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Ransomware Attacks on Agricultural Cooperatives Potentially Timed to Critical Seasons
From the Summary: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is informing Food and Agriculture (FA) sector partners that ransomware actors may be more likely to attack agricultural cooperatives during critical planting and harvest seasons, disrupting operations, causing financial loss, and negatively impacting the food supply chain. The FBI noted ransomware attacks during these seasons against six grain cooperatives during the fall 2021 harvest and two attacks in early 2022 that could impact the planting season by disrupting the supply of seeds and fertilizer. Cyber actors may perceive cooperatives as lucrative targets with a willingness to pay due to the timesensitive role they play in agricultural production. Although ransomware attacks against the entire farm-to-table spectrum of the FA sector occur on a regular basis, the number of cyber attacks against agricultural cooperatives during key seasons is notable."
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
2022-04-20
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Audit of the Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System [redacted]
From the Document: "(U) The objective of this audit was to determine whether Army officials effectively managed the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program to meet user needs. [...] (U) We recommend that the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) develop Army-wide policy requiring program officials to define suitable user acceptance measurements for testing and evaluation. (U) We recommend that the Program Executive Officer Soldier define clear measures of user acceptance levels to meet user needs before Soldier Touch Point-5 testing of IVAS."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2022-04-20
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 19, 2022: Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 -- COVID-NET, 14 States, March 2020-February 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] -- COVID-NET [COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network], 14 States, March 2020-February 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 7311, Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act
From the Document: "H.R. 7311 would direct the Department of State, within 90 days of the bill's enactment, to develop a strategy for countering Russian efforts to undermine democratic institutions in Africa. The bill would require the Secretary of State to report on the implementation of the plan on an annual basis for the following five years beginning 180 days after enactment of H.R. 7311. The bill also would direct the agency to provide, in each annual report, a survey of similar initiatives undertaken by foreign entities and detailed intelligence on the identity of local actors complicit in Russian activities. On the basis of information about the costs of similar activities, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 7311 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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K-12 Education: An Estimated 1.1 Million Teachers Nationwide Had at Least One Student Who Never Showed Up for Class in the 2020-21 School Year [Reissued with Revisions on Apr. 19, 2022]
From the Document: "As the COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] pandemic continues to reverberate across the nation, for millions of students, educators, and families, the current school year is rife with challenges. The long-term impact of the disruptions of the last 2 years on student enrollment and attendance remains to be seen, particularly for students with whom schools have lost contact. As we previously reported, even though many schools provided students with computers and internet access to participate in virtual instruction, many students faced difficulties staying engaged in school or disappeared from school altogether. While the issue of students not showing up at all during the pandemic is of grave significance, little is known about the obstacles these students face or the types of schools they come from. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we provide information on (1) how widespread was the issue of K-12 public school students not showing up for class all year in school year 2020-21, (2) obstacles these students faced in showing up, and (3) the characteristics of the schools these students were registered to attend."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3511, Satellite Cybersecurity Act
From the Document: "S. 3511 would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to disseminate information on cyber safety measures to operators of commercial satellites. Under the bill, CISA would collect security recommendations from the private sector and other federal agencies with expertise in satellite operations. Using information from CISA about similar information sharing efforts, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] anticipates that the agency would need six full-time employees to create and manage an online database with cybersecurity resources for satellite operators. CBO estimates that staff salaries and technology costs to publish safety materials would total $3 million annually. Accounting for the time needed to hire new employees and prepare the database, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $12 million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 923, Georgia Support Act
From the Bill Summary: "H.R. 923 would require the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons the Administration determines are responsible for serious abuses of human rights in parts of Georgia that have been occupied by Russia and to report to the Congress on those actions. The bill also would require the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to combat Russian disinformation and propaganda aimed at Georgia and to promote freedom of press in Georgia. Lastly, the bill would require the department to report to the Congress on U.S. assistance to Georgia."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1930, Federal Advisory Committee Transparency Act
From the Document: "H.R. 1930 would amend the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which governs the operation of most federal advisory committees. The bill also would impose stricter ethics requirements on committee members and would expand the applicability of disclosure requirements for some members. Additionally, H.R. 1930 would require agencies to make more information about those committees available to the public and to make the process of establishing a committee and selecting members more transparent. Finally, the bill would extend FACA regulations to cover additional advisory committees and would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to the Congress on appointments of advisory committee members."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2761, Every Veteran Counts Act of 2021
From the Document: "S. 2761 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and to maintain a database of certain demographic information about veterans and to make the database accessible through a public website in a machine readable and anonymized format. VA would have 180 days from enactment to implement the database and would be required to update the website at least annually. The bill also would require VA to report to the Congress on the implementation of its strategy for data management. Although VA currently provides some of the demographic data required by the bill, that information is collected irregularly and not compiled in a centralized database. According to VA, the department would require additional resources to establish and maintain the demographic database required by the bill. Based on that information, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that VA would spend $9 million in upfront development costs, and $3 million in annual recurring costs for maintenance and data purchases. Those costs would begin in 2023. In total, implementing the bill would cost $16 million over the 2022-2026 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. VA published its data strategy in 2021. Based on similar reporting requirements, CBO estimates that the requirement to update the Congress on its implementation would have insignificant costs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1941, MAPS Act of 2021
From the Document: "S. 1941 would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to describe how core-based statistical area (CBSA) delineations--geographic specifications established for the country's largest population centers--are used to determine eligibility for and distribution of federal services and benefits. Under current law, OMB establishes standards for determining CBSA delineations, which are to be used solely for descriptive and statistical purposes. The bill would require OMB to report on the scientific basis for changing any CBSA delineation. Federal agencies use CBSAs for nonstatistical purposes, such as determining allocations for federal funding. S. 1941 would prohibit agencies from automatically adopting any changes to CBSA delineations for nonstatistical purposes unless those changes were adopted through a public rulemaking process. Finally, the bill would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the accuracy and usefulness of published CBSA information."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
From the Bill Summary: "H.R. 2499 would expand eligibility for federal workers engaged in fire protection who have certain diseases and conditions to receive medical, wage replacement, and death benefits under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-19
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Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR Part 587, General License No. 27: Certain Transactions in Support of Nongovernmental Organizations' Activities
From the Document: "Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this general license, all transactions ordinarily incident and necessary to the activities described in paragraph (b) by nongovernmental organizations that are prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR [Code of Federal Regulations] part 587 (RuHSR), are authorized, provided that the only involvement of blocked persons is the processing of funds by financial institutions blocked pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14024."
United States. Office of Foreign Assets Control
Gacki, Andrea M.
2022-04-19
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Fact Sheet: Preserving Agricultural Trade, Access to Communication, and Other Support to Those Impacted by Russia's War Against Ukraine
From the Document: "In response to Russia's unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine, the United States, international partners, and allies have imposed unprecedented economic costs on the Government of the Russian Federation and its supporters. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing this Fact Sheet to make clear that U.S. sanctions issued in response to Russia's further invasion of Ukraine do not stand in the way of, agricultural and medical exports, nongovernmental organization (NGO) activities, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief, the free flow of information, humanitarian assistance, and other support to people impacted by Russia's war. Beyond its toll on human life, Russia's war against Ukraine is causing significant harm in the region and the rest of the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is driving food and energy costs higher for people around the world. His actions have disrupted supply chains of agricultural commodities, destroyed agricultural and transportation infrastructure in Ukraine, and put millions at increased risk of food insecurity. Treasury is deeply concerned about the risks to global food supplies and food prices at a time when many emerging market and developing countries are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Treasury is working to address food security risks, including bolstering social safety nets for the most vulnerable people; unlocking trade finance to smooth disrupted supply chains for food and critical supplies; strengthening countries' domestic food production; and addressing the macroeconomic impacts of the crisis on the most affected countries."
United States. Department of the Treasury
2022-04-19
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Public Law 117-113: Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act
From the Document: "An Act [t]o authorize the reclassification of the tactical enforcement officers (commonly known as the ''Shadow Wolves'') in the Homeland Security Investigations tactical patrol unit operating on the lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation as special agents, and for other purposes."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-04-19
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Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Summary: "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in countries around the world, concerns arise over the ability of foreign nationals present in the United States who are from those countries to safely return. Provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provide for temporary protected status (TPS) and other forms of relief from removal under specified circumstances. The Secretary of Homeland Security has the discretion to designate a country for TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months and can extend these periods if the country continues to meet the conditions for designation. A foreign national from a designated country who is granted TPS receives a registration document and employment authorization for the duration of the TPS designation. In addition to TPS, there is another form of blanket relief from removal known as deferred enforced departure (DED). DED is a temporary, discretionary, administrative stay of removal granted to aliens from designated countries. Unlike TPS, a DED designation emanates from the President's constitutional powers to conduct foreign relations and has no statutory basis."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wilson, Jill, 1974-
2022-04-19
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Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Afghanistan's geography, complex ethnic composition, and history of conflict and instability have created space for numerous armed Islamist groups, some of which engage in transnational terrorist activity. This product outlines major terrorist groups present in Afghanistan that are affiliated and allied with Al Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or by the Arabic acronym 'Da'esh'), and relations between these groups and other actors, most notably the Taliban. These dynamics may inform assessments of U.S. policy in Afghanistan in light of the Taliban's renewed control of the country. The Taliban interact with the groups below in varying ways that may affect U.S. interests. Observers differ on how Taliban rule might empower or undermine these terrorist groups or Taliban behavior toward them. U.S. public assessments of the threats these groups pose to U.S. interests, including to the U.S. homeland, vary. President Joseph Biden and other U.S. officials have stated that the United States will maintain 'over-the-horizon' capabilities to address terrorist threats in Afghanistan. As of mid-March 2022, the United States has not carried out any such strikes since the U.S. military withdrawal was completed on August 30, 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2022-04-19
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Syria and U.S. Policy [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Since 2011, conflict between the government of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and opposition forces seeking his removal has displaced roughly half of the country's population and killed over half a million people. Five countries operate in or maintain military forces in Syria: Russia, Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the United States. The United States seeks a negotiated political settlement to the Syria conflict and the enduring defeat of the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL). Challenges for U.S. policymakers include responding to threats posed by IS remnants and detainees, countering groups linked to Al Qaeda, facilitating humanitarian access, and managing Russian and Iranian challenges to U.S. operations in Syria."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.
2022-04-19
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Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Most of the world's people, resources, and economic activity are located not in the Western Hemisphere, but in the other hemisphere, particularly Eurasia. In response to this basic feature of world geography, U.S. policymakers for the last several decades have chosen to pursue, as a key element of U.S. national strategy, a goal of preventing the emergence of regional hegemons in Eurasia. This objective reflects a U.S. perspective on geopolitics and grand strategy developed by U.S. strategists and policymakers during and in the years immediately after World War II that incorporates two key judgments: [1] that given the amount of people, resources, and economic activity in Eurasia, a regional hegemon in Eurasia would represent a concentration of power large enough to be able to threaten vital U.S. interests; and [2] that Eurasia is not dependably self-regulating in terms of preventing the emergence of regional hegemons, meaning that the countries of Eurasia cannot be counted on to be fully able to prevent, through their own choices and actions, the emergence of regional hegemons, and may need assistance from one or more countries outside Eurasia to be able to do this dependably."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-19
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Gasoline Price Increases: Federal and State Authority to Limit 'Price Gouging' [April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Fluctuations in gasoline prices, including supply chain concerns related to international events, have renewed focus on the role of the government in discouraging gasoline 'price gouging,' a term commonly used to refer to sellers increasing prices to take advantage of certain circumstances that trigger decreases in supply, including emergencies. Others have sought to enhance protections against 'price fixing,' whereby sellers collude to raise prices beyond levels dictated by market conditions. Past federal legislative efforts to address gasoline price gouging and price fixing would bar certain commercial practices and mandate studies of gasoline pricing. The federal government has not enacted legislation aimed specifically at price spikes for retail gasoline. However, a majority of states have enacted statutes to curtail price gouging for certain critical goods and services, including gasoline, during emergencies. Some of these statutes bar pricing during emergencies that is considered to be 'unconscionable' or 'excessive' or otherwise violates a subjective standard. Other statutes place a hard cap on prices during periods of emergency based on percentage increases from prices charged for the good or service in question prior to the emergency. These state statutes generally allow sellers to show that the price increases are the result of increased costs rather than simply changes in the marketplace."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Vann, Adam
2022-04-19
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Chile: An Overview [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Chile has a long democratic tradition but experienced 17 years of authoritarian rule after a 1973 military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet deposed the democratically elected Socialist government of President Salvador Allende (1970-1973). More than 3,200 people were killed or 'disappeared' and some 38,000 people were imprisoned and/or tortured during the Pinochet dictatorship. Chile restored democracy in 1990, following a 1988 plebiscite. Center-left and center-right coalitions dominated Chilean politics for three decades following the transition. Centerleft coalitions held the presidency and majorities in Chile's bicameral congress for most of that period, but Sebastián Piñera led his center-right coalition to power for two nonconsecutive presidential terms (2010-2014, 2018-2022). Both coalitions largely maintained the market-oriented economic framework inherited from Pinochet while implementing consensus-based reforms to gradually expand the Chilean government's role in regulating economic activity and providing social services."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.; Klein, Joshua
2022-04-19
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. In reports issued in March and April 2021, the U.S. intelligence community provided assessments of the potential impact of the pandemic on the international security environment. Observers who discuss whether the pandemic will be world-changing for the international security environment have focused on several areas of potential change[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-19
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Defense Primer: Department of the Navy [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "The Department of the Navy (DON) is a single military department that includes two military services--the Navy and the Marine Corps. As such, DON has a single civilian leader, the Secretary of the Navy, and two four-star military service chiefs--an admiral whose title is the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), and a general whose title is the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Although the title 'Secretary of the Navy' includes only the term 'Navy,' the secretary serves as the civilian leader for both the Navy and Marine Corps. The CNO and the Commandant of the Marine Corps are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Secretary of the Navy is Carlos Del Toro, the CNO is Admiral Michael Gilday, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps is General David Berger."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-19
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Trinidad and Tobago [Updated April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Trinidad and Tobago, the second-most-populous English-speaking Caribbean nation after Jamaica, is located in the southeast Caribbean, just seven miles from Venezuela at its closest point. The country's population is largely of African and East Indian descent, each comprising about 35% of the total, with those of mixed descent and other ethnic groups comprising the remainder. In 1962, the country became one of the first British territories in the Caribbean to attain independence, retaining the parliamentary political system it inherited from the United Kingdom (UK). In 1976, Trinidad and Tobago became a parliamentary republic, with a president elected by parliament as head of state (in a largely ceremonial role) replacing the British monarch."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Klein, Joshua; Sullivan, Mark P.
2022-04-19
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Global Tuberculosis: Background and Issues for Congress [April 19, 2022]
From the Document: "Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most widespread infectious diseases in the world, infecting 10 million people in 2020. Congress has recognized TB as an important global health issue and a potential threat to global health security. Although TB is curable, approximately 1.5 million TB-related deaths occur each year. Globally, new TB infection rates declined between 2015 and 2020. Global health observers anticipate new data to assess the extent to which interruptions in TB services during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic affected TB control; for example between 2019 and 2020, global TB deaths increased by 5.6%. Members may debate appropriate funding levels and optimum strategies for addressing the continued challenge of global TB control during the remainder of the 117th Congress. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) work closely with a range of multilateral partners to respond to the threat of TB, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (the Global Fund), the largest multilateral actor in the TB space, and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others. National governments also play a key role in controlling TB within their own borders. Domestic government expenditures in middle-income countries with high TB burdens, such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRICS), fund 97% of their domestic spending on TB control and account for a large portion of TB spending worldwide."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tharakan, Sara M.
2022-04-19
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Safer Schools: Efforts to Improve School Climate in Virginia
From the Webpage: "Violence in school is relatively rare, though community perceptions of violence in school may not reflect this fact. That being said, nearly 71% of all schools did report at least one case of violent crime during the 2017-2018 school year. Administrators and communities are working hard to address the root causes of school violence to create safer schools. Time after time, studies have demonstrated that school climate is critical to school safety and violence prevention. These findings have resulted in the desire for many states to measure the characteristics of school climate with empirical data in order to better understand trends and improve the environment for their students and staff. [...] Researchers from the University of Virginia have been working with the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to develop rigorous survey scales to measure and assess school climate consistently over time. The surveys, which were administered over four alternating years to middle and high school stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators), helped researchers better understand the relationship between the climate of a school and its overall safety. The researchers used the data to better inform stakeholders and to help formulate future surveys aimed at improving the Virginia educational system."
National Institute of Justice (U.S.); United States. Department of Justice
2022-04-18
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American Battlefield Protection Program [Updated April 18, 2022]
From the Document: "The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) promotes the preservation of significant sites where 'historic battles were fought on American soil' [...]. Initiated by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991, the program was authorized by Congress in 1996 in the American Battlefield Protection Act (P.L. 104-333) and is currently administered by the National Park Service (NPS). For most of its existence, the ABPP comprised two distinct competitive grant programs: the Battlefield Planning Grant Program and the Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant Program. Congress authorized two new grant programs in 2019, bringing the total number of ABPP grant programs to four (see 'New ABPP Grant Programs')[hyperlink]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeSantis, Mark K.
2022-04-18
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USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic [Updated April 18, 2022]
From the Summary: "U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs are often part of emergency response efforts, providing foods for distribution, additional benefits for redemption, and program flexibilities. During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, access to food-- particularly in light of increased unemployment and closures of institutions that households rely on for food, such as schools--has been a concern for many people. Some observers also view the programs, particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as a means of economic stimulus. This report discusses related provisions of five laws that supplement FNS's prior response to the COVID-19 pandemic with new funds and authorities[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Aussenberg, Randy Alison; Billings, Kara Clifford
2022-04-18
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Use of DNA by the Criminal Justice System and the Federal Role: Background, Current Law, and Grants [Updated April 18, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides an overview of how DNA is used to investigate crimes and exonerate innocent people of crimes they did not commit. It also reviews current law related to collecting DNA samples, sharing DNA profiles generated from those samples, and providing access to postconviction DNA testing. The report also includes a summary of grant programs authorized by Congress to assist state and local governments with reducing DNA backlogs, providing postconviction DNA testing, and promoting new technology in the field."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hanson, Emily J.
2022-04-18
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U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement Negotiations [Updated April 18, 2022]
From the Document: "In October 2019, the United States and Japan signed two agreements to liberalize bilateral trade. The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA) provides for limited tariff reductions and quota expansions to improve market access. The U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement covers rules on the digital aspects of international commerce. The trade deals, which took effect in January 2020, without formal action by Congress, constituted what the Trump and Abe Administrations described as 'stage one' of a broader U.S.- Japan trade agreement, but further talks did not materialize. The Trump Administration used delegated tariff authorities in the 2015 grant of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA, P.L. 114-26 now expired) to proclaim the USJTA provisions, while the digital trade agreement, which did not require changes to U.S. law, was treated as an Executive Agreement. The Biden Administration has not pursued further bilateral trade talks with Japan, despite urging from some stakeholders to resume negotiation on issues left out of the initial agreements (e.g., auto trade and services)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Williams, Brock R.
2022-04-18
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Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2023 Budget and Appropriations [April 18, 2022]
From the Document: "Each year, Congress considers 12 distinct appropriations measures to fund federal programs and activities. One of these is the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill, which includes funding for U.S. diplomatic activities, cultural exchanges, development, security, humanitarian assistance, and participation in multilateral organizations, among other international activities. On March 28, 2022, the Biden Administration released its proposed FY2023 budget request, which called for $66.00 billion in new budget authority for SFOPS accounts ($65.94 billion after rescissions of prior year funding). The FY2023 request, including rescissions, represents a 17.3% increase from FY2022 enacted base appropriations (excluding emergency funding to address crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine) and a 0.9% decrease from total FY2022 enacted appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morgenstern, Emily M.; Gill, Cory R.
2022-04-18
