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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress [June 16, 2017]
"CVN-78, CVN-79, CVN-80, and CVN-81 are the first four ships in the Navy's new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) [...] Oversight issues for Congress for the CVN-78 program (and other carrier-related issues) for FY2018 included the following: [1] whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's FY2018 procurement requests for the CVN-78 program; [2] whether to provide advance procurement (AP) funding in FY2018 for the purchase of materials for CVN-81, so as to accelerate the procurement of the ship to a year earlier than FY2023 and/or initiate a combined purchase of materials for CVN-80 and CVN-81 or a block buy contract for the two ships; [3] cost growth in the CVN-78 program, Navy efforts to stem that growth, and Navy efforts to manage costs so as to stay within the program's cost caps; [4] CVN-78 program issues that were raised in a December 2016 report from the Department of Defense's (DOD's) Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E); and [5] whether the Navy should shift at some point from procuring large-deck, nuclear-powered carriers like the CVN-78 class to procuring smaller aircraft carriers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2017-06-16
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [June 15, 2017]
"Iran employs a number of different national security policy tools, including traditional diplomacy and the public promotion of Iran's values and interests. Of greater concern to U.S. officials is that Iran advances its interests by providing material support to armed groups, some of which conduct acts of international terrorism. Iran's armed support to Shiite-dominated allied governments, such as those of Syria and Iraq, has fueled Sunni popular resentment. Iran also has financially supported regional politicians and leaders. Iran has used the July 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA) to ease its international diplomatic isolation and to try to develop itself as a regional energy and trade hub and to explore new weapons buys. [...] Iran's national security policy focuses most intently on the Near East region, including on U.S. operations, allies, and activities in that region. Iran's policy also seems to be directed at influencing the policies and actions of big powers, such as those in Europe as well as Russia, as partners of Iran and/or antagonists of U.S. actions in the region. [...] The Trump Administration has cited Iran's regional 'malign activities' and repeated ballistic missile tests to assert that Iran 'is now feeling emboldened' and that 'Iran's provocative actions threaten the United States, the [Middle East] region, and the world.' The Administration has begun a comprehensive policy review, sanctioned additional Iran missile entities under existing authorities, and sought to forge a regional coalition to counter Iran."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-06-15
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Finding Medicare Enrollment Statistics [June 15, 2017]
"There is no single source for Medicare enrollment statistics. Various sources described in this report present different breakdowns of enrollment data, including coverage type (Parts A, B, C, and D), beneficiary type (aged, disabled), and geographic area. This report provides guidance in determining the most current sources for different categories of enrollment data. The report presents basic categories and definitions for terms related to Medicare enrollment data, a quick reference table that summarizes key data available in selected resources, and a more detailed overview of core resources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Malloy, Michele L.
2017-06-15
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Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: A Brief Overview [June 15, 2017]
"Questions about the personal security and safety of Members of Congress and their staffs are of enduring concern for the House, Senate, and the United States Capitol Police (USCP). Broader interest in the media and among the public arises in the aftermath of an incident such as the June 14, 2017, attack on at least 17 Members of Congress, several staff, USCP officers, and members of the public in Alexandria, Virginia. In that incident, a Member was critically wounded, and others, including another Member, a congressional staffer, USCP officers, and a member of the public were injured during a shooting that occurred as Members were practicing for an annual congressional baseball game. There may also be concern about the level and extent of threats against Members. Since consistent threat information is not publicly available, however, it cannot be determined whether the number of threats against Members and congressional staff has increased, decreased, or remained the same over time."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Petersen, R. Eric
2017-06-15
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Dakota Access Pipeline: Siting Controversy [June 15, 2017]
"Recent growth of domestic crude oil production has resulted in an unprecedented expansion of the United States' oil pipeline network. One major oil pipeline recently constructed is the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 30-inch diameter, 1,172-mile project that carries crude oil produced in northwest North Dakota to southern Illinois (Figure 1). The Dakota Access Pipeline's maximum capacity is 570,000 barrels per day. […] The federal government does not have jurisdiction over the siting of domestic oil pipelines. Instead, authorization for the overall route must be granted by individual states. The Dakota Access Pipeline developer, Energy Transfer Partners, was granted siting approval from state utility regulators in South Dakota and Illinois in 2015, and from North Dakota and Iowa early in 2016."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Parfomak, Paul W.
2017-06-15
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Finding Quotes for Speeches: Fact Sheet [June 15, 2017]
"A well-chosen quote can strengthen a speech by emphasizing and reinforcing a point, tapping into the audience's memories and associations, and bolstering the speaker's credibility. The right quote can capture the listener's attention, add poignancy, and infuse drama or poetic flair. The following resources will help the user find quotes for speeches and other communications. The resources are divided into three categories: (1) General Quotations, (2) Americana, and (3) Religion. There is some overlap among the categories."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Crane-Hirsch, Audrey Celeste
2017-06-15
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Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive [June 15, 2017]
"Six months into the year, a permanent solution that would end the island's division has remained elusive and, at the moment, stands teetering on the edge of reaching a historic agreement or ending this round of serious negotiations with yet another disappointing outcome, or as some suggest, a permanent end to the negotiations. [...] The United States has long maintained interest in a resolution of the Cyprus issue, in part because of the growing prospects that the Eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, can play an important role in contributing to regional stability and in energy development and supply. The Trump Administration has pledged continued support for the negotiations with the goal of a settlement, but the level of active engagement by the United States in the early part of the new Administration, as compared to U.S. engagement in 2016, has been slow to materialize. This may have been one reason why President Anastasiades, after his dinner at the UN in early June, travelled to Washington and met with Vice President Pence and others to seek assurance of U.S. support for the negotiations and for continued energy development. This report provides a brief overview of the history of the negotiations and a description of some of the issues involved in those talks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morelli, Vincent
2017-06-15
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Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2017: Fact Sheet [June 14, 2017]
"Generally, the homeland security appropriations bill includes all annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing resources to every departmental component. The following figures show two perspectives on the budget authority for DHS enacted for FY2016 and requested by the Barack Obama Administration for FY2017, as well as the funding levels provided in the Senate-reported and House-reported homeland security appropriations bills and the first five titles of the FY2017 DHS appropriations act. On March 16, 2017, the Donald J. Trump Administration submitted an amendment to the FY2017 budget request, which included a request for $3 billion in additional funding for DHS. The appropriations committees responded to this request for additional funding in a sixth title of the DHS appropriations act. This fact sheet reflects this supplemental funding separately from the annual appropriations in the first five titles, and presents the original FY2017 budget request unamended, as that was the basis for the annual appropriations reflected in the FY2017 measure."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2017-06-14
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United Kingdom Election Result [June 14, 2017]
"The United Kingdom (UK) election of June 8, 2017, resulted in a hung parliament, an outcome in which no single party won a majority of seats in the 650-seat House of Commons. With 318 seats, the Conservative Party came in first place but lost the majority it had held after winning 331 seats in the 2015 election. The Labour Party came in second place, outperforming most expectations by winning 262 seats, a gain of 30."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mix, Derek E.
2017-06-14
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Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing: Policy Options [June 14, 2017]
"Statements and actions by the Trump Administration about reinvigorating domestic manufacturing and reinvesting in infrastructure have stimulated renewed interest in these laws, including Buy America. The President's 'Buy American and Hire American' initiative includes an executive memorandum requiring the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan for new pipelines in the United States to be made from domestically produced iron and steel, and a separate executive order directing agencies to strictly adhere to Buy America laws. [...] Much of the congressional activity related to Buy America seeks to strengthen its requirements. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94), enacted in December 2015, increased the share of public transit rolling stock components and subcomponents that must be produced in the United States from 60% in FY2017 to 65% in FY2018 and FY2019, and to 70% for FY2020 onward. Other bills have proposed increasing the share to 100%. Other legislative proposals have called for expanding Buy America to other parts of the transportation system, such as pipelines, and to other sectors, including clean energy manufacturing."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Platzer, Michaela D.; Mallett, William
2017-06-14
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Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy [June 14, 2017]
"Venezuela is in an acute political, economic, and social crisis. Following the March 2013 death of populist President Hugo Chávez, acting President Nicolás Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) narrowly defeated Henrique Capriles of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) to be elected to a six-year term in April 2013. [...] U.S. policymakers have had concerns for more than a decade about the deterioration of human rights and democracy in Venezuela and the government's lack of cooperation on antidrug and counterterrorism efforts. The Obama Administration strongly criticized the Maduro government's heavy-handed response to protests in 2014, provided assistance to civil society groups, and employed sanctions against Venezuelan officials linked to drug trafficking, terrorism, and human rights abuses. At the same time, it supported efforts at dialogue and OAS activities. The Trump Administration has followed the same general approach. In February 2017, the Treasury Department imposed drug-trafficking sanctions against Vice President Tareck el Aissami, and in May 2017 it imposed sanctions on eight Supreme Court judges that had dissolved the legislature. President Trump and the State Department have called for the release of imprisoned opposition leader Leopoldo López and all political prisoners. State Department officials have condemned the Supreme Court's rulings and the repression of protests. However, the FY2018 budget request does not include funding for democracy and human rights programs in Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2017-06-14
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Defining Readiness: Background and Issues for Congress [June 14, 2017]
"Many defense observers and government officials, including some Members of Congress, are concerned that the U.S. military faces a readiness crisis. The Department of Defense has used readiness as a central justification for its FY2017 and FY2018 funding requests. Yet what makes the U.S. military ready is debated. This report explains how differing uses of the term readiness cloud the debate on whether a readiness crisis exists and, if so, what funding effort would best address it. CRS [Congressional Research Service] has identified two principal uses of the term readiness. One, readiness is used in a broad sense to describe whether military forces are able to do what the nation asks of them. In this sense, readiness encompasses almost every aspect of the military. Two, readiness is used more narrowly to mean only one component of what makes military forces able. In this second sense, readiness is parallel to other military considerations, like force structure and modernization, which usually refer to the size of the military and the sophistication of its weaponry. Both uses embody accepted concepts: the broader use capturing the military's ability to accomplish its overall goals and the narrower use capturing the military's ability when its size and type of weaponry are held steady."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rumbaugh, Russell
2017-06-14
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New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions [June 13, 2017]
"New START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] 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. [...] New START contains detailed definitions and counting rules that will help the parties calculate the number of warheads that count under the treaty limits. Moreover, the delivery vehicles and their warheads will count under the treaty limits until they are converted or eliminated according to the provisions described in the treaty's Protocol. These provisions are far less demanding than those in the original START Treaty and will provide the United States and Russia with far more flexibility in determining how to reduce their forces to meet the treaty limits. [...] While the Trump Administration has not offered an official assessment of the treaty, Secretary of State-designate Tillerson offered support during his confirmation hearings, noting that he supports 'the long-standing bipartisan policy of engaging with Russia and other nuclear arms states to verifiably reduce nuclear stockpiles' and that it is important for the United States 'to stay engaged with Russia [and] hold them accountable to commitments made under the New START.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2017-06-13
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Congress Faces Calls to Address Expiring Funds for Primary Care [June 13, 2017]
"The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in March 2010, appropriated billions of dollars of mandatory funds to support grant programs and other activities. Specifically, it provided support for three programs focused on expanding access to primary care services for populations that are typically underserved. These three programs are the Health Centers program, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and payments to support medical residents training at teaching health centers- outpatient health facilities that primarily provide care to underserved populations. The ACA funds were initially for five years, but funding for these three programs was subsequently extended for two years (i.e., for FY2016 and FY2017) in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA; P.L. 114-10). The President's FY2018 budget proposes extending funding for these programs for two more years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Heisler, Elayne J., 1976-; Redhead, C. Stephen
2017-06-13
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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) [June 13, 2017]
"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. [...] The U.S. policy approach to international investment traditionally has been to establish and support an open and rules-based system that is in line with U.S. economic and national security interests. The current debate over CFIUS reflects long standing concerns about the impact of foreign investment on the economy and the role of economics as a component of national security. [...] Changes in U.S. foreign investment policy have potentially large economy-wide implications, since the United States is the largest recipient and the largest overseas investor of foreign direct investment. To date, only three investments have been blocked by previous Presidents, although proposed transactions may have been terminated by the firms involved in lieu of having a transaction blocked. President Obama used the FINSA authority in 2012 to block an American firm, Ralls Corporation, owned by Chinese nationals, from acquiring a U.S. wind farm energy firm located near a DOD facility and to block a Chinese investment firm in 2016 from acquiring Aixtron, a Germany-based firm with assets in the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K.
2017-06-13
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Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations [June 13, 2017]
"U.S. policymakers have sought to coordinate with Saudi leaders on regional issues and help them respond to domestic economic and security challenges. Saudi authorities are attempting to reorient and revitalize the nation's economy, while streamlining public expenditure. Shared security challenges have long defined U.S.-Saudi relations, and questions about Saudi domestic and foreign policy may become more pertinent as leadership changes occur in the kingdom and as conflicts and competition continue in the Middle East region. Saudi leaders' assertiveness in confronting perceived threats and the effects of their sharpening tensions with Iran could affect U.S. security interests, including with regard to Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Congress may examine these developments when considering the scope, terms, and merits of ongoing U.S.-Saudi partnership, proposed arms sales, and security commitments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchard, Christopher M.
2017-06-13
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The Financial CHOICE Act (H.R. 10) and the Dodd-Frank Act [June 12, 2017]
"Representative Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, introduced the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (H.R. 10) on April 26, 2017. H.R. 10 was passed by the House on June 8, 2017. The bill as passed is a wide-ranging proposal with 12 titles that would alter many parts of the financial regulatory system. H.R. 10 is similar to, but has several major differences from, H.R. 5983 from the 114th Congress (called the Financial CHOICE Act of 2016). The next section highlights major proposals included in the bill, as passed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc
2017-06-12
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Availability of Legislative Measures in the House of Representatives (The "Three-Day Rule") [June 12, 2017]
"House rules govern the length of time legislative measures must be available to Members before being considered on the floor. For measures reported from committee, the committee report must have been available for three calendar days, excluding weekends and legal holidays unless the House is in session on such days. Conference reports must also have been available for three calendar days, and special rules for considering measures for one legislative day. Bills and joint resolutions that have not been reported by committee, and therefore are not accompanied by a written report, also may not be considered on the House floor unless the measure has been available for at least three calendar days, again excluding weekends and legal holidays unless the House is in session on such days. [...] The House has several means by which it can choose to waive these availability requirements and call up, debate, and vote on a measure in a single calendar day, even if the text of the measure was not made available prior to consideration. These include (1) adopting a special rule that waives the three-day requirement; (2) adopting a special rule that waives the one-day requirement for another special rule; and (3) convening a second legislative day on the same calendar day. Waiving availability requirements allows the House to act quickly when necessary, such as near the end of a session."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rybicki, Elizabeth
2017-06-12
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The ACA Prevention and Public Health Fund: In Brief [June 9, 2017]
"Section 4002 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended) established the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF, or 'the Fund') and funded it with a permanent annual appropriation to be administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The PPHF authority directs the HHS Secretary to transfer amounts from the Fund to HHS agencies for prevention, wellness, and public health activities. [...] The Trump Administration budget proposal for FY2018 would transfer $841 million of the $900 million available to the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. The remaining $60 million reflects sequestration. No additional HHS agencies are proposed to receive PPHF funds for FY2018. If PPHF funds were to become unavailable, additional appropriations would be needed to sustain programmatic activities at the levels provided in recent Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations acts. [...] The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the budgetary effects of PPHF repeal as proposed by House-passed H.R. 1628.14 CBO estimated budget authority over the 10-year period of FY2017-FY2026 at $12.0 billion, the sum of annual appropriations to the Fund for those years. It estimated outlays (i.e., the amount that would potentially be saved by the repeal) of $8.8 billion for the same period."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lister, Sarah A.
2017-06-09
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Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement [June 9, 2017]
"This report provides information and analysis on a boycott, divestment, and sanctions ('BDS') movement against Israel. The BDS movement is generally seen as a loose grouping of actors from various countries who advocate or engage in economic measures against Israel or Israel-related individuals or organizations, though defining precisely what may or may not constitute BDS activity is subject to debate. The report also analyzes economic measures that 'differentiate' or might be seen as differentiating between (1) Israel in general and (2) entities linked with Israeli-developed areas and settlements (whose legality is questioned under international law). Such settlements are found in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights- areas that Israel has controlled and administered since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Debate is ongoing in the United States and elsewhere about whether economic differentiation (such as with regard to product labeling policies) between Israel proper and Israeli settlements constitutes a form of BDS. The report also discusses [1] Anti-BDS or anti-differentiation efforts to date, including U.S. legislative action and proposals at the federal and state level […] [and] [2] Legislative considerations arising from existing antiboycott law, First Amendment issues, and issues regarding congressional powers over commerce and foreign affairs. "
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim; Weiss, Martin A.; Ruane, Kathleen Ann; Elsea, Jennifer
2017-06-09
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Qatar: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [June 9, 2017]
"The state of Qatar, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman), has employed its ample financial resources to try to 'punch above its weight' on regional and international affairs. Qatar has intervened, directly and indirectly, in several regional conflicts, including in Syria and Libya. Qatar also has sought to establish itself as an indispensable interlocutor on some issues, such as those involving the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, the Taliban insurgent group in Afghanistan, some Al Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel groups, Lebanon, and Sudan. On Iran, Qatar has generally supported efforts to limit Iran's regional influence while maintaining dialogue with Iran's senior officials. [...] As do the other GCC leaders, Qatar's leaders apparently view the United States as the guarantor of Gulf security. The United States and Qatar have had a formal Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) since 1992, which addresses a U.S. troop presence in Qatar, consideration of U.S. arms sales to Qatar, U.S. training, and other defense cooperation. Under the DCA, Qatar hosts nearly 10,000 U.S. forces at its military facilities, including at the large Al Udeid Air Base, and Qatar also hosts the regional headquarters for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). U.S. forces in Qatar participate in operations all over the region, including Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) against the Islamic State organization in Iraq and Syria, and in Afghanistan."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2017-06-09
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President Trump's Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement Raises Legal Questions [Part 1 and 2]
"On June 1, President Trump announced his long-anticipated decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement--an international agreement intended to reduce the effects of climate change by maintaining global temperatures 'well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels[.]' As analyzed in this earlier report and live CRS seminar, historical practice suggests it is within the President's constitutional authority to withdraw from the Paris Agreement without first receiving congressional or senatorial approval. However, legal questions remain as to how the Trump Administration will implement the withdrawal and what role the United States will play in future international climate meetings. This two-part Sidebar series analyzes legal questions arising from the President's announcement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2017-06-09
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FY2018 Defense Budget Request: The Basics [June 9, 2017]
"On May 23, 2017 the Trump Administration released its federal budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2018. The Administration proposed a total budget of $677.1 billion for national defense-related activities of the federal government (budget function 050). Of the national defense total, $667.6 billion is discretionary spending provided, for the most part, by the annual appropriations bill drafted by the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate. The remaining $9.6 billion is mandatory spending, that is, spending for entitlement programs and certain other payments. Mandatory spending is generally governed by statutory criteria and it is not provided by annual appropriation acts. As has been typical in recent years, about 95% of that total ($646.9 billion) is for military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD)--referred to as subfunction 051. The balance of the function 050 request comprises $21.8 billion for defense-related atomic energy-defense activities of the Department of Energy (designated subfunction 053) and $8.4 billion for defense-related activities of other agencies (designated subfunction 054) of which about two-thirds is allocated to the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Williams, Lynn M.; Towell, Pat
2017-06-09
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What is the Proposed U.S.-EU Insurance Covered Agreement? [June 9, 2017]
"Recent growth of domestic crude oil production has resulted in an unprecedented expansion of the United States' oil pipeline network. One major oil pipeline recently constructed is the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 30-inch diameter, 1,172-mile project that carries crude oil produced in northwest North Dakota to southern Illinois (Figure 1). The Dakota Access Pipeline's maximum capacity is 570,000 barrels per day. […] The federal government does not have jurisdiction over the siting of domestic oil pipelines. Instead, authorization for the overall route must be granted by individual states. The Dakota Access Pipeline developer, Energy Transfer Partners, was granted siting approval from state utility regulators in South Dakota and Illinois in 2015, and from North Dakota and Iowa early in 2016."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird; Fefer, Rachel F.
2017-06-09
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Juneteenth: Fact Sheet [June 9, 2019]
"Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, and many slave owners continued to hold their slaves captive after the announcement, Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom. Juneteenth is not a federal holiday. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia celebrate Juneteenth as a state holiday. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Higgins, Molly
2017-06-09
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U.S. Foreign Aid to the Middle East and North Africa: The President's FY2018 Request [June 8, 2017]
"For FY2018, the Trump Administration proposes to cut 12% of overall bilateral aid to the Middle East and North Africa (from FY2016 enacted levels), primarily by ending Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants to Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, and Tunisia. However, these countries may continue to receive grant or loan aid from a proposed $200 million FMF 'global fund,' possibly convert from FMF grants to FMF loans beginning in FY2018, or receive no FMF assistance at all. U.S. security assistance to MENA countries could also be channeled through Defense Department appropriations accounts rather than through State Department and Foreign Operations appropriations. If enacted, the Administration's FY2018 proposed cuts to FMF for the region would make the traditional recipients of FMF grants (Israel, Egypt, and Jordan) account for 100% of all regional FMF grant aid and 92% of all global grant FMF aid. While the President's FY2018 budget request claims that FMF loans will allow recipients to 'purchase more American-made defense equipment and related services than they would receive with the same amount of grant funding,' some lawmakers argue that converting FMF grants to loans would 'require poorer countries to reimburse the United States (which past experience has shown they are unable to do) for assistance that is in our security interest to provide to them.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell
2017-06-08
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U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: Policy Issues for Congress [June 8, 2017]
"Central America has received renewed attention from U.S. policymakers over the past few years as the region has become a major transit corridor for illicit drugs and a significant source of irregular migration to the United States. These narcotics and migrant flows are the latest symptoms of deep-rooted challenges in several countries in the region, including widespread insecurity, fragile political and judicial systems, and high levels of poverty and unemployment. Although the Obama Administration and governments in the region launched new initiatives designed to improve conditions in Central America, the future of those efforts will depend on the decisions of the Trump Administration and the 115th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2017-06-08
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Quorum Requirements in the Senate: Committee and Chamber [June 8, 2017]
"Senate Rule XXVI establishes minimum quorum requirements for four areas of committee activity. [...] Senate committees have discretion in adjusting the minimum quorum requirements mandated in Rule XXVI so long as they adopt rules that are 'not inconsistent with the Rules of the Senate.' For instance, most committees allow a single Senator to take testimony at a hearing rather than the one-third required by Rule XXVI. Committees cannot change the majority physically present quorum needed for reporting a measure. Proxy voting is allowed under Senate rules on a vote to report a matter, but a majority must be physically present and proxy votes cannot make a difference in successfully ordering a measure reported."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rybicki, Elizabeth
2017-06-08
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European Security and Islamist Terrorism [June 8, 2017]
"The June 3, 2017 attack in London--in which eight people were killed and nearly 50 injured--was the third terrorist incident in the United Kingdom in the last few months. Five people were killed outside the UK parliament in March in a similar car and knife attack, and in May, a suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded 116 at a music concert in Manchester. These incidents are among a string of terrorist attacks in Europe connected to or inspired by violent Islamist extremism, with many since 2014 linked to the Islamic State group (also known as ISIS or ISIL)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin; Belkin, Paul; Mix, Derek E.
2017-06-08
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Broadband Data Privacy and Security: What's Net Neutrality Got to Do With It? [June 8, 2017]
"This Sidebar is the third in a series discussing the potential impact of the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to reclassify broadband Internet access services (BIAS). This Sidebar focuses on the proposal's possible effect on the regulation of BIAS providers' privacy practices."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2017-06-08
