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COVID-19: Pandemic Lessons Highlight Need for Public Health Situational Awareness Network, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has drawn attention to the urgent need for public health officials to access realtime information about emerging threats to enable them to make timely, responsive decisions. For over a decade, federal law has mandated that HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] improve the nation's situational awareness of these threats. The most recent mandate, enacted in 2019, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on HHS's efforts to implement these improvements. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act also included a provision for GAO to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal response to the pandemic. This report examines (1) the extent to which HHS has made progress toward implementing the requirements in the 2019 act; and (2) the challenges and lessons learned from COVID-19 that HHS could incorporate in planning for a situational awareness and biosurveillance network."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Interagency Council on Homelessness: Written Policies for Implementing Statutory Requirements Are Needed, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The mission of USICH [United States Interagency Council on Homelessness] is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and partner with the private sector and state and local governments to prevent and end homelessness. Under its governing statute, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, USICH must perform certain duties and functions, such as annually updating its national strategic plan to end homelessness, providing technical assistance to state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, and recommending improvements to programs that assist homeless individuals. House Report No. 116-452 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review USICH's policies and procedures to ensure compliance with certain statutory requirements. This report addresses policies and procedures USICH used in fiscal years 2017-2021 to perform duties and functions under its governing statute and comply with certain appropriations requirements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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COVID-19: Agencies Increased Use of Some Regulatory Flexibilities and Are Taking Steps to Assess Them, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Federal regulations can generate substantial benefits to society, but benefits can diminish if regulations are not adapted to meet emerging public needs. Federal agencies have implemented regulatory flexibilities to address the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic's substantial effect. Regulatory flexibilities are actions taken, at least in part, to temporarily reduce regulatory burdens or constraints imposed on regulated entities. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its COVID-19 pandemic oversight efforts. GAO was also asked to look at regulatory flexibilities available to agencies in responding to COVID-19. For this report, GAO examines (1) agencies' implementation of regulatory flexibilities in response to the pandemic; (2) the plans, policies, and other tools selected agencies used to identify and design regulatory flexibilities; and (3) efforts these selected agencies took to assess the impacts of regulatory flexibilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Pandemic Response Listening Session
From the Executive Summary: "On Oct. 21-22, 2021, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) hosted a national-level pandemic response listening session at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The 2-day session provided an opportunity for the over 40 national stakeholder representatives to discuss the challenges and impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic on fire departments, emergency medical services (EMS), 911 dispatch telecommunicators and other response agency operations. These discussions provided insight to the complexity of the pandemic response as participants discussed their challenges and provided their proposed potential solutions that spanned state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) boundaries. To aid the discussion, issues were divided into 4 categories: 1. Workforce. 2. Logistics and supply chain. 3. Business operations and continuity. 4. Agency funding, grants and reimbursement. Many of the participants' issues and solutions spanned 2 or more categories and recurred throughout the discussions. Stakeholders identified the following impacts within each category."
United States Fire Administration
2022-06
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global GDP Growth
From the Abstract: "This paper describes one of the first attempts to gauge the effect of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic on the global trajectory of real GDP [gross domestic product] over the course of 2020 and 2021. It is also among the first efforts to distinguish between the role of domestic variables and global trade in transmitting the economic effects of COVID-19. We estimate panel data regressions of the quarterly growth in real GDP on pandemic variables for 90 countries over the period 2020 Q1 through 2021 Q4. We find that readings on the number of COVID-19 deaths had a very small effect in our aggregate sample. On the other hand, changes in the stringency of the lockdown measures taken by governments to restrict the spread of the virus were an important influence on GDP. The economic effects of the pandemic differed between rich and poor countries: COVID-19 deaths exerted a somewhat greater drag on GDP in advanced economies, whereas lockdown restrictions were more injurious to economic activity in emerging and developing economies. In addition to these domestic pandemic effects, global trade represented a significant channel through which the economic effects of the pandemic spilled across national borders. This finding underscores how globalization makes each country vulnerable not only to medical contagion from the COVID-19 pandemic, but to economic contagion as well."
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Gagnon, Joseph E.; Kamin, Steven, 1957-; Kearns, John
2022-06
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Safety Net During the Pandemic: Childcare, Paid Leave, and Income-Support Programs
From the Kay Points: "[1] A new longitudinal survey suggests that the full-time employment rate for all working-age adults declined in the first few months after the pandemic hit but largely recovered by September 2021. However, women experienced a more dramatic drop in full-time employment than did men overall. [2] Survey results also suggest that the limited supply of childcare did not drive these employment declines, but rather, parental job loss and fears over COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] reduced the demand for childcare services among parents. [3] The percentage of workers from our sample with access to paid leave increased from 44 to 55 percent throughout the pandemic. Leave-taking during the past six months also increased throughout the pandemic, from 16 to 32 percent; however, a sizable percentage reported an unmet need for leave in the previous six months, and this group increased from 15 to 32 percent throughout the pandemic. [4] The existing safety net (including Congress's expansions) proved an important resource to many households in our sample throughout the pandemic. Results suggested that a notable share of participants were new to programs, especially recipients of unemployment insurance."
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Rachidi, Angela
2022-06
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Middle East Studies at the Marine Corps University: MES Insights, Volume 13 Issue 3, June 2022
This edition of the MES Insights published by the Middle East Studies (MES) program of the Marine Corps University contains the following article: "Engaging Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean During a Time of Crisis" by Lionel Segantini. From the document: "Turkey is an important economic and strategic actor in the Eastern Mediterranean, the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region, Central Asia and the Black Sea, and Europe. The EU must seize the opportunity offered by the current geopolitical situation on its eastern flank to make a firm commitment to Turkey, invite it into a new European security architecture, and quell tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The polarization of NATO and the EU toward Russia and its allies presents a risk to Erdoğan's brinkmanship. As a Turkish ally in the Eastern Mediterranean, the United States has a role to play in addressing the various intertwined issues in coordination with the EU. However, the United States and the EU should not be naive about Erdoğan's short-term objectives and should only accept tangible progress within a binding timeframe. Resuming the Cyprus negotiation to stabilize the region and integrating Turkey into the regional energy hub are the major challenges to establishing a healthy regional climate to attract and retain investors. Western diplomats and politicians need to understand Erdoğan's motivations and ambitions in the Eastern Mediterranean and MENA regions in order to ease and address his sense of there being a containment strategy against him."
Marine Corps University (U.S.). Middle East Studies
2022-06
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Climate and Health Outlook: Extreme Heat, June 2022
From the Document: "Welcome to the second edition of the Climate and Health Outlook from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE). The Climate and Health Outlook is an effort to inform health professionals and the public on how our health may be affected in the next 30 and 90 days by climate events and provide resources to take proactive action. This edition focuses on the months of June-August, 2022 and uses the most current long-term temperature forecasts that come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to illustrate how extreme heat poses a health risk for all Americans."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services; United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. Office of Climate Change and Health Equity
2022-06
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Vaccination Against COVID-19 Among the Armed Forces of the Western Hemisphere: Readiness, Force Protection, and International Cooperation
From the Induction: "In March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, there was a highly publicized viral outbreak in the Indo-Pacific region on the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt that led to the infection of 1,200 sailors, including one death. The event took place during moments of high uncertainty, charged partisan politics in Washington DC, and increasing tensions in the South China Sea, and resulted in the ship's captain being relieved of his command and the resignation of the Secretary of the Navy soon thereafter. However, more importantly the episode highlighted the impact of the pandemic on operational readiness and force protection, and potentially international cooperation activities with allies and partners. Fortunately, the international community now has several highly effective vaccines to curb the pandemic's impact and a number of anti-viral treatments have also emerged. In broad terms, readiness refers to the armed forces' ability to carry out a range of missions and operations on short or with very little notice. The component parts of readiness include personnel, equipment, supplies, training, ordnance, electronic networks, and infrastructure. Force protection alludes to preventive measures taken to mitigate hostile or adverse actions and/or events against defense sector personnel including their families, resources facilities, and critical information. For the purposes of this paper, international cooperation refers to a wide range of positive sum collaborative efforts between allied and partner military institutions including but not limited to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance in cases of natural disasters and combined training exercises."
William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
Godnick, William, 1970-
2022-06
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Cloud Computing: DOD Needs to Improve Workforce Planning and Software Application Modernization, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In fiscal year 2022, DOD plans to spend approximately $38.6 billion on unclassified IT investments. To help drive cloud adoption, OMB [Office of Management and Budget] requires agencies to modernize, retire, or consolidate their portfolios of software applications--a process known as application rationalization. OMB also requires agencies to use TBM [Technology Business Management] to categorize IT [information technology] and cloud-related spending. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess DOD's reported use of cloud services. This report examines the extent to which (1) DOD's planned cloud strategy addresses key requirements in OMB's federal cloud strategy, (2) the department has plans for developing and implementing an enterprise-wide application rationalization process, and (3) DOD is using TBM to track and report spending data for cloud services."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Federal Budget: Selected Agencies and Programs Used Strategies to Manage Constraints of Continuing Resolutions, Report to Congressional Requestors
From the Highlights: "In all but 3 of the last 46 fiscal years, Congress enacted a CR [continuing resolution]. This allowed federal agencies and programs to continue operations when Congress and the President had not reached agreement on and enacted their regular appropriations by the start of the federal fiscal year. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how CRs affect federal agencies and programs. This report describes (1) the history and characteristics of CRs for fiscal years 2010 through 2022 and (2) how selected agency and program operations and services to the public have been affected by CRs, as well as the actions taken to mitigate these effects. GAO reviewed enacted CR legislation and selected agency- and program-specific documents. GAO selected three agencies and programs based on criteria such as whether they provide benefits and services to individuals with low incomes and receive the majority of their funds through discretionary, 1-year appropriations. The three agencies and programs selected were USDA's [United States Department of Agriculture] Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, Education's PBI [Predominantly Black Institutions] Formula Grants, and HHS' [Department of Health and Human Services's] LIHEAP [Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program]. GAO interviewed selected agency budget officials, program staff, and a nongeneralizable sample of program recipients and national organizations that represent program recipients."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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K-12 Education: Student Population Has Significantly Diversified, but Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic Lines, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "It is widely recognized that a history of discriminatory practices has contributed to inequities in education, intertwined with disparities in wealth, income, and housing. Because district boundaries typically define the schools a student can attend and public education is partially funded by local property tax revenues, lower-income communities generally have fewer resources available for schools. For example, GAO previously reported that students who are poor, Black, and Hispanic generally attend schools with fewer resources and worse outcomes. GAO was asked to examine the prevalence and growth of segregation in K-12 [kindergarten through twelfth grade] public schools. This report examined the extent of (1) racial, ethnic, and economic divisions in K-12 public schools, and (2) district secession and any resulting student demographic shifts. To determine the extent of divisions along racial, ethnic, and economic lines in schools, GAO analyzed demographic data from Education's Common Core of Data by school type, region, and community type, covering school years 2014-15 to 2020-21, the most recent available data since GAO last reported on this topic in 2016. To identify the number and location of districts that seceded from school year 2009-10 through 2019-20, GAO analyzed and compared school district data from the Common Core of Data for the new and remaining districts in the year after secession to identify and describe any differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Roadmap to Federal Resources for Disaster Recovery
From the Introduction: "This Roadmap to Federal Resources for Disaster Recovery (Roadmap) helps state, local, tribal, and territorial entities and other interested parties navigate some of the challenges commonly encountered following a disaster. The Roadmap describes how available federal funding programs can align to support potential solutions for the identified challenges. This resource is the result of a collaborative effort among departments and agencies across the federal government that work together to help communities recover from a disaster."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2022-06
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Social Security Disability, SSA Expedited Most Critical Cases at Hearings Level but Lacks Consistent Policy Implementation, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Individuals who do not agree with an initial decision on a claim for Social Security disability benefits can appeal and eventually receive a hearing before an administrative law judge. SSA [Social Security Administration] prioritizes certain disability appeals as critical for medical or financial reasons in order to resolve them more quickly. From fiscal years 2010 through 2020, SSA identified about 425,000 critical cases out of over 7 million appeals at the hearings level. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review challenges that disability applicants who file appeals face. GAO examined (1) how SSA identifies critical cases at the hearings level and (2) the extent to which SSA expedites these cases. [...] GAO is making two recommendations: that SSA (1) review the use of documentation of dire needs situations for consistency and (2) examine its handling of cases that indicate homelessness, eviction, or other critical need, to ensure these are expedited in accordance with policy. SSA agreed with our recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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COVID-19 -- Farmers to Families Food Box Program Administration -- Interim Report
From the What OIG [Office of the Inspector General] Found: "The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers programs that create domestic and international marketing opportunities for United States producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Department-- under AMS--established the Farmers to Families Food Box Program (Food Box Program) to connect food to non-profits through regional and local distributors. As the responsible agency, AMS released a solicitation requesting proposals from regional and local distributors to supply the following food box types: fresh fruits and vegetables; pre-cooked meat (chicken and pork); dairy products; and fluid milk. On May 8, 2020, AMS announced awards for the first round of purchases-- totaling up to $1.2 billion--for the period of performance May 15, 2020, through June 30, 2020 (hereafter referred to as 'Round 1'). We found that AMS designed the solicitation for the Food Box Program according to the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Departmental guidance. Additionally, we found that AMS substantially adhered to the funding allocation decisions described in the solicitation. Finally, while AMS established a panel to evaluate the Food Box Program proposals, we found that the agency did not always award Round 1 contracts in accordance with the specified requirements of the solicitation."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Inspector General
2022-06
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White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis
From the Executive Summary: "The United States is facing a maternal health crisis. Our country's maternal mortality rate is the highest of any developed nation in the world and more than double the rate of peer countries, and most pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. Beyond maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity impacts far too many families. Each year, thousands of women experience unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to their health such as heart issues, the need for blood transfusions, eclampsia, and blood infections. Systemic barriers, together with a failure to recognize, respect and listen to patients of color, has meant that Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, regardless of income or education, experience a greater share of these grave outcomes, as do rural women. The challenge in front of us extends beyond healthy pregnancy and outcomes. For far too many mothers and families, pregnancy and childbirth are traumatic experiences, lacking in dignity and respect, and too often resulting in complications, mistreatment, and high medical bills. For too long, we have allowed preventable deaths, life-altering complications, and untreated mental health and substance use disorders to persist. And the continued attacks on women's fundamental rights, including restrictions on abortion and family planning, are undermining the ability for women to be safe and healthy."
United States. White House Office
2022-06
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COVID-19: U.S. Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance
From the Document: "CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] uses several data sources and systems to track antimicrobial resistance in the United States and abroad. Knowing where and how changes in resistance are occurring helps us find solutions to prevent spread and slow resistance, especially in outbreak responses. Recently, the United States has been building a solid foundation for public health preparedness to address antimicrobial resistance. [...] More resources are needed to continue establishing a resilient public health system that can maintain capacity to respond to antimicrobial resistance while also responding to other threats. Without an infrastructure and supply chains grounded in preparedness, critical antimicrobial resistance data will be delayed again when the next threat emerges. We must address gaps identified before the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, including expanding the public health workforce, increasing local access to the best detection tools and technology, and expanding global lab capacities." This document includes charts, tables, and graphs to illustrate the text.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
Antibiotic Resistance Coordination and Strategy Unit
2022-06
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Tribal Broadband: National Strategy and Coordination Framework Needed to Increase Access, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Broadband is critical to modern life. Despite federal efforts, broadband access on tribal lands has traditionally lagged behind the rest of the country. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal efforts for improving broadband on tribal lands. This report examines: (1) the extent to which federal funding programs have supported the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands; (2) barriers tribes and providers face in accessing federally funded programs to serve tribal lands; and (3) the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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Maritime Cargo Security: CBP Should Provide Additional Guidance for Certain Non-Containerized Cargo Inspections, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In 2020, non-containerized cargo accounted for about 32 percent of the $1.5 trillion total maritime cargo value. Non-containerized cargo includes goods, such as liquids, grains, and those transported individually or packaged and shipped on pallets or crates. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CBP's [U.S. Customs and Border Protection 's] policies and procedures for securing non-containerized maritime cargo. This report examines the extent to which CBP's inspections of inbound non-containerized maritime cargo vary across selected U.S. seaports. GAO reviewed CBP policies, procedures, and documentation for inspecting inbound non-containerized maritime cargo. GAO also interviewed CBP headquarters and field officials to gather information about how the agency implemented the policies and procedures. This included interviewing officials from a non-generalizable sample of 11 U.S. seaports and four field offices. GAO selected seaports that varied based on port size (i.e. total volume of cargo processed), types of non-containerized maritime cargo processed, and geographic location. [...] GAO recommends that CBP (1) identify additional actions that CBP personnel at seaports should take to address the identified risks of crated cargo and (2) update national maritime cargo processing guidance to reflect the identified actions. The Department of Homeland Security concurred with these recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-06
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COVID-19 -- Food and Nutrition Service's Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer -- Interim Report
From the What OIG [Office of the Inspector General] Found: "The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT), administered by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), provided benefits loaded on EBT cards for the purchase of food in lieu of the meals that the children would have received in school. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) authorized the establishment of P-EBT temporary assistance for households with children affected by school closures due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Secretary authorized $37.1 billion to the States from P-EBT's March 18, 2020, inception through March 31, 2021, with the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval. We also found that during the period reviewed, FNS conducted outreach activities--such as webinars, phone calls, and written documentation--to maximize State participation in P-EBT assistance. Finally, FNS did not develop formal procedures to distribute P�'EBT funds because P-EBT provided temporary emergency assistance benefits. Instead, FNS used the legislative eligibility requirements to develop State plan templates and released guidance for State agencies to submit their proposed plans to FNS for approval. We did not identify any issues that would warrant recommendations; therefore, we are not making any recommendations in this report."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Inspector General
2022-06
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Atlas Dogma: The Trump Administration's Embrace of a Dangerous and Discredited Herd Immunity Via Mass Infection Strategy
From the Executive Summary: "For the past two years, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis has been investigating the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic to ensure the American people receive a full accounting of what went wrong and to determine what corrective steps are necessary to ensure our nation is better prepared for any future public health crisis. To those ends, the Select Subcommittee has conducted an exhaustive investigation into the extent to which senior Trump Administration officials undermined the federal public health response in an attempt to advance former President Donald Trump's perceived political interests. This report is the first installment of the Select Subcommittee's findings showing that the Trump Administration's political interference was rampant and degraded every major facet of the nation's public health response during the first year of the pandemic."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Reform. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
2022-06
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U.S. Electricity Sector: Summer 2022 Outlook [May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "Ahead of summer 2022, federal officials have released several warnings about anticipated reliability risks and higher electricity prices compared to 2021. This analysis summarizes these warnings and provides additional information, should Congress consider oversight or other actions in response to these warnings. Demand for electricity peaks in much of the country during the summer, as air conditioning use increases. Losing access to electricity--either from power outages or affordability challenges--may be especially impactful (and potentially life threatening) during the hotter times of the year. In part, officials' warnings stem from ongoing trends, such as energy commodity price increases, retirement of coal-fired power plants, increased use of natural gas and renewable energy sources, and drought conditions in the West. Other contributing factors are relatively new, including Russia's war in Ukraine."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Ashley J.
2022-05-31
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Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions [Updated May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "For over 15 years, the United States has imposed sanctions in response to activities of the Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. The earliest sanctions imposed related to Venezuela's lack of cooperation on antidrug and counterterrorism efforts. The Obama Administration imposed targeted sanctions against individuals for human rights abuses, corruption, and antidemocratic actions. The Trump Administration expanded economic sanctions in response to the increasing authoritarianism of President Nicolás Maduro (in power since 2013)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2022-05-31
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Army's Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) [Updated May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress has expressed concern about the threat to U.S. national security posed by Russia and China. The Army contends in order to address the threat, it must be able to operate in a multi-domain (air, land, water, space, cyber, information) environment, requiring new operational concepts, technologies, weapons, and units. The Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) is the Army's self-described 'organizational centerpiece' of this effort."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2022-05-31
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2022 Hurricane Outlooks and 2021 Hurricane Season Review [May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "Many in Congress have expressed interest in increasing scientific understanding of tropical cyclones and improving forecasts to help their constituents prepare for the yearly hurricane season and potentially decrease a storm's impact on an individual or community. The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for issuing tropical cyclone forecasts, including track, intensity, storm surge, and rainfall. [...] In May 2022, NOAA issued its initial 2022 Atlantic hurricane outlook [hyperlink], indicating a 65% likelihood of an above-normal season rather than a near- (25%) or below-normal season (10%). The predicted number of named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes was similar to the number predicted in August 2021 for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA indicated that the higher level of activity is attributed to climate factors [hyperlink], such as the ongoing periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (La Niña phenomenon), warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced West African monsoon system."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lipiec, Eva
2022-05-31
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Department of Defense Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems [Updated May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly called drones, have proliferated rapidly and are available to nation states and to nonstate actors and individuals. These systems could provide U.S. adversaries with a low-cost means of conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against--or attacking--U.S. forces. Furthermore, many smaller UASs cannot be detected by traditional air defense systems due to their size, construction material, and flight altitude. As a result, in FY2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to spend at least $668 million on counter-UAS (C-UAS) research and development and at least $78 million on C-UAS procurement. As DOD continues to develop, procure, and deploy these systems, congressional oversight of their use may increase, and Congress may have to make decisions about future authorizations, appropriations, and other legislative actions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.; Sayler, Kelley M.
2022-05-31
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COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated May 31, 2022]
From the Summary: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters; loan guaranty and venture capital programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has become especially acute in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's widespread adverse economic impact on the national economy. This report provides a brief description of the SBA's programs and examines congressional action to assist small businesses during and immediately following the Great Recession (2007- 2009) and during the COVID-19 pandemic[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2022-05-31
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U.S. Economic Recovery in the Wake of COVID-19: Successes and Challenges [May 31, 2022]
From the Introduction: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption to the basic functioning of the economy in spring 2020. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), an independent, nonprofit research group, the U.S. economy experienced a two-month recession in March and April of 2020. The recession was the deepest since the Great Depression, with gross domestic product (GDP) falling by the largest percentage in one quarter in the history of the data series and unemployment rising to its highest monthly rate in the history of that series. Just as economic activity had declined at a historically fast pace, it also started to recover at a historically fast pace. In May 2020, a new economic expansion began, spurred in large part by the historic nature of both fiscal and monetary stimulus throughout the initial months of the pandemic. The recovery continued throughout 2020 and 2021, bolstered by additional stimulus, the gradual loosening of travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders, and the eventual rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. [...] This report details the initial economic impact of the pandemic and the ways in which the economy has recovered and continues to recover. This report further explores the ways in which this shock and recovery have been unusual and what this all might mean for the economy in the coming months and years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc; Weinstock, Lida R.
2022-05-31
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Export-Import Bank: New Domestic Financing Initiative [May 31, 2022]
From the Document: "The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank or the Bank) [hyperlink] has launched a 'Make More in America Initiative' [hyperlink] to support 'export-oriented domestic manufacturing projects.' The initiative extends some of the Bank's existing demand-driven, export-contingent financing programs to a more domestic focus (see 'Table 1'). The Biden Administration [hyperlink] states that the initiative will help in 'revitalizing American manufacturing, improving the resiliency of our supply chains, and leveling the playing field for American companies competing in overseas markets.' The initiative raises issues for Congress regarding the Bank's authorities, operations, and effectiveness."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias
2022-05-31
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World Trade Organization [Updated May 27, 2022]
From the Document: "The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established on January 1, 1995, following the ratification of the Uruguay Round Agreements, and today includes 164 members. It succeeded the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), created as part of the post-WWII effort to build a stable, open international trading system. The WTO has three basic functions: (1) administering its agreements; (2) serving as a negotiating forum for new trade liberalization and rules; and (3) providing a mechanism to settle disputes. [...] The GATT/WTO system over time has led to a significant reduction of trade barriers, supported trade expansion and economic growth, and helped manage trade frictions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Fefer, Rachel F.
2022-05-27
