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• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through March 31, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P .L. 115-141 ), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through March 31, 2020."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2020-04-29
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through January 31, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P .L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through January 31, 2020."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2020-02-28
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through November 30, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P .L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P .L. 115-141 ), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through November 30, 2019."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2019-12-30
• Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 115th Congress [November 30, 2017]

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  "The funding authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), included in the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-190) and the subsequent Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-63), is now set to expire on March 31, 2018. In addition to setting spending levels, FAA authorization acts typically set policy on a wide range of issues related to civil aviation. This report considers topics likely to arise as the 115th Congress continues to debate FAA reauthorization. It does not attempt to be comprehensive. Many issues debated prior to passage of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 are not discussed unless further congressional consideration appears probable. Additional issues, not discussed in this report, may arise as Congress moves forward."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Elias, Bartholomew; Tang, Rachel

  2017-11-30
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through May 31, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress )

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Fiscal Year 2020 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-93), its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, and Senate Report 116-125. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through May 31, 2020."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2020-06-30
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through February 29, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through February 29, 2020."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2020-03-30
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through December 31, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P .L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through December 31, 2019."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2020-01-30
• Department of Homeland Security: Monthly Budget Execution and Staffing Report: Fiscal Year 2020 - Through October 31, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This document has been prepared in response to requirements in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P .L. 116-6) and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which continues reporting terms and conditions specified by the Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113) and its accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, House Report 114-215, and Senate Report 114-68. Included is the monthly budget execution and staffing report for all Components of the Department through October 31, 2019."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer

  2019-12-30
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: COVID-19 Resources [website]

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  From the Website: "Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). When public health emergencies occur, there is rapidly evolving information that may be confusing and lead to feelings of anxiety. In the event of an outbreak in your community, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of yourself, your children and your family. Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties. These resources will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak or pandemic might affect your family-- both physically and emotionally--and what you can do to help your family cope in times of public health emergencies."

  National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2020 and 2019 Financial Statements

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  From the Director's Letter: "This report transmits the GAO [Government Accountability Office] auditor's report on the results of our audits of the 2020 and 2019 financial statements of the two funds that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) administers--the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) Resolution Fund (FRF). The auditor's report is incorporated in the enclosed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 2020 Annual Report. As discussed more fully in the auditor's report that begins on page 117 of the enclosed agency annual report, we found [1] the financial statements of the DIF and of the FRF as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, are presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; [2] although internal controls could be improved, FDIC maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting relevant to the DIF and to the FRF as of December 31, 2020; and [3] with respect to the DIF and to the FRF, no reportable instances of noncompliance for 2020 with provisions of applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements we tested."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-02-18
• Coast Guard and Port Infrastructure: Built to Last? Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, September 25, 2019

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  This is the September 25, 2019 hearing on "Coast Guard and Port Infrastructure: Built to Last?" held before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From the opening statement of Sean Patrick Maloney: "Few people realize it, but the Coast Guard owns or leases more than 20,000 shore facilities, far and away more real estate than all other properties under the control of the agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, yet the Service's outdated, uncoordinated, and underresourced infrastructure management policies and practices have resulted in a $2.6 billion backlog in deferred maintenance, repairs, and reconstruction. That servicemembers have been reported to conduct repair work while off duty is not only a slight to those members, but a condemnation of the Coast Guard's collective leadership in this area that would allow such mismanagement to persist at the expense of a workforce already strained and stretched thin. And that is simply unacceptable." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Nathan A. Moore, Nathan Anderson, Ann C. Phillips, Daniel Cox, and Sean B. Hecht.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2020
• Examining Opportunities to Improve Prevention and Response of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oversight Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, Thursday, February 27, 2020

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  This is the February 27, 2020 oversight hearing on "Examining Opportunities to Improve Prevention and Response of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]," held before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Natural Resources. From the opening statement of TJ Cox: "At a previous hearing on sexual harassment at the Department of the Interior, we heard from witnesses that employees who work in remote, isolated places like national parks are at a higher risk of being sexually harassed. But remote workplaces are not limited to our public lands. Men and women who work in our fisheries and oceans, like those with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, are also at risk. Today's hearing will look at how sexual harassment and assault has affected NOAA employees, and how NOAA is trying to address the issue. Sexual assault and sexual harassment are not new problems at NOAA. In 2014, whistleblowers spoke about how pervasive these issues are, especially among female scientists and contractors. Addressing sexual harassment at any organization is challenging, but NOAA's complex, decentralized structure and the nature of the duties many of its workers perform makes it especially challenging for them." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Julie Dale, Neil Jacobs, and Linda Seabrook.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2020
• Department of Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Accounting of Intradepartmental Transactions, Report to the Honorable Jackie Speier, House of Representatives

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  From the Highlights: "Since 1995, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has designated DOD financial management as high risk because of pervasive weaknesses in its financial management systems, controls, and reporting. DOD's longstanding intradepartmental eliminations material weakness reflects DOD's inability to adequately record and reconcile its intradepartmental transactions, and has affected DOD's ability to prepare auditable financial statements. GAO was asked to evaluate DOD's process for performing intradepartmental eliminations. This report examines the extent to which DOD has (1) identified and taken steps to address issues related to intradepartmental eliminations and (2) established and implemented policies and procedures related to intradepartmental eliminations."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-01
• Disaster Relief Fund: Monthly Report as of June 30, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Background: "P.L. 116-93 requires that the FEMA Administrator provide a report by the fifth business day of each month on the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) that includes a funding summary, a table delineating DRF funding activities each month by state and event, a summary of the funding for the catastrophic events, and the fund exhaustion date, or end-of-fiscal-year balance. P.L. 116-136 requires that both projected and actual costs for funds provided by it for major disasters and any other expenses be provided to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2020-07-09
• Disaster Relief Fund: Fiscal Year 2021 Funding Requirements (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Background: "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), pursuant to P.L. 116-93, is providing this report on the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) budget requirements. Specifically, the reporting requirements include: [1] The amount that will be required for obligations for emergencies [...] for major disasters, [...] for fire management assistance grants, [...] for surge activities; and for disaster readiness and support activities; [2] The amount that will be obligated for catastrophic events; [3] The amount that will be obligated for noncatastrophic disasters; [4] The amount that will be required for activities not covered under Section 251(b)(2)(D)(iii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 [...]; [5] The unobligated balance of funds in the DRF that has been carried over from the prior fiscal years; [6] The unobligated balance of funds in the DRF that will be carried over in the next fiscal year; [7] The amount of previously obligated funds that will be recovered for the budget year; and [8] The amount of funds that previously were obligated or will be required for catastrophic events, delineated by event and state for all prior years, the current year, the budget year plus one, the budget year plus two, and the budget year plus three."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2020-02-10
• Department of Homeland Security: Unclaimed Money at Airports in Fiscal Year 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Document: "This report responds to a requirement in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-334). The report provides the amount of unclaimed money recovered from each airport and the total amount recovered during FY 2019, as well as an explanation of how unclaimed money is being used for civil aviation security."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Transportation Security Administration

  2020-03-18
• Adapting to Uncertainty: Complexity Science and COVID-19

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  From the Key Takeaways: "[1] Both human society and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic are complex adaptive systems. That is, they are dynamic networks of independent and interconnected agents that adapt to their environments. [2] Complex systems exhibit emergent behavior + the whole is more than the sum of its parts + which makes them hard to study, predict, or control with conventional analytical tools. [3] Complexity science offers clues for how society can fight this virus while minimizing the risk of cascading failures. In periods of high uncertainty, we need to prioritize adaptability over efficiency, distributed processing over hierarchical processing, evolution over design, and experimentation over mandates. [4] During this adaptive period, central governments should focus on facilitating innovation and the free flow of information and resources across society. [5] Complexity science also offer lessons for solving other stubborn problems that have long plagued society."

  Niskanen Center

  Jones, Robert C.

  2020-06
• Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns [April 4, 2008]

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  "If Congress establishes a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction program (e.g., cap-and-trade system), the treatment of GHG emission offsets would likely be a critical design element. If allowed as part of an emissions program, offsets could provide cost savings and other benefits. However, offsets have generated concern. […] Including offsets would likely make an emissions program more cost-effective by (1) providing an incentive for non-regulated sources to generate emission reductions and (2) expanding emission compliance opportunities for regulated entities. Some offset projects may provide other benefits, such as improvements in air or water quality. In addition, the offset market may create new economic opportunities and spur innovation as parties seek new methods of generating offsets. The main concern with offset projects is whether or not they represent real emission reductions. For offsets to be credible, a ton of CO2-equivalent emissions from an offset project should equate to a ton reduced from a covered emission source, such as a smokestack or exhaust pipe. This objective presents challenges because many offsets are difficult to measure. If illegitimate offset credits flow into an emissions trading program, the program would fail to reduce GHG emissions. Another concern is whether the inclusion of offsets would send the appropriate price signal to encourage the development of long-term mitigation technologies. Policymakers may consider a balance between price signal and program costs."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Ramseur, Jonathan L.

  2008-04-04
• Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress [August 9, 2013]

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  "Prior to 1984, neither federal civil service employees nor Members of Congress paid Social Security taxes, nor were they eligible for Social Security benefits. Members of Congress and other federal employees were instead covered by a separate pension plan called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act (P.L. [Public Law] 98-21) required federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. These amendments also required all Members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal workers. The result was the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (P.L. 99- 335). Members of Congress first elected in 1984 or later are covered automatically under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). All Senators and those Representatives serving as Members prior to September 30, 2003, may decline this coverage. Representatives entering office on or after September 30, 2003, cannot elect to be excluded from such coverage. Members who were already in Congress when Social Security coverage went into effect could either remain in CSRS or change their coverage to FERS."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-

  2013-08-09
• Reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Issues for Consideration [August 13, 2013]

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  "The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is located in the Executive Office of the President and has the responsibility for creating policies, priorities, and objectives for the federal Drug Control Program. This national program is aimed at reducing the use, manufacturing, and trafficking of illicit drugs and the reduction of drug-related crime and violence and of drugrelated health consequences. The director of ONDCP has primary responsibilities of developing a comprehensive National Drug Control Strategy (Strategy) to direct the nation's anti-drug efforts; developing a National Drug Control Budget (Budget) to implement the National Drug Control Strategy, including determining the adequacy of the drug control budgets submitted by contributing federal Drug Control Program agencies; and evaluating the effectiveness of the National Drug Control Strategy implementation by the various agencies contributing to the Drug Control Program. Authorization for ONDCP expired at the end of FY2010, but it has continued to receive appropriations. Congress, while continuously charged with ONDCP's oversight, is now faced with its possible reauthorization."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sacco, Lisa N.; Finklea, Kristin M.

  2013-08-13
• Rwanda: Background and Current Developments [December 4, 2008]

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  "In 2003, Rwanda held its first multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections in decades. President Paul Kagame of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) won 95% of the votes cast, while his nearest rival, Faustin Twagiramungu, received 3.6 % of the votes cast. In the legislative elections, the ruling RPF won 73% in the 80-seat National Assembly, while the remaining seats went to RPF allies and former coalition partners. In September 2008, Rwanda held legislative elections, and the RPF won a majority of the seats. Rwandese women are now the majority in the National Assembly. In October 2008, the National Assembly elected Ms. Mukantabam Rose as the first female Speaker of the Assembly. The next presidential elections are schedule for 2010.This report will be updated as circumstances warrant. In Rwanda, events of a prior decade is still fresh in the minds of many survivors and perpetrators. In 1993, after several failed efforts, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and the government of Rwanda reached an agreement in Tanzania, referred to as the Arusha Peace Accords. The RPF joined the Rwandan government as called for in the agreement. In April 1994, the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, along with several senior government officials, were killed when their plane was shot down as it approached the capital of Rwanda, Kigali. Shortly after, the Rwandan military and a Hutu militia known as the Interhamwe began to systematically massacre Tutsis and moderate Hutu opposition members. In the first ten weeks of the Rwandan genocide, an estimated 1,000,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were slaughtered by government forces and the Interhamwe militia."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dagne, Theodore S.

  2008-12-04
• Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations [November 4, 2014]

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  "Qatar, a small peninsular country in the Persian Gulf, emerged as a partner of the United States in the mid-1990s and currently serves as host to major U.S. military facilities. Qatar holds the third largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, and is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Its small citizenry enjoys the world's highest per capita income. Since the mid-1990s, Qatari leaders have overseen a course of major economic growth, increased diplomatic engagement, and limited political liberalization. The Qatari monarchy founded Al Jazeera, the first all-news Arabic language satellite television network, in 1995. Over time, the network has proven to be as influential and, at times, as controversial as the policies of its founders, including during recent unrest in the Arab world.[…] To date, the Obama Administration has remained committed to military and counterterrorism cooperation with the ambitious leaders of this wealthy, strategically located country."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Blanchard, Christopher M.

  2014-11-04
• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Policy Makers [November 14, 2014]

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  "The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is the nation's first mandatory cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. RGGI involves nine states--Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The RGGI cap-and-trade system applies only to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electric power plants with capacities to generate 25 megawatts or more--approximately 168 facilities. The RGGI emissions cap took effect January 1, 2009, based on an agreement signed by RGGI governors in 2005. The results of the RGGI program may be instructive to policy makers. Several of RGGI's design elements generated considerable interest during the development and debate of federal proposals to address GHG emissions. In particular, the program's emission cap has received particular attention. Since the cap took effect in 2009, it has not compelled regulated entities to make internal emission reductions or purchase emission credits from other sources. Several factors led to this outcome: RGGI's cap design, an economic downturn, and a substantial shift to less carbon intensive fuels. […] As a group, the nine RGGI states account for approximately 7% of U.S. CO2 emissions (and 16% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product). RGGI's aggregate emissions rank in the top 20 among all nations. But from a practical standpoint, the RGGI program's contribution to directly reducing the global accumulation of GHG emissions in the atmosphere is arguably negligible. However, RGGI's activities may stimulate action in other states or at the federal level: when confronted with a growing patchwork of state/regional requirements, industry stakeholders may support a singular national policy. To that end, experiences in RGGI may be instructive for policy makers seeking to craft a national program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Ramseur, Jonathan L.

  2014-11-14
• Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables [October 27, 2014]

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  "Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. Prior to 1969, Congress did so by enacting specific legislation. From 1789 through 1968, Congress raised its pay 22 times using this procedure. Specific legislation may still be used to raise Member pay, as it was most recently in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1991; but two other methods--including an automatic annual adjustment procedure and a commission process--are now also available. The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 established the current automatic annual adjustment formula, which is based on changes in private sector wages as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI). The adjustment is automatic unless denied statutorily, although the percentage may not exceed the percentage base pay increase for General Schedule (GS) employees. In the past, Member pay has been frozen in two ways: (1) directly, through legislation that freezes salaries for Members but not other federal employees, and (2) indirectly, through broader pay freeze legislation that covers Members and other specified categories of federal employees. […] This report contains information on the pay procedure and recent adjustments. It also contains historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Brudnick, Ida A.

  2014-10-27
• Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress [October 13, 2015]

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  "The United States and Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987. Negotiations on this treaty were the result of a 'dual-track' decision taken by NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] in 1979. At that time, in response to concerns about the Soviet Union's deployment of new intermediate-range nuclear missiles, NATO agreed both to accept deployment of new U.S. intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles and to support U.S. efforts to negotiate with the Soviet Union to limit these missiles. In the INF Treaty, the United States and Soviet Union agreed that they would ban all land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The ban would apply to missiles with nuclear or conventional warheads, but would not apply to sea-based or air-delivered missiles. […] The United States could also consider a number of options for how it might respond if Russia withdraws from the INF Treaty and deploys new INF-range missiles. It could develop and deploy new military capabilities--including, possibly, new land-based INF-range missiles or new missile defense capabilities--to offset the threat posed by new Russian INF-range missiles. The United States could also take other steps with its allies to assure them of the U.S. commitment to their defense. Congress is likely to continue to conduct oversight hearings on this issue, and to receive briefings on the status of Russia's cruise missile program. It may also consider legislation authorizing U.S. military responses and supporting alternative diplomatic approaches."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2015-10-13
• Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [October 13, 2015]

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  "The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on pre-release custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. […] However, the wide-scale adoption of risk and needs assessment in the criminal justice system is not without controversy. Several critiques have been raised against the use of risk and needs assessment, including that it could have discriminatory effects because some risk factors are correlated with race; that it uses group base rates for recidivism to make determinations about an individual's propensity for re-offending; and that risk and needs assessment are two distinct procedures and should be conducted separately."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  James, Nathan

  2015-10-13
• Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [July 24, 2015]

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  "The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. […] Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity. The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model has become the dominant paradigm in risk and needs assessment. The risk principle states that high-risk offenders need to be placed in programs that provide more intensive treatment and services while low-risk offenders should receive minimal or even no intervention. The need principle states that effective treatment should focus on addressing needs that contribute to criminal behavior. The responsivity principle states that rehabilitative programming should be delivered in a style and mode that is consistent with the ability and learning style of the offender."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  James, Nathan

  2015-07-24
• Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2015 [December 23, 2015]

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  "The U.S. Constitution, in Article I, Section 6, authorizes compensation for Members of Congress 'ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.' Throughout American history, Congress has relied on three different methods in adjusting salaries for Members. Specific legislation was last used to provide increases in 1990 and 1991. It was the only method used by Congress for many years. The second method, under which annual adjustments took effect automatically unless disapproved by Congress, was established in 1975. From 1975 to 1989, these annual adjustments were based on the rate of annual comparability increases given to the General Schedule (GS) federal employees. This method was changed by the 1989 Ethics Act to require that the annual adjustment be determined by a formula based on certain elements of the Employment Cost Index (ECI). Under this revised process, annual adjustments were accepted 13 times (scheduled for January 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009) and denied 12 times (scheduled for January 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016). Since January 2009, the salary for Members of Congress has been $174,000. Subsequent adjustments were denied by P.L. 111-8 (enacted March 11, 2009), P.L. 111-165 (May 14, 2010), P.L. 111-322 (December 22, 2010), P.L. 112-175 (September 28, 2012), P.L. 112-240 (January 2, 2013), P.L. 113-46 (October 17, 2013), P.L. 113-235 (December 16, 2014), and P.L. 114-113 (December 18, 2015). A third method for adjusting Member pay is congressional action pursuant to recommendations from the President, based on the recommendations of the Citizens' Commission on Public Service and Compensation established in the 1989 Ethics Reform Act. Although the Citizens' Commission was to have convened in 1993, it did not and has not met since then."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Brudnick, Ida A.

  2015-12-23
• Reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 [March 31, 2015]

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  "Many counties are compensated for the tax-exempt status of federal lands. Counties with national forest lands and with certain Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands historically have received a percentage of agency revenues, primarily from timber sales. However, timber sales have declined substantially--by more than 90% in some areas--which had led to substantially reduced payments to the counties. Thus, Congress enacted the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (SRS; P.L. 106-393) as a temporary, optional program of payments based on historic rather than current revenues. […] SRS expired at the end of FY2013. County payments returned to a revenue-based system for FY2014, with a $50.4 million revenue-sharing payment disbursed in February 2015 (which, as nondefense mandatory spending, also was subject to the 7.3% sequestration of budgetary authority). This payment is significantly lower than the previous years' SRS payments. The 114th Congress may consider extending SRS (with or without modifications), implementing other legislative proposals to address the county payments, or taking no action."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Hoover, Katie

  2015-03-31
• Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables [September 17, 2015]

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  "Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. In the past, Congress periodically enacted specific legislation to alter its pay; the last time this occurred affected pay in 1991. More recently, pay has been determined pursuant to laws establishing formulas for automatic adjustments. The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 established the current automatic annual adjustment formula, which is based on changes in private sector wages as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI). The adjustment is automatic unless denied statutorily, although the percentage may not exceed the percentage base pay increase for General Schedule (GS) employees. In the past, Member pay has been frozen in two ways: (1) directly, through legislation that freezes salaries for Members but not for other federal employees, and (2) indirectly, through broader pay freeze legislation that covers Members and other specified categories of federal employees. […] This report contains information on the pay procedure and actions and freezes since the last pay adjustment in 2009. It also contains historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Brudnick, Ida A.

  2015-09-17