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Immigration Relief for Victims of Trafficking [October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "Human trafficking occurs throughout the United States, and traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals for commercial sex and forced labor in a variety of legal and illegal industries. [...] under federal law there are certain protections from removal that are sometimes available to noncitizen victims of trafficking. [1] Noncitizen victims of trafficking are potentially eligible for the T nonimmigrant status, which protects them from removal and provides a path to permanent residency. [2] U nonimmigrant status is available to certain noncitizen victims of crime and may be available to trafficking victims who do not qualify for T status; the U status also provides a path to permanent residency. [3] Trafficking victims may be eligible for continued presence, which is not an immigration status but can offer protection from removal, among other benefits. This report provides a brief overview of human trafficking in the United States, discusses these three types of immigration relief available to trafficking victims, and presents relevant issues policymakers may consider regarding immigration protections available to these victims."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kolker, Abigail F.; Finklea, Kristin
2020-10-28
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Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Global Magnitsky Act, Title XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114- 328; 22 U.S.C. §2656 note) authorizes the President to impose economic sanctions and deny entry into the United States to any foreign person identified as engaging in human rights abuse or corruption."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weber, Michael A.; Collins-Chase, Edward J.
2020-10-28
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China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "In an era of renewed great power competition, China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has become the top focus of U.S. defense planning and budgeting. [...] The U.S. Navy in recent years has taken a number of actions to counter China's naval modernization effort. Among other things, the U.S. Navy has shifted a greater percentage of its fleet to the Pacific; assigned its most-capable new ships and aircraft and its best personnel to the Pacific; maintained or increased general presence operations, training and developmental exercises, and engagement and cooperation with allied and other navies in the Indo-Pacific; increased the planned future size of the Navy; initiated, increased, or accelerated numerous programs for developing new military technologies and acquiring new ships, aircraft, unmanned vehicles, and weapons; begun development of new operational concepts (i.e., new ways to employ Navy and Marine Corps forces) for countering Chinese maritime A2/AD [anti-access/area-denial] forces; and signaled that the Navy in coming years will shift to a more-distributed fleet architecture that will feature a smaller portion of larger ships, a larger portion of smaller ships, and a substantially greater use of unmanned vehicles. The issue for Congress is whether the U.S. Navy is responding appropriately to China's naval modernization effort."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-10-28
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Title X Family Planning Program [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Introduction: "The Title X Family Planning Program (Title X) was enacted in 1970 as Title X of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). Title X provides grants to public and nonprofit agencies for family planning services, research, and training. The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers Title X, which is the only domestic federal program devoted solely to family planning and related preventive health services. This In Focus answers questions on Title X, legislative mandates, and other family planning programs, and it identifies resources for Title X projects during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Napili, Angela
2020-10-28
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'California v. Texas': The Fate of the Affordable Care Act [October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in 'California v. Texas' (consolidated with the related case 'Texas v. California'), a constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) individual mandate. The suit also seeks to invalidate the ACA's many other provisions, which cover a range of issues such as the regulation of private health insurance, changes to public health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare, funding for preventive health care programs, drug regulation, and nutritional content display at restaurants. This Sidebar provides background on the ACA's individual mandate, including relevant prior litigation, followed by a discussion of the 'California v. Texas' case, including the parties' arguments in the case. It concludes with some select considerations for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Liu, Edward C.
2020-10-27
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Guyana: An Overview [Updated October 27, 2020]
"From the Document: "Located on the north coast of South America, English-speaking Guyana has characteristics of a Caribbean nation because of its British colonial heritage (the country became independent in 1966). Guyana participates in Caribbean regional organizations, and its capital Georgetown serves as headquarters for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional integration organization. In 2020, Guyana has faced two major challenges--a political crisis concerning the conduct of the March 2, 2020, elections, and a public health threat due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2020-10-27
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European Union: Questions and Answers [Updated October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries. The EU is the latest stage in a process of integration begun after World War II, initially by six Western European countries, to foster interdependence and make another war in Europe unthinkable. The EU currently consists of 27 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin
2020-10-27
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Nigeria: #EndSARS Protests Against Police Brutality [October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "Since early October, large youth-led protests against police abuses have shaken cities across Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. The demonstrations emerged after video circulated on social media purporting to show an extrajudicial killing by members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the national Nigeria Police Force (NPF) responsible for investigating violent offenses. SARS personnel previously had been implicated in extensive human rights abuses by what the U.S. State Department describes as 'credible international organizations.' In response to protesters' calls to disband SARS--a demand amplified on Twitter and other social media via the hashtag #EndSARS--President Muhammadu Buhari announced on October 11 that the unit would be dissolved and its officers retrained and redeployed as part of a new task force. Demonstrations and social media campaigns have continued, with activists criticizing SARS's dissolution as insufficient and calling for additional reforms, including accountability for past abuses and higher police salaries to reduce incentives for extortion. The government has cracked down on the unrest; since mid-October, security forces, including military personnel, reportedly have killed dozens of protesters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Husted, Tomas F.
2020-10-27
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Federal Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology [October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "Law enforcement agencies' use of facial recognition technology (FRT), while not a new practice, has received increased attention from policymakers and the public. In the course of carrying out their duties, federal law enforcement agencies may use FRT for a variety of purposes. [...] This report provides an overview of federal law enforcement agencies' use of FRT, including the current status of scientific standards for its use. The report includes a discussion of how FRT may be used by law enforcement agencies with traditional policing missions as well as by those charged with securing the U.S. borders. It also discusses considerations for policymakers debating whether or how to influence federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies' use of FRT."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Finklea, Kristin; Harris, Laurie A.; Kolker, Abigail F. . . .
2020-10-27
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U.S.-China Strategic Competition in South and East China Seas: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated October 27, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress regarding U.S.-China strategic competition in the South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS). In an international security environment described as one of renewed great power competition, the South China Sea (SCS) has emerged as an arena of U.S.-China strategic competition. U.S.-China strategic competition in the SCS forms an element of the Trump Administration's more confrontational overall approach toward China, and of the Administration's efforts for promoting its construct for the Indo-Pacific region, called the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). [...] The issue for Congress is whether the Trump Administration's strategy for competing strategically with China in the SCS and ECS is appropriate and correctly resourced, and whether Congress should approve, reject, or modify the strategy, the level of resources for implementing it, or both. Decisions that Congress makes on these issues could substantially affect U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-10-27
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Heroes Act: Revenue Provisions [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress continues to consider proposals intended to alleviate the economic effects associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, pandemic. One such proposal, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R. 6800), was introduced in the House on May 12, 2020, and passed by the House on May 15, 2020. To date, the Senate has not considered H.R. 6800. A revised version of The Heroes Act (H.R. 8406) was introduced on September 29, 2020. The House adopted the revised version of the Heroes Act on October 1, 2020, as a House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 925. [...] Consideration of The Heroes Act follows enactment of other laws addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Those laws are (1) the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-123); (2) the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127); (3) the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136); and (4) the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (P.L. 116-139)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sherlock, Molly F.; Gravelle, Jane; Crandall-Hollick, Margot L. . . .
2020-10-26
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Israel's Qualitative Military Edge and Possible U.S. Arms Sales to the United Arab Emirates [October 26, 2020]
From the Overview: "This report provides background and analysis on a possible U.S. sale of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other advanced weaponry to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in light of select U.S. policy considerations, including the maintenance of Israel's Qualitative Military Edge (QME) over neighboring militaries, as well as concerns about an arms race and strategic competition with other arms suppliers. The F-35 is the United States' most advanced stealthy, fifth generation combat aircraft. Its proposed sale, along with other items, to the UAE comes amidst broad support in Congress for an Israel-UAE normalization agreement announced in August 2020 and signed in September 2020. U.S.-UAE relations on security matters have been close for more than 20 years, and successive Administrations, with authorization from Congress, have sold the Emiratis sophisticated U.S. weaponry, such as the F-16 Desert Falcon."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell; Zanotti, Jim; Katzman, Kenneth . . .
2020-10-26
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China Issues New Export Control Law and Related Policies [October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "On October 17, 2020, the Standing Committee of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), passed the Export Control Law of the People's Republic of China, which goes into effect on December 1, 2020[.] The passage follows three rounds of legislative deliberations since China's cabinet, the State Council, first presented a draft to the NPC in June 2017. The law realizes a longstanding Chinese government goal of elevating and consolidating ministry-level export control authorities under one national-level legal and policy framework. The new law defines China's export control authorities as a joint mechanism of units under both the State Council and the Central Military Commission that perform export control functions. The action is part of a broader effort by China's President Xi Jinping to build out national security authorities and reflects themes--such as China's right to development--as broad justifications for national security-related trade actions. The final language includes several new provisions that appear aimed at creating a Chinese policy counterweight to the U.S. government's use of export control authorities to restrict the transfer of U.S. dual-use technology to China, including provisions for retaliatory action and extraterritorial jurisdiction."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sutter, Karen M.
2020-10-26
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Semiconductors: U.S. Industry, Global Competition, and Federal Policy [October 26, 2020]
From the Summary: "Semiconductors, tiny electronic devices based primarily on silicon or germanium, enable nearly all industrial activities, including systems that undergird U.S. technological competitiveness and national security. Many policymakers see U.S. strength in semiconductor technology and fabrication as vital to U.S. economic and national security interests. The U.S. semiconductor industry dominates many parts of the semiconductor supply chain, such as chip design. Semiconductors are also a top U.S. export. Semiconductor design and manufacturing is a global enterprise with materials, design, fabrication, assembly, testing, and packaging operating across national borders. Six U.S.-headquartered or foreign-owned semiconductor companies currently operate 20 fabrication facilities, or fabs, in the United States. In 2019, U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing directly employed 184,600 workers at an average wage of $166,400."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Platzer, Michaela D.; Sargent, John F., Jr.; Sutter, Karen M.
2020-10-26
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Tanzania: Recent Governance Trends and 2020 Elections in Brief [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Introduction: "Tanzania, an East African country of 58.6 million people, transitioned from a one-party socialist state to a multiparty system in 1992, amidst a then-ongoing liberalization of its state-centric economy. The country has since attracted significant amounts of foreign development aid, including more than $7.5 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years. Such assistance generally has sought to improve the development prospects of Tanzania's people--many of whom remain poor, despite the country's substantial natural resource wealth and agricultural potential, years of robust macroeconomic growth, and improving socioeconomic indicators. Despite Tanzania's multiparty transition, the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM, Swahili for 'Party of the Revolution') has continued to dominate and control the state. It has won every national election since that transition, as well as all elections in Zanzibar, a semiautonomous, majority Muslim island region. The influence of the CCM, which holds 74% of parliamentary seats, has expanded under the sometimes-controversial tenure of President John Magufuli, elected in 2015."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2020-10-26
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Temporary Protected Status: Overview and Current Issues [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Summary: "When civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters erupt in countries around the world, concerns arise over the ability of foreign nationals in the United States from those countries to safely return. Provisions exist in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to offer temporary protected status (TPS) and other forms of relief from removal under specified circumstances. The Secretary of Homeland Security has the discretion to designate a country for TPS for periods of 6 to 18 months and can extend these periods if the country continues to meet the conditions for designation. Congress has also provided TPS legislatively. A foreign national who is granted TPS receives a registration document and employment authorization for the duration of the TPS designation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wilson, Jill, 1974-
2020-10-26
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "Colombia, a key U.S. ally in Latin America, endured from the mid-1960s more than a half of century of internal armed conflict. To address the country's prominence in illegal drug production, the United States and Colombia have forged a close relationship over the past two decades. Plan Colombia, a program focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism, laid the foundation for an enduring security partnership. [...] The U.S.-Colombia partnership, originally forged on security interests, now encompasses sustainable development, human rights, trade, and wider cooperation. Support from Congress and across U.S. Administrations has been largely bipartisan. [...] For FY2020, Congress provided $448 million for State Department- and USAID-funded programs for Colombia. The House-passed FY2021 foreign aid appropriations bill, H.R. 7608, would provide $457.3 million to Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2020-10-26
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Section 301: Tariff Exclusions on U.S. Imports from China [Updated October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "In 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) determined, pursuant to an investigation under 'Section 301' (Title III of the Trade Act of 1974, 19 U.S.C. §§2411-2420), that China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property (IP), and innovation are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce. To counter them and obtain their elimination, the Trump Administration imposed, under Section 301, four rounds of increased tariffs on approximately two-thirds of U.S. imports from China. However, to avoid harm to U.S. interests, the USTR instituted 'tariff exclusions' for certain U.S. imports that would otherwise be subject to tariffs. This is the first time that the agency has established an exclusion request process, and several Members of Congress have raised concerns about its implementation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schwarzenberg, Andres B.
2020-10-26
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Overview of the Treasury Department's Federal Payment Levy and Treasury Offset Programs [October 26, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), has two programs for collecting delinquent debt owed by individuals, businesses, and other entities to federal and state government agencies. They differ mainly by the type of debt each program collects. The Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP) collects delinquent 'federal tax debt only'. In this case, the BFS collaborates with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect this debt by placing a continuous levy on eligible federal payments to delinquent taxpayers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Guenther, Gary L.
2020-10-26
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New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Summary: "The United States and Russia signed the New START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] Treaty on April 8, 2010. After more than 20 hearings, the U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification on December 22, 2010, by a vote of 71-26. Both houses of the Russian parliament--the Duma and Federation Council--approved the treaty in late January 2011 and it entered into force on February 5, 2011. Both parties met the treaty's requirement to complete the reductions by February 5, 2018. The treaty is due to expire in February 2021, unless both parties agree to extend it for no more than five years. New START provides the parties with 7 years to reduce their forces, and will remain in force for a total of 10 years. It limits each side to no more than 800 deployed and nondeployed land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers and deployed and nondeployed heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear armaments. Within that total, each side can retain no more than 700 deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear armaments. The treaty also limits each side to no more than 1,550 deployed warheads; those are the actual number of warheads on deployed ICBMs and SLBMs, and one warhead for each deployed heavy bomber."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2020-10-23
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Google Antitrust Lawsuit: Initial Observations [October 23, 2020]
From the Document: "On October 20, 2020, the Department of Justice and eleven Republican state attorneys general (hereinafter 'DOJ') filed a long-anticipated antitrust lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant has unlawfully monopolized the markets for general internet search services and search advertising. The complaint follows an investigation of 'Big Tech' platforms that the DOJ launched last summer and represents the Department's most significant antitrust case since the Microsoft litigation that began over twenty years ago. The lawsuit also implicates an area of intense congressional interest: earlier this month, the House Antitrust Subcommittee released a report concluding that major tech companies--including Google--have engaged in exclusionary conduct that violates the antitrust laws. This Legal Sidebar provides an overview of the Justice Department's allegations and offers initial observations on their relationship to existing antitrust doctrine."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sykes, Jay B.
2020-10-23
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Status of U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control Talks [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Document: "The New START [Strategic Arms Reduction] Treaty will expire on February 5, 2021, unless the United States and Russia agree to extend it, possibly for up to five years. In April 2019, President Trump called for expanded arms control efforts with Russia and China, both to capture all types of Russian weapons and to bring China into the process for the first time. The Administration argued that this would serve U.S. national security interests better than an extension of New START. In December 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that he would extend New START for five years, without preconditions; Russian officials noted that the countries could address other weapons systems in separate talks after extending New START. The United States and Russia held several meetings during 2020 to discuss a New START extension and a framework for a future agreement. China has refused to participate, noting that it has far fewer nuclear weapons than either the United States or Russia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2020-10-23
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COVID-19: Consumer Loan Forbearance and Other Relief Options [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Document: "A growing number of reported Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have been identified in the United States, significantly impacting many communities. The economic impact has been large due to illnesses, quarantines, social distancing, local stay-at-home orders, and other business disruptions. Consequently, many Americans have lost income and faced financial hardship due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. [...] This report focuses on policy responses relating to the financial services industry for consumers who may have trouble paying their loan obligations, such as mortgages, student loans, auto loans, and credit cards. First, it provides an overview of loan forbearance and other possible relief options for consumers. Then, the report discusses relevant CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act provisions and federal financial regulatory responses. Lastly, the report describes the impact this pandemic and the proceeding policy responses have had on financial institutions and consumers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cooper, Cheryl R.; Getter, Darryl E.; Perkins, David W. . . .
2020-10-23
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Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Summary: "Georgia is one of the United States' closest partners among the states that gained their independence after the USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] collapsed in 1991. With a history of strong economic aid and security cooperation, the United States has deepened its strategic partnership with Georgia since Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia and 2014 invasion of Ukraine. U.S. policy expressly supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and Georgia is a leading recipient of U.S. aid to Europe and Eurasia. Many observers consider Georgia to be one of the most democratic states in the post-Soviet region, even as the country faces ongoing governance challenges. The center-left Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party (GD) holds a dominant political position, with about 61% of seats in parliament."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Welt, Cory
2020-10-23
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Federal Workforce Statistics Sources: OPM and OMB [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Summary: "This report describes online tools, reports, and data compilations created by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that contain statistics about federal employees and the federal workforce. The report also describes key characteristics of each resource and briefly discusses selected methodological differences, with the intention of facilitating the selection of appropriate data for specific purposes. This report is not intended to be a definitive list of all information on the federal workforce. It describes significant and recurring products that contain data often requested by Members or congressional staff."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jennings, Julie; Nagel, Jared C.
2020-10-23
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Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic: In Brief [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Introduction: "This report discusses recent unemployment rate patterns at the national and state levels using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. The two primary sources are the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. In addition to the usual caveats about estimates (see 'General Data Caveats'), there were additional data challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (see 'COVID-19 Related Data Issues'). The pandemic led to lower survey response rates by businesses and households, and BLS detected an error in their categorization procedures that likely underestimated unemployment early in the recession. This report generally finds the following: [1] The unemployment rate peaked at a level not seen since data collection started in 1948, in April 2020 before declining to a still-high level in September. [2] In April, every state and the District of Columbia reached unemployment rates greater than their highest unemployment rates during the Great Recession. [3] Unemployment during the current recession is concentrated among workers who were last employed in industries that provide in-person services and among young workers, women, workers with low educational attainment, part-time workers, and racial and ethnic minorities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Falk, Gene; Nyhof, Emma C.; Carter, Jameson A. . . .
2020-10-23
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Women in the Middle East and North Africa: Issues for Congress [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Introduction: "Congressional efforts to improve conditions for women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have garnered widespread support since at least the early 2000s. The broad appeal may reflect a convergence of goals for those advocating positive change for women as an end-goal in itself, and those supporting such change primarily as a potential means to advance broader U.S. interests in the region, such as peace and stability, countering terrorism, increasing prosperity, and fostering good governance and human rights--goals that have been assigned unequal priority for decades. Such support reflects a growing body of research suggesting that improving opportunities and conditions for women in a society may promote such outcomes both globally and in the region. This report provides background and data on key issues regarding women in the MENA region and describes selected ways in which Congress has engaged on issues such as women's legal rights, economic participation, and political representation; the humanitarian impact of conflict and displacement on women; women's inclusion in conflict resolution and peace processes; violence against women; and women's roles in perpetuating and combatting violent extremism."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Danon, Zoe; Collins, Sarah R.
2020-10-23
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U.S.-Brazil Trade Relations [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Overview: "The United States and Brazil have enjoyed a strong economic relationship for many years. In 2019, Brazil ranked second among the United States' Latin American trading partners in goods and 19th among all U.S. trading partners. In March 2020, President Donald Trump and President Jair Bolsonaro announced plans to deepen the bilateral trade relationship and potentially move toward free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in the years to come. Those discussions led to a 'mini trade deal,' signed in October 2020 to facilitate trade, improve regulatory cooperation, and strengthen anti-corruption efforts. President Bolsonaro, who entered into office in January 2019, is pursuing free-market reforms during his four-year term, which ends in December 2022. He has taken steps to cooperate with the United States on issues of mutual interest. Brazil's long-term trade strategy, however, is bound by its status as a party to the 'Mercado Común del Sur' (MERCOSUR), a common market trade arrangement with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. [...] The Trump Administration's position is that the United States and Brazil have numerous reasons to build upon prior progress made in the economic relationship. Some policymakers state that strengthening trade ties with Brazil will help bolster U.S. interests in the region given China's increasing presence. As Latin America faces increasing uncertainty amid global power shifts and external shocks, there also may be other strategic and economic reasons to strengthen trade ties."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Villarreal, M. Angeles; Schwarzenberg, Andres B.
2020-10-23
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Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Document: "Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) concept to connect sensors from all of the military services--Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force--into a single network. Traditionally, each of the military services developed its own tactical network that was incompatible with those of other services (i.e., Army networks were unable to interface with Navy or Air Force networks). DOD officials have argued that future conflicts may require decisions to be made within hours, minutes, or potentially seconds compared with the current multiday process to analyze the operating environment and issue commands. They have also stated that the Department's existing command and control architecture is insufficient to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Congress may be interested in the concept because it is being used to develop many high-profile procurement programs for all of the military services."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.
2020-10-23
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SBA's Office of Inspector General: Overview, Impact, and Relationship with Congress [Updated October 23, 2020]
From the Summary: "This report examines the SBA OIG's [U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Inspector General] statutory authorities; reporting requirements; funding ($23.5 million in FY2021 under the continuing resolution); staffing and organizational structure; and recent activities (audits, investigations, etc.), including an examination of the SBA's implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP was created to assist small businesses adversely affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This report also examines the SBA OIG's impact on monetary savings, SBA programs and operations, and legislation affecting the agency. The report concludes with observations concerning the SBA OIG's relationship with Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-
2020-10-23
