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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4977, Better Cybercrime Metrics Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on December 8, 2021. From the Document:"H.R. 4977 would direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to develop a classification system for categorizing different types of cybercrime. The National Academy of Sciences would be required to consult with relevant federal, state, local, and private-sector stakeholders and report on its system to the Congress within one year. The bill also would require the Bureau of Justice Statistics at DOJ to include questions on cybercrime victimization in its National Crime Victimization Survey. H.R. 4977 would authorize the appropriation of $1 million for the National Academy of Sciences project and $2 million for the Bureau of Justice Statistics survey. Using historical patterns of spending for similar programs and assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates it would cost $3 million for DOJ to implement those requirements. H.R. 4977 also would require DOJ to establish a cybercrime category within its National Incident-Based Reporting System, which collects data on crimes from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to the Congress on the effectiveness of cybercrime reporting in the United States within six months."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-27
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 667, Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center Access Improvement Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on November 17, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 667 would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to purchase, pave, and maintain a road to facilitate access to the Desert Sage Youth Wellness Center (DSYWC) in Hemet, California. The DSYWC is one of 12 residential treatment centers for adolescents with substance abuse disorders that is funded by the Indian Health Service (IHS). The access road to the facility is a half-mile long, privately owned road that is currently unpaved. Based on information from IHS, CBO estimates that purchasing and paving the road would cost about $1 million over the 2022-2026 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. In addition, the bill would authorize the Secretary to either maintain the road on an ongoing basis or come to an agreement with the local county to maintain the road. Based on information about the cost of road maintenance, a newly paved road of this length would require less than $500,000 for maintenance costs over the 2022-2026 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-27
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4476, DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on October 26, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4476 would establish a Trade and Economic Security Council within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The council would consist of representatives from multiple DHS offices and subagencies and would be responsible for identifying risks to trade and economic security and recommending new policies in those areas. Under the bill, the council would be required to meet at least four times a year and brief the Congress every six months on its activities. H.R. 4476 also would establish the position of Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security within the department, which would be responsible for chairing the council and coordinating DHS activities on trade and economic security. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $3 million each year from 2022 to 2026. Using historical patterns of spending for similar programs and assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates implementing H.R. 4476 would cost DHS about $14 million over the 2022-2026 period, with the remaining authorized amount spent after 2026."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-27
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 55, Emmett Till Antilynching Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on December 8, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 55 would classify the act of lynching as a hate crime. Individuals who violate the bill's provisions could be subject to criminal fines, so the federal government might collect additional fines under the legislation. Criminal fines are recorded as revenues and deposited in the Crime Victims Fund. Those funds are later spent without further appropriation action, which is classified as direct spending. CBO expects that any additional revenues and associated direct spending would not be significant because few additional cases would probably be affected."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-27
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Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing: Commerce Has No Plans to Implement the Program
From the Document: "Manufacturing plays a key role in the U.S. economy as a source of economic growth, high-paying jobs, and technological innovation. In 2020, U.S. manufacturing accounted for $2.3 trillion in economic activity, or 10.8 percent of the gross domestic product, and employed approximately 12.2 million workers, or about 9.4 percent of the U.S. workforce. In addition, manufacturing and the development of innovative products and processes are important drivers for U.S. competitiveness in the global economy. The United States is one of the 10 largest countries in terms of manufacturing output, but its manufacturing sector's growth has slowed. Furthermore, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the nation's reliance on foreign sources for critical manufactured goods and the need for a more resilient domestic manufacturing base. To invest in innovative manufactured goods and processes, improve U.S. competitiveness, and help address the capital needs of U.S. manufacturers, the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010 directed the Secretary of the Department of Commerce (Commerce) to establish the Federal Loan Guarantees for Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing (ITM) program. [...] The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 directed GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct a biennial review of the execution of the ITM program and submit a report to Congress. We have issued four reports pursuant to this provision. This fifth report addresses Commerce's efforts to implement the ITM program since our January 2020 report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01-27
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Main Street Lending Program Survey Results
From the Document: "The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) was established by Section 4018 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Under the CARES Act, SIGPR has the duty to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the making, purchase, management, and sale of loans, loan guarantees, and other investments by the Secretary of the Treasury under any program established by the Secretary under the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 (CESA), as well as the management by the Secretary of any program established under CESA. SIGPR also has the duties, responsibilities, powers, and authorities granted inspectors general under the Inspector General Act of 1978. The role and mission of SIGPR is to safeguard the people's tax dollars appropriated by Congress through the CARES Act. SIGPR strives to ensure that the American taxpayer gets the best return on investment by efficiently rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse. In carrying out its mission, SIGPR's goal is to treat everyone with respect, to operate with the utmost integrity, and to be fair, objective, and independent. [...] SIGPR is currently examining Treasury's investment in the Main Street Lending Program [MSLP]. As part of our examination, we surveyed both MSLP lender banks and borrowers to gain an understanding of how they viewed the program. The purpose of this report is to provide the results of SIGPR's survey of MSLP lenders and borrowers."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery
2022-01-27
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Review of Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers' Fiscal Year 2021 Drug Control Budget Formulation Compliance Report
From the Document: "The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Circular, 'National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews,' requires National Drug Control Program agencies to submit to the ONDCP Director by February 1 of each year a detailed accounting of all funds expended for National Drug Control Program activities during the previous fiscal year. At least every 3 years, the Office of Inspector General is required to review the report and provide a conclusion about the reliability of each assertion made in the report."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2022-01-27
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Review of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Fiscal Year 2021 Drug Control Budget Formulation Compliance Report
From the Highlights: "The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Circular, 'National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews', requires National Drug Control Program agencies to submit to the ONDCP Director by February 1 of each year a detailed accounting of all funds expended for National Drug Control Program activities during the previous fiscal year. At least every 3 years, the Office of Inspector General is required to review the report and provide a conclusion about the reliability of each assertion made in the report. [...] Williams, Adley & Company - DC, LLP [limited liability partnership] (Williams Adley), under contract with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, issued an Independent Accountant's Report on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) FY 2021 Drug Control Budget Formulation Compliance Report. ICE management prepared the Budget Formulation Compliance Report and related assertions to comply with the requirements of the ONDCP Circular, 'National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews', dated September 9, 2021. Based on its review, nothing came to Williams Adley's attention that caused it to believe that ICE's FY 2021 Budget Formulation Compliance Report and related assertions are not presented in conformity with the criteria in the ONDCP Circular. Williams Adley did not make any recommendations as a result of its review."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2022-01-27
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Federal Reserve: Tapering of Asset Purchases [Updated January 27, 2022]
From the Document: "In November 2021, the Federal Reserve [hyperlink] (Fed) announced [hyperlink] that it would begin to 'taper' its large-scale asset purchases, popularly known as 'quantitative easing' (QE), by $15 billion per month. In light of the further increase in inflation [hyperlink], it announced [hyperlink] in December that it would double the monthly reduction in purchases in January. In January 2022, the Fed announced [hyperlink] that purchases would end in March, at which point its balance sheet will stop growing. Under tapering, the Fed will continue to purchase Treasury securities and agency mortgage-backed securities [hyperlink] in a two-to-one ratio."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc
2022-01-27
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Memorandum from Sec Def Lloyd Austin: Improving Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response
From the Document: "The protection of civilians is fundamentally consistent with the effective, efficient, and decisive use of force in pursuit of U.S. national interests, and our efforts to mitigate and respond to civilian harm are a direct reflection of U.S. values. It is a strategic and a moral imperative. Do has built a strong foundation of compliance with the law of armed conflict. We strive diligently to minimize the harm that armed conflict visits upon civilian populations, but we can and will improve upon our efforts to protect civilians. We will revisit the ways in which we assess incidents that may have resulted in civilian harm, acknowledge the harm to civilians that resulted from such incidents, and incorporate lessons learned into the planning and execution of future combat operations and into our tactics, techniques, and procedures."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense
2022-01-27
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Mitigating the Threat of Terrorist-Initiated Arson Attacks on Wildland-Urban Interface Areas
From the Document: "Foreign terrorist organizations encourage arson attacks in the US because of its perceived simplicity and potential to cause significant and widespread damage. Arson-initiated wildland fires in the US, especially in the west, result in major human, property, infrastructure, environmental, and economic losses. About 40 percent of all US homes are in wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities according to the US Department of Commerce, putting these communities at greater risk of wildfires. Although most WUI arson incidents in the Homeland resulted in criminal charges unassociated with terrorism, messaging by terrorists may result in acts of arson connected to terrorism. [...] This product provides awareness of the threat of arson at the wildland-urban interface, as well as planning and response considerations for first responders."
National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.); United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
2022-01-27
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Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities [Updated January 27, 2022]
From the Document: "The U.S. military has a long history of providing support to civil authorities, particularly in response to disasters, but for other purposes as well. The Defense Department currently defines 'defense support of civil authorities' as 'Support provided by U.S. Federal military forces, DOD civilians, DOD contract personnel, DOD Component assets, and National Guard forces (when the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Governors of the affected States, elects and requests to use those forces in Title 32, U.S.C., status) in response to requests for assistance from civil authorities for domestic emergencies, law enforcement support, and other domestic activities, or from qualifying entities for special event.' (DOD Directive 3025.18)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence
2022-01-27
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Executive Budget Process: An Overview [January 27, 2022]
From the Introduction: "The Constitution vests Congress with the authority to levy taxes, authorize the issuance of debt, and make appropriations to fund the federal government--collectively known as the power of the purse. Notably, those funds may be drawn from the Treasury only in consequence of appropriations made by law. The Constitution does not provide an explicit role for the President in the budget process. The executive budget process, as currently constituted, exists primarily due to statutes enacted by Congress. [...] This report outlines many of the budgetary procedures performed by the President, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and agencies, including an overview of the development, submission, and justification of the President's budget proposal. The report also describes how the President, OMB, and agencies execute the federal budget following the enactment of annual appropriations and other budgetary legislation by Congress. Finally, the report highlights a number of potential issues for congressional consideration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fiorentino, Dominick A.; Riccard, Taylor N.
2022-01-27
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Unemployment and Crime in US Cities During the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Abstract: "In this ecological study of large US cities with repeated measures from January 2018 through July 2020, we estimated the association between acute changes in unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic and crime. We aim to provide empirical evidence on the unemployment-violence association during the pandemic, adding to our understanding of what factors likely contributed to the substantial increase in violence in the US in last year. For comparability with prior research, we also examine acquisitive crimes. While the pandemic poses challenges with regard to confounding and generalizability, the abrupt, exogenous change in unemployment may also help separate the association of interest from chronically poor economic conditions and from long-term, potentially bidirectional relationships between the exposure and outcomes, both of which may be limitations of prior studies."
Springer Nature (Firm)
Schleimer, Julia P.; Pear, Veronica A.; McCort, Christopher D. . . .
2022-01-27
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Cyber Incident Resource Guide for Governors
From the Document: "The Cyber Incident Resource Guide for Governors provides information for governors and their staff on how to request federal support during or following a cyber incident. This includes information to help states respond effectively to a cyber incident and guidance to support recovery efforts. For states with mature cyber programs, this Guide can validate and integrate with existing plans. The scope of this document includes cyber incident response; however, appropriate cyber risk management practices can lessen the likelihood or impact of an incident."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
2022-01-27?
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 22 Issue 4, January 27, 2022
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "New York passes Family and Firefighter Protection Act, banning a broad range of flame retardant chemicals in consumer products"; "First responder testimonial videos now available on POINTER [Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking for Emergency Responders] location-tracking technology"; "American Rescue Plan funding provides support for state and local public safety agencies"; "Virtual course - Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement, First Responders and Local School Systems"; CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] Webinar Recording - Cyber Supply Chain: Risk Management for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Governments"; "NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] releases final cybersecurity assessment guidance"; "Center for Internet Security [CIS] Podcast Episode 22 - CIS Behind the Veil: Log4j"; "F5 releases January 2022 Quarterly Security Notification"; "Florida hospital's quick thinking thwarts ransomware attack"; and "Bernalillo County (New Mexico) approves funding for ransomware recovery."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2022-01-27
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Review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Fiscal Year 2021 Drug Control Budget Formulation Compliance Report
From the Document: "The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Circular, 'National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews,' requires National Drug Control Program agencies to submit to the ONDCP Director by February 1 of each year a detailed accounting of all funds expended for National Drug Control Program activities during the previous fiscal year. At least every 3 years, the Office of Inspector General is required to review the report and provide a conclusion about the reliability of each assertion made in the report."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2022-01-27
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Ferry Programs in the Department of Transportation [Updated January 27, 2022]
From the Document: "Ferries provide transportation services in a wide variety of settings and for many purposes. The main types of ferry service in the United States are commuter passenger service in urban areas, and highway vehicle carriage in rural areas where a bridge is unavailable. Coastal and island regions, such as Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puget Sound, and New England, can be especially dependent on ferries for both passenger and freight transportation. There are also many ferries that provide service mainly for recreational purposes, including several in national parks. Overall, ferries play a minor role in the U.S. transportation system, providing about 1% of public transportation trips in 2019. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) supports ferry services through both highway and public transportation programs. Generally, federal funds are eligible for capital projects, including buying and refurbishing ferries, and building and rehabilitating ferry terminals and maintenance facilities. Ferries must be built domestically according to a law dating to 1886 (46 U.S.C. [United States Code]§55103). In certain circumstances, federal funds may be used for operating expenses. The programs discussed here are intended for permanent ferry operations. Temporary ferry operations may be eligible under other programs, such as DOT's highway and public transportation Emergency Relief programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mallett, William
2022-01-27
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Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles
From the Document: "This memorandum sets forth a Federal zero trust architecture (ZTA) strategy, requiring agencies to meet specific cybersecurity standards and objectives by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 in order to reinforce the Government's defenses against increasingly sophisticated and persistent threat campaigns. Those campaigns target Federal technology infrastructure, threatening public safety and privacy, damaging the American economy, and weakening trust in Government."
United States. Office of Management and Budget
Young, Shalanda D.
2022-01-26
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Pipeline Safety: Manufacturing Defects in Pipeline Components Rarely Contribute to Accidents
From the Document: "The U.S. pipeline network includes almost 350,000 miles of interstate gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines that operate at high pressures and transport products across the country. The integrity of individual components used in constructing these pipelines is critical to the safe and efficient operation of the network. These components include fittings to accommodate changes in terrain or direction of the pipe; flanges to connect pipe and other equipment together; and valves to help control the flow and pressure of product in the pipe. While pipelines are among the safest modes to transport energy products and other hazardous materials, failure of the components due to issues such as incorrect installation, corrosion, or manufacturing defects could cause significant damage to life, property, and the environment. Within the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) oversees the safety of the pipeline network. As part of this oversight, PHMSA sets the federal minimum safety standards for pipelines and pipeline facilities, including requirements and specifications relating to the design and manufacture of pipeline components. The minimum safety standards apply to owners and operators of pipeline facilities rather than the manufacturers of pipeline components."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01-26
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6089, Stop Iranian Drones Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on December 10, 2021. From the Document:"Under current law the President is required to impose sanctions on persons who knowingly support several of Iran's weapons programs. H.R. 6089 would amend that law to add unmanned combat aerial vehicles to the list of covered programs. [...] H.R. 6089 would impose a private-sector mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by incrementally expanding an existing mandate in law. It would prohibit individuals or entities in the United States from engaging in transactions involving assets and property that have been frozen by sanctions authorized in the bill."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-26
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Congressional Budget Office: H.R. 4363, DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on November 3, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4363 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report daily on most department contract awards that have a value of more than $4 million, beginning six months after the bill's enactment. The reports would need to include information about each contract award, including the contract value, timeline, and description. The bill would require DHS to maintain this information on a public website and make updates no later than five business days after a new contract is authorized or an existing contract is modified. Based on information provided by DHS, CBO expects the agency would need two new employees to compile contract information and produce the reports and approximately $750,000 each year for technology costs to maintain the website. Using historical patterns of spending for similar programs, CBO estimates the agency would spend about $1 million each year to implement the bill for a total of $5 million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-26
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4426, Homeland Security for Children Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on November 3, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4426 would direct all offices and subagencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to incorporate the needs of children in mission planning and execution, including by consulting with organizations representing the needs of children whenever practicable. The act also would require the DHS Under Secretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans to appoint a technical expert on incorporating the needs of children into activities to prepare for and respond to disasters. Finally, H.R. 4426 would require DHS to report to the Congress annually for five years on implementation of the act. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects DHS would require one additional employee to serve as a technical expert and coordinate the activities required under H.R. 4426. Based on average salaries for similar employees and the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates the agency would spend $1 million over the 2022-2026 period to implement the legislation; any such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-01-26
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on Health Care Employment and Vaccinations and Testing for Large Employers [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Summary: "On June 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for the prevention of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in health care employment settings. On December 27, 2021, OSHA announced that it was withdrawing all provisions of this ETS, with the exception of certain COVID-19 reporting requirements. On November 5, 2021, OSHA promulgated a separate ETS that requires employers with 100 or more employees to require that all employees either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4, 2022, or test negative for COVID-19 weekly in order to work onsite. After earlier actions by the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits, on January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination and testing ETS pending additional judicial review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On January 25, 2022, OSHA announced that it was withdrawing all provisions of this ETS. The ETS will continue to serve as a proposed permanent standard subject to normal rulemaking. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority prior to the COVID-19 pandemic--not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2022-01-26
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Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Document: "Thailand is a long-time military treaty ally and economic partner of the United States. The United States operates numerous regional offices from the Bangkok Embassy, one of the largest American diplomatic missions in the world. Bilateral cooperation includes security initiatives and operations, law enforcement efforts, and regional health and education. These ties endure, but more than a decade of political turmoil in Thailand, including military coups in 2006 and 2014, have complicated U.S.-Thai relations. The Thai government's efforts to manipulate political processes and suppress critics have raised questions about Thailand's prospects for returning to full democratic governance, including the peaceful transfer of power and protection for civil liberties. International organizations have alleged numerous human rights abuses, including the government's curtailment of freedoms of speech and assembly, harassment of government critics, use of 'lese majeste' (offenses against the monarchy) laws to muzzle dissent, arbitrary arrests, and a lack of protections for human trafficking victims, laborers, and refugees."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Dolven, Ben
2022-01-26
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Aviation Concerns Regarding the Rollout of 5G Wireless Telecommunications Networks [January 26, 2022]
From the Document: "The rollout of fifth-generation (5G) wireless telecommunications networks in the United States has roiled passenger and cargo airlines and other aviation operators over fears that certain mid-band or C-band 5G signals could interfere with aircraft radio altimeters. These concerns prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue alerts to aircraft operators in late 2021 about possible flight safety risks. FAA asked aircraft operators for related data, urged them to educate pilots about potential disruptions, and prohibited certain flight procedures as a safety precaution. At the urging of FAA, the Department of Transportation, the White House, and some Members of Congress, telecommunications companies agreed to voluntarily delay the rollout of 5G service near airports, originally scheduled for early December 2021, until July 2022, to avoid air travel disruptions. This will give FAA and avionics equipment manufacturers additional time to more thoroughly assess whether C-band 5G signals might interfere with flight operations and whether equipment upgrades or other mitigation actions will be needed to adequately shield aircraft systems from 5G interference."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Elias, Bartholomew
2022-01-26
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Defense Primer: Legal Authorities for the Use of Military Forces [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Document: "By the Framers' apparent design, to keep the nation's 'purse' and the 'sword' in separate hands and in other ways hinder the nation's embroilment in unnecessary wars, the Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the President. Congress is empowered to declare war, provide for and regulate the Armed Forces, and issue letters of marque and reprisal, as well as to call forth the militia to suppress an insurrection, repel an invasion, or 'execute the Laws of the Union.' The President, as the Commander in Chief, has the responsibility to direct the Armed Forces as they conduct hostilities, put down insurrections, or execute the law when constitutionally authorized to do so."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Elsea, Jennifer
2022-01-26
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Hypersonic Missile Defense: Issues for Congress [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Document: "The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are currently developing elements of a hypersonic missile defense system to defend against hypersonic weapons and other emerging missile threats. These elements include the tracking and transport layers of the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) and various interceptor programs. As MDA and SDA continue to develop these systems, Congress may consider implications for oversight and defense authorizations and appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sayler, Kelley M.; McCall, Stephen M.
2022-01-26
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U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress regarding U.S.-China strategic competition in the South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS). In an [sic] renewed great power competition, the South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as an arena of U.S.-China strategic competition. China's actions in the SCS in recent years have heightened concerns among U.S. observers that China is gaining effective control of the SCS, an area of strategic, political, and economic importance to the United States and its allies and partners. Actions by China's maritime forces at the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea (ECS) are another concern for U.S. observers. Chinese domination of China's near-seas region--meaning the SCS and ECS, along with the Yellow Sea--could substantially affect U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere. The issue for Congress is whether the Administration's strategy for competing strategically with China in the SCS and ECS is appropriate and correctly resourced, and whether Congress should approve, reject, or modify the strategy, the level of resources for implementing it, or both. Decisions that Congress makes on these issues could substantially affect U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-01-26
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Ukrainian Armed Forces [Updated January 26, 2022]
From the Document: "In 2014, the Ukrainian military, which observers noted had been weakened by years of neglect and underfunding, faced Russia's occupation of Ukraine's Crimea region and invasion of eastern Ukraine. Since that time, the Ukrainian armed forces have made considerable improvements; they have undertaken efforts to adopt NATO standards and received significant NATO and U.S. assistance. Many of these reforms began out of the experience of defending against Russian aggression. Reforms range from the tactical to the strategic levels and include both political measures (e.g., increasing transparency, countering corruption, and ensuring civilian control over the military) and military reforms (e.g., modernizing equipment, reforming command and control, and increasing professionalization)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2022-01-26
