the SAFER statute for FY2009 and FY2010."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2010-06-04
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [April 30, 2010]

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  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act--popularly called the 'SAFER Act'--was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. The SAFER grant program is authorized through FY2010. With the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns have arisen that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to more effectively participate in the program. […]. Concerns over local fire departments' budgetary problems have also framed debate over the SAFER reauthorization, which is included in H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009, passed by the House on November 18, 2009. On April 27, 2010, S. 3267, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2010, was introduced and referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. On April 28, the Committee ordered S. 3267 to be reported with an amendment favorably. Congress is considering whether some SAFER rules and restrictions governing the hiring grants should be permanently eliminated or altered in order to make it economically feasible for more fire departments to participate in the program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2010-04-30
• Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues [September 9, 2010]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in spots around the world, concerns arise over the safety of foreign nationals from these troubled places who are in the United States. Provisions exist in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to offer temporary protected status (TPS) or relief from removal under specified circumstances. A foreign national who is granted TPS receives a registration document and an employment authorization for the duration of TPS. The United States currently provides TPS or deferred enforced departure (DED) to over 300,000 foreign nationals from a total of seven countries: El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan. Liberians have had relief from removal for the longest period, first receiving TPS in March 1991 following the outbreak of civil war. The devastation caused by the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti prompted calls for the Administration of President Barrack Obama to grant TPS to Haitians in the United States at the time of the earthquake. The scale of current humanitarian crisis--estimated thousands of Haitians dead and reported total collapse of the infrastructure in the capital city of Port au Prince--led the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to announce on January 13, 2010, that it is temporarily halting the deportation of Haitians. On January 15, 2010, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano granted TPS to Haitians in the United States at the time of the earthquake."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Wasem, Ruth Ellen; Ester, Karma

  2010-09-09
• TANF Emergency Contingency Fund [September 20, 2010]

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  "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; P.L. 111-5) created a $5 billion Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to help states, Indian tribes, and the territories pay for additional economic aid to families during the current economic downturn. It was part of a package of tax and benefit program provisions aimed at stemming the decline in family incomes and purchasing power caused by increased unemployment. The ECF is a temporary fund for two years, FY2009 and FY2010, and thus is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2010. On August 31, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the full $5 billion in the fund will be used by the states, tribes, and territories by the end of FY2010. TANF is best known for funding cash welfare payments for low-income families, but it actually provides funds for a wide range of benefits and services to ameliorate the effects of, or address the root causes of, economic disadvantage among families with children. While TANF funds a wide range of both economic aid and human services to families with children, the ECF is limited to funding three categories of expenditures: basic assistance, a category that most closely resembles traditional cash welfare; non-recurrent short-term (e.g., emergency) aid; and subsidized employment."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Falk, Gene

  2010-09-20
• State Taxation of Internet Transactions [June 7, 2011]

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  "The United States Bureau of the Census estimated that $3.7 trillion worth of retail and wholesale transactions were conducted over the Internet in 2008. That amount was 16.5% of all U.S. shipments and sales in that year. Other estimates projected the 2011 so-called e-commerce volume at approximately $3.5 trillion. The volume of e-commerce is expected to increase and state and local governments are concerned because collection of sales taxes on these transactions is difficult to enforce. […] A related issue is the 'Internet Tax Moratorium.' The relatively narrow moratorium prohibits (1) new taxes on Internet access services and (2) multiple or discriminatory taxes on Internet commerce. Congress has extended the 'Internet Tax Moratorium' twice. The most recent extension expires November 1, 2014. The moratorium is distinct from the remote use tax collection issue, but has been linked in past debates. An analysis of the Internet tax moratorium is beyond the scope of this report. This report will be updated as legislative events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Maguire, Steven

  2011-06-07
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [May 16, 2011]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act--popularly called the 'SAFER Act'--was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. The SAFER grant program is authorized through FY2010. […]The Administration's FY2012 budget proposed $670 million for firefighter assistance, including $420 million for SAFER, which according to the FY2012 budget proposal, would fund 2,200 firefighter positions. On May 13, 2011, the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations approved $150 million for SAFER. This level would constitute a 63% cut compared to the FY2011 appropriation. There is no SAFER waiver language in the Subcommittee mark. Concern over local fire departments' budgetary problems have framed debate over the SAFER reauthorization, which is included in S. 550, the Fire Grants Authorization Act of 2011 (introduced on March 10, 2011). Previously in the 111th Congress, reauthorization legislation for SAFER was passed by the House, but was not passed by the Senate. As part of the reauthorization debate, Congress may consider whether some SAFER rules and restrictions governing the hiring grants should be permanently eliminated or altered in order to make it economically feasible for more fire departments to participate in the program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2011-05-16
• Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program [April 20, 2011]

  Show summary     Open resource [pdf]     (open full abstract)

  "In response to concerns over the adequacy of firefighter staffing, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Act--popularly called the 'SAFER Act'--was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). The SAFER Act authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. Also authorized are grants to volunteer fire departments for activities related to the recruitment and retention of volunteers. The SAFER grant program is authorized through FY2010. With the economic turndown adversely affecting budgets of local governments, concerns have arisen that modifications to the SAFER statute may be necessary to enable fire departments to more effectively participate in the program. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) included a provision (section 603) that waived the matching requirements for SAFER grants awarded in FY2009 and FY2010. The FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-32) included a provision authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive further limitations and restrictions in the SAFER statute for FY2009 and FY2010."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2011-04-20
• Maternal Telehealth Has Expanded Dramatically During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Equity Concerns and Promising Approaches

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  From the Document: "The maternal mortality crisis in the United States is particularly acute for women of color. Black and indigenous women are two to three times more likely to experience worse maternal health outcomes than white women. Increasingly, structural racism has been recognized as a key driver of maternal health disparities and inequities. This structural racism extends to systems and organizations that provide perinatal care and wraparound health and social services for pregnant and postpartum women with low incomes, many of whom are at highest risk of poor maternal health outcomes. In response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, health systems, including perinatal service and support providers, have been forced to rely on telehealth, or the remote provision of care through telecommunications technology, to reach their clients. This has resulted in remarkable ingenuity, rapid reimbursement changes, and important experiences that can inform the role of telehealth in maternity and postpartum care going forward. At the same time, it has raised critical questions regarding how to ensure equitable access and the provision of high-quality 'virtual' care. Part of a larger 'series' [hyperlink] on the pandemic and maternal health equity, this analysis explores what promising maternal care telehealth practices have emerged during the pandemic, what access and equity concerns surrounding maternal health have arisen in light of increased reliance on telehealth, and what lessons can be applied to a postpandemic future."

  Urban Institute

  Hill, Ian; Burroughs, Emily

  2020-10
• Uneven Recovery Leaves Many Hispanic, Black, and Low-Income Adults Struggling: One in Four Adults Say Their Families Are Worse Off Six Months into the Pandemic

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  From the Document: "The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and other legislation provided substantial assistance to households hit hard by the pandemic-induced recession, but much of this assistance was temporary. For the past few months, Congress and the Trump administration have failed to come to an agreement that would provide additional help to families who continue to struggle. Despite some improvement in the labor market since April, recent data reveal slowing job growth and a growing number of workers facing permanent job loss, signaling an immediate need for more federal stimulus. But focusing on aggregate employment statistics alone offers only a partial glimpse into the economic recovery. These data do not directly address how families' economic well-being has changed over the course of the pandemic. In this brief, we assess how adults and their families were faring in September relative to the beginning of March, before the pandemic caused a sharp economic recession. We use data from the second wave of the Urban Institute's Coronavirus Tracking Survey, a nationally representative survey of nonelderly adults conducted September 11-28, 2020, to examine how family employment and financial situations have changed six months into the pandemic and how these changes have differed by race/ethnicity and prepandemic family income. We also explore the financial strategies families are using to cope with job loss and how much support families experiencing job loss are receiving from public and private safety-net programs."

  Urban Institute

  Karpman, Michael; Zuckerman, Stephen; Kenney, Genevieve M.

  2020-10
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options [March 26, 2010]

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  "The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and expired on December 5, 2009. They have just completed a new Treaty that would replace START, and plan to sign it on April 8. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, and bomber as a single delivery vehicle under the Treaty limit of 1,600 delivery vehicles and attributes an agreed number of warheads to each deployed delivery vehicle. This attribution rule provides the total number of warheads that count under the 6,000 warhead limit in the Treaty. To verify compliance with START, each side monitors the numbers and locations of ballistic missiles, launchers and heavy bombers deployed by the other country. The parties use a wide variety of means to collect information--or monitor--these forces and activities. Some of these monitoring systems, such as overhead satellites, operate outside the territories of the treaty parties. They have also been required to exchange copious amounts of data on locations, operations, and technical characteristics of the treaty-limited items. This verification regime has allowed the parties to remain confident in each other's compliance with the Treaty."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2010-03-26
• Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Might One Be Utilized in Iraq? [June 16, 2008]

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  "The United States has been party to multilateral and bilateral agreements addressing the status of U.S. armed forces while present in a foreign country. These agreements, commonly referred to as Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), generally establish the framework under which U.S. military personnel operate in a foreign country, addressing how the domestic laws of the foreign jurisdiction shall be applied toward U.S. personnel while in that country. In light of the 'Declaration of Principles,'signed by U.S. President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki on November 26, 2007, and the possibility that the United States will enter into a SOFA with the Government of Iraq, there is considerable interest in Congress in SOFAs, what they may cover, and how they have been concluded in the past. […] The SOFA may be unique from other SOFAs concluded by the United States in that it may contain authorization by the host government -- the government of Iraq -- for U.S. forces to engage in military operations within Iraq. The United States is currently party to more than 100 agreements that may be considered SOFAs. A list of current agreements is included at the end of this report categorized in tables according to the underlying source of authority, if any, for each of the SOFAs."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Mason, R. Chuck

  2008-06-16
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Authorization, Operation, and Drawdown Policy [June 18, 2012]

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  "Congress authorized the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 to help prevent a repetition of the economic disruption caused by the 1973-1974 Arab oil embargo. EPCA specifically authorizes the President to draw down the SPR upon a finding that there is a 'severe energy supply interruption.' The meaning of a 'severe energy supply interruption' has been controversial. The authors of EPCA intended the SPR only to ameliorate discernible physical shortages of crude oil. Historically, increasing crude oil prices typically signal market concerns for supply availability. However, Congress deliberately kept price trigger considerations out of the President's SPR drawdown authority because of the question about what price level should trigger a drawdown, and the concern that a price threshold could influence market behavior and industry inventory practices. As a member of the International Energy Agency--a coalition of 28 countries--the United States agrees to support energy supply security through energy policy cooperation, commit to maintaining emergency reserves equal to 90 days of net petroleum oil imports, develop programs for demand restraint in the event of emergencies, and participate in allocation of oil deliveries among the signatory nations to balance a shortage."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Andrews, Anthony; Pirog, Robert L.

  2012-06-18
• State and Local Economic Sanctions: Constitutional Issues [June 27, 2012]

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  "States and localities have at times proposed or enacted measures restricting their agencies from conducting economic transactions with firms that do business with or in foreign countries whose conduct the jurisdictions find objectionable. While some maintain that sub-federal entities may enact such laws under sovereign proprietary powers and other constitutional prerogatives, others argue that such statutes impermissibly invade federal commerce and foreign affairs authorities and in some cases may be preempted by federal law. […] Due to the troubled situation in Darfur, a number of states have proposed or enacted some type of divestment legislation against Sudan. States have also considered or adopted divestment legislation involving Iran and terrorist states in general. In February 2007, a federal district court held Illinois's Sudan sanctions law unconstitutional and permanently enjoined its enforcement (National Foreign Trade Council v. Giannoulias). Illinois subsequently repealed its statute, and the state's appeal in the case was dismissed as moot in November 2007. […] Congress considered and enacted legislation in the 110th and 111th Congresses to authorize states to divest assets involving Sudan and Iran. The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, P.L. 110-174, enacted into law December 31, 2007, authorizes states and local governments to adopt divestment measures involving (1) federally identified persons with investments and business in the Sudanese energy and military equipment sectors or (2) persons having a direct investment in or carrying on a trade or business with Sudan or the Government of Sudan, provided certain notification requirements are met."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Grimmett, Jeanne J.

  2012-06-27
• State Taxation of Internet Transactions [November 1, 2011]

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  "The United States Bureau of the Census estimated that $3.4 trillion worth of retail and wholesale transactions were conducted over the Internet in 2009. That amount was 16.8% of all U.S. shipments and sales in that year. Other estimates projected the 2011 so-called e-commerce volume at approximately $3.9 trillion. The volume of e-commerce is expected to increase and state and local governments are concerned because collection of sales taxes on these transactions is difficult to enforce. Under current law, states cannot reach beyond their borders and compel out-of-state Internet vendors (those without nexus in the buyer's state) to collect the use tax owed by state residents and businesses. The Supreme Court ruled in 1967 that requiring remote vendors to collect the use tax would pose an undue burden on interstate commerce. Estimates put this lost tax revenue at approximately $11.4 billion in 2012. […] In addition, H.R. 3179 (Representative Womack) would also grant states the authority to compel out-of-state vendors to collect use taxes provided selected simplification efforts are implemented. A related issue is the 'Internet Tax Moratorium.' The relatively narrow moratorium prohibits (1) new taxes on Internet access services and (2) multiple or discriminatory taxes on Internet commerce. Congress has extended the 'Internet Tax Moratorium' twice. The most recent extension expires November 1, 2014. The moratorium is distinct from the remote use tax collection issue, but has been linked in past debates. An analysis of the Internet tax moratorium is beyond the scope of this report. This report will be updated as legislative events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Maguire, Steven

  2011-11-01