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Littoral Combat Ship: Actions Needed to Address Significant Operational Challenges and Implement Planned Sustainment Approach, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "The LCS [Littoral Combat Ship] is designed to operate in shallow waters close to shore--known as the littorals. The Navy estimates it will cost over $60 billion to operate and support the 35 LCS it plans to build, including the 17 it has already delivered. A House report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review the LCS's affordability and sustainability. This report examines the extent to which the Navy has (1) demonstrated that the LCS has the operational and warfighting capabilities to perform its missions; (2) implemented the recommendations in the Navy's 2016 Review; and (3) updated its cost estimates to account for revised operational and sustainment concepts. GAO reviewed relevant laws, regulations, Navy guidance; analyzed LCS cost data for fiscal years 2009 to 2019; and interviewed relevant officials. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in August 2021. Information that the Navy deemed sensitive has been omitted. [...] GAO recommends, and the Navy concurs with, developing a comprehensive plan to address deficiencies, performing adequate testing of the mission modules, and implement lessons learned; making deployments contingent on progress in addressing gaps in capabilities, and determining tasks Navy personnel and contractors will perform, among others. GAO also recommends, and the Navy partially concurs with, updating and improving LCS cost data, as discussed in the report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-02-24
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2088, Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as passed by the House of Representatives on November 2, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 2088 would take into trust, for the benefit of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, approximately 96 acres of land located in Monroe County, Tennessee, that is currently administered by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The act would require TVA to submit revised maps of those lands to the Congress and would prohibit certain types of gaming on them. Using information from TVA, CBO estimates that compiling the information to revise the maps of the lands taken into trust would cost about $30,000 in 2022. Under current law, TVA sells electricity at prices sufficient to recover any costs it incurs in lieu of receiving annual appropriations. On that basis, CBO expects that any increase in direct spending for mapping would be treated as an operating expense and recovered quickly in TVA's rates for electricity. Thus, CBO estimates that the net effect on direct spending would be negligible. The Department of the Interior (DOI) also would incur costs to take the land into trust. Using information from DOI, CBO estimates that the administrative costs to implement H.R. 2088 would not be significant; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-02-24
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4513, Small Business Advanced Cybersecurity Enhancements Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as reported by the House Committee on Small Business on October 12, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4513 would direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a central small business cybersecurity assistance unit to coordinate information sharing between small businesses and the federal government on cybersecurity threats and defensive measures. Under the bill, 62 small business development centers would be required to establish regional cybersecurity assistance units to work with small businesses and to coordinate with the central unit. Using information from the General Services Administration and the SBA, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4513 would cost about $3 million annually, on average, totaling $15 million over the 2022-2026 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-02-24
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Achieving American Leadership in the Solar Photovoltaics Supply Chain
From the Document: "Developing U.S. photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing could mitigate global supply chain challenges and lead to tremendous benefits for the climate as well as for U.S. workers, employers, and the economy. The solar supply chain is global and reliant on products from China or companies with close ties to China. Significant growth in U.S. manufacturing across the supply chain is possible with incentives that offset the higher cost of manufacturing in the United States. Existing polysilicon production facilities are currently idle or supplying polysilicon to other industries. Expansion in the ingot and wafer sectors outside of China would create demand for existing U.S. polysilicon producers to run at high capacity. The United States can expand production of thin-film modules, which do not rely on obtaining materials from Chinese companies. The thin film supply chain is concentrated in Ohio. There is a cluster of solar module manufacturers in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, which presents an opportunity to grow a competitive supply chain of module components in the region."
United States. Department of Energy. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
2022-02-24
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America's Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition
From the Document: "This document, 'America's Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition,' lays out the challenges and opportunities faced by the United States in the energy supply chain as well as the Federal Government plans to address these challenges and opportunities. It is accompanied by several issue-specific deep dive assessments produced in response to Executive Order 14017, 'America's Supply Chains,' which directs the Secretary of Energy to submit a report on supply chains for the Energy Sector Industrial Base. The Executive Order is spurring the Federal Government to build more secure and diverse U.S. supply chains, including energy supply chains."
United States. Department of Energy
Igogo, Tsisilile
2022-02-24
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Cybersecurity and Digital Components: Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment
This is the "U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] Response to Executive Order 14017, 'America's Supply Chains.'" From the Document: "The DOE energy supply chain strategy report summarizes the key elements of the energy supply chain a s well as the strategies the U.S. government is starting to employ to address them. Additionally, it describes recommendations for Congressional action. DOE has identified technologies and crosscutting topics for analysis in the one-year time frame set by the Executive Order. Along with the capstone policy report, DOE is releasing 11 deep dive assessment documents, including this one, covering the following technology sectors: [1] carbon capture materials, [2] electric grid including transformers and high voltage direct current (HVDC), [3] energy storage, [4] fuel cells and electrolyzers, [5] hydropower including pumped storage hydropower (PSH), [6] neodymium magnets, [7] nuclear energy, [8] platinum group metals and other catalysts, [9] semiconductors, [10] solar photovoltaics (PV), and [11] wind[.] DOE is also releasing two deep dive assessments on the following crosscutting topics: [1] commercialization and competitiveness, and [2] cybersecurity and digital components."
United States. Department of Energy
Caddy, Cherylene
2022-02-24
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COVID-19 State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report 23 (January 11 - 31, 2022)
From the Summary: "The first major theme of this report is that consumers and news outlets discussed the superiority of infection-induced immunity over COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine-induced immunity with many concluding that infection-induced immunity is superior to vaccine-induced immunity. The second major theme is that consumers questioned the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines as a surge in breakthrough cases is being reported. A third theme is that consumers continued to have concerns about adverse events and unknown side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. The fourth and fifth findings during this report period are regarding consumers' concerns and opposition to pediatric COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine requirements. [...] Federal, state, and local partners should continue to work together to explain the rationale for updated guidance, respond to gaps in information, and confront misinformation with evidence-based messaging. These efforts aim to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and expand vaccine uptake more broadly. Partners should create and disseminate messages about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 primary series and booster doses compared to acquiring SARSCoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] infection-induced immunity."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-02-24
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: NATO Response [February 24, 2022]
From the Document: "The 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, describing it as the 'most dangerous moment in European security in a generation [hyperlink].' In the leadup to the invasion, NATO joined the United States in stating it would not deploy forces to defend Ukraine, which is not a NATO member. NATO has, however, enhanced its defensive force posture in the eastern part of the alliance and reiterated its solidarity with Ukraine. Russia's invasion follows almost a decade of deteriorating relations between NATO and Russia, during which NATO suspended most cooperation with Russia following Russia's 2014 occupation of Ukraine's Crimea region and parts of eastern Ukraine. In 2021, NATO declared [hyperlink], 'there can be no return to 'business as usual' until Russia demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities.' Noting an end-goal of improved relations, NATO continued to express openness to political dialogue with Russia as part of a dual-track approach of deterrence and dialogue. NATO officials stress, however, that by invading Ukraine, 'Russia has shut the door on a political solution [hyperlink]' to the crisis."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Belkin, Paul
2022-02-24
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Executive Order on America's Supply Chains: A Year of Action and Progress
From the Executive Summary: "Over the past year, the Biden-Harris Administration navigated an unprecedented period in economic history. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic exposed structural weaknesses in the U.S. domestic industrial base and critical supply chains - the result of decades of preferencing underinvestment, outsourcing, and offshoring over long-term security, sustainability, and resilience. From the beginning of his Administration, President Biden prioritized strengthening critical supply chains and revitalizing the U.S. industrial base. In February 2021, one month after taking office, President Biden signed E.O. [Executive Order] 14017, 'America's Supply Chains,' which initiated an all-of-government review of the supply chains that underlie the U.S. industrial base, with an initial focus on four critical products: semiconductors and advanced packaging; high-capacity batteries, including electric-vehicle batteries; critical minerals and materials, including rare earth elements; and pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)."
United States. White House Office
2022-02-24?
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Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province [Updated February 24, 2022]
From the Document: "Armed Islamist violence continues to roil northeast Nigeria and nearby border regions more than a decade since Boko Haram launched an insurgency against the Nigerian state. In recent years, an Islamic State-affiliated offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (IS-WA, aka ISIS-WA or ISWAP), has established itself as the stronger faction and one of the most active IS affiliates globally. The conflict in the Lake Chad Basin has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and fueled a vast humanitarian crisis. The United States has provided counterterrorism and other assistance to governments battling Boko Haram and ISWA, and has been the top country donor of humanitarian assistance in the Lake Chad Basin. Abuses by local security forces in the region have been a source of concern among some Members of Congress and have raised challenges for U.S. security assistance and military sales."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Husted, Tomas F.
2022-02-24
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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Airport Funding [February 24, 2022]
From the Document: "The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, also referred to as the bipartisan infrastructure law [hyperlink]; P.L. [Public Law] 117-58), enacted on November 15, 2021, appropriated $25 billion over a five-year period (FY2022-FY2026) for airport and air traffic control projects. This aviation funding includes $15 billion in grants for airport infrastructure projects that increase safety and expand capacity; $5 billion in competitive grants for airport terminals including replacing aging terminals and airport-owned control towers; and $5 billion to improve the physical condition of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facilities. The entirety of the $25 billion in the IIJA specified for civil aviation derives from the Treasury general fund. This departs from the usual practice of funding civil aviation infrastructure in the United States largely from user taxes and fees. In addition, the IIJA provides money for aviation purposes that previously were not eligible to receive federal funding."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tang, Rachel Y.
2022-02-24
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America's Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition [Summary]
From the Summary: "Demand for clean energy technologies such as wind turbines and batteries for electric vehicles has increased significantly as technology costs have plummeted over the last decade and countries seek to diversify their energy systems with more reliable clean energy sources to lower costs for businesses and consumers. The global clean energy market is expected to grow exponentially -- reaching $23 trillion at a minimum by 2030. Without new domestic raw materials production and manufacturing capacity, the U.S. will continue to rely on clean energy imports, exposing the nation to supply chain vulnerabilities while simultaneously losing out on the enormous job opportunities associated with the energy transition. Yet, in many cases, the United States has untapped potential to support greater domestic production. 'America's Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition' is the first comprehensive plan to build the U.S. Energy Sector Industrial Base (ESIB) that will be required to support the rapidly accelerating transition to clean energy. The report is part of a whole of government approach to chart a course for revitalizing the U.S. economy and domestic manufacturing by securing the country's most critical supply chains. This strategy will lead to stronger, more resilient, and diverse energy supply chains that will help the nation meet our climate change goals, establish the United States as a global leader in clean energy innovation and manufacturing, and create millions of family-sustaining jobs for American workers." The full report can be found here: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=864503].
United States. Department of Energy
2022-02-24
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Federal Emergency Management Agency Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "FEMA serves the American public by helping people before, during, and after disasters, through its core values of respect, integrity, compassion, and fairness in its interactions with disaster survivors, colleagues, recipients, and partners. FEMA can enhance equity by executing a methodical, multilayered, and systematic approach to analyzing intended and actual accessibility to and impacts for underserved and marginalized communities. Starting from the highest level of leadership, FEMA is integrating equity into its strategic plan, goals and priorities, programs and activities, and foundational documents and processes. These actions will help to achieve the following impacts: [1] Underserved communities can access and leverage FEMA resources in ways that meet their needs. [2] Underserved communities are routinely consulted in FEMA decisions about policy and program implementation. [3] FEMA and our partners have the training and tools required to advance equity in their programs. [4] FEMA directs resources to eliminating disparities in outcomes. [5] FEMA programs routinely evaluate and address disparities in outcomes."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2022-02-23
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San Jose/Santa Clara County, California: Response to Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Document: "At the very beginning of the pandemic, Santa Clara County created a centralized intake hotline for anyone seeking shelter. Clinical staff from the Valley Homeless Healthcare Program (VHHP) screened callers to determine their medical vulnerability to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Based on a set of criteria, the person would then be referred either to congregate or to noncongregate shelter (e.g., hotel). The criteria evolved based on current medical guidance set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and available shelter capacity. Providers stopped taking individual referrals and found this system--plus increased collaboration between individual providers--to be more beneficial to their clients. Key partners in the response--the city, county, and health care providers for the homeless--met daily to monitor trends, shift capacity, and troubleshoot needs."
Urban Institute
Batko, Samantha; DuBois, Nicole; Boshart, Abby . . .
2022-02-23?
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U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2022 Appropriations Updated [February 23, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides an overview of U.S. assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean. It examines trends in aid to the region; the Biden Administration's FY2022 budget request for aid administered by the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Inter-American Foundation (IAF); and congressional action on FY2022 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations. It also analyzes several issues that Congress may consider as it deliberates on FY2022 appropriations and other legislation. These issues include how to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the region, the effectiveness of foreign assistance for managing migration, and the challenges Department of Defense (DOD) security cooperation programs present for congressional efforts to guide security assistance policy in the region."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2022-02-23
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Burkina Faso [Updated February 23, 2022]
From the Document: "Burkina Faso has a history of military intervention in politics and social unrest. Kaboré's election in 2015 capped a political transition after mass protests, backed by some military commanders, ousted semi-authoritarian President Blaise Compaoré. A towering figure in West African politics, Compaoré had come to power in a 1987 coup; his attempt to evade term limits again by changing the constitution sparked the protests that unseated him. A counter-coup by Compaoré loyalists nearly derailed the civilian-led transition, but protesters and conventional army units induced the coup leaders to stand down. [...] Burkina Faso enjoyed relative peace and stability prior to 2016, when an Islamist insurgency known as Ansarul Islam emerged in the rural north and regional Al Qaeda affiliates claimed a large attack in Ouagadougou that killed 30 people, including an American. [...]In mid-2020, U.S. officials publicly threatened to suspend security assistance unless Burkinabè authorities addressed human rights concerns. As noted above, abuses appeared to decrease. The FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act required the executive branch to submit a 'plan to address gross violations of human rights and civilian harm' in Burkina Faso and other Sahel countries (P.L. 116-283, §1294). A plan was submitted to Congress in June 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Arieff, Alexis
2022-02-23
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Assessment of the Critical Supply Chains Supporting the U.S. Information and Communications Technology Industry
From the Executive Summary: "On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O) 14017 on 'America's Supply Chains', which directed a whole-of-government approach to reviewing risks in, and strengthening the resilience of, supply chains supporting six industries that are critical to U.S. economic prosperity and national security. As part of this comprehensive review, E.O. 14017 directed the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security to conduct a one-year assessment of the supply chains for critical sectors and subsectors of the U.S. information and communications technology (ICT) industrial base as defined by the respective agencies. In response, the Departments of Commerce (DOC) and Homeland Security (DHS) have prepared the following assessment of the supply chains supporting communications hardware, computing and data storage hardware, end-user devices, and critical software including open-source software and firmware. [...] The following assessment evaluates the current supply chain conditions for select hardware and software products, identifies key risks that threaten to disrupt those supply chains, and proposes a strategy to mitigate risk and strengthen supply chain resiliency."
United States. Department of Commerce; United States. Department of Homeland Security
United States. Department of Commerce; United States. Department of Homeland Security
2022-02-23
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OMB Issues New Guidance on Agency Engagement with Inspectors General [February 23, 2022]
From the Document: "The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued new guidance directing agency leaders and staff to 'cooperate with [their] respective IG [inspector general] offices as they fulfill their statutory opportunities.' The memorandum--apparently the first public guidance in decades on cooperation with IG offices--was issued on December 3, 2021 (OMB memorandum M-22-04 [hyperlink]; 'Promoting Accountability through Cooperation among Agencies and Inspectors General'). It echoes and reinforces the language of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (IG Act; 5 U.S.C. Appx. [hyperlink]). Specifically, the memorandum requests that agency leaders regularly communicate key information about the role and authority of IGs to their staff and identifies seven 'general guidelines to enhance cooperation' between agencies and IGs: 1. Routine meetings between agency leadership and IGs, 2. Open discussion about IG office resources, 3. Designation of a senior agency official as liaison to the IG office, 4. Collaboration with IG staff when developing new programs or changing existing programs, 5. Providing information and training to staff on whistleblower protections, 6. Discussion of enterprise risk management with IGs, and 7. Responsiveness to IG recommendations. OMB developed the memorandum in consultation [hyperlink] with the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) [hyperlink], and the memorandum includes findings from a CIGIE review [hyperlink] of agency-IG relations and example language developed by CIGIE for use by agency leaders when communicating to staff about the role of IGs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wilhelm, Ben; Riccard, Taylor N.
2022-02-23
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4515, Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as passed by the House of Representatives on November 2, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4515 would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a certification program for employees of small business development centers (SBDCs) to assist small businesses on cyber security planning. The act would authorize the SBA to spend up to $350,000 each year to reimburse SBDCs for certification costs. On that basis, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4515 would cost $2 million over the 2022-2026 period to fund certification programs at 62 lead SBDCs. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-02-23
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Nationally Representative Sample Shows an Increase in Domestic Conflict Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Introduction: "The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent social and physical restrictions put in place to address this crisis have caused personal and economic stressors and uncertainty about the future on a national level. One of the main concerns during disaster conditions is that pressures put on households may increase domestic conflict, including verbal and physical fights between partners. To understand the impact of COVID-19 on domestic conflict, we assessed reports of increased verbal and physical fights in a nationally representative sample of the U.S. adult population. In the wake of disaster, rates of domestic conflict often increase in the weeks/months following the event. Economic disasters, such as periods of recession, are also related to increases in domestic violence (e.g., 2007-2009) and have been linked to underlying conditions, like prevalence of economic uncertainty. Evidence suggests that risk for domestic conflict is not evenly distributed. Socially vulnerable populations (e.g., women, low socioeconomic status, people of color, low education level) experience disproportionate losses and high levels of stress following natural and economic disasters, and increases in domestic violence. Such findings suggest that economically vulnerable groups may be at increased risk for domestic conflict in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a longer duration of disaster condition exposure is positively associated with the number of domestic assaults. The effect of duration of disaster on domestic violence outcomes would also suggest that certain groups need continued assistance during prolonged disaster conditions and in the months that follow."
Cambridge University Press; Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.
Locker, Alicia R.; Finucane, Melissa L.; Roth, Elizabeth . . .
2022-02-23
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Afghanistan Central Bank Reserves [February 23, 2022]
From the Document: "According to the United Nations, Afghanistan has been 'descending into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world' since the Taliban's August 2021 return to power. A U.S. hold on assets of the Afghan central bank (Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB) deposited in the United States has attracted particular scrutiny from some observers who describe this as one of the most important factors impacting the humanitarian and economic situations in Afghanistan. Members of Congress have expressed a range of views on how to proceed with the assets, including whether to continue holding or utilizing them for economic assistance or other purposes. In February 2022, the House considered, but rejected, a measure that would have required the Administration to submit an assessment to Congress on the humanitarian impact in Afghanistan of both sanctions and the U.S. hold on DAB assets. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), total international DAB reserves are $9.76 billion, as of the end of 2020, the most recent data available. Of this amount, $2 billion is deposited in financial institutions in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. The remaining funds are deposited at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. On February 11, 2022, President Biden signed Executive Order 14064 to block U.S.-held Afghanistan central bank reserves, and stated his intention to disburse $3.5 billion of the $7 billion currently held in the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank 'for the benefit of the Afghan people.' The Biden Administration is currently exploring possible avenues, including humanitarian relief efforts, possibly through a separate trust fund or by providing support through the United Nations or some other enabling organization."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weiss, Martin A.; Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs); Elsea, Jennifer
2022-02-23
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Federal Data Integration and Individual Rights: The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act [February 23, 2022]
From the Document: "Executive branch agencies face an ever-evolving policy, regulatory, and technological landscape when seeking to share or combine individual-level data across organizational or programmatic boundaries. Congress has deliberated and legislated the use of data integration for more than 50 years, aiming to promote the efficient administration of government programs while protecting individual privacy and maintaining the country's trust in how the federal government uses information on individuals. The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (P.L. [Public Law] 100-503; CMPPA) is a significant part of the statutory and policy landscape shaping how agencies can share and combine data sources. First passed in 1988, the CMPPA has been amended 10 times, most recently in 2014. The CMPPA addresses how agencies may do specific types of 'computer matching.' This term refers to using a computer for the comparison of information on individuals from two or more systems of records for either of two purposes: 1. To establish or verify eligibility for a federal benefit program and to recoup debts and improper payments made to individuals under these benefit programs; and 2. To manage federal personnel. [...] This In Focus describes the CMPPA's scope, procedural requirements, mechanisms to promote agency oversight, and due process protections. The CMPPA establishes some boundaries on the use of computer matching and procedures for protecting individuals. Federal efforts to share and combine data for decisionmaking, and for benefit program administration specifically, implicate the CMPPA in important ways, which may create ongoing and new issues for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ortiz, Natalie R.
2022-02-23
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CBO Presentation: Navy Shipbuilding: Prospects for Building a Larger Fleet
This presentation discuses "Prospects for Building a Larger [Naval] Fleet" and specifically highlights the following topics: "[1] Congressional Support for Shipbuilding; [2] Recent Navy Force Structure Assessments and the 2022 Shipbuilding Plan; [and] [3] Paying for the Navy's Shipbuilding Plans[.]"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Labs, Eric Jackson
2022-02-23
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H. Doc. 117-92: Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to Continued Russian Efforts to Undermine the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine, February 22, 2022
From the Document: "Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 'et seq.'), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the 'order') that expands the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 of March 6, 2014, and expanded by Executive Order 13661 of March 16, 2014, and Executive Order 13662 of March 20, 2014, and relied on for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13685 of December 19, 2014, and Executive Order 13849 of September 20, 2018, by finding that the Russian Federation's purported recognition of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) or Luhansk People's Republic (LNR) regions of Ukraine constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-02-22
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Evaluating and Improving NIST Cybersecurity Resources: The Cybersecurity Framework and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management
From the Summary: "The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking information to assist in evaluating and improving its cybersecurity resources, including the 'Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity' (the 'NIST Cybersecurity Framework,' 'CSF' or 'Framework') and a variety of existing and potential standards, guidelines, and other information, including those relating to improving cybersecurity in supply chains. NIST is considering updating the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to account for the changing landscape of cybersecurity risks, technologies, and resources. In addition, NIST recently announced it would launch the National Initiative for Improving Cybersecurity in Supply Chains (NIICS) to address cybersecurity risks in supply chains. This wide-ranging public-private partnership will focus on identifying tools and guidance for technology developers and providers, as well as performance-oriented guidance for those acquiring such technology. To inform the direction of the NIICS, including how it might be aligned and integrated with the Cybersecurity Framework, NIST is requesting information that will support the identification and prioritization of supply chain-related cybersecurity needs across sectors. Responses to this RFI [request for information] will inform a possible revision of the Cybersecurity Framework as well as the NIICS initiative."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
2022-02-22
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 166, Fair Lending for All Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on May 12, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 166 would establish the Office of Fair Lending Testing within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to investigate and assess creditors' compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The bill also would broaden ECOA protections by prohibiting creditors from discriminating on the basis of a borrower's zip code, census tract, or other demographic characteristics. Violations discovered during those investigations would be referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for enforcement, and violators would face criminal penalties. The CFPB and DOJ would be required to report annually to the Congress on investigation results and any resulting criminal prosecutions. Under current law, depository institutions must disclose to the CFPB annually the number and dollar amount of mortgages originated or purchased in the prior fiscal year. H.R. 166 would require those institutions to itemize that mortgage information based on several borrower characteristics, including zip code, religion, and marital status. The bill would require the CFPB to protect the private information of applicants and mortgagors that those institutions disclose. [...] CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 166 would increase net direct spending by $28 million over the 2022-2031 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-02-22
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Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Voting Rights Act Challenge to Congressional Redistricting Map and Stays Lower Court Ruling: Implications for Congress [February 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a significant case challenging an Alabama congressional redistricting map under the Voting Rights Act (VRA). On February 7, in the consolidated case 'Merrill v. Milligan' [hyperlink], the Court stayed lower court preliminary injunctions that would have required, among other things, Alabama to revise its congressional redistricting map to create a second majority-Black district. As the Court is not expected to hear oral argument in this case until the October 2022 term, the 2022 congressional elections in Alabama will likely occur under the existing map. This Legal Sidebar discusses Section 2 of the VRA in the context of redistricting; the lower court rulings, and the Supreme Court stay; and concludes with an analysis of possible implications of this case for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whitaker, L. Paige
2022-02-22
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [February 22, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report presents background information and issues for Congress concerning the Navy's force structure and shipbuilding plans. The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans, and the capacity of the U.S. shipbuilding industry to execute the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's force-level goal, its proposed FY2022 shipbuilding program, and its longer-term shipbuilding plans. Decisions that Congress makes on this issue can substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-02-22
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Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated February 22, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Columbia (SSBN-826) class program, a program to design and build a class of 12 new ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy's current force of 14 aging Ohio-class SSBNs. Since 2013, the Navy has consistently identified the Columbia-class program as the Navy's top priority program. The Navy procured the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021 and wants to procure the second boat in the class in FY2024. The Navy's proposed FY2022 budget requests $4,647.0 million (i.e., about $4.6 billion) in procurement and advance procurement (AP) funding for the program. The program poses a number of funding and oversight issues for Congress. Decisions that Congress makes on the Columbia-class program could substantially affect U.S. military capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. This report focuses on the Columbia-class program as a Navy shipbuilding program. Another CRS [Congressional Research Service] report--CRS Report RL33640, 'U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues', by Amy F. Woolf--discusses the Columbia class as an element of future U.S. strategic nuclear forces in the context of strategic nuclear arms modernization efforts and arms control agreements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-02-22
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U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) [Updated February 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is a U.S. government agency that uses financial tools to promote private investment in less-developed countries. It seeks to support economic development, U.S. economic interests, and U.S. foreign policy aims. Authorized by the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (BUILD Act, Div. F of P.L. 115-254, 22 U.S.C. §9612 et seq.), DFC emerged from congressional interest to enhance U.S. development finance tools and respond to China's 'One Belt, One Road' (OBOR) initiative. DFC launched in December 2019. It assumed the functions of and replaced the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Development Credit Authority (DCA). DFC has expanded authorities, a higher lending cap of $60 billion, and a longer authorization of seven years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Brown, Nick M.
2022-02-22
