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Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape [Updated January 27, 2021]
From the Summary: "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act, or 'Communications Act'). The agency is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. The mission of the FCC is to make available for all people of the United States, 'without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges.' The FCC operates under a public interest mandate first laid out in the 1927 Radio Act (P.L. 632, 69th Congress), but how this mandate is applied depends on how 'the public interest' is interpreted. Some regulators seek to protect and benefit the public at large through regulation, while others seek to achieve the same goals through the promotion of market efficiency. Additionally, Congress granted the FCC wide latitude and flexibility to revise its interpretation of the public interest standard to reflect changing circumstances and the agency has not defined it in more concrete terms. These circumstances, paired with changes in FCC leadership, have led to significant changes over time in how the FCC regulates the broadcast and telecommunications industries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Figliola, Patricia Moloney
2021-01-27
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National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin [January 27, 2021]
From the Summary: "The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heightened threat environment across the United States, which DHS believes will persist in the weeks following the successful Presidential Inauguration. Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2021-01-27
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Afghanistan Reconstruction: GAO Work since 2002 Shows Systemic Internal Control Weaknesses that Increased the Risk of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
From the Document: "The U.S. government has allocated approximately $141 billion for reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2002. We have issued over 400 reports covering U.S. government activities in Afghanistan during this period, about a quarter of which involved U.S.-funded reconstruction efforts. You asked us to report on waste, fraud, and abuse that GAO [Government Accountability Office] uncovered with respect to U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. In this report, we summarize the systemic internal control weaknesses that increased the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse related to Afghanistan reconstruction we identified in prior GAO work."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-01-27
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Too Small to Collect Big Data: Financial Inclusion Implications [January 27, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress has demonstrated an ongoing interest in promoting financial inclusion (i.e., increasing the access of traditionally underserved populations and markets to affordable financial services and products). The concept of financial inclusion has evolved to include the adoption of digital technologies, which can enhance the effectiveness of 'regtech'--the use of technology by both regulators and regulated entities to facilitate compliance with applicable regulations and policy objectives. While regtech can be used to monitor prudential financial (e.g., credit, liquidity, interest rate) risks, it can also be deployed to analyze the circulation of financial products and services, thus monitoring the breadth of inclusiveness. Regtech relies upon collecting and organizing digital data, which may be costly for certain institutions--especially those that serve predominantly customers facing appreciable financial challenges."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Getter, Darryl E.
2021-01-27
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Is Mandatory Detention of Unlawful Entrants Seeking Asylum Constitutional? [Updated January 27, 2021]
From the Document: "Non-U.S. nationals (aliens) apprehended by immigration authorities when attempting to unlawfully enter the United States are generally subject to a streamlined, expedited removal process, but may be placed in 'formal' removal proceedings and pursue asylum claims if found to have a credible fear of persecution. In 2019, Attorney General (AG) William Barr, who had power to review adjudicatory decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the highest administrative body responsible for interpreting immigration laws, concluded in 'Matter of M-S-' that federal law requires the continued detention of aliens screened for expedited removal who are transferred to formal removal proceedings pending adjudication of their asylum claims. (Additional discussion of the AG's decision can be found here.) Later that year, a federal district court held in 'Padilla v. ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]' that this mandatory detention scheme 'violates the U.S. Constitution' because it denies aliens who have entered the United States the opportunity to seek their release on bond. This ruling was largely affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in March 2020, but the reasoning of these decisions--at least when applied to aliens apprehended shortly after arriving in the United States--may be in tension with the Supreme Court's ruling in 'DHS v. Thuraissigiam', decided a few months later. In 'Thuraissigiam', the Court recognized that aliens seeking initial entry to the United States, including those apprehended just within the border, have limited constitutional protections. Ultimately, in the 'Padilla' case, the Supreme Court vacated the Ninth Circuit's decision and remanded the case for further consideration in light of 'Thuraissigiam'. As a result, immigration authorities may, for the time being, detain unlawful entrants transferred to formal removal proceedings for consideration of their asylum applications without a bond hearing."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2021-01-27
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Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief [Updated January 27, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Israel [...] has forged close bilateral cooperation with the United States in many areas; issues with significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations include the following. [1] Israeli domestic political issues, including an election scheduled for March 2021 and an ongoing criminal trial against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. [2] Israel's security cooperation with the United States. [3] Israeli-Palestinian issues and Israel's normalization of relations with various Arab states. [4] Concerns about Iran's nuclear program and regional influence, including with Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Syria, and Iraq. [5] Chinese investment in Israeli companies and infrastructure, and U.S. concerns about implications for U.S. national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim
2021-01-27
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Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 116th Congress [Updated January 27, 2021]
From the Summary: "Responding to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic recession, the 116th Congress created several new temporary unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for workers unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as temporarily modified permanent UI programs. On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed P.L. 116-127 (H.R. 6201), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The UI provisions provided various types of assistance to states, including up to $1 billion in emergency administrative grant funding in calendar year 2020. This law also provided federal funding for the first week of Unemployment Compensation (UC) through December 2020, if the state suspended or does not have a waiting week in its regular UC program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2021-01-27
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Federal Eviction Moratoriums in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed a nationwide temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions due to nonpayment of rent. The stated purpose of the order is preventing the further spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), specifically by preventing homelessness and overcrowded housing conditions resulting from eviction. The action, which followed an Executive Order directing the CDC to consider such a measure, is unprecedented, both in terms of the federal reach into what is traditionally state and local governance of landlord-tenant law and its use of a public health authority for this purpose. The national eviction moratorium took effect less than two weeks after the expiration of a different and narrower set of eviction protections established by the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act (§4024). This Insight compares the two eviction moratoriums across several key features and ends with a review of implementation issues raised by the CDC moratorium."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McCarty, Maggie; Perl, Libby
2021-01-26
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy Overview [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean are diverse and include economic, political, security, and humanitarian concerns. Geographic proximity has ensured strong economic linkages between the United States and the region, with the United States a major trading partner and source of foreign investment for many countries. Free-trade agreements (FTAs) have augmented U.S. economic relations with 11 countries in the region. The Western Hemisphere is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; with proximity and economic and security conditions the major factors driving migration trends."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2021-01-26
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Executive Order 14006: Reforming Our Incarceration System to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities
From the Document: "More than two million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, including a disproportionate number of people of color. There is broad consensus that our current system of mass incarceration imposes significant costs and hardships on our society and communities and does not make us safer. To decrease incarceration levels, we must reduce profit-based incentives to incarcerate by phasing out the Federal Government's reliance on privately operated criminal detention facilities."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-01-26
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Navy DDG(X) Future Large Surface Combatant Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The Navy's DDG(X) program, also known as the Future Large Surface Combatant program or DDG Next program, envisages procuring a class of next-generation guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) to replace the Navy's aging Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis cruisers. The Navy wants to procure the first DDG(X) around FY2028, although that date could change. The Navy's proposed FY2021 budget requested $46.5 million in research and development (R&D) funding for the program in one R&D line item and some additional funding for the program in another R&D line item. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's FY2022 funding request and emerging acquisition strategy for the program. Congress's decisions on this issue could affect future Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-01-26
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Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Categories: Data Brief Updated [January 26, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Congress has expressed interest in the visa categories by which foreign nationals may enter or be present in the United States. U.S. immigration policy is governed largely by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which was first codified in 1952 and has been amended significantly several times since. The United States has long distinguished temporary immigration from permanent immigration. Temporary immigration occurs through the admission of visitors for specific purposes and limited periods of time, and encompasses two dozen categories (which are commonly referred to by the letter and numeral that denote their subparagraph in the INA). Permanent immigration occurs through family- and employer -sponsored categories, the diversity immigrant visa lottery, and refugee and asylee admissions. This brief report provides the following information: [1] a list of nonimmigrant (i.e., temporary) visa categories and lawful permanent resident (LPR) categories, [2] a description of each category, [3] the allowed duration of stay in the United States for each nonimmigrant visa category, [4] the annual numeric limit (or 'cap') for each nonimmigrant and LPR category, and [5] the number of visas that were issued/individuals obtaining LPR status for each category in the most recent year for which data are available."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wilson, Jill, 1974-
2021-01-26
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National Security Implications of Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Technologies [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "The fifth generation (5G) of mobile technologies will increase the speed of data transfer and improve bandwidth over existing fourth generation (4G) technologies, in turn enabling new military and commercial applications. 5G technologies are expected to support interconnected or autonomous devices, such as smart homes, self-driving vehicles, precision agriculture systems, industrial machinery, and advanced robotics. 5G for the military could additionally improve intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and processing; enable new methods of command and control (C2); and streamline logistics systems for increased efficiency, among other uses. As 5G technologies are developed and deployed, Congress may consider policies for spectrum management and national security, as well as implications for U.S. military operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.; Sayler, Kelley M.
2021-01-26
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Army Corps of Engineers: Environmental Infrastructure Assistance [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) undertakes water resources development projects pursuant to authorizing statutes and the receipt of appropriations. Traditional USACE projects for navigation, flood control, and ecosystem restoration are authorized in omnibus authorization bills often titled Water Resource Development Acts (WRDAs). Since 1992, Congress also has authorized and provided for USACE assistance with planning, design, and construction of municipal drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in specified communities, counties, and states. This assistance supports publicly owned and operated facilities, such as distribution and collection works, stormwater collection and recycled water distribution, and surface water protection and development projects. This USACE assistance is broadly labeled 'environmental infrastructure' (EI). EI authorities generally are referred to as either in one of two categories: Section 219 projects or EI projects and programs (individually referenced by their authorizing section). Section 219 of WRDA 1992 (P.L. 102-580), as amended, includes various EI assistance authorizations for projects (e.g., municipal drinking water, stormwater control) at specific geographic locations (e.g., city, county, multiple counties). Other WRDAs and some Energy and Water Development Appropriations acts also have included EI authorities--many of these are for EI programs with broader purposes and geographic scope. No Administration has ever requested authorization or appropriations for USACE to perform EI assistance. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) reviewed enacted legislation likely to include EI assistance authorities and identified authorized EI assistance in at least 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.
2021-01-26
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EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), there are five categories of employment-based visas in the permanent immigration system. The EB-5 immigrant investor visa, the fifth employment preference immigrant visa category, was created in 1990 to benefit the U.S. economy through job creation and foreign capital investment. It provides lawful permanent residence (LPR status) to foreign nationals who invest $1,800,000 or more, or $900,000 or more in a rural area or an area with high unemployment (referred to as targeted employment areas [TEAs]), in a new commercial enterprise (NCE) in the United States and create or preserve at least 10 jobs. [...] Compared with other immigrant visas, the EB-5 visa presents additional risks of fraud. Such risks are associated with difficulty verifying that investors' funds are obtained lawfully and with the visa's potential for large monetary gains, which could motivate individuals to take advantage of investors and make the visa susceptible to the appearance of favoritism. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reported improvements in fraud detection but also states it is restricted by statutory limitations. EB-5 stakeholders have voiced concerns over the delays in processing EB-5 applications and possible effects on investors and time sensitive projects as well as uncertainty generated by the short-term reauthorizations of the Regional Center Program, the most common pathway for EB-5 visas."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Argueta, Carla N.; Siskin, Alison; Straut-Eppsteiner, Holly
2021-01-26
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "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. Member pay has since 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. Members of Congress last received a pay adjustment in January 2009. [...] If Members of Congress had received every adjustment prescribed by the ECI formula since 1992, and the statutory limitation (2 U.S.C. §4501) regarding the percentage base pay increase for GS employees remained unchanged, the 2021 salary would be $218,600. When adjusted for inflation, Member salaries decreased approximately 17% from 2009 until 2020."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brudnick, Ida A.; Dwyer, Paul E.
2021-01-26
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Motor Vehicle Safety: Issues for Congress [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "Vehicle safety is a significant issue as Congress considers a replacement for the current authorization of surface transportation programs, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act; P.L. 114-94), which expires at the end of FY2021. Vehicle safety provisions were included in the Moving Forward Act(H.R. 2; 116th Congress), passed by the House of Representatives in July 2020; the legislation was not enacted. Responsibility for motor vehicle safety lies with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).The agency's performance has been controversial, in part because of its handling of the largest-ever recall, involving more than 63 million Takata airbags; since the recall was ordered in 2015, nearly 16 million potentially defective airbags have not been replaced. NHTSA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since 2017."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canis, Bill
2021-01-26
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Limits on Tricare for Reservists: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "Between 2001 and 2007, more than 575,000 members of the reserve components were ordered to active duty in support of ongoing military operations, including major combat operations in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). While on active duty, reservists and their family members have access to a wide range of health care services administered by the Department of Defense's (DOD) Military Health System (MHS). However, prior to 2005, chapter 55 of Title 10, U.S. Code, authorized little to no DOD health care services to nonactivated reservists or their family members. In 2005, Congress began examining initial impacts of frequent mobilizations on reservists, their families, and their employers. Soon after, Congress enacted a series of new or expanded health care, transitional, and other personnel benefits to mitigate certain effects associated with reserve mobilizations. Two health care programs tailored for reservists were established: [1] TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)--a premium-based health plan option available to qualified members of the Selected Reserve and their family members; and [2] TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR)--a premium-based health plan option available to so-called 'gray area' reservists--those who have retired but are too young to draw retired pay--and their family members."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mendez, Bryce H. P.; Torreon, Barbara Salazar
2021-01-26
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2020 [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "Article I, Section 6, of the U.S. Constitution requires that compensation for Members of Congress be 'ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.' 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). [...] This report contains information on actions taken affecting each pay year since the establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure. It also provides information on other floor action related to pay for Members of Congress. [...] Members of Congress only receive salaries during the terms for which they are elected. Former Members of Congress may be eligible for retirement benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brudnick, Ida A.
2021-01-26
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U.S. Health Care Coverage and Spending [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "In 2019, the United States had an estimated population of 323 million individuals. Most of those individuals had private health insurance or received health care services under a federal program (such as Medicare or Medicaid). About 9.2% of the U.S. population was uninsured. Individuals (including those who were uninsured), health insurers, and federal and state governments spent approximately $3.6 trillion on various types of health consumption expenditures (HCE) in 2019, which accounted for 16.8% of the nation's gross domestic product."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rosso, Ryan J.
2021-01-26
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [January 26, 2021]
From the Summary: "The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans, and the capacity of the U.S. shipbuilding industry to execute the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years. In December 2016, the Navy released a force-structure goal that calls for achieving and maintaining a fleet of 355 ships of certain types and numbers. The 355-ship goal was made U.S. policy by Section 1025 of the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810/P.L. 115- 91 of December 12, 2017). The Navy and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been working since 2019 to develop a successor for the 355-ship force-level goal. The new goal is expected to introduce a new, more distributed fleet architecture featuring a smaller proportion of larger ships, a larger proportion of smaller ships, and a new third tier of large unmanned vehicles (UVs)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-01-26
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, January 25, 2021: Implementation and Evolution of Mitigation Measures, Testing, and Contact Tracing in the National Football League, August 9-November 21, 2020
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Implementation and Evolution of Mitigation Measures, Testing, and Contact Tracing in the National Football League, August 9-November 21, 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-01-25
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment -- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment and the U.S. role in the world. Other observers are more skeptical that the COVID-19 pandemic will have such effects. This report provides a brief overview of some potential implications the COVID-19 pandemic might have for the international security environment and the U.S. role in the world, and a bibliography of CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports and other writings for further reading."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fischer, Hannah; Tharakan, Sara M.
2021-01-25
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Payroll Tax Credit for COVID-19 Sick and Family Leave [January 25, 2021]
From the Document: "Beginning in April 2020, employers were entitled to payroll tax credits for paid leave required in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For employers choosing to continue providing eligible paid leave, these tax credits have been extended through March 2021. The paid leave mandate, however, expired at the end of 2020. This In Focus provides an overview of the tax credits for paid leave initially provided in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127) and extended in the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted as Division N, Title II, Subtitle B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sherlock, Molly F.
2021-01-25
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Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and International Trade [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Background: "What is intellectual property (IP), and how is it protected? IP is a creation of the mind embodied in physical and digital objects. Intellectual property rights (IPR) are legal, private, enforceable rights that governments grant to inventors and artists. IPR generally provide time-limited monopolies to right holders to use, commercialize, and market their creations and to prevent others from doing the same without their permission (acts referred to as infringements). IPR are intended to encourage innovation and creative output. After these rights expire, other inventors, artists, and society at large can build on them."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Fergusson, Ian F.
2021-01-25
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FEMA Funeral Assistance for COVID-19 [January 25, 2021]
From the Document: "The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 mandated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide Funeral Assistance for deaths associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and appropriated funding to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for such purposes. This Insight discusses these provisions, and provides an overview of FEMA Funeral Assistance, including eligible expenses, considerations for determining award amounts, and applicant eligibility criteria per FEMA's guidance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webster, Elizabeth M.
2021-01-25
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Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Document: "Since the early 1960s, when the United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba, the centerpiece of U.S. policy toward Cuba has consisted of economic sanctions aimed at isolating the Cuban government. [...] President Trump unveiled his Administration's Cuba policy in 2017, introducing new sanctions and rolling back efforts to normalize relations. By 2019, the Administration had largely abandoned engagement and, from 2019 to January 2021, significantly increased sanctions (see discussion below)-especially on travel and remittances-to pressure the Cuban government on human rights and for its support of the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro. Most observers expect the Biden Administration to shift U.S. policy toward Cuba back to focusing on engagement and away from the numerous sanctions imposed in recent years. During the U.S. election campaign, President Biden said he would reverse Trump Administration policies, maintaining they harmed the Cuban people without advancing democracy and human rights."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2021-01-25
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Executive Order 14005: Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers
From the Document: "It is the policy of my Administration that the United States Government should, consistent with applicable law, use terms and conditions of Federal financial assistance awards and Federal procurements to maximize the use of goods, products, and materials produced in, and services offered in, the United States. The United States Government should, whenever possible, procure goods, products, materials, and services from sources that will help American businesses compete in strategic industries and help America's workers thrive. Additionally, to promote an accountable and transparent procurement policy, each agency should vest waiver issuance authority in senior agency leadership, where appropriate and consistent with applicable law."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-01-25
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Executive Order 14004: Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform
From the Document: "All Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States ('Armed Forces') should be able to serve. The All-Volunteer Force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the rigorous standards for military service, and an inclusive military strengthens our national security. It is my conviction as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces that gender identity should not be a bar to military service. Moreover, there is substantial evidence that allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military does not have any meaningful negative impact on the Armed Forces. To that end, in 2016, a meticulous, comprehensive study requested by the Department of Defense found that enabling transgender individuals to serve openly in the United States military would have only a minimal impact on military readiness and healthcare costs. The study also concluded that open transgender service has had no significant impact on operational effectiveness or unit cohesion in foreign militaries."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-01-25
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Risk Assessment and Testing Considerations for SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Congregate Care Facilities
From the Objective: "The purposes of this document are to: 1. Help managers and administrators of congregate care facilities (CCFs), such as assisted living facilities (ALFs), memory care units, and federally subsidized senior housing, assess the risk of Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in their facilities, and 2. Identify key considerations in developing a screening program to regularly test residents and staff for the virus. In addition, because nearly half the states eased visitor restrictions for CCFs at least temporarily by fall of 2020, we offer considerations for testing of visitors."
Duke University. Margolis Center for Health Policy; Rockefeller Foundation
Van Houtven, Courtney H.; Anderson, David; Gill, Mira . . .
2021-01-25
