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Peace Treaty with North Korea? [April 19, 2018]
"After months of rising tension and hostile rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington, in March 2018 President Donald J. Trump agreed to attend a summit in spring 2018 with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) issued the invitation and said that North Korea (officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK) was ready to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The meeting, which is to follow a scheduled April 27, 2018, summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jaein, would be the first ever between leaders of the two countries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Lawrence, Susan V.; Manyin, Mark E.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham
2018-04-19
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 18 Issue 16, April 19, 2018
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: "What's your fire department's safety culture?"; "New DHS best practices guide on disaster area access"; "FEMA Prep Talks gives national emergency experts the stage"; "National Level Exercise 2018 to focus on hurricane response".
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2018-04-19
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Gas Pipeline Safety: Stakeholders' and Officials' Views on Federal Odorizing Requirements, Report to Congressional Committees
"The nation's gas pipeline network moves about 74 billion cubic feet of combustible gas to homes and businesses daily. To alert the public of a gas leak before an explosion occurs, PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) has different requirements for odorizing gas. All gas transported by distribution pipelines throughout communities must be odorized. Gas transported across many miles by transmission pipelines is required to be odorized only in certain populated areas. There are no requirements to odorize gas in gathering pipelines. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO (Government Accountability Office) to review odor requirements for all pipelines. This report presents the views of federal and state pipeline safety officials and industry and safety stakeholders on: (1) the advantages and disadvantages of odorizing combustible gases in pipelines; and (2) whether and how federal requirements for odorizing pipelines should be modified. GAO reviewed relevant regulations and reports; surveyed officials in 48 states and the District of Columbia; and interviewed PHMSA and NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) officials. GAO also interviewed 34 stakeholders, including 14 experts identified by the National Academies, and 20 other industry and safety stakeholders."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2018-04-18
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Iran Sanctions [April 18, 2018]
"The multilateral nuclear accord (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) provides Iran broad relief from U.S., U.N., and multilateral sanctions on Iran's civilian economic sectors, including U.S. secondary sanctions (sanctions on foreign firms that do business with Iran). On January 16, 2016, upon the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certification that Iran had complied with the stipulated nuclear dismantlement commitments, U.S. Administration waivers of relevant sanctions laws took effect, relevant executive orders (E.O.s) were revoked, and corresponding U.N. and EU sanctions were lifted. Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, nonbinding U.N. restrictions on Iran's development of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and a binding ban on its importation or exportation of arms remain in place for several years."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-04-18
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Energy and Water Development Appropriations: Nuclear Weapons Activities [April 18, 2018]
"The annual Energy and Water Development appropriations bill funds civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies. The DOE budget includes funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within DOE. NNSA operates three programs: Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, which secures nuclear materials worldwide, conducts research and development (R&D) into nonproliferation and verification, and operates the Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response Program; Naval Reactors, which 'is responsible for all U.S. Navy nuclear propulsion work'; and Weapons Activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2018-04-18
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Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response [April 18, 2018]
"The Syria conflict, now in its eighth year, remains a significant policy challenge for the United States. U.S. policy toward Syria in the past several years has given highest priority to counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL/ISIS), but also included assistance to opposition-held communities, support for diplomatic efforts to reach a political settlement to the civil war, and the provision of humanitarian assistance in Syria and surrounding countries. The counter-IS campaign works primarily 'by, with, and through' local partners, per a broader U.S. strategy initiated by the Obama Administration and continued with modifications by the Trump Administration. The United States has simultaneously advocated for a political track to reach a negotiated settlement between the government of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and opposition forces, within the framework of U.N.-mediated talks in Geneva."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham
2018-04-18
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Millennium Challenge Corporation [April 18, 2018]
"The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), established in 2004, arose out of a widespread frustration with then-existing foreign aid programs and represented a significant change in the way the United States delivered economic assistance. The MCC is based on the premise that economic development succeeds best where it is linked to free market economic and democratic principles and policies, and where governments are committed to implementing reform measures in order to achieve such goals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tarnoff, Curt
2018-04-18
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Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Program: Background and Issues for Congress [April 18, 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. This report does not cover the icebreakers that the Coast Guard operates on the Great Lakes. A separate CRS (Congressional Research Service) report covers acquisition of general-purpose cutters for the Coast Guard. Another CRS report provides an overview of various issues relating to the Arctic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-04-18
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2020 Census: Continued Management Attention Needed to Mitigate Key Risks Jeopardizing a Cost-Effective and Secure Enumeration, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
"One of the Bureau's most important functions is to conduct a complete and accurate decennial census of the U.S. population. The decennial census is mandated by the Constitution and provides vital data for the nation. A complete count of the nation's population is an enormous undertaking as the Bureau seeks to control the cost of the census, implement operational innovations, and use new and modified IT (information technology) systems. In recent years, GAO (Government Accountability Office) has identified challenges that raise serious concerns about the Bureau's ability to conduct a cost-effective count. For these reasons, GAO added the 2020 Census to its high-risk list in February 2017."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Goldenkoff, Robert; Powner, David A.
2018-04-18
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Immigration Detention: Opportunities Exist to Improve Cost Estimates, Report to Congressional Committees
"In fiscal year 2017, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operated on a budget of nearly $3 billion to manage the U.S. immigration detention system, which houses foreign nationals whose immigration cases are pending or who have been ordered removed from the country. In recent years, ICE has consistently had to reprogram and transfer millions of dollars into, out of, and within its account used to fund its detention system. The explanatory statement accompanying the DHS Appropriations Act, 2017, includes a provision for GAO (Government Accountability Office) to review ICE's methodologies for determining detention resource requirements. This report examines (1) how ICE formulates its budget request for detention resources, (2) how ICE develops bed rates and determines ADP for use in its budget process, and (3) to what extent ICE's methods for estimating detention costs follow best practices. GAO analyzed ICE's budget documents, including CBJs (congressional budget justifications), for fiscal years 2014 to 2018, examined ICE's models for projecting ADP ( average daily population) and bed rates, and evaluated ICE's cost estimating process against best practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2018-04-18
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Immigration Courts: Observations on Restructuring Options and Actions Needed to Address Long-Standing Management Challenges, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate
"DOJ's (Department of Justice) EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review) is responsible for conducting immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings to fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly administer and interpret U.S. immigration laws and regulations.This statement addresses (1) scenarios that experts and stakeholders have proposed for restructuring EOIR's immigration court system and the reasons they offered for or against these proposals; and (2) how EOIR manages and oversees the immigration courts, including hiring and performance assessment, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Gambler, Rebecca
2018-04-18
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Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2018: In Brief [April 17, 2018]
"Generally, the homeland security appropriations bill includes all annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing resources to every departmental component.1 The following figures show two perspectives on the budget authority for DHS enacted for FY20172 and requested by the Donald Trump Administration for FY2018, as well as the funding levels provided in H.R. 3354, which included the House-passed homeland security appropriations bill, the unnumbered Senate Appropriations Committee draft released on November 21, 2017, and P.L. 115-141, Division F of which was the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2018."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2018-04-17
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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress [April 17, 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
2018-04-17
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National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Reinsurance, and Catastrophe Bonds [April 17, 2018]
"The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-89) revised the authority of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to secure reinsurance from 'private reinsurance and capital markets.' Risk transfer from the private market could reduce the likelihood of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needing to borrow from the Treasury to pay claims. In addition, this could allow the NFIP to recognize some of its flood risk up front through the premiums it pays for risk transfers rather than after the fact borrowing from Treasury. Using reinsurance to cover losses that occur in the more extreme years could help the NFIP to reduce the volatility of its losses over time. However, because reinsurers understandably charge the NFIP premiums to compensate for the assumed risk as well as the reinsurers' costs and profit margins, the primary benefit of reinsurance is to manage risk, not to reduce the NFIP's long-term fiscal exposure."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird; Horn, Diane P.
2018-04-17
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Murderous Schemes Are Not Violent Crimes? [April 17, 2018]
"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Fourth Circuit) recently held in U.S. v. McCollum that conspiracy to murder is not a violent crime for federal sentencing purposes. The comments of a concurring judge seem to capture the frustration of the panel with the result: 'The dissent ends with the … lament, 'Heaven help us.' Frankly, I would be satisfied if Congress or the Supreme Court would help us. The law in this area, which Judge Duncan faithfully follows, leads to some seemingly odd results with which I do not think any of us are particularly happy.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2018-04-17
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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues [April 17, 2018]
"The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) culminated years of effort by state and local government officials and business interests to control, if not eliminate, the imposition of unfunded intergovernmental and private-sector federal mandates. Advocates argued the statute was needed to forestall federal legislation and regulations that imposed obligations on state and local governments or businesses that resulted in higher costs and inefficiencies. Opponents argued that federal mandates may be necessary to achieve national objectives in areas where voluntary action by state and local governments and business failed to achieve desired results."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-
2018-04-17
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Cuba After the Castros [April 17, 2018]
"Cuban President Raúl Castro is expected to step down from power on April 19, 2018 (although some reports indicate it could be a day earlier) when the communist government's 605-member National Assembly of People's Power selects a new president and 30 other members of the Council of State. Pursuant to Cuba's Constitution (Article 74), the president of the Council of State is also Cuba's head of state and government. Castro, currently 86 years old, is in his second five-year term and indicated in 2013 that he would not seek a third term. Most observers expect First Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to be chosen as president, although Raúl is expected to continue in his position as first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC), which could give him continued influence over government policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2018-04-17
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FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Hallandale Beach Addresses Drainage Issues
"For years, residents in the southeast quadrant of Hallandale Beach had been plagued with drainage issues that caused flooding. The 134-acre paved impervious area had no formal surface-water m anagement system for treatment of stormwater runoff. Hallandale Beach is in Broward County, where low-lying areas are at risk for flooding and drainage problems. The city came up with a solution to prevent future flooding--the construction of a system that would manage stormwater in 195 acres of residential and commercial properties. The proposed project consisted of a system of inlets, culverts and reconstructed roadside swales that would discharge stormwater to 16 drainage wells via two pump stations. The pump stations would remove stormwater from a 60-inch culvert and discharge to the wells via a closed system of pipes and valves. Designed with pressure-reduction valves, the flow capacity within the wells would be within normal limits."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2018-04-17?
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H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap: In Brief [April 17, 2018]
"The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952, as amended, enumerates categories of aliens, known as nonimmigrants, who are admitted to the United States for a temporary period of time and a specific purpose. One of these nonimmigrant visa categories--known as the H-2B visa--is for temporary nonagricultural workers. The H-2B visa allows for the temporary admission of foreign workers to the United States to perform nonagricultural labor or services of a temporary nature if unemployed U.S. workers are not available. Common H-2B occupations include landscape laborer, amusement park worker, and housekeeper. The H-2B program is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration. DOL's Wage and Hour Division also has certain concurrent enforcement responsibilities. The H-2B program currently operates under regulations issued by DHS in 2008 on H-2B requirements, by DHS and DOL jointly in 2015 on H-2B employment, and by DHS and DOL jointly in 2015 on H-2B wages."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bruno, Andorra
2018-04-17
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Implementing EPA's 2015 Ozone Air Quality Standards [April 17, 2018]
"Implementation of revised ozone standards by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in limbo. EPA finalized the revised standards--formally known as National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone--in October 2015. Under a statutory deadline, the agency was to have identified areas that exceed the standards by October 1, 2017. The agency did not do so. Missing such a deadline is not unusual: EPA has frequently missed such deadlines under both Republican and Democratic Administrations. But the agency has displayed a notable degree of uncertainty as it has delayed implementation of the 2015 standards over the past year. In April 2017, EPA announced that it would reconsider the standards but gave no schedule for doing so. In June, it announced that it would delay the designation of nonattainment areas for a year, only to reverse course two months later. In November, EPA released a list of 2,646 counties that it was designating as 'attainment/unclassifiable,' but it took no action regarding 493 counties that include those most likely to be in nonattainment of the standards. Most recently, a court has imposed an April 2018 deadline for completing the designation process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McCarthy, James E.; Shouse, Kate C.
2018-04-17
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Orderly Liquidation Authority: Reform Proposals [April 17, 2018]
"The Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA) was created by Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203; Dodd-Frank) to allow the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to resolve certain failing financial institutions whose collapse could threaten the stability of the financial system. Although OLA has never been used, it has become the subject of a number of reform proposals. This Insight briefly describes the OLA and two prominent examples of such proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gnanarajah, Raj; Perkins, David W.
2018-04-17
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Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (Version 1.1)
"Version 1.1 of this Cybersecurity Framework refines, clarifies, and enhances Version 1.0, which was issued in February 2014. It incorporates comments received on the two drafts of Version 1.1. [...] The United States depends on the reliable functioning of critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity threats exploit the increased complexity and connectivity of critical infrastructure systems, placing the Nation's security, economy, and public safety and health at risk. Similar to financial and reputational risks, cybersecurity risk affects a company's bottom line. It can drive up costs and affect revenue. It can harm an organization's ability to innovate and to gain and maintain customers. Cybersecurity can be an important and amplifying component of an organization's overall risk management. [...] The Framework focuses on using business drivers to guide cybersecurity activities and considering cybersecurity risks as part of the organization's risk management processes. The Framework consists of three parts: the Framework Core, the Implementation Tiers, and the Framework Profiles."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
2018-04-16
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Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress [April 16, 2018]
"This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the John Lewis (TAO205) class oiler shipbuilding program, a program to build a new class of 20 fleet oilers for the Navy. The TAO-205 program was previously known as the TAO(X) program. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests the procurement of the third and fourth ships in the program. Issues for Congress for FY2019 regarding the TAO-205 program include the following: whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's FY2019 procurement funding request for the program; the number of oilers the Navy will require in coming years to support its operations; and whether to encourage or direct the Navy to build TAO-205s with more ship self-defense equipment than currently planned by the Navy. Decisions that Congress makes regarding 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
2018-04-16
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress [April 16, 2018]
"This report presents background information and issues for Congress concerning the Navy's force structure and shipbuilding plans. 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. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests funding for the procurement of 10 new ships, including two Virginia-class attack submarines, three DDG-51 class Aegis destroyers, one Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), two John Lewis (TAO-205) class oilers, one Expeditionary Sea Base ship (ESB), and one TATS towing, salvage, and rescue ship."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-04-16
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China-U.S. Trade Issues [April 16, 2018]
"Economic and trade reforms begun in 1979 have helped transform China into one of the world's biggest and fastest-growing economies. China's economic growth and trade liberalization, including comprehensive trade commitments made upon its entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, have led to a sharp expansion in U.S.-China commercial ties. Yet, bilateral trade relations have become increasingly strained in recent years over a number of issues, including China's mixed record on implementing its WTO obligations; infringement of U.S. intellectual property (such as through cyber theft of U.S. trade secrets and forced technology requirements placed on foreign firms); increased use of industrial policies to promote and protect domestic Chinese firms; extensive trade and foreign investment restrictions; lack of transparency in trade rules and regulations; distortionary economic policies that have led to overcapacity in several industries; and its large merchandise trade surplus with the United States. China's economic and trade conditions, policies, and acts have a significant impact on the U.S. economy as whole as well as specific U.S. sectors and thus are of concern to Congress. This report provides an overview of U.S.-China commercial ties, identifies major issues of contention, describes the Trump Administration's trade policies toward China, and reviews possible outcomes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2018-04-16
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Private Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) [April 16, 2018]
"To fulfill the mortgage requirement, a private insurance policy must provide, among other conditions, 'flood insurance coverage which is at least as broad as the coverage provided under a [SFIP] … including when considering deductibles, exclusions, and conditions offered by the insurer.' The implementation of this requirement has proved challenging, with the responsible federal agencies issuing two separate Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) addressing the issue in October 2013 and November 2016. The crux of the implementation issue can be seen as answering the question of who would judge whether specific policies met the 'at least as broad as' standard and what criteria would be used in making this judgment? The uncertainty as to whether particular private policies would meet the standard has been cited as 'at odds with' greater private participation in the flood insurance marketplace."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird; Horn, Diane P.
2018-04-16
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OMB and Treasury Agree on Process for Issuing New Tax Rules [April 16, 2018]
"In 1981, President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12291, which required that regulations issued by most federal agencies be submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Further, when issuing 'major' regulations, agencies were required to conduct a cost-benefit analysis, and they were not permitted to issue regulations whose estimated costs exceeded the estimated benefits. In 1993, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12866, which revoked Executive Order 12291 but maintained most of its requirements, including the requirements for OIRA review and cost-benefit analysis. Executive Order 12866 remains the primary executive order governing presidential review of regulations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carey, Maeve P.
2018-04-16
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What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses? [April 16, 2018]
"The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is authorized by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (Title XIII of P.L. 90-448, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §4001 et seq.). The NFIP does not contain a single comprehensive expiration, termination, or sunset provision for the whole of the program. Rather, the NFIP has multiple different legal provisions that tie to the expiration of key components of the program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2018-04-16
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National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority [April 16, 2018]
"This Insight evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, particularly in the context of major floods, and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2018-04-16
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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet [April 16, 2018]
"Congressional deliberations about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) often focus on the availability of funding. This fact sheet provides data on past, current, and proposed NASA appropriations. No bills have yet been introduced in the 115th Congress proposing future-year authorizations of NASA appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morgan, Daniel
2018-04-16
