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• Navy and Marine Corps Backup Aircraft and Depot Maintenance Float for Ground Combat and Tactical Vehicles

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  From the Objective Statement: "We determined whether the quantities of backup aircraft and depot maintenance float allowance (DMFA) for ground combat and tactical vehicles would impact Navy and Marine Corps unit readiness."

  United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General

  2019-01-18
• Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions [Updated January 18, 2019]

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  "The Federal Reserve's (the Fed's) responsibilities as the nation's central bank fall into four main categories: monetary policy, provision of emergency liquidity through the lender of last resort function, supervision of certain types of banks and other financial firms for safety and soundness, and provision of payment system services to financial firms and the government. [...] Congress has delegated responsibility for monetary policy to the Fed , but retains oversight responsibilities to ensure that the Fed is adhering to its statutory mandate of 'maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.' The Fed has defined stable prices as a longer-run goal of 2% inflation--the change in overall prices, as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index. By contrast, the Fed states that 'it would not be appropriate to specify a fixed goal for employment; rather, the Committee's policy decisions must be informed by assessments of the maximum level of employment, recognizing that such assessments are necessarily uncertain and subject to revision.' Monetary policy can be used to stabilize business cycle fluctuations (alternating periods of economic expansions and recessions) in the short run, while it mainly affects inflation in the long run. The Fed's conventional tool for monetary policy is to target the federal funds rate--the overnight, interbank lending rate. This report provides an overview of how monetary policy works and recent developments, a summary of the Fed's actions following the financial crisis, and ends with a brief overview of the Fed's regulatory responsibilities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Labonte, Marc

  2019-01-18
• Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protections: In Brief [Updated January 18, 2019]

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  "IC [Intelligence Community] whistleblower protections have evolved in response to perceptions of gaps that many believed left whistleblowers vulnerable to reprisal. The first whistleblower legislation specific to the IC was the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act (ICWPA) of 1998. It was limited to specifying a process for an IC whistleblower to make a complaint but offered no specific protections. The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 included provisions for protecting IC whistleblowers, though these were general and subject to different standards of implementation. Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-19, signed in 2012, provided the first specific protections in response to perceptions that IC whistleblowers remained vulnerable to reprisal actions for making a complaint. The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 codified the PPD-19 provisions and Intelligence Community Directive (ICD)-120 established a PPD-19 implementation policy. For members of the Armed Forces assigned to elements of the IC, 10 U.S.C. §1034 provides whistleblower protections. Department of Defense (DOD) implementing guidance for Section 1034 can be found in DOD Directive 7050.06, Military Whistleblower Protection. In January 2018, Congress passed P.L. 115-118. Section 110 amended the National Security Act of 1947 and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to include provisions to address perceived gaps in protections for IC contractors."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  DeVine, Michael E.

  2019-01-18
• Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated January 18, 2019]

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  "The United States and Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987. Negotiations on this treaty were the result of a 'dual-track' decision taken by NATO in 1979. At that time, in response to concerns about the Soviet Union's deployment of new intermediate-range nuclear missiles, NATO agreed both to accept deployment of new U.S. intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles and to support U.S. efforts to negotiate with the Soviet Union to limit these missiles. In the INF Treaty, the United States and Soviet Union agreed that they would ban all land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The ban would apply to missiles with nuclear or conventional warheads, but would not apply to sea-based or air-delivered missiles."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2019-01-18
• Concurrent Receipt: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated January 17, 2019]

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  "'Concurrent receipt' refers to the simultaneous receipt of two types of monetary benefits: military retired pay and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation. With several separate programs, varying eligibility criteria, and several eligibility dates, some observers find the subject complex and somewhat confusing. There are, however, two common criteria: first, all recipients are military retirees; second, they are also eligible for VA disability compensation. This report addresses the two primary components of the concurrent receipt program: Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP). It reviews the possible legislative expansion of the program to additional populations and provides several potential options for Congress to consider."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kamarck, Kristy N.

  2019-01-17
• Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons [Updated January 17, 2019]

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  "This report provides basic information about U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons. It begins with a brief discussion of how these weapons have appeared in public debates in the past few decades, then summarizes the differences between strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons. It then provides some historical background, describing the numbers and types of nonstrategic nuclear weapons deployed by both nations during the Cold War and in the past decade; the policies that guided the deployment and prospective use of these weapons; measures that the two sides have taken to reduce and contain their forces, and the 2018 NPR's [Nuclear Posture Review] recommendation for the deployment of new U.S. nonstrategic nuclear weapons. The report reviews the issues that have been raised with regard to U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons, and summarizes a number of policy options that might be explored by Congress, the United States, Russia, and other nations to address these issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woolf, Amy F.

  2019-01-17
• Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy [January 17, 2019]

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  "The Sultanate of Oman has been a strategic ally of the United States since 1980, when it became the first Persian Gulf state to sign a formal accord permitting the U.S. military to use its facilities. Oman has hosted U.S. forces during every U.S. military operation in the region since then, and it is a partner in U.S. efforts to counter regional terrorism and related threats."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2019-01-17
• Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, Academic Program Year 2017-2018

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  "Congress requires the Department to conduct an annual assessment of the Military Service Academies to determine the effectiveness of policies, training, and procedures with respect to sexual harassment and sexual violence. This year, the Department of Defense accomplished this by reviewing Academy self-assessments and conducting a survey of cadets and midshipmen."

  United States. Department of Defense

  2019-01-17
• Sudan [Updated January 17, 2019]

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  "When unified (1956-2011), Sudan was Africa's largest country by area, and the site of its longest-running civil war. In 2011, after decades of fighting broadly described as a conflict between the predominately Muslim 'Arab' north and 'African' south, Sudan split in two. The split did not resolve other conflicts, in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile. Overlapping struggles between security forces and armed groups, nomadic and farming communities, and among ethnic groups have caused extensive displacement and suffering. Across Sudan, economic pressures, social tensions, and dissent present challenges for the Islamist government of President Omar al Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 coup. Nationwide anti-government protests in early 2019 suggest growing pressure for regime change."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Blanchard, Lauren Ploch

  2019-01-17
• Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy in Brief [Updated January 16, 2019]

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  "The U.S. and Afghan governments, along with partner countries, remain engaged in combat with a resilient Taliban-led insurgency. While U.S. military officials maintain that Afghan forces are 'resilient' against the Taliban, by some measures insurgents are in control of or contesting more territory today than at any point since 2001. The conflict also involves an array of other armed groups, including active affiliates of both Al Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or by the Arabic acronym Da'esh). Since early 2015, the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, known as 'Resolute Support Mission' (RSM), has focused on training, advising, and assisting Afghan government forces; combat operations by U.S. counterterrorism forces, along with some partner forces, also continue and have increased since 2017. These two 'complementary missions' make up Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Thomas, Clayton

  2019-01-16
• Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated January 16, 2019]

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  "Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. The Trump Administration has defined Iran and its regime as a particularly significant threat to U.S. national security, accusing the regime of 'destructive behavior at home and abroad.' Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region.' Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) have required an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented publicly by the intelligence community."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2019-01-16
• Stafford Act Assistance and Acts of Terrorism [Updated January 16, 2019]

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  "The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) authorizes the President to issue two types of declarations that could potentially provide federal assistance to states and localities in response to a terrorist attack: a 'major disaster declaration' or an 'emergency declaration.' Major disaster declarations authorize a wide range of federal assistance to states, local governments, tribal nations, individuals and households, and certain nonprofit organizations to recover from a catastrophic event. Major disaster declarations also make Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans available to eligible businesses and households. Emergency declarations authorize a more limited range of federal assistance to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a major disaster. Only private nonprofit organizations are eligible for disaster loans under an emergency declaration. [...] This report provides an overview of emergency and major disaster declarations and explains how they might be used in the aftermath of a terrorist incident that does not involve a fire or an explosion, such as high casualty mass shootings or chemical gas attacks. This report also provides an overview of Stafford Act assistance provided for past terrorist incidents. This report will be updated as events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lindsay, Bruce R.

  2019-01-16
• AIM Initiative: A Strategy for Augmenting Intelligence Using Machines

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  "The pace at which data are generated, whether by collection or publically available information (PAI), is increasing exponentially and long ago exceeded our collective ability to understand it or to find the most relevant data with which to make analytic judgments. AIM AAA technologies (Artificial intelligence, process Automation, and IC [Intelligence Community] officer Augmentation) as key transformative elements are crucial for future mission success and efficiency. This document outlines how the IC will incorporate AIM capabilities in a manner that resolves key IC legal, policy, cultural, technical, and structural challenges while producing optimally effective analytic and operational contributions to the intelligence mission."

  United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

  2019-01-16?
• Armenia's Velvet Revolution [Armenia's Velvet Revolution]

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  "In December 2018, snap parliamentary elections strengthened the legitimacy of Armenia's new prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power in May 2018 in what supporters called a 'velvet revolution.' The elections unseated a semi-autocratic ruling party that had governed Armenia for almost 20 years but now failed to enter parliament. Armenia, a small, landlocked country in the South Caucasus (population 3 million), is dependent on Russia for security, trade, and investment, but it also seeks closer relations with the United States and Europe. Whether Armenia's change of government will lead to further integration with the West is unclear. For now, Armenia's government says it intends to retain its security alliance and economic partnership with Russia while pursuing Western-leaning democracy and governance reforms."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Welt, Cory

  2019-01-16
• Nuclear Cooperation with Other Countries: A Primer [Updated January 15, 2019]

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  "In order for the United States to engage in significant civilian nuclear cooperation with other states, it must conclude a framework agreement that meets specific requirements under Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). Significant nuclear cooperation includes the export of reactors, critical parts of reactors, and reactor fuel. The AEA also provides for export control licensing procedures and criteria for terminating cooperation. Congressional review is required for Section 123 agreements; the AEA establishes special parliamentary procedures by which Congress may act on a proposed agreement."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kerr, Paul K.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham

  2019-01-15
• Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues and U.S. Engagement [Updated January 15, 2019]

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  "This report provides an introduction to select issues related to sub-Saharan Africa (henceforth, 'Africa,' unless otherwise noted) and U.S. policy toward the region. It includes general information concerning Africa's economic and development challenges, governance and human rights trends on the continent, and key issues related to peace and security. It also provides an overview of U.S. engagement in Africa and current U.S. policy approaches toward the region. This report is intended to serve as a primer to help inform deliberations on key enduring issues for Congress, which include the authorization and appropriation of funding for U.S. foreign aid programs and U.S. military activities in the region and oversight of U.S. programs and policies."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Husted, Tomas F.; Arieff, Alexis; Blanchard, Lauren Ploch; Cook, Nicolas; Williams, Brock R.

  2019-01-15
• Overseas Contingency Operations Funding: Background and Status [Updated January 15, 2019]

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  "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on warrelated and other international emergency or contingency-designated funding since FY2001. [...] This CRS [Congressional Research Service] report is meant to serve as a reference on certain funding designated as emergency requirements or for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT), as well as related budgetary and policy issues. It does not provide an estimate of war costs within the OCO/GWOT account (all of which may not be for activities associated with war or defense) or such costs in the DOD base budget or other agency funding (which may be related to war activities, such as the cost of health care for combat veterans)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  McGarry, Brendan W.; Epstein, Susan B.

  2019-01-15
• Cuba: U.S. Policy in the 115th Congress [Updated January 15, 2019]

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  From the Introduction: "This report examines U.S. policy toward Cuba in the 115th Congress. It is divided into three major sections analyzing Cuba's political and economic environment; U.S. policy toward Cuba; and selected issues in U.S.-Cuban relations, including restrictions on travel and trade, funding for democracy and human rights projects in Cuba and for U.S. government-sponsored radio and television broadcasting, migration, antidrug cooperation, U.S. property claims, and U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2019-01-15
• BUILD Act: Frequently Asked Questions About the New U.S. International Development Finance Corporation [Updated January 15, 2019]

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  "The BUILD Act [Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018] requires the Administration to submit to Congress a reorganization plan within 120 days of enactment of the act, and the IDFC [U.S. International Development Finance Corporation] is not permitted to become operational any sooner than 90 days after the President has transmitted the reorganization plan. The 116th Congress will have responsibility for overseeing the Administration's implementation of the BUILD Act. As the IDFC is operationalized, Members of Congress may examine whether the current statutory framework allows the IDFC to balance both its mandates to support U.S. businesses in competing for overseas investment opportunities and to support development, as well as whether it enables the IDFC to respond effectively to strategic concerns especially vis-à-vis China. Congress also may consider whether to press the Administration to pursue international rules on development finance comparable to those that govern export credit financing. More broadly, the IDFC's establishment could renew legislative debate over the economic and policy benefits and costs of U.S. government activity to support private investment, and whether such activity is an effective way to promote broad U.S. foreign policy objectives."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Lawson, Marian Leonardo

  2019-01-15
• Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA): Overview and Issues for Congress [January 15, 2019]

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  "Since 1972, many of the trends that called congressional attention to coastal management have continued. Over a third of the U.S. population lived in shoreline counties in 2010, with more expected by 2020 as people continue to migrate to coastal areas to take advantage of economic opportunities, retire, and pursue recreational interests. Coastal areas are also home to economic sectors such as fishing, transportation, defense, offshore energy, and tourism and to natural resources such as estuaries, beach systems, and wetlands. The shoreline likely will continue to be affected by pressures to develop and preserve areas, large-scale events (e.g., hurricanes and tsunamis), and long-term changes (e.g., relative sea level, changes in rainfall, wetland loss, and increased temperatures). In addition to responding to these pressures, Congress may continue to consider whether CZMA [Coastal Zone Management Act] is being effectively implemented and whether changes should be made to CZMA grant programs. This report provides a review of CZMA with a specific focus on the National Coastal Zone Management Program (NCZMP). The report discusses how and why states and territories may choose to participate in the national program (namely to access federal grant programs and undertake federal consistency determination reviews) and recent issues for Congress. The appendixes include information about amendments to CZMA over time and section-by-section summaries of current CZMA provisions."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lipiec, Eva

  2019-01-15
• Are DACA Recipients Eligible for Federal Employment? [January 15, 2019]

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  The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers, including federal agencies, from knowingly hiring non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who are not authorized to work in the United States. By statute, certain aliens are generally authorized to work in the United States, and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), by regulation, may enumerate additional categories of aliens who may obtain permission to work. Using this power, DHS has generally permitted aliens who obtain relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to seek employment in the United States. Aliens who qualify for DACA relief-namely, certain aliens who came to the United States as children, lack lawful immigration status, and have not engaged in activities that render them ineligible for relief-may be permitted to remain in the United States and receive work authorization for renewable two-year periods. [...] This Sidebar briefly examines laws governing the employment of aliens in the United States, including restrictions on federal employment and their application to DACA recipients.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Smith, Hillel R.

  2019-01-15
• Asylum and Related Protections for Aliens Who Fear Gang and Domestic violence [January 15, 2019]

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  "Over the past year, non-U.S. nationals (aliens) from Central America (primarily Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala) have comprised an increasingly larger share of asylum applicants in the United States. And more recently, a 'caravan' of thousands of individuals from Honduras has been traveling north across the Guatemala-Mexico border, with many reportedly seeking to escape widespread gang and domestic violence in Honduras. Previously, federal courts and immigration authorities have considered when such circumstances may raise a viable claim for asylum or other forms of relief from removal. In June 2018, Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions ruled in Matter of A-B- that aliens who fear gang or domestic violence in their home countries generally do not qualify for asylum based on those grounds--a ruling that is binding upon immigration authorities within both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The decision may foreclose some claims of relief by asylum seekers, and subject more aliens apprehended along the border to expedited removal in lieu of the more formalized removal process available to aliens whose asylum claims are deemed sufficiently credible to warrant further review."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Smith, Hillel R.

  2019-01-15
• Introduction to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) [Updated January 14, 2019]

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  "The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (NFIA, Title XIII of P.L. 90-448, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §4001 et seq.). The NFIP received a short-term reauthorization through December 8, 2017, a second short-term reauthorization through December 22, 2017, and a third short-term reauthorization through January 19, 2018. The NFIP lapsed between January 20 and January 22, 2018, and received a fourth short-term reauthorization until February 8, 2018. The NFIP lapsed for approximately eight hours during a brief government shutdown in the early morning of February 9, 2018, and was then reauthorized until March 23, 2018. The NFIP received a sixth reauthorization until July 31, 2018, a seventh reauthorization until November 30, 2018, an eighth reauthorization until December 7, 2018,8 a ninth reauthorization until December 21, 2018, and a tenth reauthorization until May 31, 2019. [...] This report provides introductory information on key components of the NFIP, ranging from floodplain mapping to the standard flood insurance forms. This report will be updated as significant revisions are made to the NFIP through legislation or administrative action."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Horn, Diane P.; Brown, Jared T.

  2019-01-14
• Federal Crop Insurance: Specialty Crops [Updated January 14, 2019]

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  "The federal crop insurance program offers subsidized crop insurance policies to farmers. Historically, the federal crop insurance program has covered primarily traditional field crops such as wheat, corn, and soybeans. In contrast, specialty crops--covering fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops--have not been a major part of the federal crop insurance program. However, legislative changes, coupled with ongoing administrative efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have expanded federal crop insurance coverage for specialty crops, and they now account for a small but growing number of federal crop insurance policies bought by farmers. Over the past few decades, total specialty crop insured liabilities rose from nearly $1 billion in 1989 to nearly $18.5 billion in 2017. Federal crop insurance policies currently cover around 38 specialty crop categories, which include roughly 80 types of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops. [...] This report focuses on how specialty crops are covered under the federal crop insurance program."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Johnson, Renée; Rosa, Isabel

  2019-01-14
• National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority [Updated January 14, 2019]

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  "This Insight evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Horn, Diane P.

  2019-01-14
• FEMA Daily Operations Briefings, January 13 - 19, 2019

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  This document is a compilation of all the FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] Daily Operations Briefings from January 13 - 19, 2019. The FEMA Daily Operations Briefing provides an overview of the current emergency management situation nationwide and includes a summary of current significant events, weather activity, recent emergency declarations and projections for the coming week.

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2019-01-13?
• Military Construction Funding in the Event of a National Emergency [Updated January 11, 2019]

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  "The President's reported consideration of whether to invoke various statutory authorities (including some triggered by a declaration of a national emergency) to direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to construct 'a physical barrier' along the U.S.-Mexico border has raised questions about potentially available appropriated funds. This Insight identifies previous military construction projects funded through emergency authorities and unobligated military construction funding balances. Title 10 U.S.C. Section 2808 is entitled Construction authority in the event of a declaration of war or national emergency and depends upon a 'declaration of war or the declaration by the President of a national emergency in accordance with the National Emergencies Act [NEA] (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) that requires use of the armed forces.' A declaration by the President under the NEA must detail the statute under which action will proceed."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  McGarry, Brendan W.; Vassalotti, Michael J.

  2019-01-11
• Federal Civil Aviation Programs: In Brief [Updated January 11, 2019]

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  "Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs are funded under four broad budget accounts: operations and maintenance (such as air traffic control and aviation safety functions); facilities and equipment (such as control towers and navigation beacons); grants for airports under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP); and civil aviation research conducted or sponsored by FAA. Additionally, certain aviation programs are administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of the Secretary, including the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airline service to certain small or isolated communities. These programs are funded primarily through a special trust fund, the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), and, in part, through general fund contributions. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254) authorizes AATF taxes and revenue collections and civil aviation program expenditures through FY2023."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Elias, Bartholomew; Tang, Rachel Y.

  2019-01-11
• Foreign Aid in the 115th Congress: A Legislative Wrap-Up in Brief [January 11, 2019]

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  "The 115th Congress, through a range of foreign aid funding and authorizing legislation, maintained a high degree of consistency with past patterns in U.S. foreign aid policy and funding allocations, despite calls from the Trump Administration for significant changes in these areas. In total, Congress passed two State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bills, extended authorizations for several existing aid programs, enacted a number of reforms to aid programs, and passed a law to create a new international development finance institution. The Foreign Operations titles of the annual SFOPS appropriations bills, together with the international food aid title within the annual agriculture appropriation, establish foreign aid funding levels as well as policy. This report summarizes legislative action related to foreign assistance in the 115th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lawson, Marian Leonardo

  2019-01-11
• Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs [Winter 2018]

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  This edition of the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs covers several key defense and security issues related to China and Southeast Asia. Articles featured in this journal include: "The Chinese Aircraft Carrier Program and Its Influence in the Chinese Naval Strategy" by Alejandro A. Vilches Alarcón; "Southeast Asian Hedging and Indo-Japanese Strategies for Regional Balance: Managing China's Rise" by Bibek Chand, Zenel Garcia, and Kevin Modlin; "Artificial Intelligence in Weapons: The Moral Imperative for Minimally-Just Autonomy" by Jai Galliott and Jason Scholz; "Air Intelligence at the Edge: Lessons of the Fourteenth Air Force in World War II" by Kyle Bressette; "In China's Shadow: The Strategic Situation in the Western Pacific" by Thomas R. McCabe; "Great Powers, Grand Strategies: The New Game in the South China Sea" by Daniel W. McLaughlin; "Why Vietnam Matters: An Eyewitness Account of Lessons Not Learned" by Martin Loicano; and "Human Rights in Thailand" by Mark S. Cogan.

  Air University (U.S.)

  2019-01-11?