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Offshore Royalty Relief: Status During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Updated May 13, 2020]
From the Document: "U.S. oil and gas producers face financial challenges stemming from demand reduction, oversupply, and commodity price drops during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Some Members of Congress have asked the Department of the Interior (DOI) to offer 'royalty relief' on federal oil and gas leases--a temporary reduction or waiver of the royalties that companies pay the federal government on production from these leases. Some other Members have opposed a comprehensive royalty relief program for federal oil and gas producers. DOI has stated that affected producers may apply for royalty relief individually using existing options, clarifying that the Department does not plan to pursue a new program of blanket royalty relief at this time."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Comay, Laura B.
2020-05-13
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Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Recent Developments [Updated May 12, 2020]
From the Document: "Established through enacted legislation in 1975 (P.L. 94-163), the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR, 42 U.S.C. §6231 et seq.) was created to reduce the impact of petroleum supply disruptions and to carry out obligations under the International Energy Program (IEP, a multilateral treaty--25 UST 1685--that requires signatories to maintain emergency petroleum reserves). The SPR is authorized to hold up to 1 billion barrels of petroleum products. Physical storage capacity is currently 714 million barrels of crude oil and SPR inventories were 635 million barrels as of April 17, 2020. As U.S. net petroleum imports started declining in the mid-2000s, IEP reserve volume requirements declined as well. As a result, Congress began selling SPR crude oil to pay for other legislative priorities. Since 2015, Congress has enacted seven laws that mandate the sale of 271 million barrels of SPR crude during the period of fiscal year (FY) 2017 through FY2028. Additionally, Congress has authorized SPR oil sales up to $2 billion to pay for SPR facility modernization. Steep and rapid oil price declines in early March motivated suspension of an FY2020 modernization sale. As oil market oversupply increased and prices continued declining, using the SPR to provide some degree of relief to the U.S. oil sector is one policy option that has been explored."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brown, Phillip (Specialist in Energy Policy)
2020-05-12
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COVID-19: The Employee Retention Tax Credit [Updated May 12, 2020]
From the Document: "The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) includes an employee retention payroll tax credit intended to help businesses retain employees during the Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, public health emergency. Employee retention remains a policy concern, as a number of economic sectors have announced layoffs resulting from the COVID-19 induced economic fallout. Unemployment insurance claims have surged following these widespread layoffs. This Insight summarizes the employee retention tax credit in the CARES Act, makes comparisons to previous employee retention tax credits enacted as disaster tax relief, and highlights some economic and policy considerations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sherlock, Molly F.
2020-05-12
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Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Impact in Africa [Updated May 11, 2020]
From the Document: "As Congress considers the global impact of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], some Members may examine the implications for sub-Saharan Africa ('Africa'). Most African health systems struggle with low capacity, trailing world averages in per capita numbers of doctors, hospital beds, ventilators, and oxygen cylinders. Although lessons from past disease outbreaks (e.g., recent Ebola outbreaks) led some countries to quickly ramp up disease surveillance and behavior change campaigns, overall state capacity tends to be low. Confirmed caseloads in Africa have been relatively low to date, but may be underreported. The pandemic has disrupted efforts to prevent and contain other diseases, including polio, measles, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. [...] African economies have been severely affected. Global prices for key commodity exports (e.g., oil, natural gas, and certain minerals) have cratered. Job-rich sectors such as transportation and tourism are largely suspended, and remittances from African workers abroad have withered. Informal workers have lost meager incomes due to COVID-19 control measures, and prices for basic goods have risen. In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that African economies would contract by 1.6% overall in 2020, the most severe regional recession in decades. The World Bank estimated that 23 million more Africans could fall into extreme poverty due to the pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Arieff, Alexis; Blanchard, Lauren Ploch; Cook, Nicolas . . .
2020-05-11
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Summary: "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. Observers who argue the COVID-19 pandemic could be world-changing for the international security environment and the U.S. role in the world have focused on several areas of potential change. [...] Issues for Congress may include whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic could change the international security environment, whether the Trump Administration's actions for responding to such change are appropriate and sufficient, and what implications such change could have for the role of Congress in setting and overseeing the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy. Congress's decisions regarding these issues could have significant and even profound implications for U.S. foreign and defense policy, and for the status of Congress as a co-equal branch relative to the executive branch in setting and overseeing the implementation of U.S. foreign and defense policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.; Moodie, Michael, 1948-
2020-05-08
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U.S.-Iran Conflict and Implications for U.S. Policy [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "Since May 2019, U.S.-Iran tensions have heightened significantly, and evolved into conflict after U.S. military forces killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and one of Iran's most important military commanders, in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. The United States and Iran have appeared to be on the brink of additional hostilities since, as attacks by Iran-backed groups on bases in Iraq inhabited by U.S. forces have continued."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth; Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs); McInnis, Kathleen J.
2020-05-08
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Federal Legislation Shielding Businesses and Individuals from Tort Liability: A Legal and Historical Overview [May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "When a person believes that he or she has sustained an injury because of someone else's negligent or wrongful conduct, the injured party can potentially file a tort lawsuit seeking money damages from the alleged wrongdoer. In recent months, many plaintiffs have filed tort lawsuits alleging that they contracted COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] or otherwise sustained COVID-19-related injuries because of someone else's unlawful conduct. For example, after a Walmart employee contracted COVID-19 and died, his brother filed a lawsuit alleging that Walmart caused the employee's death by negligently failing to provide him with personal protective equipment, enforce social distancing guidelines, and disinfect the store. Policymakers and commentators have debated whether Congress should enact legislation reducing defendants' potential exposure to COVID-19-related tort liability."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lewis, Kevin M.
2020-05-08
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High Court Tosses Bridgegate Convictions [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Update: "On May 7, 2020, a unanimous Supreme Court threw out the federal fraud convictions of two former New Jersey officials whose politically motivated scheme redirected access to toll lanes on the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York leading to gridlock. The federal fraud statutes at issue condemn schemes to obtain money or property. The High Court concluded that the 'property' envisioned does not include a governmental entity's interest in the regulatory allocation of its resources, such as access to lanes on its toll bridges; nor does it include the value of the services of public employees whose efforts are incidental to implementing such a regulatory choice. As the Supreme Court reasoned, '[t]o rule otherwise would undercut [the] Court's oft-repeated instruction: Federal prosecutors may not use property fraud statutes to set[] standards of disclosure and good government for local and state officials.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2020-05-08
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COVID-19, U.S. Agriculture, and USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) [May 8, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report describes some of the actions that USDA has taken in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] emergency, including CFAP [Coronavirus Food Assistance Program]--in particular, how CFAP is funded and how USDA intends to use the funds. The description of USDA COVID-19 response efforts is preceded by: first, a brief review of food supply chain issues where the U.S. agricultural sector has experienced economic harm or is potentially vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, a review of current assessments of the economic harm to U.S. farm income, as well as to individual commodity sectors, resulting from COVID-19. The report then describes the emergency funds that have been allocated to address the U.S. agricultural sector, and how USDA plans on using those funds, including a detailed description of CFAP producer payments, and USDA's food purchase and distribution efforts. [...] Finally, several issues related to CFAP and the U.S. agricultural sector in a post-COVID economy that could be of potential interest to Congress are presented at the end of this report."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, Jim
2020-05-08
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Army's AimPoint Force Structure Initiative [May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "The 2018 National Military Strategy describes how the U.S. military is to defend the homeland and retain its competitive advantage to deter competitors and defeat adversaries, whether great power competitors like China and Russia or other security challenges. It is a fundamental departure from other National Military Strategies post-September 11 , which focused on counterinsurgency and defeating violent extremist organizations. In essence, the 2018 National Military Strategy refocuses the Army from fighting counterinsurgencies and violent extremist organizations to countering and possibly confronting Russian and Chinese military forces. The Army's new AimPoint initiative is intended to be the means to build the force structure needed to implement this new focus."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2020-05-08
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Defense Primer: The Defense Logistics Agency [May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "Established under Title 10, Sections 191 and 192, of the United States Code (U.S.C.), the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a single Department of Defense (DOD) agency responsible for supply or service activities common to all military departments. Section 193 of Title 10 identifies DLA as a combat support agency, a designation that according to DLA, 'gives DLA a formal oversight relationship with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and allows combatant commanders to request specific support from the agency.' Under these authorities, the agency manages the global supply chain for DOD and its partners by providing procurement, storage, distribution, disposition, and other technical services to its customers. DLA is one of several organizations that are essential to the Joint Logistics Enterprise (see Joint Publication 4-0)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Herrera, G. James; Kaileh, Hibbah
2020-05-08
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Supplemental Appropriations for Agriculture and Related Agencies Due to COVID-19 [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "In March and April 2020, Congress passed and the President signed four supplemental appropriations acts in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic (P.L. 116-123, P.L. 116-127, P.L. 116-136, and P.L. 116-139; Table 1). This In Focus summarizes over $36 billion of appropriations and policy changes in the jurisdiction of the Agriculture appropriations subcommittees. These supplemental appropriations acts are referred to here by order of passage."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Monke, Jim
2020-05-08
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COVID-19: Supply Chain Disruptions in the U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Industry: In Brief [May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. fruit and vegetable industry entered 2020 following a difficult 2019 characterized by both lower prices and reduced production in some sectors. By broad market category, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that grower prices for both fruits and tree nuts and vegetables and pulses began 2020 at low levels, with expectations for continued price declines. In mid-March 2020, the foodservice industry, which accounts for a substantial share of the produce industry's sales, was largely shut down as most states closed all but essential businesses in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. This situation resulted in major supply chain disruptions for the U.S. produce industry. [...] On April 15, 2020, in an effort to lessen labor disruption impacts on the industry, the Department of Homeland Security and USDA announced a temporary final rule to change certain H-2A visa requirements. Related concerns involve the potential effects if farmworkers and other produce industry workers become ill from the virus, as happened in some U.S. meatpacking plants. COVID-19 outbreaks have disrupted meat processing and caused some shortages of certain meat products in grocery stores."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Johnson, Renée
2020-05-08
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COVID-19: Global Implications and Responses [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Overview: "Congressional interest in the global implications of pandemics and the novel coronavirus pandemic is high, with over 50 pieces of related legislation introduced in the 116th Congress to date (see CRS Report R46319, 'Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): Q&A on Global Implications and Responses').The virus, which is believed to have started in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, is now named 'severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2' (SARSCoV-2) and is known by the disease it causes, 'coronavirus disease 2019' (COVID-19). The virus has spread across the globe and is now concentrated in the United States and Europe. As of May 7, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 3.6 million people had contracted the disease, with over 250,000 deaths. WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on January 30 and labeled it a 'pandemic' on March 11."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tharakan, Sara M.; Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji; Gottron, Frank . . .
2020-05-08
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Legal Issues Related to the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Overview [Updated May 8, 2020]
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak has rapidly shifted the congressional agenda in recent weeks, while altering the daily lives of millions of American residents. Alongside the many medical, economic, social, and public policy questions raised by the pandemic are a range of legal issues. These include both short-term legal questions related to the unfolding outbreak as well as longer-term legal issues that are anticipated to persist in the wake of the crisis. Among the most immediate questions are those related to the scope of state and federal authorities concerning quarantine measures, travel and entry restrictions, the movement of medical goods, health care coverage, and the like. Of more ongoing concern may be legal issues ranging from those related to the development of vaccines, testing, treatments, and other medical countermeasures, to postponing national elections, to civil liability for COVID-19 exposure, to criminal actions related to hoarding and price gouging, to providing economic assistance to individuals and businesses, to foreclosure, eviction, and debt collection moratoria. This Legal Sidebar provides a list of legal resources discussing these and other legal topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be updated intermittently as additional legal issues emerge."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lewis, Caitlain Devereaux
2020-05-08
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Small Businesses and COVID-19: Relief and Assistance Resources [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Document: "This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight presents selected websites and CRS products potentially relevant to small businesses that are directly affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and seeking economic relief and assistance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kreiser, Maria
2020-05-07
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) and COVID-19 [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not currently have a specific standard that protects healthcare or other workers from airborne or aerosol transmission of disease or diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. Some in Congress, and some groups representing healthcare, meat and poultry processing, and other workers, are calling on OSHA to promulgate an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect workers from exposure to SARS-Cov-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] , the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority in the past--not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2020-05-07
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Unauthorized Immigrants' Eligibility for COVID-19 Relief Benefits: In Brief [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Introduction: "Of the 44.4 million foreign-born individuals residing in the United States in 2017, about one-quarter (10.5 million) were estimated to be unauthorized immigrants. Nearly two-thirds of unauthorized immigrants have resided in the United States for over 10 years. The degree to which unauthorized immigrants should be accorded certain rights and privileges as a result of their residence in the United States has long been the subject of congressional interest, which has been heightened amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the congressional response to its impact on the economy. Prior to 1996, there was no uniform rule governing which categories of foreign nationals (i.e., 'aliens' ) residing in the United States were eligible for which government-provided benefits and services. Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193) established comprehensive restrictions on the eligibility of noncitizens for federal public benefits. These restrictions applied to the majority of non-naturalized (i.e., non-U.S. citizen) foreign-born persons, including lawful permanent residents (also known as green card holders), asylees and refugees, nonimmigrants, and unauthorized immigrants. This report focuses exclusively on the unauthorized population; it outlines their eligibility for federal benefits generally, and for benefits included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) specifically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kolker, Abigail F.
2020-05-07
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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the 'Gerald R. Ford' (CVN-78) class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) aircraft carrier program. The Navy's proposed FY2021 budget requests $2,714.2 million (i.e., about $2.7 billion) in procurement funding for the program. Congress's decisions on the CVN-78 program could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-05-07
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U.S.-European Relations in the 116th Congress [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Document: "Since the end of the Second World War, successive U.S. Administrations and many Members of Congress have supported a close U.S. partnership with Europe. Often termed the 'transatlantic relationship,' the U.S.-European partnership encompasses NATO, the European Union (EU), and extensive bilateral political and economic ties. Over the past 70 years, political tensions, trade disputes, and changes in the security landscape have tested U.S.-European relations. Despite periodic difficulties, U.S. and European policymakers have valued the transatlantic partnership as serving their respective geostrategic and economic interests."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin
2020-05-07
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U.S.-Proposed Missile Technology Control Regime Changes [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Introduction: "In March 2018, the United States submitted a proposal to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) partners that would relax the regime's export guidelines for certain Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Advocates of altering the guidelines to ease such exports argue that increasing competition from foreign UAS manufacturers is undermining the competitive advantage of their U.S. counterparts. Other observers have emphasized the need to maintain the MTCR's standards, which are widely regarded as effective."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kerr, Paul K.
2020-05-07
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Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Background: "The Trump Administration has conducted multiple investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862, as amended) to determine if certain imports threaten to impair national security. President Trump acted after five separate investigations found potential threats; two additional investigations are ongoing. Prior to the Trump Administration, 1986 was the last time a president imposed tariffs or other trade restrictions under Section 232, based on a 1983 investigation into imports of machine tools. Recent action under Section 232 has generated considerable debate in Congress and at the multilateral level. Some in Congress favor legislative initiatives to amend the congressional delegation of authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jones, Vivian Catherine; Fefer, Rachel F.
2020-05-07
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U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress regarding the U.S. role in the world, meaning the overall character, purpose, or direction of U.S. participation in international affairs and the country's overall relationship to the rest of the world. The U.S. role in the world can be viewed as establishing the overall context or framework for U.S. policymakers for developing, implementing, and measuring the success of U.S. policies and actions on specific international issues, and for foreign countries or other observers for interpreting and understanding U.S. actions on the world stage."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; Moodie, Michael, 1948-
2020-05-07
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Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) [May 7, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers a suite of programs that assists farmers and ranchers with recovering from a natural disaster. Most of these programs are permanently authorized and receive funding from mandatory sources. In recent years, Congress has supplemented these programs with additional assistance, often referred to as ad hoc assistance. In 2018, USDA created the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) to implement the bulk of this ad hoc assistance. USDA has implemented two versions of WHIP along with multiple subprograms and block grants to states. This In Focus provides an overview of WHIP and its components."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2020-05-07
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Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA): Workers' Compensation for Federal Employees [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) is the workers' compensation program for federal employees. Like all workers' compensation programs, FECA pays disability, survivors, and medical benefits, without regard to who was at fault, to employees who are injured or become ill in the course of their federal employment and to the survivors of employees killed on the job. The FECA program is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) and the costs of benefits are paid by each employee's host agency. U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees currently comprise the largest group of FECA beneficiaries and are responsible for the largest share of FECA benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2020-05-07
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Federal Election Commission: Membership and Policymaking Quorum, in Brief [Updated May 7, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the nation's civil campaign finance regulator. The agency ensures that campaign fundraising and spending is publicly reported; that those regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and by commission regulations comply and have access to guidance; and that publicly financed presidential campaigns receive funding. [...] This CRS report briefly explains the kinds of actions that FECA precludes when a quorum is not possible because fewer than four FEC members are in office. This episode marks the second quorum loss in the agency's history--the first occurred for six months in 2008--leaving the commission unable to hold hearings, issue rules, and enforce campaign finance law and regulation. The agency remains open for business with remaining commissioners and regular staff, but new policy decisions and enforcement actions cannot be advanced or finalized."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garrett, R. Sam, 1977-
2020-05-07
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Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): EPA and State Actions [May 7, 2020]
From the Document: "Many fluorinated and chlorinated substances, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). Multiple scientific assessments conclude that anthropogenic GHGs (e.g., carbon dioxide [CO2], HFCs, and CFCs) have been a major driver of observed climate change since 1950. Recent legislative proposals--S. 2754, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2019, and H.R. 5544, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Leadership Act of 2020--would establish a schedule to reduce domestic HFC production and consumption. S. 2754 and H.R. 5544 would require implementation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and an 85% reduction by 2036 compared to a 2011-2013 baseline."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shouse, Kate C.
2020-05-07
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [May 6, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report presents background information and issues for Congress concerning the Navy's force structure and shipbuilding plans. The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the capacity of the naval shipbuilding industry, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-05-06
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U.S. Foreign Assistance [Updated May 6, 2020]
From the Background: "Foreign assistance is an instrument of U.S. policy through which the U.S. government provides resources to another country's government, civil society, or other private sector entity on a grant or concessional loan basis. Most U.S. foreign assistance is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC); the U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture (USDA), the Treasury, and Defense (DOD); or is channeled through multilateral organizations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Marian Leonardo
2020-05-06
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Intelligence Community Support to Pandemic Preparedness and Response [May 6, 2020]
From the Introduction: "Congressional interest in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) includes understanding its origins, how it evolved into a global pandemic, and the effectiveness of measures to mitigate its impact on communities. Multiple government agencies are involved in responding to these queries both domestically and globally. The Intelligence Community (IC), for example, supports disease surveillance efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The use of surveillance in the COVID-19 response has raised concerns among privacy and civil liberties advocates about what 'surveillance' means, and which government agencies are responsible for implementing surveillance programs. There are also questions some have raised about what the United States knows about the origins of the pandemic and when it first learned of its existence. This In Focus describes and explains the IC's specific role in pandemic preparedness and response."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeVine, Michael E.
2020-05-06
