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Belarus: An Overview [Updated September 17, 2021]
From the Document: "Since August 2020, authorities in Belarus have engaged in a wide-ranging political, media, and civil society crackdown that human rights monitors have called 'unprecedented' and 'catastrophic.' About 35,000 Belarusians reportedly have been detained or imprisoned; about 675 are considered political prisoners. Several have been killed or have died under suspicious circumstances. In addition to persecuting opposition members and protest participants, authorities have intensified repression against independent media and civil society organizations (including U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty), journalists, and human rights defenders. The United States, the European Union (EU), and others have called for an end to the crackdown and for the government to hold free and fair presidential elections. The crackdown in Belarus emerged in response to the rise of a mass opposition movement, on a scale unseen since Belarus became independent in 1991 (Belarus previously was part of the Soviet Union). The movement arose out of protests against allegedly widespread electoral fraud in the wake of an August 2020 presidential election, during which opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya mounted an unexpectedly strong campaign against Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for more than 27 years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Welt, Cory
2021-09-17
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FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation: The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program [Updated September 17, 2021]
From the Document: "The majority of funding for hazard mitigation [hyperlink] comes from FEMA, which administers three Hazard Mitigation Assistance [hyperlink] (HMA) programs and also funds Public Assistance [hyperlink] mitigation measures funded under Section 406 of the Stafford Act. The 6% BRIC set-aside has increased pre-disaster mitigation funding significantly; however, post-disaster mitigation [hyperlink] still receives far more resources. Because the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and PA [public assistance] mitigation funds are only available to states following a major disaster declaration, they cannot be targeted at areas with greater risk of future losses. As a result, disasters determine to a great extent where the federal government invests in disaster resilience, and this may not correlate with the greatest risks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-09-17
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National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority [Updated September 17, 2021]
From the Document: "Funding for the NFIP [hyperlink] is primarily maintained in an authorized account called the National Flood Insurance Fund [hyperlink] (NFIF). The NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] is funded from receipts from the premiums of flood insurance policies, including fees and surcharges; direct annual appropriations for specific costs of the NFIP [hyperlink] (only for flood mapping); and borrowing from the Treasury when the NFIF's balance has been insufficient to pay the NFIP's obligations (e.g., insurance claims). Since the end of FY2017, 16 short-term NFIP reauthorizations have been enacted. For further details of these reauthorizations, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight IN10835, 'What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?' The current reauthorization is set to expire on September 30, 2021. These extensions did not increase the NFIP's borrowing limit or provide additional funds to the NFIP."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-09-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4035, Real Justice for Our Veterans Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on July 21, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 4035 would authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide grants to local governments for improving retention rates in veterans treatment court and drug court programs, specialized programs that integrate substance use treatment services with criminal proceedings. The bill also would allow veterans to participate in a regular drug court if no veterans treatment court is available. H.R. 4035 would require DOJ to report to the Congress three years after enactment on the effectiveness of veterans treatment court programs, including an assessment of access to such programs for women and people in various demographic groups. The bill would authorize appropriations of $3 million annually over the 2022-2027 period for the grant program. Using historical rates of spending for similar activities, CBO estimates that DOJ would spend $8 million over the 2021-2026 period to implement the provision, with the remaining amount spent after 2026. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that the cost to produce the report would be less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period; any such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1339, Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on July 28, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 1339 would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish an interagency working group on advanced air mobility (AAM) consisting of representatives from at least eight federal agencies. The working group would evaluate the policies and infrastructure necessary to advance AAM operations, coordinate with state and local governments and the private sector, develop recommendations, and report to the Congress. For the purposes of this estimate, CBO assumes the bill will be enacted by the end of calendar year 2021. Using information from DOT and based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1339 would cost $1 million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2123, Pray Safe Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 14, 2021. From the Document: "S. 2123 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish information regarding the safety and security of faith-based organizations and houses of worship, including best practices for those entities and information on relevant federal and state grant programs. The bill would require DHS to establish and administer a website as the primary federal source for that information within nine months of enactment. The agency also would be required to designate at least one employee to assist website users and report to the Congress annually on the bill's implementation. Using information from DHS about similar programs, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost about $2 million in 2022 and $1 million each year thereafter, for a total of $6 million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. That estimate includes the cost of about 10 employees who would establish the site and compile information required in the bill and about five employees who would update the site annually, assist users, and report to the Congress."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-17
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COVID-19 Intellectual Property Waiver: Threats to U.S. Innovation, Economic Growth, and National Security
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, as well as growing economic and strategic competition from China and other traditional competitors such as Russia, have made innovation, economic growth, and national security top policy concerns. All three are threatened by the Biden Administration's support for the proposed intellectual property (IP) waiver at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Biden Administration should retract its support for the continuing negotiations of the IP waiver, and, if it fails to do so, then Congress should refuse to enact any implementing legislation of this waiver of the international commitment to honor the protection of IP rights. Commentary about the proposed IP waiver at the WTO originally focused on its theft of patents for vaccines and other medical treatments for the COVID-19 virus. As Heritage Foundation Research Fellow James Roberts explained recently, the IP waiver would facilitate the global theft of the patents that made possible the private investments necessary in creating new technologies like the mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] vaccines that were invented and mass produced in unprecedented time. The IP waiver would obliterate international protection for patent rights while leaving unaddressed the real problems that are impeding global distribution of vaccines to those who still need these vital medicines--problems such as eliminating the trade restrictions prohibiting international distribution of vaccines and creating distribution and transportation infrastructures in the developing world necessary to distribute the vaccines in those countries."
Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)
Mossoff, Adam
2021-09-17
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U.S. Military Withdrawal and Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated September 17, 2021]
From the Summary: "On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital of Kabul, completing a rapid takeover over the country with a speed that surprised many Afghans and Americans alike. The Taliban's advance came as the United States was completing the military withdrawal to which it agreed in the February 2020 U.S.-Taliban accord. The U.S. military and diplomatic withdrawal and evacuation operation concluded on August 30, 2021, with the departure of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. The fall of the elected Afghan government, which had been supported by billions of dollars in U.S. assistance over the course of nearly two decades, raises significant questions about past, present, and future U.S. policy for Members of Congress. This report provides material related to select questions associated with U.S. policy in Afghanistan[.] [...] The report concludes with some strategic considerations Congress may wish to contemplate as it assesses the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for the future."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs); McGarry, Brendan W.; McInnis, Kathleen J. . . .
2021-09-17
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Associations Between the Perceived Severity of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Cyberchondria, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Lockdown Experience: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
From the Introduction: "Since 2020, hundreds of millions of people have been infected with COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and millions of people have died [...]. Due to its long incubation period, high infectiousness, and high risk of death if not treated promptly, COVID-19 has become a major public health emergency worldwide [...]. Public health emergencies, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 [...], Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012 [...], and Ebola virus disease in 2014 [...] have significantly harmed people's lives, caused people to suffer economic losses, and caused severe psychological trauma. The impacts of these events on economic development may be alleviated in the short term, but their impacts on social stability and mental health may be long-term [...]. Studies have shown that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people experienced varying degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms [...], which lasted over 4 weeks[.]"
JMIR Publications
Han, Lei; Zhan, Yanru; Li, Weizi . . .
2021-09-16
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 37, September 16, 2021
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "Upcoming COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccination and testing requirements for EMS [emergency medical services] agencies"; "Lessons learned from 9/11 and responders' evolving roles in today's threat environment"; "FEMA updates National Risk Index"; "Webinar: CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] Cybersecurity Advisor discusses the cyber threat landscape and resources from CISA"; "Ransomware Risk Management: Draft NISTIR [National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency (or Internal) Report] 8374 available for comment"; "MS-ISAC [Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center]: End-of-Support Software Report - September 2021"; "Hackers could increase medication doses through infusion pump flaws"; "Microsoft rolls out passwordless login for all Microsoft accounts."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-09-16
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President Biden's U.S. Circuit Court Nominees (As of August 31, 2021): Overview and Comparative Analysis [September 16, 2021]
From the Document: "This Insight provides, as of August 31, 2021, demographic and other background information related to President Biden's U.S. circuit court nominees. It also provides comparative historical data for the U.S. circuit court nominees of his three immediate predecessors (Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush). A circuit court [hyperlink] determines whether or not the law was applied correctly by a trial court [hyperlink] or by a federal administrative agency. A President's nominees to U.S. circuit court vacancies have often been of particular interest to the Senate given that circuit courts are often the first and final level of appeal for many cases heard in the federal judicial system [hyperlink] (barring a relatively rare decision by the U.S. Supreme Court [hyperlink] to accept an appeal to review a decision by a circuit court)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McMillion, Barry J.
2021-09-16
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COVID-19 Testing: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated September 16, 2021]
From the Introduction: "This report provides answers to numerous questions related to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] testing. These include, among others, questions about the types of tests and their uses, where individuals can access testing, funding for testing-related efforts, and how different payers will reimburse providers for testing. As testing for various purposes is now widely available, questions continue to arise about the settings where people can access testing, and how payment for such testing and accompanying services occurs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sarata, Amanda K.; Heisler, Elayne J., 1976-; Lee, Erica A. . . .
2021-09-16
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FY2022 Electronic Warfare Funding Trends [Updated September 16, 2021]
From the Document: "Many defense analysts consider electronic warfare [hyperlink] (EW), which disrupts an adversary's command and control networks, a critical 21st -century combat capability. During a March 19, 2021, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems hearing [hyperlink], several EW experts noted that China and Russia have developed sophisticated EW expertise. Such expertise raises potential concerns that either country may challenge the U.S. military's ability to access the electromagnetic spectrum. At the hearing, Representative Langevin remarked, 'Future combat will be less about the capability of individual weapon systems and more about how a network of systems communicate and work together through the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.' EW has become a priority issue for both the executive branch and Congress. To facilitate congressional oversight, this Insight analyzes changes in FY2019-FY2022 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) and procurement funding requests, tracks the proportions of RDT&E investments by budget activity, and examines funding trends within military departments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.; Leahy, Katherine
2021-09-16
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World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations [September 16, 2021]
From the Document: "World Trade Organization (WTO) members are currently negotiating a multilateral agreement to curb fisheries subsidies that lead to excess capacity, which may contribute to overfishing, as well as those that support illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Subsidies are defined as a financial contribution, made by a government or any public body that confers a benefit, and are generally considered to be trade distorting. They provide cost advantages to subsidized fisheries and disadvantage unsubsidized fisheries. Negotiations began in 2001 at the Doha Ministerial Conference and the mandate was renewed at the 11th Ministerial Conference in 2017, with a goal of concluding negotiations by 2020. WTO members missed that goal due to persistent disagreements on certain issues and delays caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. Members hope to conclude negotiations before the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) is set to begin on November 30, 2021. Many observers view a successful outcome of the talks, which is the only ongoing multilateral trade negotiation, as important to preserving the WTO's credibility and relevance as a negotiating body. Members of Congress have generally supported prior U.S. negotiating efforts to ban harmful fisheries subsidies at the WTO."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wong, Liana
2021-09-16
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Drought in the United States: Science, Policy, and Selected Federal Authorities [September 16, 2021]
From the Document: "Drought―a deficiency of moisture that results in adverse effects―occurs to some extent almost every year in areas of the United States. Droughts can simultaneously reduce available water supplies and increase demands for water. Drought has the potential to affect economic and environmental conditions on local, regional, and national scales, as well as to cause disruptions in water supplies for households and communities. Droughts are a component of climate variability and may be seasonal, multiyear, or multi-decadal in duration. According to an August 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the physical science of climate change, variable precipitation and rising temperatures are intensifying droughts in some U.S. regions. According to the report, certain types of droughts, such as those causing agricultural impacts, are expected to be more likely in the western and central regions of the United States in the future."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stern, Charles V.; Lipiec, Eva; Benson, Lisa S. . . .
2021-09-16
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Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief [Updated September 16, 2021]
From the Document: "U.S.-Israel security cooperation--a critical part of the bilateral relationship--is multifaceted. U.S. law requires the executive branch to take certain actions to preserve Israel's 'qualitative military edge,' or QME, and expedites aid and arms sales to Israel in various ways. Additionally, a 10- year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)--signed in 2016--commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and to spend $500 million annually on joint missile defense programs from FY2019 to FY2028, subject to congressional appropriations. Israel was the first foreign country to purchase and operate the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Congress also has authorized and encouraged bilateral cooperation in a number of specific security-related areas, including anti-tunnel defense and countermeasures for drone aircraft. Additional issues to be discussed below with significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations include: Challenges facing the Israeli power-sharing government that took office in June 2021, headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Israeli-Palestinian issues, including the aftermath of May 2021 Israel-Gaza Strip violence, some human rights considerations and heightened scrutiny of U.S. aid, and Israel's normalization of relations with various Arab states. Concerns about Iran's nuclear program and regional influence, including with Lebanon-based Hezbollah. 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
2021-09-16
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Joint Cybersecurity Advisory: APT Actors Exploiting Newly Identified Vulnerability in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus
From the Summary: This joint advisory is the result of analytic efforts between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Coast Guard Cyber Command (CGCYBER), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to highlight the cyber threat associated with active exploitation of a newly identified vulnerability (CVE-2021-40539) in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus--a self-service password management and single sign-on solution."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency; United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States. Coast Guard. Cyber Command
2021-09-16
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Origins of SARS-CoV-2: A Critical Review
From the Summary: "Since the first reports of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, there has been intense interest in understanding how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in the human population. Recent debate has coalesced around two competing ideas: a 'laboratory escape' scenario and zoonotic emergence. Here, we critically review the current scientific evidence that may help clarify the origin of SARS-CoV-2."
Elsevier; Cell Press
Holmes, Edward C.; Goldstein, Stephen A.; Rasmussen, Angela L. . . .
2021-09-16
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Minimizing Risk with FPGAs and Hardware-Based Security
From the Summary: "Conventional data security technology has entered a mode of persistent escalation. System designers invest heavily in design and validation, while attackers continually uncover, exploit, and share new vulnerabilities. The result is a stream of updates and patches to close known attack methods. To slow the evolution of new threats and protect vulnerable systems from malicious actors, a paradigm shift and a new approach is needed. Hardware-based cybersecurity using field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology provides stronger, more cost effective protection for devices used by critical infrastructure, military, and intelligence organizations. Unlike the CPUs [central processing units] that power software firewalls, FPGAs are limited to a finite number of possible states, greatly reducing the scope of potential implementation flaws or vulnerabilities."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency; Owl Cyber Defense
2021-09-16
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 629, GAO Database Modernization Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 14, 2021. From the Document: "S. 629 would require federal agencies to report to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) whenever the agency revokes, suspends, replaces, amends, or makes ineffective a rule. Such reports must include a description of the provisions of the rule. The requirement would terminate in six years. Because the bill would not impose a significant additional administrative burden on federal agencies or GAO, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 629 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-15
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 533, Guidance Clarity Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 14, 2021. From the Document: "S. 533 would require federal agencies to include text in their guidance documents to clarify that such guidance is not legally binding. Guidance documents typically explain how regulations are interpreted by the agency but do not carry the force of law. Agencies disseminate guidance to the public in memorandums, notices, bulletins, directives, news releases, letters, blog posts, or speeches. CBO expects that placing a clarifying statement in each guidance document would not significantly increase agencies' administrative costs. CBO estimates that the administrative expenses associated with implementing S. 533 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022[-]2026 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 533 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-15
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Child Tax Credit: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Child Credit for 2021 as Expanded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2) [Updated September 15, 2021]
From the Document: "In March of 2021, Congress passed legislation significantly expanding the child tax credit for one year as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2). ARPA expanded the eligibility for and the amount of the credit for 2021, especially for low- and middle-income taxpayers. The law also directed the Treasury Secretary to establish a program to advance up to half of the total credit amount 'before' 2021 income taxes are filed. This is a departure from most other tax benefits, which are typically delivered annually in a lump sum after federal income tax returns are filed. The 117th Congress is considering proposals to extend and/or modify the temporary child credit expansion included in APRA. In April 2021, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal released a discussion draft of the Building an Economy for Families Act that includes a provision to permanently extend the ARPA changes to the child credit. The Biden Administration has proposed making the full refundability provision included in ARPA permanent, while extending other ARPA provisions through the end of 2025. This report provides answers to selected frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the ARPA-expanded child credit for 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
2021-09-15
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Provider Relief Fund: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated September 15, 2021]
From the Summary: "The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) was established in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. [Public Law] 116-136) to reimburse, through grants or other mechanisms, eligible health care providers for increased expenses or lost revenue attributable to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The CARES Act provided $100 billion to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus, domestically and internationally. The amounts were subsequently increased by $78 billion, with $75 billion added in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPHCEA, P.L. 116-139) and $3 billion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260). The latter was the first time the Provider Relief Fund was referred to in statute and required changes to the fund's reporting requirements and requirements for future fund allocations. The answers to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) in this report provide overview information on the PRF, how funds have been allocated, and the fund's requirements for provider reporting. In addition, this report describes the use of the PRF to pay providers for providing coronavirus testing, treatment, and vaccines to uninsured individuals and the use of the fund to pay providers for costs associated with vaccinating individuals who are underinsured (e.g., who do not have insurance that covers vaccine administration)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Heisler, Elayne J., 1976-
2021-09-15
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Federal Debt Levels on Presidential Inauguration Days [September 15, 2021]
From the Document: "This Insight presents data on federal debt on or near Inauguration Days since 1961 taken from U.S. Treasury statements. 'Table 1' presents current-dollar debt levels. 'Table 2' presents inflation-adjusted debt levels. Finally, 'Table 3' presents debt as a proportion of the U.S. economy. Levels for August 2, 2021, the first business day after the most recent reset of the debt limit, and September 14, 2021, the date of the most recent Daily Treasury Statement [hyperlink], are also included."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2021-09-15
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Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy [Updated September 15, 2021]
From the Document: "Venezuela, under the authoritarian rule of Nicolás Maduro, remains in a deep economic and humanitarian crisis worsened by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Maduro has consolidated power over all of Venezuela's democratic institutions since his narrow 2013 election following the death of President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). His United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) took de facto control of the National Assembly, the last independent branch of government, in January 2021. Maduro has quashed dissent and resisted international pressure to step down since his reelection in a May 2018 presidential vote that was widely condemned as fraudulent. Meanwhile, international support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, the former National Assembly president once regarded as interim president by the United States and nearly 60 other countries, has dissipated. The Biden Administration and Congress have maintained pressure on Maduro and support for Guaidó. U.S. policy could change, however, if recently restarted negotiations between the opposition and Maduro officials bring meaningful progress toward democracy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2021-09-15
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Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Backgroundand Issues for Congress [Updated September 15, 2021]
From the Summary: "The Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program is a program to acquire three new PSCs (i.e., heavy polar icebreakers), to be followed years from now by the acquisition of up to three new Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) (i.e., medium polar icebreakers). The PSC program has received a total of $1,754.6 million (i.e., about $1.8 billion) in procurement funding through FY2021, including $300 million that was provided through the Navy's shipbuilding account in FY2017 and FY2018. With the funding the program has received through FY2021, the first two PSCs are now fully funded. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2022 budget requests $170.0 million in procurement funding for the PSC program, which would be used for, among other things, procuring long leadtime materials (LLTM) for the third PSC."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-09-15
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Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated September 15, 2021]
From the Summary: "NSCs [National Security Cutters] are the Coast Guard's largest and most capable general-purpose cutters; they are replacing the Coast Guard's 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters. NSCs have an estimated average procurement cost of about $670 million per ship. Although the Coast Guard's POR [program of record] calls for procuring 8 NSCs to replace the 12 Hamilton-class cutters, Congress through FY2021 has fully funded 11 NSCs, including the 10th and 11th in FY2018. In FY2020, Congress provided $100.5 million for procurement of long lead time materials (LLTM) for a 12th NSC, so as to preserve the option of procuring a 12th NSC while the Coast Guard evaluates its future needs. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2022 budget requests $78.0million in procurement funding for activities within the NSC program; this request does not include further funding for a 12th NSC. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2022 budget also proposes rescinding $65.0 million of the $100.5 million in FY2020 funding for LLTM for a 12th NSC, 'allowing the Coast Guard to focus investments on building, homeporting, and crewing Polar Security Cutters and Offshore Patrol Cutters.' The remaining $35.5 million appropriated in FY2020 for LLTM would be used to pay NSC program costs other than procuring LLTM for a 12th NSC. Nine NSCs have entered service; the ninth was commissioned into service on March 19, 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-09-15
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Pursuant to the President's Memorandum on Restoring the Department of Justice's Access-To-Justice Function
From the Document: "In response to your May 18 Memorandum, the Justice Department has engaged in an extensive 120-day stakeholder review. Our review surfaced significant gaps in equal access to justice and revealed inequities that have become exacerbated as a consequence of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The Justice Department is committed to meeting today's difficult moment. As this report explains in more detail, based upon our coordination with the Office of Management and Budget and our extensive conversations with a wide-ranging group of stakeholders, the Justice Department will immediately launch a phased strategic plan to restore and expand our access-to-justice function."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Attorney General
2021-09-15
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4350, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on September 10, 2021. From the Bill Summary: "H.R. 4350 would authorize appropriations totaling an estimated $770.3 billion over the 2022-2024 period. Nearly all of that amount, $767.6 billion for 2022, would be specifically authorized for defense programs and activities of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy. An additional $2.7 billion would be authorized for the Maritime Administration and various other nondefense programs over the 2022-2024 period--$2.5 billion in specified authorizations and $0.2 billion in estimated authorizations. Of those amounts, a total of $2.5 billion would be authorized for 2022. CBO estimates that appropriation of the authorized amounts would increase outlays by $743.1 billion over the 2022-2026 period. The bill also contains provisions that would affect the costs of defense programs that would be funded with discretionary appropriations in 2023 and future years. Those provisions mainly would affect force structure, compensation and benefits, and multiyear procurement of weapons systems. CBO has analyzed the costs of some of those provisions and estimates that they would, on a net basis, increase the cost of those programs compared to current law by about $12.2 billion over the 2023-2026 period. The net costs of those provisions in 2023 and beyond are not included in the total amount of outlays described above because CBO expects that appropriations for those activities would be specifically authorized in National Defense Authorization Acts in future years."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-09-15
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COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Immigration Medical Examination
From the Purpose: "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual [hyperlink] regarding health-related grounds of inadmissibility in accordance with recently updated requirements issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The updated guidance, which is effective October 1, 2021, requires applicants subject to the immigration medical examination to submit COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccination records before completion of immigration medical examinations conducted in the United States and overseas."
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
2021-09-14
