Advanced search Help
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Federal Death Penalty: Recent Developments [July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "In July 2019, under U.S. Attorney General Barr's direction, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) adopted a revised Federal Execution Protocol Addendum and promptly scheduled the executions of five federal death row inmates. The addendum replaced the previous three-drug protocol used in federal executions with a single-drug procedure. Five death row inmates, who were sentenced to death in 1999, 2003, and 2004, were scheduled to be executed at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, IN. After delay due to ongoing appeals, the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee on July 14, 2020, ended a 17-year moratorium on the federal death penalty. This Insight focuses on federal death penalty policy in the context of death penalty practice in the country overall."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sacco, Lisa N.
2020-07-28
-
Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2020 [Updated July 20, 2020]
From the Summary: "This report lists hundreds of instances in which the United States has used its Armed Forces abroad in situations of military conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes. It was compiled in part from various older lists and is intended primarily to provide a rough survey of past U.S. military ventures abroad, without reference to the magnitude of the given instance noted. The listing often contains references, especially from 1980 forward, to continuing military deployments, especially U.S. military participation in multinational operations associated with NATO or the United Nations. Most of these post-1980 instances are summaries based on presidential reports to Congress related to the War Powers Resolution. A comprehensive commentary regarding any of the instances listed is not undertaken here. The instances differ greatly in number of forces, purpose, extent of hostilities, and legal authorization."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Torreon, Barbara Salazar; Plagakis, Sofia
2020-07-20
-
Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Columbia-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. The Navy has identified the Columbia-class program as the Navy's top priority program. The Navy wants to procure the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021. The Navy's proposed FY2021 budget requests $2,891.5 million in procurement funding, $1,123.2 million in advance procurement (AP) funding, and $397.3 million in research and development 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."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-07-28
-
Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States and have 'the greatest drug trafficking influence,' according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) annual 'National Drug Threat Assessment.' These organizations, often referred to as 'transnational criminal organizations' (TCOs), continue to diversify into crimes of extortion, human smuggling, and oil theft, among others. Their supply chains traverse the Western Hemisphere and the globe.Their extensive violence since 2006 has caused Mexico's homicide rate to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and synthetic opioids such asfentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Mexican DTO activities significantly affect the security of both the United States and Mexico. As Mexico's DTOs expanded their control of the opioids market, U.S. overdoses rose sharply, according to the Centers for Disease Control, setting a record in 2019 with more than 70% of overdose deaths involving opioids, including fentanyl. Many analysts believe that Mexican DTOs' role in the trafficking and producing of opioids is expanding."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2020-07-28
-
Federally Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater, Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure [July 30, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background and funding information on water infrastructure projects, including wastewater and drinking water, and water supply projects traditionally funded by the federal government. The report also discusses federal funding programs that provide assistance to communities to support these types of projects and related, eligible activities. For decades, Congress has authorized and modified federal programs to help communities address water supply and water infrastructure needs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Cowan, Tadlock; Humphreys, Elena H. . . .
2020-07-30
-
Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, a program carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy that gives Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers a capability for conducting BMD operations. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition strategies and proposed funding levels for the Aegis BMD program. Congress's decisions on the Aegis BMD program could significantly affect U.S. BMD capabilities and funding requirements, and the BMD-related industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-07-28
-
Federal Law Enforcement and the Portland Protests: Legal Considerations [July 31, 2020]
From the Document: "During the spring and summer of 2020, protests in response to the death of George Floyd erupted in major cities across the country. Responding to a perceived failure by state and local officials to control the protests, President Trump threatened to take action by, for example, deploying the military into cities to restore order. Recently, in the midst of ongoing protests in Portland, Oregon, the Trump Administration deployed hundreds of agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Although, according to some, the Portland protests were largely nonviolent, DHS reported numerous instances of what it terms 'violent anarchists' committing crimes against federal property, justifying the presence of federal officers. Reports of unidentified federal law enforcement officers detaining protestors and transporting them in unmarked vehicles escalated tensions between local officials and the Trump administration. The federal law enforcement presence in Portland comes after federal agents were used to respond to similar protests in Washington, DC. [...] This Sidebar discusses the general legal authorities relied on by DHS to allow for the federal presence in Portland and explores the potential legal questions raised by the presence of federal law enforcement in Portland, including the constitutional implications of the various tactics used by the federal officers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Novak, Whitney K.; Foster, Michael A. (Legislative attorney)
2020-07-31
-
Members of the House of Representatives Lying in State in the U.S. Capitol [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "On July 27 and 28, 2020, Representative John Lewis, who died on July 17, will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. In a joint press release, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Representative Lewis would lie in state both in the Capitol Rotunda--for a private viewing by Members of Congress--and at the top of the East Front Steps of the U.S. Capitol--for a public viewing. Because of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], social distancing and masks are required to enter the viewing line and the Lewis family requests that 'members of the public do not travel to Washington, D.C. from across the country to pay their respects at the U.S. Capitol given the COVD-19 pandemic.' Members of Congress are encouraged to 'use extreme care and deliberation when deciding to travel to Washington, D.C.' Members of the public and of Congress are encouraged to pay their respects virtually by posting tributes using specific hashtags. There have been 33 individuals (not including Representative Lewis) who have lain in state or honor in the Capitol Rotunda or National Statuary Hall. The most recent individual to lie in state was Representative Elijah Cummings on October 24, 2019. The most recent individual to lie in honor was the Reverend Billy Graham on February 28 and March 1, 2018. Prior to Representative Lewis lying in state, a total of 15 individuals who had been a Member of the House of Representatives had received that honor."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straus, Jacob R.
2020-07-28
-
Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) Would Both Restrict and Encourage Highway Tolls [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "Section 1110 of the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2, as passed in the House of Representatives July 1, 2020) would make substantial changes to the statutory and regulatory framework governing highway transportation tolls. Some of the changes would increase federal oversight of tolling operations while others encourage state and local governments to increase use of tolling. On the one hand, by reinstating the requirement that a detailed tolling agreement be negotiated between states or public authorities and the Secretary of Transportation before a previously untolled federal-aid highway, bridge, or tunnel is made subject to tolls, the provision would increase the oversight role of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). On the other hand, the congestion pricing provisions in the act would increase the ability of states to implement tolling on congested Interstate System highways. These new provisions, together with the complexity of existing law, could create ambiguity about what is and what is not permissible when implementing new tolling schemes. Federal tolling law applies only to roads, bridges, and tunnels that are eligible for federal aid. These facilities, referred to as federal-aid highways, make up about 1 million of the roughly 4 million miles of public roads in the United States. Within the federal-aid highways is a category of designated major highways referred to as the National Highway System (NHS), which includes about 220,000 miles of highways. Within the NHS are the Interstate System highways, which make up just under 49,000 miles of highways."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kirk, Robert S.
2020-07-28
-
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress [Updated July 29, 2020]
From the Summary: "Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress. Rules for giving certain types of names to certain types of Navy ships have evolved over time. There have been exceptions to the Navy's ship-naming rules, particularly for the purpose of naming a ship for a person when the rule for that type of ship would have called for it to be named for something else. Some observers have perceived a breakdown in, or corruption of, the rules for naming Navy ships."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-07-29
-
Border Barrier Litigation: Open Questions for Department of Defense Transfer Authority [July 21, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) recently added to the growing body of case law on the Trump Administration's decision to fund border barrier construction using Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations. Over a dissent, the Ninth Circuit ruled in two appeals that DOD acted contrary to law when it used its transfer authority to shift $2.5 billion, previously appropriated for objects such as personnel expenses, to fund border barriers. DOD may transfer funds only for 'unforeseen military requirements' and not where the 'item for which funds are requested has been denied by the Congress.' The Ninth Circuit held that DOD violated both limitations. [...] This Sidebar examines the Ninth Circuit's dueling interpretations of DOD's transfer authority and notes questions raised by the prevailing view, both for DOD's transfer authority and, perhaps, for other agencies' funding flexibilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stiff, Sean M.
2020-07-21
-
Antitrust Regulators Release New Vertical Merger Guidelines [July 21, 2020]
From the Document: "On June 30, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized new Vertical Merger Guidelines (VMG) outlining their approach to mergers and acquisitions between firms at different stages of a supply chain. The revised guidelines are timely: vertical integration is growing increasingly economically significant and politically fraught. As large firms in major industries-- including health care, telecommunications, agriculture, and information technology--make prominent vertical deals, some lawmakers and economists have cast a critical eye toward a phenomenon that was once viewed as largely benign. This Legal Sidebar provides a general overview of vertical merger enforcement and discusses the implications of the new VMG."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sykes, Jay B.
2020-07-21
-
Russian Armed Forces: Military Modernization and Reforms [July 20, 2020]
From the Document: "Since Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008, Russia has undertaken extensive efforts to modernize and upgrade its armed forces. In the years ahead, these efforts are expected to continue focusing on modernizing military equipment, as well as improving combat readiness and coordination across service branches. Command and control, electronic warfare, recruitment of professional soldiers, force structure changes, and logistics also are likely to be priorities for development. Some Members of Congress have expressed interest in understanding the extent of Russia's military modernization and reform efforts as they assess the nature of Russian threats to the United States and its allies and partners in Europe and other regions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bowen, Andrew
2020-07-20
-
Bolivia: Elections Postponed to October [Updated July 24, 2020]
From the Document: "On July 23, 2020, Bolivia's electoral tribunal announced the postponement of general elections from September 6 to October 18 due to the escalating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Bolivia has been polarized since the November 2019 resignation of President Evo Morales of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party and already postponed elections originally scheduled for May 3 due to a national quarantine. Unrest and the surging pandemic (Interim President Jeanette Añez and several in her cabinet have contracted COVID-19) could threaten the elections. The United States remains concerned about the political volatility in Bolivia and has supported efforts to ensure the upcoming elections are free and fair."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2020-07-24
-
COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Household Employment and Income [Updated July 22, 2020]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected households in numerous ways, including shuttering business and schools, resulting in an economic recession and loss of employment income. An experimental U.S. Census Bureau household survey has been fielded each week since late April to track the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on households. This Insight provides some data from that survey, as well as links to research on the pandemic-induced recession's effects on households and policy responses to them."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Falk, Gene
2020-07-22
-
American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics [Updated July 29, 2020]
From the Summary: "This report provides U.S. war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number of casualties among American military personnel who served in principal wars and combat operations from 1775 to the present. It also includes data on those wounded in action and information such as race and ethnicity, gender, branch of service, and cause of death. The tables are compiled from various Department of Defense (DOD) sources. Wars covered include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, and the Persian Gulf War. Military operations covered include the Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission; Lebanon Peacekeeping; Urgent Fury in Grenada; Just Cause in Panama; Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Restore Hope in Somalia; Uphold Democracy in Haiti; Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Operation New Dawn (OND); Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR); and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS). Starting with the Korean War and the more recent conflicts, this report includes additional detailed information on types of casualties and, when available, demographics. It also cites a number of resources for further information, including sources of historical statistics on active duty military deaths, published lists of military personnel killed in combat actions, data on demographic indicators among U.S. military personnel, related websites, and relevant CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blum, David A.; DeBruyne, Nese F.
2020-07-29
-
Algeria [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic largely halted a yearlong mass protest movement in early 2020, but questions remain about the future of Algeria's political system. Defining features have included a strong presidency and security apparatus, a state-centric economy with an oligarchic business class, and social welfare programs fueled by oil and natural gas revenues. In early 2019, then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to abandon his reelection bid, and then to resign, amid swelling protests and a public withdrawal of support from then-chief of defense staff General Ahmed Gaïd Salah. Senate leader Abdelkader Bensalah became interim head of state pending elections for a new president, consistent with the constitution, although the vote was delayed past constitutional timelines. Gaïd Salah then appeared to consolidate influence at the expense of the powerful and sometimes rival military intelligence service (which Bouteflika had brought under the presidency's control) and of top business and ruling party figures, many of whom were prosecuted on corruption or national security grounds."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Arieff, Alexis
2020-07-28
-
COVID-19: Summary of Direct Payments in the American Workers, Families, and Employers Assistance Act (S. 4318) [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "The American Workers, Families, and Employers Assistance Act (S. 4318) introduced on July 27, includes a second round of direct payments to help alleviate the economic effects associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The bill also includes modifications to the first round of direct payments enacted in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136). This Insight provides a brief overview of the second round of payments proposed in S. 4318, as well as a comparison to the enacted CARES Act payments and those proposed in the Heroes [Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions] Act (H.R. 6800)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
2020-07-28
-
Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [August 7, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Navy has been procuring Virginia (SSN-774) class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) since FY1998. The one Virginia-class boat that the Navy is requesting for procurement in FY2021 would be the 33 rd boat in the class. The Navy's FY2020 budget submission had projected that the Navy would request two Virginia-class boats in FY2021. Virginia-class boats scheduled for procurement in FY2019-FY2023 are being procured under a multiyear procurement (MYP) contract. Most Virginia-class boats procured in FY2019 and subsequent years are to be built with the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), an additional, 84-footlong, mid-body section equipped with four large-diameter, vertical launch tubes for storing and launching additional Tomahawk missiles or other payloads."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-08-07
-
Ethiopia [Updated August 3, 2020]
From the Document: "Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent state and its second most populous country. It hosts the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and is the world's largest troop contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations, with forces deployed in U.N. missions in neighboring Sudan and South Sudan, and in Somalia as part of a multinational effort to counter the Al Qaeda affiliate Al Shabaab. The United States has viewed Ethiopia as an important security partner in a volatile region. The bilateral relationship, which dates back over 100 years, has been strained at times by tensions over human rights and governance concerns."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Lauren Ploch
2020-08-03
-
Immigration: Public Charge [Updated August 4, 2020]
From the Document: "Immigration law in the United States has long contained exclusion and removal provisions designed to limit government spending on indigent non-U.S. nationals. (Non-U.S. nationals are referred to as 'aliens' in immigration law.) Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), an alien may be denied admission into the United States or lawful permanent resident (LPR) status if he or she is 'likely at any time to become a public charge' (8 U.S.C. §1182(a)(4)). An admitted alien may also be subject to removal from the United States based on a separate public charge ground of deportability, but this is rarely employed. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) have primary responsibility for implementing the public charge ground of inadmissibility. DHS makes public charge inadmissibility determinations for aliens seeking admission or 'adjustment' from a temporary status to LPR status. DOS consular officers make public charge inadmissibility determinations for aliens abroad applying for U.S. visas, based on guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). While this applies to both immigrant and nonimmigrant (i.e.,temporary) visas, in practice it is rarely employed for nonimmigrant visas. Certain categories of aliens, such as refugees and asylees, are exempted from the public charge ground of inadmissibility. It is not applicable to aliens who are applying for citizenship (i.e., naturalization)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kolker, Abigail F.
2020-08-04
-
Hong Kong's Legislative Council (Legco) [Updated August 5, 2020]
From the Document: "The United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5701, P.L. 102-383) states, 'Support for democratization is a fundamental principle of United States foreign policy.' The development of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, or Legco, has been a fundamental part of Hong Kong's complex and incomplete process of democratization, and as such has become a key concern of some U.S. policymakers. As currently constituted, some of Legco's members are elected via a democratic process, and others are selected by a restricted mandate (see 'Brief History of Legco' below). Under the 1990 Chinese law establishing the governance system for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), or 'Basic Law,' 'the ultimate aim' is the election of 'all the members of the Legislative Council' (as well as the Chief Executive) by universal suffrage. As a result, Legco plays a critical role in both an assessment of democratization in Hong Kong, as well as progress toward democratization."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Martin, Michael F.
2020-08-05
-
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [July 28, 2020]
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 capacity of the naval shipbuilding industry, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-07-28
-
Global Economic Effects of COVID-19 [Updated July 31, 2020]
From the Document: "Since the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak was first diagnosed, it has spread to over 200 countries and all U.S. states. The pandemic is negatively affecting global economic growth beyond anything experienced in nearly a century. Estimates so far indicate the virus could trim global economic growth by 3.0% to 6.0% in 2020, with a partial recovery in 2021, assuming there is not a second wave of infections. The economic fallout from the pandemic raises the risks of a global economic recession with levels of unemployment not experienced since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The human costs in terms of lives lost will permanently affect global economic growth in addition to the cost of rising levels of poverty, lives upended, careers derailed, and increased social unrest. Global trade could also fall by 13% to 32%, depending on the depth and extent of the global economic downturn, exacting an especially heavy economic toll on trade-dependent developing and emerging economies. The full impact will not be known until the effects of the pandemic peak. This report provides an overview of the global economic costs to date and the response by governments and international institutions to address these effects."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-; Weiss, Martin A.; Schwarzenberg, Andres B. . . .
2020-07-31
-
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) [Updated July 27, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides a brief overview of NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] and the role of Congress in the renegotiation process, and discusses key provisions in USMCA [United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement], as well as issues related to the negotiations. It also provides a discussion of policy implications for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Villarreal, M. Angeles; Fergusson, Ian F.
2020-07-27
-
Fiscal Policy and Recovery from the COVID-19 Recession [Updated July 31, 2020]
From the Introduction: "The economic contraction that began in February 2020 differs from previous contractions, including the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Recession of 2007-2009. It was caused in large part by concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and government policies aimed at limiting person-to-person contact. [...] This report provides an overview of the state of the economy and summarizes the fiscal measures already taken in response to the current downturn. Many of these responses have largely been aimed at providing economic relief. In the future, policymakers may consider more traditional fiscal policies designed to boost aggregate demand. This report then discusses fiscal policy used during more traditional recessions and recovery, both the theory and empirical evidence, and reviews what types of fiscal policy are likely to be most effective during recovery from a recession. The report concludes with a brief discussion of the pandemic's effect on the debt."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gravelle, Jane; Marples, Donald J.
2020-07-31
-
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and COVID-19 [Updated July 27, 2020]
From the Document: "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not currently have a specific standard that protects healthcare or other workers from airborne or aerosol transmission of disease or diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. Some in Congress, and some groups representing healthcare, meat and poultry processing, and other workers, are calling on OSHA to promulgate an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect workers from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority in the past--not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2020-07-27
-
PRWORA and the CARES Act: What's the Prospective Power of a 'Notwithstanding' Clause? [July 27, 2020]
From the Document: "Which categories of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) are eligible for the student financial aid, unemployment compensation, and other benefits authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act? Particularly in the case of student financial aid, the question has produced debate and controversy. The CARES Act itself is mostly silent about alien eligibility. The legal debate centers upon a provision from the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, which renders many aliens ineligible for federal public benefits. PRWORA says that its restriction applies 'notwithstanding any other provision of law.' What power does that phrase have to limit eligibility for the benefits created 24 years later in the CARES Act?"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Harrington, Ben
2020-07-27
-
Uncharted Waters: Navigating the Supreme Court's New Clean Water Act Permitting Test [July 30, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to grapple with how to implement the Supreme Court's April 2020 decision in 'County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund'. 'Maui' introduced a new multi-factor test for determining whether the Clean Water Act (CWA) applies to pollutant discharges that migrate through groundwater to navigable surface waters. The 'Maui' Court rejected EPA's 2019 interpretive guidance that categorically excluded point source pollutant discharges to groundwater from the CWA permitting program. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the CWA requires a permit for a direct discharge or the 'functional equivalent of a direct discharge' of pollutants from a point source into navigable waters. EPA has not formally responded to 'Maui' through the issuance of guidance or regulations. Absent such a response or legislative action, regulated entities, state agencies, and federal courts are tasked with clarifying and applying the Court's 'functional equivalent' test. This Sidebar discusses the 'Maui' decision and highlights its potential effects on current and future litigation over the scope of CWA jurisdiction over what qualifies as a 'functional equivalent' of a direct discharge of pollutants into navigable waters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tsang, Linda
2020-07-30
-
Small Businesses and COVID-19: Relief and Assistance Resources [Updated July 28, 2020]
From the Document: "This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight presents selected websites and CRS products potentially relevant to small businesses that are directly affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and seeking economic relief and assistance. For an analysis of the small business provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020, see CRS Report R46284, 'COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options.' For businesses interested in supporting COVID-19 mobilization efforts, see CRS Insight IN11419, 'COVID-19: Selected Federal Resources for Businesses Seeking to Assist with Research and Manufacturing Efforts.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kreiser, Maria
2020-07-28
