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North Korea's Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs [August 2, 2018]
"North Korea has made rapid advancements in its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Since Kim Jong-un came to power in 2012, North Korea has conducted over 80 ballistic missile test launches. [...] Since the June 2018 Singapore Summit between President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un, reports have surfaced showing the dismantlement of a rocket engine test stand at the Sohae satellite launch complex. Although the test stand could be rebuilt, some observers see this as a positive development toward denuclearization while others have suggested the stand was no longer needed for liquid-fuel engines, as North Korea may be opting instead to test and deploy solid rocket motors for their missiles. There have also been reports that North Korea may now be producing liquid-fueled ICBMs at another facility outside the North Korean capital, but other experts point out developments there are not yet clear. Despite the absence of any missile launch activity or nuclear tests in 2018 to date, previous tests and official North Korean statements suggest that North Korea is striving to build a credible regional nuclear warfighting capability that might evade regional ballistic missile defenses. Such an approach likely reinforces their deterrent and coercive diplomacy strategy--lending more credibility as it demonstrates capability--but it also raises serious questions about crisis stability and escalation control."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hildreth, Steven A.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham
2018-08-02
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U.S.-China Trade Issues [August 2, 2018]
"The U.S.-China trade and economic relationship has expanded significantly over the past three decades. In 2017, China was the United States' largest U.S. merchandise trading partner (at $636 billion), third-largest export market ($130 billion), and largest source of imports ($506 billion). China is also the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities (at nearly $1.2 trillion as of May 2018). However, tensions between the two countries have grown sharply in recent years over a number of economic and trade issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2018-08-02
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education [August 1, 2018]
"Educational tools enabled by AI [artificial intelligence] have recently attracted attention for their potential to improve education quality and enhance traditional teaching and learning methods. Although there is no single consensus definition, AI generally allows computers to perform tasks that are conventionally thought to require human intelligence. Congress may consider the benefits and risks of AI in classrooms, including the impact of AI on issues such as student data privacy, teacher preparation, and technology development and procurement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Harris, Laurie A.; Lu, Joyce J.
2018-08-01
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Mexico's Immigration Control Efforts [August 1, 2018]
"In 2014, the United States and Mexico experienced a surge in unauthorized migration from Central America, a region that has overtaken Mexico as the primary source for immigrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexican border. With U.S. support, Mexico has since increased its immigration control efforts. From 2015 to 2017, Mexico apprehended more than 450,000 migrants and asylum seekers from the 'northern triangle' countries. As at the U.S. southwest border, Mexico's apprehensions of migrants from the northern triangle fell in 2017 but increased by 57% in the first half of 2018 as compared to that period last year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2018-08-01
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Iran's Ballistic Missile and Space Launch Programs [August 1, 2018]
"Iran has been acquiring, developing, and testing its ballistic missile capabilities for decades. The United Nations Security Council in 2015 adopted resolution 2231, calling on, but not requiring, Iran to not develop nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and to halt other ballistic missile activity. Nevertheless, Iran continues to invest in developing ballistic missiles and in building an extensive network of facilities, although missile inventory information is scarce. Iran's short- and medium-range ballistic missile tests indicate that Iran is focused on increasing the accuracy of its missiles. Once forecasted to have an intercontinental range ballistic missile before now, Iran has not yet demonstrated this capacity. Furthermore, Iran's space launch program continues to experience significant delays, and may be slowing."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hildreth, Steven A.; Jabbari, Cyrus A.
2018-08-01
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Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress [August 1, 2018]
"The Navy is developing three new ship-based weapons that could improve the ability of Navy surface ships to defend themselves against missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and surface craft: the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (SNLWS), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the gun-launched guided projectile (GLGP), previously known as the hypervelocity projectile (HVP). The Navy refers to the initial (i.e., Increment 1) version of SNLWS as HELIOS, an acronym meaning high-energy laser with integrated optical dazzler and surveillance. EMRG could additionally provide the Navy with a new naval surface fire support (NSFS) weapon for attacking land targets in support of Marines or other friendly ground forces ashore. The Department of Defense is exploring the potential for using GLGP across multiple U.S. military services. Any one of these three new weapons, if successfully developed and deployed, might be regarded as a 'game changer' for defending Navy surface ships against enemy missiles and UAVs. If two or three of them are successfully developed and deployed, the result might be considered not just a game changer, but a revolution. Rarely has the Navy had so many potential new types of surface-ship air-defense weapons simultaneously available for development and potential deployment. Although the Navy in recent years has made considerable progress in developing technologies for these new weapons, a number of significant development challenges remain. Overcoming these challenges will require additional development work, and ultimate success in overcoming them is not guaranteed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-08-01
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Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [August 1, 2018]
"This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, which is carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy, and gives Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers a capability for conducting BMD operations. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition strategies and proposed funding levels for the Aegis BMD program. Congress's decisions on the Aegis BMD program could significantly affect U.S. BMD capabilities and funding requirements, and the BMD-related industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-08-01
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Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Program: Background and Issues for Congress [August 1, 2018]
"This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's program for acquiring new polar icebreakers. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2019 budget requests $750 million in acquisition funding for the program. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Administration's FY2019 acquisition funding request for the polar icebreaker program, and, more generally, whether to approve, reject, or modify the Coast Guard's overall plan for procuring new polar icebreakers. Congress's decisions on this issue could affect Coast Guard funding requirements, the Coast Guard's ability to perform its polar missions, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-08-01
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Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress [July 31, 2018]
"The Columbia (SSBN-826) class program, previously known as the Ohio replacement program (ORP) or SSBN(X) program, is a program to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy's current force of 14 Ohio-class SSBNs. The Navy has identified the Columbia-class program as the Navy's top priority program. The Navy wants to procure the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests $3,005.3 million in advance procurement (AP) funding and $704.9 million in research and development funding for the program. [...] Issues for Congress for the Columbia-class program for FY2019 include the following: [1] whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's FY2019 funding requests for the program; [2] cost, schedule, and technical risk in the Columbia-class program; and [3] the prospective affordability of the Columbia-class program and its potential impact on funding available for other Navy programs. This report focuses on the Columbia-class program as a Navy shipbuilding program. CRS Report RL33640, U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues, by Amy F. Woolf, discusses the Columbia class as an element of future U.S. strategic nuclear forces in the context of strategic nuclear arms control agreements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-07-31
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Family Separation at the Border and the 'Ms. L.' Litigation [July 31, 2018]
"On June 20, 2018, President Trump issued an executive order announcing that it is 'the policy of this Administration to maintain family unity, including by detaining families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources.' At the time the executive order was issued, there was a pending lawsuit, 'Ms. L. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,' challenging on substantive due process grounds the practice of separating alien families at the border. And notwithstanding the June 20 executive order, on June 26, 2018, the presiding district judge considering the challenge ordered the Trump Administration, subject to exception, to (1) stop the practice of separately detaining alien parents and minor children who had lacked authorization for admission to the United States and who were apprehended by immigration authorities at or between designated ports of entry along the border, and (2) reunite within weeks all separated alien parents and their minor children. Additionally, the court later issued a temporary restraining order blocking the government from deporting alien parents until they have been reunified with their children for at least one week so that parents can make 'an informed, non-coerced decision if they are going to leave their children behind' pending the child's separate immigration proceedings. Though at least some policies that resulted in family separation reportedly have been modified or ended, litigation relating to these policies remains ongoing."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peck, Sarah Herman
2018-07-31
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Escalating Tariffs: Timeline and Potential Impact [July 31, 2018]
"Concerns over the U.S. trade deficit and trading partner trade practices have been a focus of the Trump Administration. Citing these concerns, the President has imposed tariffs under three U.S. laws that allow the Administration to impose trade restrictions based on certain criteria unilaterally: (1) Section 201 on U.S. imports of washing machines and solar products; (2) Section 232 on U.S. imports of steel and aluminum, and potentially autos and uranium, and (3) Section 301 on U.S. imports from China. In 2017, U.S. imports of goods subject to the additional tariffs, which range from 10%-50%, totaled $80 billion, a figure that would increase should additional proposed tariffs go into effect. While the tariffs may benefit some import-competing U.S. producers, they are also likely to increase costs for downstream users of imported products and some consumer prices. The Administration is likely using the tariffs in part to pressure affected countries into broader trade negotiations, such as the recently announced U.S.-EU trade liberalization talks, but it is unclear what specific outcomes the Administration is seeking."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Williams, Brock R.
2018-07-31
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Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues [July 31, 2018]
"Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), is an island democracy of 23 million people located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. Since January 1, 1979, U.S.-Taiwan relations have been unofficial, a consequence of the Carter Administration's decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and break formal diplomatic ties with self-ruled Taiwan, over which the PRC claims sovereignty. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, P.L. 96-8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), enacted on April 10, 1979, provides a legal basis for this unofficial bilateral relationship. It also includes commitments related to Taiwan's security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawrence, Susan V.
2018-07-31
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Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress [July 31, 2018]
"This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests funding for the procurement of three DDG-51s. Decisions that Congress makes concerning destroyer procurement could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-07-31
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [July 31, 2018]
"The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years. The Navy's FY2019 budget submission includes proposed increases in shipbuilding rates that are intended as initial steps for increasing the size of the Navy toward a goal of a fleet with 355 ships of certain types and numbers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-07-31
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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress [July 31, 2018]
"This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carrier program. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests a total of $1,598.2 million 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
2018-07-31
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Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [July 31, 2018]
"This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) program. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests $7,169.8 million (i.e., about $7.2 billion) in procurement and advance procurement (AP) funding for the program. Decisions that Congress makes on procurement of Virginia-class boats could substantially affect U.S. Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-07-31
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World Trade Organization (WTO): U.S. Participation at Risk? [July 31, 2018]
"In a break from past administrations, the Trump Administration has expressed doubt over the value of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the U.S. economy. The United States was a key architect of the WTO--the 164-member international organization established in 1995 that oversees global trade rules and trade liberalization negotiations, and resolves trade disputes. In late June, media reports suggested that President Trump was considering withdrawing the United States from the WTO; U.S. officials have since said talks of withdrawal are 'premature' and an 'exaggeration.' Congress has recognized the WTO as the 'foundation of the global trading system,' and plays a direct legislative and oversight role over WTO agreements. [...] Some U.S. frustrations with the WTO are not new and many are shared by other trading partners. But the Administration's overall approach has spurred new questions regarding the future of U.S. leadership (and participation) in the WTO, as well as the role of Congress in U.S. trade policy. In particular, recent U.S. actions to raise tariffs against major trading partners unilaterally and to potentially obstruct the functioning of the dispute settlement system, have prompted concerns that the United States may undermine the effectiveness and credibility of the institution that it helped to create."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.
2018-07-31
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What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses? [July 31, 2018]
"This Insight provides a short overview of what would happen if the NFIP [National Flood Insurance Program] were not to be reauthorized by November 30, 2018, and allowed to lapse. See CRS Report R45099, National Flood Insurance Program: Selected Issues and Legislation in the 115th Congress for the current status of NFIP reauthorization legislation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2018-07-31
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Pipeline Safety: Overdue Statutory Mandates [July 27, 2018]
"The safety of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines in the United States is regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the Department of Transportation (DOT). For decades, Congress has reauthorized DOT's pipeline safety program in stand-alone legislation. In addition, Congress has used reauthorizations to impose on PHMSA various mandates regarding standards, studies, and other elements of pipeline safety regulation-- usually in response to major pipeline accidents. The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-90) and the PIPES Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-183) together included 61 such mandates. As of June 21, 2018, the agency had fulfilled 47 of these. Some in Congress are concerned that key mandates remain unfulfilled, in some cases years beyond the deadlines specified in statute."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Parfomak, Paul W.
2018-07-27
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North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation [July 27, 2018]
"North Korea has posed one of the most persistent U.S. foreign policy challenges of the post-Cold War period due to its pursuit of proscribed weapons technology and belligerence toward the United States and its allies.[...] Efforts to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons program have occupied the past four U.S. Administrations, and North Korea is the target of scores of U.S. and United Nations Security Council sanctions. Although the weapons programs have been the primary focus of U.S. policy toward North Korea, other U.S. concerns include North Korea's illicit activities, such as counterfeiting currency and narcotics trafficking, small-scale armed attacks against South Korea, and egregious human rights violations. In 2018, the Trump Administration and Kim regime appeared to open a new chapter in the relationship. After months of rising tension and hostile rhetoric from both capitals in 2017, including a significant expansion of U.S. and international sanctions against North Korea, Trump and Kim held a leaders' summit in Singapore in June 2018. The meeting produced an agreement on principles for establishing a positive relationship. The United States agreed to provide security guarantees to North Korea, which committed to 'complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.' The agreement made no mention of resolving significant differences between the two countries, including the DPRK's ballistic missile program. Trump also said he would suspend annual U.S.-South Korea military exercises, labeling them 'provocative,' during the coming U.S.-DPRK nuclear negotiations. Trump also expressed a hope of eventually withdrawing the approximately 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Manyin, Mark E.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham; Campbell, Caitlin; Mackey, William F.
2018-07-27
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History of Use of U.S. Military Bases to House Immigrants and Refugees [July 26, 2018]
"On June 20, 2018, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that states 'It is also the policy of this Administration to maintain family unity, including by detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources' and that directs the Secretary of Defense to 'take all legally available measures to provide to the Secretary [of Homeland Security], upon request, any existing facilities available for the housing and care of alien families, and shall construct such facilities if necessary and consistent with law.' On June 24, Secretary of Defense James Mattis confirmed that Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Bliss, both in Texas, would be used to 'provide whatever support the Department of Homeland Security needs to house the people that they have under their custody.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence; Torreon, Barbara Salazar
2018-07-26
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European Union and China [July 26, 2018]
"The European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor to the European Union (EU), and China established diplomatic relations on May 6, 1975. The 42year-old EU-China relationship began as a framework of economic cooperation but has evolved into a comprehensive political, economic, and relationship. Today, the EU's China policy prioritizes the search for reciprocal benefits in political and economic relations while advancing European values, such as the promotion of democracy, rule of law, human rights, and respect for the U.N. Charter's principles. Since 1998, the EU and China have held annual summits, alternating between Brussels and Beijing. The July 2018 summit was the latest example of the EU's long-term interest in, and maintenance of, its political and economic relations with China."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morelli, Vincent L.
2018-07-26
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U.S. Sanctions on Russia: An Overview [July 26, 2018]
"The United States imposes sanctions on Russian persons (individuals and entities) for aggression against Ukraine, election interference, malicious cyber activity, human rights violations, weapons proliferation, and other activities. U.S. sanctions regimes against Russia have increased in complexity and scope with enactment of the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (CRIEEA; P.L. 115-44, Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, Title II; 22 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.). Sanctions against Russian persons can include blocking U.S.-based assets; prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in transactions related to those assets; prohibiting certain, and in some cases all, U.S. transactions; and denying entry into the United States. The United States also tightly controls exports to Russia's energy and defense sectors and restricts exports where the end-use might have military application. Each rationale for imposing sanctions and the sanctions tools used, however, have their own nuances."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rennack, Dianne E.; Welt, Cory
2018-07-26
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Australia and New Zealand React to China's Growing Influence in the South Pacific [July 26, 2018]
"The July 24, 2018, Australia-United States Ministerial (AUSMIN) Joint Statement points to 'deepening engagement [between the United States and Australia] in the Indo-Pacific.' Canberra and Wellington are increasingly responding to Chinese influence operations in the Pacific region, as demonstrated by a number of recent actions, including Australia's passage of new foreign interference legislation; announcement of an possible new Australia-Vanuatu security agreement; New Zealand's adoption of a new Strategic Defence Policy Statement; steps toward a new Pacific Islands Forum security agreement; and increased aid from Australia and New Zealand to Pacific island states. In addition, Australia is boosting its defense budget, both Australia and New Zealand are making new military procurements, and Australia, New Zealand, and the United States held an inaugural Pacific Security Cooperation Dialogue in June 2018 'to discuss a wide range of security issues and identify areas to strengthen cooperation with Pacific Island countries on common regional challenges.' A review of these developments may assist Congress as it exercises oversight of the Administration's Indo-Pacific strategy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Vaughn, Bruce, 1963-
2018-07-26
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Zimbabwe: Forthcoming Elections [July 26, 2018]
"On July 30, 2018, Zimbabwe is slated to hold presidential, parliamentary and local elections--the first since the November 2017 transfer of presidential power from Robert Mugabe to Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe's departure, after 37 years in office, raised hopes for the resolution of a persistent economic crisis and for a democratic transition ending a long pattern of human rights violations and undemocratic governance--and an end to the years of international condemnation, sanctions, and isolation generated by such trends. Mnangagwa, a former close Mugabe ally, has committed to a range of economic and governance reforms. He has also pledged that these elections will be free, fair, and peaceful. The elections' credibility will determine the relative legitimacy of the next government and its ability to mend relations with the international financial institutions (IFIs) and Western governments. This, in turn, could bolster the government's ability to negotiate a sovereign debt arrears payment deal, a critical step toward returning the economy to health. A dearth of capital is a major factor underpinning the dire economic situation, and Zimbabwe's longstanding debt arrears have cut it off from new credit. A legitimate election could also spur increased foreign investment and trade. Western donors view free and fair elections as a key prerequisite for increased cooperation and engagement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2018-07-26
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Cambodian Elections [July 26, 2018]
"Cambodian National Assembly elections, scheduled for July 29, 2018, are expected to be a setback for the country's prospects for democratization. The ruling political party, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), banned the largest opposition party in 2017 and will run virtually unopposed. Steps taken by the Trump Administration and Congress to respond to the Cambodian government's 'anti-democratic' actions have been met with defiance by the Cambodian leader, Hun Sen."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lum, Thomas
2018-07-26
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NAFTA Renegotiation and Modernization [July 26, 2018]
"The 115th Congress, in both its legislative and oversight capacities, faces numerous trade policy issues related to the renegotiation and modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).1 First launched under President George H. W. Bush, the NAFTA Implementation Act was signed into law by President William J. Clinton on December 8, 1993 (P.L. 103-182). NAFTA entered into force on January 1, 1994. NAFTA is significant because it was the first free trade agreement (FTA) among two wealthy countries and a low-income country and because it established trade liberalization commitments that led the way in setting new rules and disciplines for future trade agreements on issues important to the United States. These include provisions on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, services trade, agriculture, dispute settlement procedures, investment, labor, and the environment. NAFTA addressed policy issues that were new to FTAs and for concluding major multilateral trade negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO). The United States now has 14 FTAs with 20 countries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Villarreal, M. Angeles; Fergusson, Ian F.
2018-07-26
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Essential Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh Reader: What Cases Should You Read? [July 25, 2018]
"Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, whom President Trump has nominated to fill the impending Supreme Court vacancy caused by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's retirement from the Court, has amassed a voluminous record of judicial writings during his legal career. These writings are certain to be a key topic of interest as the Senate prepares to hold hearings and a possible vote on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the High Court. CRS [Congressional Research Service] has published a report, Judicial Opinions of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, which provides a tabular listing of every judicial opinion authored by Judge Kavanaugh during his time on the federal bench, briefly describing each opinion (and the contrasting approach taken in any separate judicial opinion authored by another member of the panel on which Judge Kavanaugh served) and the primary legal subject the ruling addresses. While the report provides succinct descriptions of more than 300 judicial opinions authored by Judge Kavanaugh (the overwhelming majority as part of a D.C. Circuit panel, though a handful were authored as part of three-judge district court panels), some of the judicial opinions might be particularly useful to Members, congressional committees, and staff seeking to better understand Judge Kavanaugh's approach to different subjects. The following table, adapted from the larger report, highlights many of Judge Kavanaugh's judicial opinions that have received the greatest degree of attention from legal observers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garcia, Michael John
2018-07-25
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Federal Prize Competitions [July 25, 2018]
"Prize competitions are a tool for incentivizing the achievement of scientific and technological innovation by offering monetary and non-monetary benefits (e.g., recognition) to competition participants. Prize competitions have a long history of use in both the public and private sectors, but have gained popularity in recent years. Experts view federal prize competitions as an alternative policy instrument for spurring innovation, not a substitute for more traditional methods of federal support for research and innovation such as competitive research grants and procurement contracts. [...] Despite an increase in the use of federal prize competitions, there is limited information on their effectiveness and impact in spurring innovation and providing other potential benefits to the federal government. Members of Congress may wish to examine the ability of prize competitions to spur innovation in comparison to more traditional policy tools (e.g., grants and contracts); the cost effectiveness of prize competitions; the metrics federal agencies are using to evaluate the success of federal prize competitions; and the capability of federal agencies to appropriately design and administer prize competitions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gallo, Marcy E.
2018-07-25
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Cyprus [July 25, 2018]
"The island of Cyprus is located in the Eastern Mediterranean, 65 miles off the southern coast of Turkey. After gaining independence from Great Britain in 1960, Cyprus's success as a politically stable, united republic began to unravel in 1963 as relations between the Greek Cypriot majority and the Turkish Cypriots deteriorated. In 1964, the Turkish Cypriots, objecting to revisions made to the constitution by the majority, withdrew from most national institutions and began to administer their own affairs. Sporadic, and sometimes intense, intercommunal violence prompted the United Nations Security Council to order a U.N. peacekeeping force to the island. In 1974, a coup against the Greek Cypriot government, intended to unify Cyprus with Greece, led to the deployment of Turkish military forces to northern Cyprus. Since then, the island has been politically and physically divided; the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus governs about two-thirds of the island, and the Turkish Cypriots administer an area in the northern third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence and established the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morelli, Vincent L.
2018-07-25
