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Agriculture in the WTO: Rules and Limits on U.S. Domestic Support [September 6, 2018]
"Trade plays a critical role in the U.S. agricultural sector. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that exports account for about 20% of total U.S. agricultural production. Furthermore, given the substantial volume of its agricultural exports, the United States plays a significant role in many international agricultural markets. As a result, U.S. farm policy is often subject to intense scrutiny both for compliance with current World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and for its potential to diminish the breadth or impede the success of future multilateral negotiations.In part, this is because a farm bill locks in U.S. policy behavior for an extended period of time during which the United States would be unable to accept any new restrictions on its domestic support programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2018-09-06
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Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress [September 19, 2018]
"The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is the Army's proposed replacement for the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs). While M-113s no longer serve as infantry fighting vehicles, five variants of the M-113 are used as command and control vehicles, general purpose vehicles, mortar carriers, and medical treatment and evacuation vehicles. The AMPV is intended to be a nondevelopmental program (candidate vehicles will be either existing vehicles or modified existing vehicles--not vehicles that are specially designed and not currently in service). Some suggest a nondevelopmental vehicle might make it easier for the Army to eventually field this system to the force, as most of the Army's past developmental programs, such as the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV), the Future Combat System (FCS), the Crusader self-propelled artillery system, and the Comanche helicopter, were cancelled before they could be fully developed and fielded."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2018-09-19
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Federal Grants and Loans for State and Local Emergency Communications Projects: Frequently Asked Questions [September 20, 2018]
"Improving emergency communications has been an area of congressional interest for many years. Before September 11, 2001, Congress provided funding through grants, which could be used to improve state and local emergency communications through purchases of police and fire radios, construction of communication towers, and disaster planning, training, and exercises. After September 11, 2001, Congress increased funding to improve interoperability between public safety agencies at all levels of government to enhance communication and coordination during response. Congress has also supported investments in broadband for public safety through several grant and loan programs, many focused on expanding broadband to rural areas. In 2012, Congress provided $6.5 billion to create the First Responder Network (FirstNet), a new nationwide public safety broadband network. While this provides public safety agencies with a common platform to communicate, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies may look to federal funding to equip responders with devices, and to enhance coverage."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gallagher, Jill C.
2018-09-20
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) Risk Adjustment Program: Frequently Asked Questions [October 5, 2018]
"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended) created a permanent risk adjustment program that aims to reduce some of the incentives insurers may have to avoid enrolling individuals who are at risk of high health care costs in the private health insurance market-- specifically in the individual (nongroup) and small-group markets. Section 1343 of the ACA established the risk adjustment program, which is designed to assess charges to health plans that have relatively healthier enrollees compared with other health plans in a given state. The program use scollected charges from plans with comparatively healthy enrollees to make payments to plans in the same state that have relatively sicker enrollees. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the risk adjustment program as a budget-neutral program, so that payments made are equal to the charges collected in each state. Risk adjustment transfers are intended to account for differences in health risk among plans in each state while allowing for premium differences based on allowable rating factors."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kehres, Katherine M.
2018-10-05
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Social Media Adoption by Members of Congress: Trends and Congressional Considerations [October 9, 2018]
"This report examines Member adoption of social media broadly. Because congressional adoption of long-standing social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is nearly ubiquitous, this report focuses on the adoption of other, newer social media platforms. These include Instagram, Flickr, and Google+, which have each been adopted by at least 2.5% of Representatives and Senators. Additionally, Members of Congress have adopted Snapchat, Medium, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Periscope, and Tumblr at lower levels. This report evaluates the adoption rates of various social media platforms and what the adoption of multiple platforms might mean for an office's social media strategy. Data on congressional adoption of social media were collected by an academic institution in collaboration with the Congressional Research Service during the 2016-2017 academic year. This report provides a snapshot of a dynamic process. As with any new technology, the number of Members using any single social media platform, and the patterns of use, may change rapidly in short periods of time. As a result, the conclusions drawn from these data cannot necessarily be generalized or used to predict future behavior."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straus, Jacob R.
2018-10-09
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Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) and Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) Programs [October 1, 2018]
"The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed orpermanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2018-10-01
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Proposed U.S. - Mexico - Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement [October 5, 2018]
"On September 30, 2018, the United States and Canada reached an agreement for Canada to join the preliminarily agreed upon pact with Mexico to update and revise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and to rename it the U.S. - Mexico - Canada Agreement (USMCA). Pursuant to trade promotion authority (TPA), the preliminary agreement with Mexico was notified to Congress on August 31, 2018, in part to allow for the signing of the agreement prior to Mexico's president-elect Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador taking office on December 1, 2018. This product provides preliminary comparative analysis between the two agreements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fergusson, Ian F.; Villarreal, M. Angeles
2018-10-05
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [September 25, 2018]
"Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor...' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region.... 'Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-09-25
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Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy [October 11, 2018]
"An uprising against Bahrain's Al Khalifa ruling family that began on February 14, 2011, has diminished in intensity, but punishments of oppositionists and periodic demonstrations continue. The mostly Shiite opposition to the Sunni-minority-led regime has not achieved its goal of establishing a constitutional monarchy, but the unrest has compelled the ruling family to undertake some modest reforms. The mainstream opposition uses peaceful forms of dissent, but small factions, reportedly backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for bombings and other attacks on security officials. The Bahrain government's repression has presented a policy dilemma for the United States because Bahrain is along time ally that is pivotal to maintaining Persian Gulf security. The country has hosted a U.S. naval command headquarters for the Gulf region since 1948; the United States and Bahrain have had a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) since 1991; and Bahrain was designated by the United States as a 'major non-NATO ally' in 2002. There are over 7,000 U.S. forces, mostly Navy, in Bahrain. Bahrain relies on U.S.-made arms, but, because of the government's use of force against protesters, the Obama Administration held up some new weapons sales to Bahrain and curtailed U.S. assistance to Bahrain's internal security organizations. In 2014, Bahrain joined the U.S. - led coalition against the Islamic State and flew strikes against the group's fighters in Syria that year, and has expressed willingness to join a U.S.-backed concept for a broad Arab coalition to counter Iran (Middle East Strategic Alliance)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-10-11
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Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: FY2019 Budget and Appropriations [October 1, 2018]
"The Trump Administration submitted to Congress its FY2019 budget request on February 12, 2018. The proposal includes $41.86 billion for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS). Of that amount, $13.26 billion would be for State Department operations, international broadcasting, and related agencies, and $28.60 billion for foreign operations. With the enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA; P.L. 115-123, February 9, 2018), which raised discretionary spending limits set by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25), the Administration's FY2019 foreign affairs funding request is entirely within enduring (base) funds; no Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding is in the SFOPS request for the first time since FY2012."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Gill, Cory R.
2018-10-01
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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Overview, Issues, and Legislation [October 2, 2018]
"The state of the nation's water infrastructure and the challenges many communities face in addressing infrastructure needs continue to receive congressional attention. In 1996, Congress authorized the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to help public water systems finance infrastructure projects needed to comply with federal drinking water regulations and to meet the act's health protection objectives. Under this program, states receive annual capitalization grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide financial assistance (primarily subsidized loans) to water systems for drinking water projects and related activities. Through FY2018, Congress has appropriated a total of $20.41 billion for the program. From FY1997 through FY2017, states provided $35.38 billion in DWSRF assistance to water systems for 14,090 projects."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiemann, Mary
2018-10-02
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Army Corps of Engineers Annual and Supplemental Appropriations: Issues for Congress [October 1, 2018]
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is an agency within the Department of Defense with both military and civil works responsibilities. Congress directs USACE's civil works activities through authorizations legislation, annual and supplemental appropriations, and oversight activities. This report summarizes USACE's annual discretionary appropriations for civil works activities and its supplemental appropriations, principally following major flood and hurricane disasters. The appropriations described are for those accounts and activities that typically are funded through Title I of annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.
2018-10-01
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Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2019: In Brief [October 4, 2018]
"Generally, the homeland security appropriations bill includes all annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing resources to every departmental component. This report reviews the budget authority provided to DHS for FY2018, requested by the Trump Administration for FY2019, as well as the funding levels proposed in Senate and House Appropriations Committee-reported legislation for FY2019. It examines net discretionary annual appropriations for DHS -- a perspective on the net impact of legislation funding DHS on congressionally tracked budget totals--and also provides a more inclusive look at the resources available to DHS components to perform their missions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2018-10-04
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Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities [October 11, 2018]
"Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are based on the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). COLAs for both CSRS and FERS are determined by the average monthly CPI-W during the third quarter (July to September) of the current calendar year and the third quarter of the base year, which is the last previous year in which a COLA was applied. The 'effective date' for COLAs is December, but they first appear in the benefits issued during the following January. All CSRS retirees and survivors receive COLAs. Under FERS, however, nondisabled retirees under the age of 62 do not receive COLAs. Survivors and disabled retirees are eligible for COLAs under FERS regardless of age. CSRS pays a COLA that is equal to the percentage change in the CPI-W during the measurement period, but COLAs under FERS are limited if the rate of inflation is greater than 2.0%. If the rate of inflation during the measurement period is between 2.0% and 3.0%, the COLA under FERS is 2.0%. If inflation is greater than 3.0%, then the COLA for FERS benefits is equal to the CPI-W minus one percentage point."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2018-10-11
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Do Courts Have Inherent Authority to Release Secret Grand Jury Materials? [October 5, 2018]
"The U.S. Constitution requires that any prosecution of a serious federal crime be initiated by 'a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.' The'[g]rand [j]ury' contemplated by the Constitution is a temporary, citizen-comprised body that obtains evidence and considers whether it is sufficient to justify criminal charges in a particular case. Though a grand jury works with federal prosecutors and functions under judicial auspices, it is considered an independent 'constitutional fixture in its own right' that 'belongs to no branch of the institutional Government, serving as a kind of buffer... between the Government and the people.' One long-established principle that has been deemed essential to the grand jury's functioning and independence is that matters occurring before it are to be kept secret. Secrecy prevents those under scrutiny from fleeing or importuning the grand jurors, encourages full disclosure by witnesses, and protects the innocent from unwarranted prosecution. For these and other reasons, prosecutors,the jurors themselves, and most others involved in grand jury proceedings are generally prohibited from revealing 'such matters as the identities or addresses of witnesses or jurors, the substance of testimony, the strategy or direction of the investigation, the deliberations or questions of jurors, and the like.'The prohibition endures even after a grand jury's work is completed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Foster, Michael A. (Legislative attorney)
2018-10-05
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Defense's 30-Year Aircraft Plan Reveals New Details [October 9, 2018]
"Each year, the Department of Defense issues a 30-year aviation plan, intended to chart the direction of the aviation enterprise. This plan is typically relatively short on specifics, in part because 30 years is rather far to foresee in detail, particularly as that goes 25 years beyond official defense budget projections. By contrast, the most recent 30-year aviation plan released in April 2018 is full of details on specific programs, including cancellations, life extensions, and new starts. Some are explicit; others, between the lines. Some of the highlights follow."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gertler, Jeremiah
2018-10-09
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Electronic Filing of Senate Campaign Finance Reports [September 21, 2018]
"A FY2019 appropriations measure significantly changes campaign finance reporting requirements for Senate candidates. Report contents will not change, but the method of filing will. The provision appears in H.R. 5895, a minibus package that includes three FY2019 appropriations bills: Energy and Water Development, the Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The Senate and House adopted the conference report accompanying the bill on September 12 and 13, respectively. The President signed the measure on September 21, 2018. In the 115th Congress, the electronic filing provision originated in Senator Tester's bill, S. 298."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garrett, R. Sam, 1977-
2018-09-21
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FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues [October 16, 2018]
"Each year, the House and Senate armed services committees take up national defense authorization bills. The House of Representatives passed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA; H.R. 5515) on May 24, 2018. The Senate passed its version of the NDAA (H.R. 5515) on June 18, 2018. These bills contain numerous provisions that affect military personnel, retirees, and their family members. Provisions in one version are sometimes not included in the other, are treated differently, or are identical in both versions. Following passage of each chamber's bill, a conference committee typically convenes to resolve the differences between the respective chambers' versions of the bill. The FY2019 NDAA conference report was passed by the House on July 26, 2018, and the Senate on August 1, 2018. On August 13, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the bill into law (P.L. 115-232)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mendez, Bryce H. P.; Kamarck, Kristy N.; Kapp, Lawrence . . .
2018-10-16
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Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs [October 18, 2018]
"Federal assistance targeted to homeless individuals and families was largely nonexistent prior to the mid-1980s. Although the Runaway and Homeless Youth program was enacted in 1974 as part of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (P.L. 93-415), the first federal program focused on assisting all homeless people, no matter their age, was the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) program, established in 1983 through an emergency jobs appropriation bill (P.L. 98-8). The EFS program was and continues to be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide emergency food and shelter to needy individuals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Perl, Libby; Boyd, Eugene; Duff, Johnathan H. . . .
2018-10-18
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Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protections: In Brief [Updated October 18, 2018]
"Whistleblowing is 'the act of reporting waste, fraud, abuse and corruption in a lawful manner to those who can correct the wrongdoing.' Intelligence Community (IC) whistleblowers are those employees or contractors working in any of the 17 elements of the IC who reasonably believe there has been a violation of law, rule, or regulation, gross mismanagement, waste of resources, abuse of authority, or a substantial danger to public health and safety. The essential distinction between whistleblowers generally and those in the IC (or those who otherwise have security clearances) is the concern for protecting classified information that may be involved in an IC-related incident or complaint. The IC has recognized that whistleblowing can save taxpayers' dollars, ensure an ethical and safe working environment, and enable timely responses for corrective action."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeVine, Michael E.
2018-10-18
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Deference and its Discontents: Will the Supreme Court Overrule Chevron? [October 11, 2018]
"Less than a week before announcing his retirement, Justice Anthony Kennedy called for the Supreme Court to 'reconsider' the seminal administrative law doctrine known as Chevron deference in a concurring opinion in Pereira v. Sessions. The doctrine, established by the Court's opinion in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., instructs that when reviewing certain agency interpretations of statutes,courts should defer to the agency's construction if the statute is ambiguous and the agency's construction is reasonable. Some members of the Court--namely, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch--have called for reconsideration of Chevron. In addition, the newest Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, was a leading critic of the doctrine during his tenure on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The selection of Justice Kavanaugh has led commentators to question whether the Court might reconsider Chevron in the near future. As the Supreme Court's new term began this month, the Court confronted the issue of agency deference in Nielsen v. Preap, although Chevron itself did not come up during oral argument. Recent cases suggest, however, that the Court might continue to reaffirm the case's vitality, and if the Court were to reassess Chevron, it might be to narrow the circumstances under which the doctrine applies in lieu of jettisoning it."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brannon, Valerie C.; Cole, Jared P.
2018-10-11
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House Passes Bill to Amend the Federal 'Crime of Violence' Definition [October 11, 2018]
"Recently the House passed the Community Safety and Security Act of 2018 (CSSA), which would amend the federal 'crime of violence' (COV) definition found at 18 U.S.C. § 16. Many federal statutes incorporate that definition for various purposes, including describing elements of certain criminal offenses, imposing enhanced prison sentences, or subjecting offenders to other penalties. The two-pronged COV definition at 18 U.S.C. § 16 covers (1) an offense that has as an element the actual, attempted, or threatened 'use of physical force' or (2) any felony offense that involves a 'substantial risk' of physical force. In 'Sessions v. Dimaya,' the Supreme Court struck down the definition's second prong on vagueness grounds, narrowing the scope of criminal offenses qualifying as COVs. In response to the Court's decision, the House passed the CSSA, which would retain the COV definition's first prong, but also amend that definition to include many enumerated criminal offenses. Because the CSSA adds to the range of conduct covered by the COV definition, the bill's enactment may broaden the scope of various laws incorporating that definition."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2018-10-11
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Hurricane Michael: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources [October 11, 2018]
"This Insight provides a brief overview of emergency and major disaster declarations relevant to Hurricane Michael, and selected federal resources and links to CRS [Congressional Budget Office] products related to Stafford Act declarations, disaster response, and recovery. Hurricane Michael made landfall on the panhandle of Florida as a category 4 on October 10, 2018 and affected parts of Georgia. In anticipation of the landfall, President Trump issued an emergency declaration to Florida on October 7, 2018. On October 11, 2018, the President issued an emergency declaration to Georgia, and issued a major disaster declaration to Florida. Authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, emergency declarations may authorize direct federal assistance and grant assistance to affected state and local governments to protect property, ensure public health and safety, and other activities that lessen or avert an incident becoming a catastrophic incident."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lindsay, Bruce R.; Reese, Shawn; Brown, Jared T. . . .
2018-10-11
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21st Century U.S. Energy Sources: A Primer [November 5, 2018]
"Since the start of the 21st century, the U.S. energy system has seen tremendous changes. Technological advances in energy production have driven changes in energy consumption, and the United States has moved from being a growing net importer of most forms of energy to a declining importer--and possibly a net exporter in the near future. The United States remains the second largest producer and consumer of energy in the world, behind China. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry has gone through a 'renaissance' of production. Technological improvements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have unlocked enormous oil and natural gas resources from unconventional formations, such as shale. Oil has surpassed levels of production not seen since the 1970s. Natural gas has set new production records almost every year since 2000. In conjunction with the rise in oil and natural gas production, U.S. production of natural gas liquids has also increased. The rise in production of these fuel sources has also corresponded with increased consumption and exports of each."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ratner, Michael; Bracmort, Kelsi; Brown, Phillip (Specialist in Energy Policy) . . .
2018-11-05
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What Legal Obligations do Internet Companies Have to Prevent and Respond to a Data Breach? [October 25, 2018]
"Recently, large Internet companies--i.e.,companies that do most of their business on the Internet, such as social media platforms or search engines--have made headlines after failing to secure their users' personal information. For example, on September 28, 2018, Facebook announced a security breach affecting tens of millions of user accounts. According to Facebook, hackers exploited a vulnerability in its code that allowed them to steal 'access tokens,' which are the 'equivalent of digital keys' that 'keep people logged in to Facebook.' Facebook later disclosed that,of the affected accounts,hackers accessed the names and contact details of 15 million users and the biographical information of another 14 million users. Just over a week after Facebook's breach, on October 8, 2018, Google, in announcing the end of its social network Google+, disclosed that a software glitch exposed the personal data associated with up to 500,000 Google+ accounts. Google explained that it discovered and resolved the glitch in March 2018 and that there was no evidence anyone misused the exposed data. The Internet search giant reportedly made an initial decision not to disclose the incident, before reversing course and shutting down the Google+ plat form following a Wall Street Journal investigation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Linebaugh, Chris D.
2018-10-25
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U.S. - India Trade Relations [October 24, 2018]
"The United States and India view each other as important strategic partners to advance common interests regionally and globally. Bilateral trade in goods and services is about 2% of U.S. world trade, but tripled in value between 2005 and 2017, reaching $126 billion (Figure 1). The trade relationship is more consequential for India, for whom the United States was its second largest export market (16% share) after the European Union (EU, 17%), and third largest source of imports (6%) after China (17%) and the EU (10%) in 2017. U.S. - India foreign direct investment (FDI) is small but growing. Defense sales are significant in bilateral trade as well. Civilian nuclear commerce, stalled for years over differences on liability protections, has produced major potential U.S. supply contracts. Many observers believe bilateral commercial ties could be more extensive if trade and investment barriers were addressed. Bilateral trade frictions exist on numerous fronts, though the two sides are working to resolve some issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Kronstadt, K. Alan
2018-10-24
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U.S. - Japan Relations [October 23, 2018]
"Japan is a significant partner of the United States in a number of foreign policy areas, particularly security issues, which range from hedging against Chinese military modernization to countering threats from North Korea. The U.S. - Japan military alliance, formed in 1952, grants the U.S. military the right to base U.S. troops -- currently numbering around 50,000 -- and other military assets on Japanese territory in return for a U.S. pledge to protect Japan's security. Japan also is the United States' fourth largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign direct investment, and Japanese investors are the second largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries. For the first year of the Trump presidency, bilateral relations remained strong, as least on the surface, throughout several visits and leaders' meetings, cemented by a common approach to North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump presented a united front on dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear weapon test and multiple missile launches and Abe wholeheartedly endorsed the Trump Administration's 'maximum pressure' approach."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Manyin, Mark E.; Williams, Brock R.
2018-10-23
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Lebanon [June 19, 2018]
"Since having its boundaries drawn by France after the First World War, Lebanon has struggled to define its national identity. Unlike other countries in the region, its population included Christian, Sunni Muslim, and Shia Muslim communities of roughly comparable size, and with competing visions for the country. Seeking to avoid sectarian conflict, Lebanese leaders created a confessional system that allocated power among the country's religious sects according to their percentage of the population. The system was based on Lebanon's last official census, which was conducted in 1932. As Lebanon's demographics shifted over the years, Muslim communities pushed for the political status quo, favoring Maronite Christians, to be revisited, while the latter worked to maintain their privileges. This tension at times manifested itself in violence, such as during the country's 15year civil war, but also in political disputes such as disagreements over revisions to Lebanon's electoral law. To date, domestic political conflicts continue to be shaped in part by the influence of external actors, including Syria and Iran."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.
2018-06-19
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Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) [June 19, 2018]
"The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency body comprised of nine Cabinet members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President, that assists the President in overseeing the national security aspects of foreign direct investment in the U.S. economy. While the group often operated in relative obscurity, the perceived change in the nation's national security and economic concerns following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed CFIUS's review procedures under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress and the public. Prompted by this case, some Members of Congress questioned the ability of Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities given the general view that CFIUS's operations lacked transparency. The current CFIUS process reflects changes Congress initiated in the first session of the 110th Congress, when the House and Senate adopted S. 1610, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007 (FINSA). In the 115th Congress, various measures have been introduced that could have broad implications for CFIUS's operations and activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-
2018-06-19
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Debates Over Exchange Rates: Overview and Issues for Congress [June 22, 2018]
"Some Members of Congress and policy experts allege that U.S. producers and U.S. jobs have been adversely affected by the exchange rate policies adopted by China, Japan, and a number of other countries. They maintain that some countries are purposefully using various policies to weaken the value of their currency to boost exports and create jobs, but that these policies come at the expense of other countries, including the United States. During the global financial crisis, some political leaders and policy experts argued that there was a 'currency war' in the global economy, as countries competed against each other to weaken the value of their currencies and boost exports. Even as the global financial crisis has faded, some policymakers continue to express concerns that other countries are using exchange rate policies to gain an unfair trade advantage against the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nelson, Rebecca M.
2018-06-22
