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Supply Disruptions and the U.S. Economy [May 13, 2022]
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has disrupted the production of many goods and services. Although those disruptions have waned since spring 2020, some continue to constrain production, exacerbating inflationary pressures [hyperlink]. The Biden Administration has announced a series of initiatives to address supply chain disruptions, which are detailed in CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight IN11927 [hyperlink]. This Insight discusses some of the factors contributing to supply disruptions and policy considerations surrounding this issue."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc; Weinstock, Lida R.
2022-05-13
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Summary of Selected Biden Administration Actions on Supply Chains [May 13, 2022]
From the Document: "This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight presents selected Biden Administration actions on supply chains. The U.S. economy has faced many supply disruptions and bottlenecks since the beginning of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. These supply issues have contributed to high inflation throughout 2021 and thus far in 2022. For more information on supply chain disruptions and their effect on the U.S. economy, see CRS Insight IN11926 [hyperlink]. The first section of this Insight focuses on select executive orders signed by President Biden aimed at supply chain issues. The second section focuses on other Administration actions and goals to reduce supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks. Both sections are organized in chronological order. Each header provides a hyperlink to a description of the action in question."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weinstock, Lida R.
2022-05-13
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Russia's 2022 Invasion of Ukraine: Related CRS Products [Updated May 13, 2022]
From the Document: "On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, with wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security and an array of global geopolitical and economic issues. This report compiles CRS [Congressional Research Service] products on various aspects of this conflict, and will be updated regularly as new products are developed. It also includes some products published before the invasion that offer relevant background and context."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Danon, Zoe; Blum, David A.
2022-05-13
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 7335, MST Claims Coordination
From the Document: "H.R. 7335 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide veterans who have applied for disability compensation for conditions related to military sexual trauma with information about the Veterans Crisis Line, mental health counseling, and other services that are available from the department. The bill also would require the Veterans Benefits Administration to automatically notify the Veterans Health Administration when veterans who have filed such claims receive medical exams for evaluating disability claims or have hearings before the Board of Veterans Appeals. That requirement would apply to veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. VA currently provides the required information to veterans. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that the department would have to make minor updates to its information systems to provide the automatic intradepartmental notifications. Based on similar information technology efforts, CBO estimates satisfying that requirement would cost $1 million over the 2022-2027 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-13
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2483, Improving Cybersecurity of Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Local Governments Act of 2021
From the Document: "S. 2483 would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to offer cybersecurity training to employees of small businesses. The bill also would require CISA and the Small Business Administration to provide the Congress with recommendations for ways to reduce cyber vulnerabilities in the information networks of small businesses. Using information from CISA, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] anticipates that the agency would need five full-time employees to create and manage the new training program. CBO estimates that costs for staff salaries and website development would total $2 million annually. Accounting for the time needed to hire new employees and develop the training, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $10 million over the 2022-2027 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-13
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 13, 2022
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Malignant Mesothelioma Mortality in Women -- United States, 1999-2020"; "Progress Toward Polio Eradication -- Worldwide, January 2020-April 2022"; "'Vital Signs': Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates -- United States, 2019-2020"; "Trends in Gabapentin Detection and Involvement in Drug Overdose Deaths -- 23 States and the District of Columbia, 2019-2020"; and "Increase in Drug Overdose Deaths Among Hispanic or Latino Persons -- Nevada, 2019-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-05-13
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Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview [Updated May 13, 2022]
From the Document: "Cuba remains a one-party authoritarian state with a government that has sharply restricted freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and other basic human rights since the early years of the 1959 Cuban revolution. [...] In its initial months, the Biden Administration announced it was conducting a review of policy toward Cuba. The White House press secretary said in March 2021 that the Administration would make human rights a core pillar of policy and would review policy decisions made in the prior Administration, including the decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2022-05-13
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Introduction to Budget Authority [May 13, 2022]
From the Document: "Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress exercises the 'power of the purse.' This power is expressed through the application of several provisions, particularly Article I, Section 9, which states that funds may be drawn from the Treasury only pursuant to appropriations made by law. However, when Congress enacts an appropriation, this does not mean that the Treasury sets aside cash for a specified agency to allow it to carry out that purpose. In practice, it means that when Congress enacts an appropriation it is providing an agency with 'budget authority' that can be used to finance federal programs and activities. This budget authority allows agencies to enter into various financial obligations and for the Treasury to subsequently outlay the funds to meet those obligations. Agencies can enter into financial obligations through such things as employing personnel, entering into contracts, submitting purchase orders, or other activities that establish a financial liability. Because it takes time for budget authority to become outlays, the amount of budget authority enacted for a fiscal year does not necessarily equal the amount of outlays that will occur in that year. The outlay amounts for proposed budget authority are estimates based on the historical rate at which funds for a given account or activity have been expended (known as the 'outlay rate' or 'spendout rate')."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Saturno, James
2022-05-13
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Changes in Parental Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination and Routine Childhood Vaccination During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey Study
From the Abstract: "It was reported that one in four parents were hesitant about vaccinating their children in China. Previous studies have revealed a declining trend in the vaccine willingness rate in China. There is a need to monitor the level of parental vaccine hesitancy toward routine childhood vaccination and hesitancy toward the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [...] This study aims to assess changes in trends of parental attitudes toward routine childhood vaccines and COVID-19 vaccinations across different time periods in China. [...] Three waves of cross-sectional surveys were conducted on parents residing in Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province, China from September to October 2020, February to March 2021, and May to June 2021. Participants were recruited from immunization clinics." This article was originally published on the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Public Health and Surveillance website: [https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/5/e33235].
JMIR Publications
Wang, Qiang; Xiu, Shixin; Yang, Liuqing . . .
2022-05-13
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Executive Privilege and Presidential Communications: Judicial Principles [May 12, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Presidents have claimed a right to withhold their communications from Congress since the start of the Republic. Congress's resistance to such claims, however, is just as grounded in history. The resulting, recurring, and often prominent disagreements over what has come to be known broadly as 'executive privilege' tend to place in opposition two implied and often competing constitutional principles: Congress's right to obtain information necessary to carry out its legislative functions and the President's interest in protecting the confidentiality of his (and sometimes his subordinates') communications. Unlike more traditional legal disagreements between parties, resolution of these inter-branch executive privilege disputes has not historically come from the courts. Instead, when conflict has been avoided, it has typically been because of a process of compromise and accommodation in which absolute claims--for either access or confidentiality--are relinquished and replaced by a negotiated resolution acceptable to both Congress and the Executive. [...] This report addresses the judicial treatment of a core component of 'executive privilege': the presidential communications privilege. The report begins by identifying the various executive privileges in order to distinguish the presidential communications privilege from other executive branch confidentiality protections. It then discusses--in historical context--notable judicial opinions to help elucidate the legal standards applicable to disputes between Congress and the President over presidential communications. The report concludes by addressing the presidential communications privilege's application to former Presidents."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garvey, Todd
2022-05-12
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Statutory Inspectors General in the Federal Government: A Primer [Updated May 12, 2022]
From the Summary: "This report provides an overview of statutory inspectors general (IGs) in the federal government, including their structure, functions, and related issues for Congress. [...] As the federal government continues to evolve, so too does the role of IGs in government oversight. Agency programs and operations have increased in terms of breadth, complexity, and interconnectedness. Consequently, IGs may face increasing demand to complete statutorily mandated reviews of programs and operations that require (1) a broader focus on program performance and effectiveness in addition to waste, fraud, and abuse; (2) analysis of specialty or technical programs, possibly in emerging policy areas; and (3) use of more complex analytical methods and tools. Congress may wish to consider several options regarding IG structures, functions, and coordination as the role of IGs in government oversight evolves."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Francis, Kathryn A.; Wilhelm, Ben
2022-05-12
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SBA Veterans Assistance Programs: An Analysis of Contemporary Issues [Updated May 12, 2022]
From the Summary: "This report opens with an examination of the economic circumstances of veteran-owned businesses. It then provides a brief overview of veterans' employment experiences, comparing unemployment and labor force participation rates for veterans, veterans who have left the military since September 2001, and nonveterans. The report also describes employment assistance programs offered by several federal agencies to assist veterans in their transition from the military to the civilian labor force and examines, in greater detail, the SBA's veteran business development programs, the SBA's efforts to assist veterans' access to capital, and the SBA's service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) federal procurement program. It also discusses the SBA's Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and P.L. 114-38, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015, which authorized and made permanent, under specified circumstances, the SBA's recent practice of waiving the SBAExpress loan program's one time, up-front loan guarantee fee for veterans (and their spouses)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Cilluffo, Anthony A.
2022-05-12
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Lebanon's 2022 Parliamentary Elections [May 12, 2022]
From the Document: "Lebanon plans to hold parliamentary elections on May 15, the first since the emergence in 2019 of a protest movement calling for the removal of the country's ruling political elite. Parties allied with the March 14 political coalition--which seeks close ties with the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia-- hope to win a majority in parliament. The 2018 elections resulted in a parliamentary--and therefore cabinet--majority for the March 8 political coalition of Hezbollah and its allies, which seeks close ties with Syria and Iran[.] As of 2022, forces opposed to Hezbollah remain splintered, and some analysts question [hyperlink] whether the election can overturn the current March 8 majority. The relative strength of Hezbollah and its allies in the next government may impact congressional consideration of additional aid to Lebanon, as the country struggles with an economic crisis the World Bank described [hyperlink] as possibly among the top three 'most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.
2022-05-12
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 22 Issue 19, May 12, 2022
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "Civil unrest: preparedness and planning resources for fire and EMS [emergency medical services] agencies"; "New mobile app brings timely counterterrorism intelligence to first responders and homeland security professionals"; "Webinar: FirstNet on communications in healthcare settings and special events"; "CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]: Alert (AA22-131A) - Protecting Against Cyber Threats to Managed Service Providers and their Customers"; "U.S. Government attributes cyberattacks on SATCOM [satellite communication] networks to Russian state-sponsored malicious cyber actors"; "NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] updates cybersecurity guidance for supply chain risk management"; "Critical vulnerability exploited to 'destroy' BIG-IP appliances"; "Ransomware tracker: the latest figures [May 2022]"; and "Tenet says 'cybersecurity incident' disrupted hospital operations."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2022-05-12
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 312, COVID-19 Safer Detention Act of 2021
From the Document: "'The bill would'[:] [1] Allow federal prisoners sentenced before November 1, 1987, to apply for compassionate release[;] [and 2] Shorten certain elderly prisoners' sentences by applying credits for good conduct time to eligibility for early release[.] 'Estimated budgetary effects would mainly stem from'[:] [1] Reductions in discretionary spending by the federal Bureau of Prisons because some prisoners would be released earlier than under current law[;] [and 2] Increases in direct spending for health care, Social Security, and other federal benefits[.] 'Areas of significant uncertainty include'[:] [1] Projecting the number of elderly incarcerated prisoners and the number who would be eligible for release from prison[;] [2] Projecting whether prisoners would be confined in residential reentry centers or at home, and the difference in costs between those options compared with confinement in federal prisons[;] [and 3] Estimating the number of offenders released under the act who would receive federal benefits[.]"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-12
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 120, Safe Connections Act of 2022
From the Document: "'The act would'[:] [1] Require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue rules to allow a domestic violence survivor to freely disconnect from a service contract shared with their abuser[;] [and 2] Impose mandates by requiring mobile service providers to offer a separate line on a shared phone contract for domestic violence survivors[.] 'Estimated budgetary effects would mainly stem from'[:] [1] Spending subject to appropriation for the FCC to issue rules and complete an evaluation[;] [and 2] Changes in direct spending and revenues by permitting domestic violence survivors to qualify for the Lifeline program[.]"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-12
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Challenges of Adapting DoD's Acquisition Portfolio to a New Defense Strategy [presentation]
From the Document: "If the Department of Defense (DoD) made major changes in strategy, history suggests that two types of challenges could be faced: 'Funding-based challenges': Funding could be needed to develop and procure weapons befitting the new strategy; funding would also be needed to ensure that today's force continues to have the weapons it needs to meet immediate missions. 'Knowledge-based challenges': Information would be needed to determine what new weapons to pursue and learn how to build them."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-12
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Russia's 2022 War Against Ukraine: Global Economic Effects [May 12, 2022]
From the Document: "The Russian Federation's (Russia) renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the increasing number of international sanctions that followed, have heightened congressional interest in understanding the implications of these developments for the U.S. and global economy. The war, which has already led to economic, security, and humanitarian crises in the region, is causing wide-ranging spillover effects globally and is likely to hamper national economic recoveries from the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The overall impact will ultimately depend on the duration and fallout of the war and sanctions, and on policy responses. The trade disruptions, inflationary pressures, and security concerns have started to weigh on consumer and investor sentiment, reduce real incomes, and depress global demand for imports. If prolonged, the war could lead to a more widespread regional--and potentially global--economic recession and increase the risk of social unrest in both advanced and emerging economies. Members of Congress may monitor the situation and help inform potential U.S. economic policy responses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schwarzenberg, Andres B.
2022-05-12
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Factors Associated With COVID-19 Death in the United States: Cohort Study
From the Abstract: "Since the initial COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] cases were identified in the United States in February 2020, the United States has experienced a high incidence of the disease. Understanding the risk factors for severe outcomes identifies the most vulnerable populations and helps in decision-making. [...] This study aims to assess the factors associated with COVID-19-related deaths from a large, national, individual-level data set. [...] This is one of the largest national cohort studies in the United States; we identified several patient characteristics associated with COVID-19-related deaths, and the results can serve as the basis for policy making. The study also offered directions for future studies, including the effect of other socioeconomic factors on the increased risk for minority groups." This article was originally published on the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) Public Health and Surveillance website: [https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/5/e29343].
JMIR Publications
Chen, Uan-I; Xu, Hua; Krause, Trudy Millard . . .
2022-05-12
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COVID-19 State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report 25 (February 22 - March 14, 2022)
From the Document: "By rapidly reviewing and analyzing numerous sources and inputs [...], the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report emphasizes major themes influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake. These are characterized by the level and type of threat to vaccine confidence, degree of spread, and directionality. In addition, by examining how consumers think and feel, social processes, and the practical issues around vaccination, the Insights Report seeks to identify emerging issues of misinformation, disinformation, and places where intervention efforts can improve vaccine confidence across the United States. The information in this report is only a snapshot, and certain populations may be underrepresented. Images and quotes are illustrative examples and are not meant to comprehensively cover all content related to the highlighted themes." A major theme from this Insights Report involves "Consumers and news outlets expressed their frustration and lack of trust in CDC." Some "Continuing and Evolving Themes" include: "Consumers expressed pandemic fatigue and stated they would no longer practice prevention and mitigation strategies"; "The public continues to have questions and concerns about pediatric COVID-19 vaccines while others eagerly await Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for children under 5 years old"; "Consumers continue to have questions and concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccine"; and "Consumers continue to discuss their support or opposition to COVID-19 boosters."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-05-12
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Public Law 117-122: National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act of 2021
From the Document: "An Act [t]o authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with cybersecurity consortia for training, and for other purposes."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-05-12
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Protecting Against Cyber Threats to Managed Service Providers and Their Customers
From the Summary: "This advisory describes cybersecurity best practices for information and communications technology (ICT) services and functions, focusing on guidance that enables transparent discussions between MSPs [managed service providers] and their customers on securing sensitive data. Organizations should implement these guidelines as appropriate to their unique environments, in accordance with their specific security needs, and in compliance with applicable regulations. MSP customers should verify that the contractual arrangements with their provider include cybersecurity measures in line with their particular security requirements."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency; United Kingdom. National Cyber Security Centre; New Zealand. NCSC . . .
2022-05-11
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CBO Estimate for H.R. 7691, Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022
From the Document: "H.R. 7691 would provide supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2022 to respond to the situation in Ukraine and to provide humanitarian and other assistance for Ukraine and other affected countries. The legislation would designate those amounts as emergency requirements in keeping with section 4001(a)(1) and section 4001(b) of S. Con. Res. 14 (117th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2022."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-05-11
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Findings of Misconduct by a Then Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Employee for Unauthorized Disclosure of Sensitive, Non-Public Information to the Media, Including Information from a Draft DOJ OIG Report
From the Document: "Upon reporting by a media outlet that it had reviewed a draft report of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the DOJ OIG referred for investigation to the Integrity Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), as required by the Inspector General Act, the question of whether one or more DOJ OIG employees had disclosed the draft DOJ OIG report or other sensitive, non-public information about the then ongoing DOJ OIG review to the media without authorization. After considering the referral, CIGIE's Integrity Committee declined to investigate the matter as there was no allegation or information suggesting that any person covered under the Integrity Committee's jurisdiction disclosed sensitive, non-public information to the media without authorization. However, the Integrity Committee agreed, at DOJ OIG's request, to identify another Office of Inspector General of the Integrity Committee's choosing to conduct an independent investigation of the alleged unauthorized disclosure. The independent investigation conducted by the other Office of Inspector General concluded that a then DOJ OIG employee was responsible for sensitive, non-public information from and about the then ongoing DOJ OIG review, including information from the draft DOJ OIG report, being provided on several occasions to various media outlets prior to completion and official public release of DOJ OIG's final report, and that the employee did so without authorization from DOJ OIG."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2022-05-11
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Federal Role in Voter Registration: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Subsequent Developments [Updated May 11, 2022]
From the Summary: "Historically, most aspects of election administration have been left to state and local governments, resulting in a variety of practices across jurisdictions with respect to voter registration. States can vary on a number of elements of the voter registration process, including whether or not to require voter registration; where or when voter registration occurs; and how voters may be removed from registration lists. The right of citizens to vote, however, is presented in the U.S. Constitution in the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments. Beginning with the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 1965, Congress has sometimes passed legislation requiring certain uniform practices for federal elections, intended to prevent any state policies that may result in the disenfranchisement of eligible voters. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) was enacted in 1993 and set forth a number of voter registration requirements for states to follow regarding voter registration processes for federal elections. NVRA is commonly referred to as the motor-voter bill, as it required states to provide voter registration opportunities alongside services provided by departments of motor vehicles (DMVs), although NVRA required other state and local offices providing public services to provide voter registration opportunities as well. [...] NVRA remains a fundamental component of federal voter registration policy and has not undergone many significant revisions since its enactment, though voter registration remains a subject of interest to Congress. [...] More than 60 bills have been introduced in the 117th Congress to date related to federal voter registration or NVRA, and similar numbers and types of voter registration proposals have been commonly introduced in other recent Congresses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Eckman, Sarah J.
2022-05-11
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks in U.S. Agriculture [Updated May 11, 2022]
From the Document: "Agriculture and land-use activities continue to play a central role in the broader debate about energy and climate policy options in the United States and abroad. Such activities offer opportunities to remove greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere, potentially reducing the nation's 'net emissions': the metric of emissions targets for the Paris Agreement (PA), the binding international climate change treaty. Pursuant to the PA, the Biden Administration released a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2021 specifying a new U.S. target of reducing net GHG emissions by 50%-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. Most federal legislative proposals to reduce U.S. GHG emissions would not require reductions in agriculture, but some would incentivize voluntary actions to do so. [...] Agriculture is both a 'source' and a 'sink' of GHGs ('Figure 1'). Sources generate GHG emissions that are released into the atmosphere and contribute to global climate change. Sinks remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store carbon through physical or biological processes. Agricultural emissions include many GHGs of interest to policymakers: CO2 [carbon dioxide], methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Agricultural sinks remove CO2 through photosynthesis and store carbon in plants and soil. Despite these sinks, U.S. agriculture is a net GHG source. This In Focus discusses emissions from the agriculture sector, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the most recent data available (from 2020)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Croft, Genevieve K.
2022-05-11
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Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 11, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress for three types of large unmanned vehicles (UVs) that the Navy wants to develop and procure in FY2023 and beyond: [1] Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSVs); [2] Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MUSVs); and [3] Extra-large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs). The Navy wants to acquire these large UVs as part of an effort to shift the Navy to a more distributed fleet architecture, meaning a mix of ships that spreads the Navy's capabilities over an increased number of platforms and avoids concentrating a large portion of the fleet's overall capability into a relatively small number of high-value ships (i.e., a mix of ships that avoids 'putting too many eggs into one basket'). The Navy's proposed FY2023 budget requests $549.3 million in research and development funding for these large UVs and LUSV/MUSV-enabling technologies, and $60.7 million in additional funding for core technologies for XLUUV and other Navy UUVs [Unmanned Undersea Vehicles]. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's acquisition strategies and funding requests for these large UVs. The Navy's proposals for developing and procuring them pose a number of oversight issues for Congress. Congress's decisions on these issues could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding and UV industrial bases."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-05-11
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Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 11, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and discusses potential issues for Congress regarding the Navy's Constellation (FFG-62) class frigate program, a program to procure a new class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). The Navy's proposed FY2023 budget requests the procurement of the fourth ship in the program. The FFG-62 program presents several potential oversight issues for Congress. Congress's decisions on the program could affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-05-11
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Northern Ireland's 2022 Assembly Election: Outcome and Implications [May 11, 2022]
From the Document: "On May 5, 2022, voters in Northern Ireland--a part of the United Kingdom (UK)--went to the polls in elections for Northern Ireland's Assembly, its regional legislature. In a landmark outcome [hyperlink], the all-Ireland Sinn Fein party--which supports a united Ireland--came in first place. The Assembly is a key institution in Northern Ireland's devolved government, established by the 1998 peace agreement [hyperlink] aimed at ending 'the Troubles,' a 30-year sectarian conflict in which roughly 3,500 people died. The peace accord mandates power sharing in the devolved government between Northern Ireland's two dominant communities: 'unionists,' or Protestants who largely define themselves as British and support remaining part of the UK, and 'nationalists,' or Catholics who consider themselves Irish and may favor a united Ireland. Despite a much improved security situation since 1998, peace and stability in Northern Ireland remain fragile and of continued interest to many in Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin
2022-05-11
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U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 11, 2022]
From the Summary: "Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations and have been given greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has about 70,000 Active Duty, National Guard, and reserve personnel from all four services and Department of Defense (DOD) civilians assigned to its headquarters, its four service component commands, and eight sub-unified commands. In 2013, based on a request from USSOCOM (with the concurrence of Geographic and Functional Combatant Commanders and the Military Service Chiefs and Secretaries), the Secretary of Defense assigned command of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs) to USSOCOM. USSOCOM has the responsibility to organize, train, and equip TSOCs. While USSOCOM is responsible for the organizing, training, and equipping of TSOCs, the Geographic Combatant Commands will have operational control over the TSOCs. Because the TSOCs are now classified as sub-unified commands, the services are responsible to provide non-SOF support to the TSOCs in the same manner in which they provide support to the Geographic Combatant Command headquarters. [...] USSOCOM's FY2022 budget request was for $12.6 billion, representing a decrease of $495 million (4%) of the FY2021-enacted position of $13.1 billion. A potential issue for Congress includes potential implications of the Ukraine Conflict for U.S. SOF."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2022-05-11
