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Iraq: Issues in the 115th Congress [October 4, 2018]
"Iraq's government declared military victory against the Islamic State organization (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL) in December 2017, but insurgent attacks by remaining IS fighters threaten Iraqis as they shift their attention toward recovery and the country's political future. Security conditions have improved since the Islamic State's control of territory was disrupted, but IS fighters are active in some areas and security conditions are fluid. Meanwhile, daunting resettlement, reconstruction, and reform needs occupy citizens and leaders. Internally displaced Iraqis are returning home in greater numbers, but stabilization and reconstruction needs in liberated areas are extensive. An estimated 1.9 million Iraqis remain as internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Iraqi authorities have identified $88 billion in reconstruction needs over the next decade. Large protests in southern Iraq during August and September 2018 highlighted some citizens' outrage with poor service delivery and corruption."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Christopher M.
2018-10-04
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Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) Mobility, Reconnaissance, and Firepower Programs [October 4, 2018]
"Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) constitute the Army's 'light' ground forces and are an important part of the nation's ability to project forces overseas. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as current thinking by Army leadership as to where and how future conflicts would be fought, suggest IBCTs are limited operationally by their lack of assigned transport and reconnaissance vehicles as well as firepower against hardened targets and armored vehicles. There are three types of IBCTs: Light, Airborne, and Air Assault. Light IBCTs are primarily foot-mobile forces. Light IBCTs can move by foot, by vehicle, or by air (either air landed or by helicopter). Airborne IBCTs are specially trained and equipped to conduct parachute assaults. Air Assault IBCTs are specially trained and equipped to conduct helicopter assaults."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2018-10-04
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [October 4, 2018]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2018-10-04
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections [October 4, 2018]
"This report provides the results of recent presidential elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables organized by region, including the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next presidential election. Information in this report was gathered from numerous sources, including the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) World Fact Book, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and other news sources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeBruyne, Nese F.
2018-10-04
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Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2017 [October 4, 2018]
"This report describes and analyzes annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2017. It compares the enacted FY2016 appropriations for DHS, the Barack Obama Administration's FY2017 budget request, the Donald J. Trump Administration's requests for additional funding, and the appropriations measures developed in response. This report identifies additional informational resources, reports, and products on DHS appropriations that provide additional context for the discussion, and it provides a list of Congressional Research Service (CRS) policy experts whom clients may consult with inquiries on specific topics. The suite of CRS reports on homeland security appropriations tracks legislative action and congressional issues related to DHS appropriations, with particular attention paid to discretionary funding amounts. The reports do not provide in-depth analysis of specific issues related to mandatory funding--such as retirement pay--nor do they systematically follow other legislation related to the authorization or amending of DHS programs, activities, or fee revenues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.; Schwemle, Barbara L.
2018-10-04
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Protecting Consumers and Businesses from Fraudulent Robocalls [October 4, 2018]
"The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) regulates robocalls. A robocall, also known as 'voice broadcasting,' is any telephone call that delivers a prerecorded message using anautomatic (computerized) telephone dialing system, more commonly referred to as an automatic dialer or 'autodialer.' When the call is answered, the autodialer either connects the call to a live person or plays a prerecorded message. Both are considered robocalls. Some robocalls use personalized audio messages to simulate an actual personal phone call. As discussed in more detail below (in 'Classification of Telemarketing Calls'), the TCPA prohibits robocalls to consumers' traditional landline numbers, consumers' Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) landline numbers, and all mobile numbers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Figliola, Patricia Moloney
2018-10-04
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 18 Issue 40, October 4, 2018
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: "Fentanyl video from CBP helps first responders stay safe"; "Functional Needs Registry aids responders and citizens alike"; "Terrorism Prevention Literature Library"; and "Nomination period open for 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Awards".
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2018-10-04
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S. Rept. 115-343: Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018, Report to Accompany S. 3031, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, October 4, 2018
"S. 3031, the Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018, seeks to improve the management of Federal personal property by requiring Federal agencies to conduct an annual inventory and assessment of capitalized personal property, identify excess capitalized property, and regularly inventory accountable personal property."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018-10-04
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Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers [October 4, 2018]
"The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the Armed Forces, including the power to 'to raise and support Armies,' 'to provide and maintain a Navy,' 'to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces' and 'to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States....' In the exercise of this constitutional authority, Congress has historically shown great interest in various issues that bear on the vitality of the reserve components, such as funding, equipment, and personnel policy. This report is designed to provide an overview of key reserve component personnel issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence; Torreon, Barbara Salazar
2018-10-04
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Qatar: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [October 4, 2018]
"The State of Qatar has employed its ample financial resources to exert regional influence separate from and independent of Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the alliance of six Gulf monarchies called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman). Qatar has intervened in several regional conflicts, including in Syria and Libya, and has engaged both Sunni Islamist and Iran-backed Shiite groups in Lebanon, Sudan, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Qatar has maintained consistent dialogue with Iran while also supporting U.S. and GCC efforts to limit Iran's regional influence."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Christopher M.
2018-10-04
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Lessons Learned and After Action Assessments
From the Document: "At the conclusion of an event, there is a need to assess how the emergency response has been conducted through the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phases and to identify ways to improve during each of these periods. [...] The evaluations completed in the responder health assessment and other modules can provide ready-made data about the event and its effects on responder health and should be evaluated to identify issues that were encountered or that developed during the emergency response."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2018-10-04?
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Labor Market Patterns Since 2007 [October 3, 2018]
From the Document: "Labor markets are highly responsive to short-and long-term economic influences. For example, total employment, the types of jobs available, their locations, and the skills sought by employers respond in various degrees to changing cyclical and structural forces. Recessions, for example, bring about increased joblessness with stronger impacts for certain worker groups, and changes in production patterns and consumers' preferences for goods and services--examples of structural forces--further influence the size and composition of employment. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this report considers how such changes have affected the U.S. labor market since 2007, examining the performance of labor market indicators like employment, unemployment, and labor force participation; changes in the types of jobs available by industry and occupation; and employment outcomes for different demographic groups. Since 2007, the labor market has been affected by factors such as the Great Recession of 2007-2009, technological innovation, and an aging labor force that have altered the mix of jobs available to U.S. workers. Such trends have been of interest to Congress because they provide information about how the labor force is evolving, the resilience or sensitivity of some jobs to recession, and the changing needs of employers, and thereby inform workforce planning, income support programs, and other potential policy responses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Donovan, Sarah A.; Labonte, Marc
2018-10-03
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Afghanistan: Legislation in the 115th Congress [October 3, 2018]
"For nearly two decades, Congress has shaped the U.S. approach to Afghanistan and the ongoing conflict there. This product provides a summary of legislative proposals considered in the 115th Congress that relate to U.S. policy in Afghanistan. These address a number of issues, including the following. [1] The size, mission, and other aspects of the U.S. troop presence in the country. [2] Types of information that the executive branch provides to Congress, largely as part of regular reporting requirements. [3] The role of women in Afghan society, government, and the military. [4] The purposes for U.S. aid, and conditions under which it can be obligated. [5] The overall U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, including prospects for a negotiated settlement. [6] Regional dynamics, including the role of Russia in Afghanistan."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2018-10-03
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Public Law 115-253: Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018
From the Document: "An Act [t]o amend title 18, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of the terms 'act of war' and 'blocked asset', and for other purposes."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018-10-03
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3251, Federal Acquisition Savings Act of 2018
From the Document: "S. 3251 would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require agencies to acquire equipment using a method of acquisition that is most advantageous to the federal government on a case-by-case basis. This could include short- and long-term rental, leases, interagency acquisitions, or acquisition agreements with state and local governments. The bill also would require a report within two years by the Government Accountability Office on equipment acquisitions. According to the General Services Administration (GSA), agencies are already required to consider purchasing or leasing when evaluating the acquisition of equipment and proposed regulations will clarify leasing and renting as an option. In addition, GSA has proposed a similar rule. Because CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that S. 3251 would not materially change how agencies acquire equipment, CBO estimates that implementing S. 3251 would have no significant effect on the federal budget."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-03
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3208, Federal Information Systems Safeguards Act of 2018
From the Document: "The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) provides a framework to protect government information operations against security threats. S. 3208 would clarify that, under FISMA, federal agencies have the sole and exclusive authority to take appropriate and timely actions to secure their information technology and information systems. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 3208 would clarify Congressional intent, but it would have no significant effect on the federal budget because it would not expand the duties of executive agencies. Enacting the bill could affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net change in spending by those agencies would be negligible. S. 3208 would not affect revenues."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-03
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5206: Office of Biometric Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on September 26, 2018. From the Document: "On September 26, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ordered two pieces of legislation to be reported: H.R. 5206, the Office of Biometric Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018; and H.R. 6439, the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2018. Each act would mostly codify a current program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not significantly affect spending by DHS. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-03
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Women in Law Enforcement [October 3, 2018]
From the Webpage: "Women working as law enforcement officers at ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] fulfill the agency's public safety and security mission with integrity and strength. ICE prioritizes recruiting women candidates. The ICE Women in Law Enforcement feature section provides useful information about career tracks at ICE, employment benefits, upcoming recruiting events, application requirements and an overview of the agency. Visit each month to learn how to become a law enforcement officer at ICE."
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
2018-10-03
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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Overview, Issues, and Legislation [October 2, 2018]
"The state of the nation's water infrastructure and the challenges many communities face in addressing infrastructure needs continue to receive congressional attention. In 1996, Congress authorized the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to help public water systems finance infrastructure projects needed to comply with federal drinking water regulations and to meet the act's health protection objectives. Under this program, states receive annual capitalization grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide financial assistance (primarily subsidized loans) to water systems for drinking water projects and related activities. Through FY2018, Congress has appropriated a total of $20.41 billion for the program. From FY1997 through FY2017, states provided $35.38 billion in DWSRF assistance to water systems for 14,090 projects."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiemann, Mary
2018-10-02
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Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [October 2, 2018]
"Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades-long U.S. effort to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with U.S. military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. Kuwait and the United States have a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA),under which the United States maintains over 13,000 military personnel in country and prepositioned military equipment in Kuwait to project power in the region. Only Germany, Japan, and South Korea host more U.S. troops than does Kuwait. Kuwait usually acts in concert not only with the United States but also with allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain,and Oman). However, Kuwait tends to favor mediation of regional issues over commitments of military force. Kuwaitis the lead Gulf mediator of the intra-GCC rift that erupted in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, UAE,and Bahrain moved to isolate Qatar. Kuwait hosts the operational command center for U.S. - led Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) that has combatted the Islamic State. Refraining from intervening in Syria's civil war, Kuwait has instead hosting donor conferences for civilian victims of the conflict and providing aid to Jordan for its hosting of Syrian refugees. Kuwait is participating militarily in the Saudi-led coalition that is trying to defeat the Shiite 'Houthi' rebel movement in Yemen"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-10-02
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Functional Bureau Strategy: Global Engagement Center
From the Executive Statement: "The Global Engagement Center (GEC) was codified into law by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the directive to 'lead, synchronize, and coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining United States national security interests.' The GEC was established pursuant to Executive Order 13721 in April 2016, with the mandate to coordinate, integrate, and synchronize government-wide communication activities directed at foreign audiences for the purpose of countering violent extremism and terrorism. The NDAA expanded the GEC's mission. As the leader of the U.S. government's efforts to counter state and non-state propaganda and disinformation, the Center's ability to operate as a forward-looking, innovative organization that shifts quickly to focus on an ever-changing adversary is increasingly more important. One of the Center's overarching strategies is to identify, cultivate, and expand a global network of partners whose voices resonate with those most vulnerable to the propaganda, and drive a wedge between susceptible audiences and those nations, groups, and terrorists seeking to influence them."
United States. Department of State. Global Engagement Center
2018-10-02
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3476, PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018
From the Document: "S. 3476 would reauthorize, through 2023, certain expired provisions of foreign assistance programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (commonly known as the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief or PEPFAR). CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would cost $15 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. [...] Enacting S. 3476 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 3476 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. S. 3476 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-02
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 141, Space Weather Coordination Act
From the Summary: "S. 141 would authorize the annual appropriation of $6 million over the 2019-2022 period for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement a pilot program to gather data on space weather. The legislation also would transfer the responsibility to coordinate inter-agency activities related to space weather from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to the National Space Council (NSC). CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 141 would cost $23 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts. Enacting S. 141 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 141 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. S. 141 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-02
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What Public Safety Answering Points Should Know about Real-Time Text [factsheet]
From the Document: "RTT [real-time text] is a text-based mode of communication where each text character appears on the receiving device at roughly the same time it is typed on the sending device, allowing for a conversational flow of communication. With RTT, a person on a call does not need to press 'send' for the text to reach the other party. [...] In 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amended its rules to allow IP [internet protocol]-based wireless carriers and manufacturers to support RTT on IP-based wireless networks and equipment, establish basic guidelines for RTT, and set implementation dates for the transition from TTY [text telephone] to RTT. To support RTT, wireless carriers and manufacturers must enable users to initiate, send, transmit, receive, and display RTT communications in accordance with Commission rules."
United States. Federal Communications Commission
2018-10-02
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Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated October 2, 2018]
From the Document: "Congress has maintained significant interest in Mexico, an ally and top trade partner. In recent decades, U.S.-Mexican relations have grown closer through cooperative management of the 2,000-mile border, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and security and rule of law cooperation under the Mérida Initiative. Relations have been tested, however, by President Donald J. Trump's shifts in U.S. immigration and trade policies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2018-10-02
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S. Rept. 115-342: Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018, Report to Accompany S. 2343, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, October 2, 2018
"S. 2343 would require the Federal Communications Commission ('FCC' or 'Commission') to establish a task force to make recommendations to the Commission and others on gaps in broadband availability on agricultural lands and ways to close those gaps in order to support precision agriculture technologies."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018-10-02
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Fire Safety for Older Adults
From the Document: "As we grow older, our bodies change. Poor eyesight, loss of hearing, arthritis, dementia and side effects from medicine can make it more difficult to react to a fire. We need to consider these changes and how they may affect our abilities. In comparison to the population at large, starting at age 65, people are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires. This booklet is designed to help you learn about fire safety."
United States Fire Administration; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2018-10
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Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) and Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) Programs [October 1, 2018]
"The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed orpermanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2018-10-01
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Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: FY2019 Budget and Appropriations [October 1, 2018]
"The Trump Administration submitted to Congress its FY2019 budget request on February 12, 2018. The proposal includes $41.86 billion for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS). Of that amount, $13.26 billion would be for State Department operations, international broadcasting, and related agencies, and $28.60 billion for foreign operations. With the enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA; P.L. 115-123, February 9, 2018), which raised discretionary spending limits set by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25), the Administration's FY2019 foreign affairs funding request is entirely within enduring (base) funds; no Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding is in the SFOPS request for the first time since FY2012."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Gill, Cory R.
2018-10-01
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Army Corps of Engineers Annual and Supplemental Appropriations: Issues for Congress [October 1, 2018]
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is an agency within the Department of Defense with both military and civil works responsibilities. Congress directs USACE's civil works activities through authorizations legislation, annual and supplemental appropriations, and oversight activities. This report summarizes USACE's annual discretionary appropriations for civil works activities and its supplemental appropriations, principally following major flood and hurricane disasters. The appropriations described are for those accounts and activities that typically are funded through Title I of annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.
2018-10-01
