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Proposed Equal Rights Amendment: Contemporary Ratification Issues [July 18, 2018]
"On July 20, 1923, the National Woman's Party (NWP) met in Seneca Falls, New York, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the historic Seneca Falls Convention and celebrate the 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, by which women won the right to vote. At the meeting, NWP leader Alice Paul announced her next project would be to develop and promote a new constitutional amendment, guaranteeing equal rights and equality under the law in the United States to women and men. Paul, a prominent suffragist, noted the recent ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which established the right of women to vote. She characterized an 'equal rights' amendment as the next logical step for the women's movement. The proposed amendment was first introduced six months later, in December 1923, in the 68th Congress. Originally named 'the Lucretia Mott Amendment,' in honor of the prominent 19th century abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer, the draft amendment stated that, 'men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Neale, Thomas H.
2018-07-18
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U.S. Trade Deficit: An Overview [July 18, 2018]
"The trade deficit is the numerical difference between a country's exports and imports of goods and services. The United States has experienced annual trade deficits during most of the post-WWII period. Some observers argue that the trade deficit costs U.S. jobs, is unsustainable, or reflects unfair trade practices by foreign competitors. Most economists contend this mischaracterizes the nature of the trade deficit and the role of trade in the economy. In general, most economists conclude the trade deficit stems largely from U.S. macroeconomic policies and an imbalance between saving and investment in the economy. Economists also conclude that trade creates both economic benefits and costs, but that the long-run net effect on the economy as a whole is positive. At the same time, some workers and firms may experience a disproportionate share of short-term adjustment costs. On March 31, 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing key agencies to prepare a written report within 90 days (not yet published) on significant trade deficits with U.S. trading partners, including a focus on: unfair trade practices; and the impact of the trade deficit on U.S. production, employment, wages, and national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K.
2018-07-18
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Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles [July 18, 2018]
"On October 25, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) jointly published the second phase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and engines (81 Federal Register 73478) through their authorities under the Clean Air Act (CAA), as amended, and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140). The Phase 2 rule sets emission standards for tractor-trailers, vocational vehicles, and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans. The rule expands on the Phase 1 standards (promulgated on September 15, 2011, for model years [MYs] 2014 through 2018; 76 Federal Register 57106) and introduces first-ever controls on trailers (i.e., the part of the vehicle pulled by the tractor) and glider vehicles (i.e., a new chassis combined with an older engine). The standards phase in between MY 2021 and MY 2027 for engines and vehicles and between MY 2018 and MY 2027 for trailers and gliders. The agencies outline several benefits of the rule, including (1) reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and fuel consumption from new on-road vehicles, (2) reducing the costs for transporting goods, and (3) spurring innovation in the clean energy technology sector."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lattanzio, Richard K.
2018-07-18
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U.S. Army's Initial Maneuver, Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) System [July 18, 2018]
"Since 2005, there has been a dramatic increase in air and missile platforms that could threaten U.S. ground forces. The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has increased exponentially, and UASs have been used successfully by both sides in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Furthermore, fixed-wing aircraft, attack helicopters, and cruise missiles continue to pose a significant threat to U.S. ground forces. In its 2015 report to the President and Congress, the National Commission on the Future of the Army noted, among things, there were unacceptable modernization shortfalls in SHORAD and those major shortfalls caused other concerns across a wide range of contingencies, including in Europe and the Korean peninsula"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2018-07-18
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Can a President Amend Regulations by Executive Order? [July 18, 2018]
"An executive order signed by President Trump on July 10, 2018, raises the question of whether a President--with the stroke of a pen--can amend federal rules codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). In Executive Order 13843, the President changed the hiring process for administrative law judges (ALJs), 'excepting' them from the competitive service. Somewhat unusually, the order directly amends three provisions in the CFR, rather than directing an agency to amend the regulations. Generally, rules may only be amended through special procedures governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). This process, known as notice-and-comment rulemaking, usually requires advance notice and a period for public comment on proposed rule amendments. As a result, Executive Order 13843 raises the question of whether the President, if otherwise vested with the authority to make rules, could bypass this normal process and directly amend the rule by executive order. Supreme Court precedent suggests that presidential actions, such as executive orders, are not reviewable under the APA. But the APA's procedural requirements still apply to agencies when they act to implement any presidential directives, raising the question of when presidential action ends and when agency implementation begins. This Sidebar explores the scope of the presidential exception to the normal rulemaking process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brannon, Valerie C.
2018-07-18
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Military Commission Judges Do Not Have Unilateral Power to Punish for Contempt [July 18, 2018]
"Brigadier General (Gen.) John G. Baker, Chief Defense Counsel of the Military Commission System, prevailed in his habeas case against a military commission judge who sentenced him to 21 days' confinement and fined him $1,000 for contempt. The contempt charge stemmed from Gen. Baker's refusal to appear before the military judge to defend or rescind his decision to permit all but one of the defense attorneys in the Al-Nashiri (U.S.S. Cole bombing) case to withdraw on ethical grounds. The District Court for the District of Columbia ultimately granted the petition in Baker v. Spath on the grounds that military judges in the military commission system do not have the authority unilaterally to impose punishment for contempt. Rather, contempt charges must be decided by a full military commission in the same way as any other offense punishable by military commissions established under the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (MCA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Elsea, Jennifer K.
2018-07-18
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Israel and Hamas: Another Round of Conflict [July 18, 2018]
"Periodic violence between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip--including the Islamist group Hamas-- and Israel's military became a larger conflict on July 6-7, 2014, and Israel began a ground operation in Gaza on July 17 with the stated objective of destroying tunnels used by militants to infiltrate Israeli territory. Since the initial escalation, Hamas and other Palestinian militants have reportedly launched more than 1,000 rockets into Israel with longer ranges than in past conflicts, and Israel has conducted more than 1,900 strikes on targets in Gaza. Rockets and/or mortars have also reportedly been fired on Israeli-controlled territory from Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, in some cases provoking Israeli retaliatory fire. Additionally, Israel has reportedly shot down two Hamas drone aircraft and foiled a Hamas sea raid. Though casualty figures cannot be independently verified, apparently more than 220 Palestinians--many or most of them civilians, but also some prominent Hamas operatives--have been killed, more than 1,500 injured, and several thousand displaced. One Israeli civilian has reportedly been killed, with several injuries reported to other civilians and military personnel. Daily life on both sides faces continual disruption. Israel's Iron Dome anti-rocket system has reportedly intercepted approximately 90% of rockets it classifies as threats to sensitive targets (including population centers)"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim
2018-07-18
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Federal Role in Groundwater Supply: Overview and Legislation in the 115th Congress [July 18, 2018]
"Groundwater, the water in aquifers accessible by wells, is a critical component of the U.S. water supply. It is important for both domestic and agricultural water needs, among other uses. Nearly half of the nation's population uses groundwater to meet daily needs; in 2015, about 149 million people (46% of the nation's population) relied on groundwater for their domestic indoor and outdoor water supply. The greatest volume of groundwater used every day is for agriculture, specifically for irrigation. In 2015, irrigation accounted for 69% of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals in the United States. For that year, California pumped the most groundwater for irrigation, followed by Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, Texas, and Kansas, in that order. Groundwater also is used as a supply for mining, oil and gas development, industrial processes, livestock, and thermoelectric power, among other uses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Stern, Charles V.; Carter, Nicole T.; Stubbs, Megan
2018-07-18
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Are We Ready? Recovering from 2017 Disasters and Preparing for the 2018 Hurricane Season, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, July 18, 2018
This is a testimony compilation of the July 18, 2018 hearing 'Are We Ready? Recovering from 2017 Disasters and Preparing for the 2018 Hurricane Season' held before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From the opening statement of Lou Barletta: "From hurricanes to floods and wildfires, no region of our country was completely immune from the impacts of disaster in 2017. [...] The purpose of today's hearing is to determine where we are in recovering from these devastating disasters, what challenges there are to recovery, and suggestions on how we can overcome those challenges. We also want to understand state, local, and federal efforts to prepare for the 2018 hurricane season which began on June 1. We also want to examine the reforms that are needed to incentivize and encourage mitigation and the reduction of disaster costs and losses across the country." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jeffrey Byard, Charles Alexander, Patrick Sheehan, Mistie Gardner, and Robert David Paulison.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
2018-07-18
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Ghana: Current Issues and U.S. Relations in Brief [July 18, 2018]
"Ghana, a country of 27.5 million people on West Africa's Atlantic coast, faces diverse development challenges, but has built a robust democracy notable for consistent peaceful turnovers of executive power since a transition to multiparty rule in the early 1990s. The country also has made progress toward many of the socioeconomic outcomes that successive U.S. administrations have sought to foster in Africa, and U.S. policymakers have tended to view Ghana as a stable U.S. partner in an often-volatile region. Substantial U.S. bilateral aid has both been premised on and arguably contributed to Ghana's generally positive development trajectory."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas
2018-07-18
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Mexico's 2018 Elections: Results and Potential Implications [July 17, 2018]
"On July 1, 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his leftist MORENA party dominated Mexico's presidential and legislative elections. López Obrador won 53.2% of the presidential vote, more than 30 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, Ricardo Anaya. MORENA's coalition also won majorities in both chambers of congress. These results demonstrated voters' dissatisfaction with the traditional parties and gave López Obrador a strong governing mandate. He is to succeed Enrique Peña Nieto as president on December 1, 2018, and serve a single, six-year term."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Gracia, Edward Y.
2018-07-17
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Emergency Planning and Response for Dialysis Centers and Opioid Treatment Programs
"This 21-minute video educates dialysis and opioid treatment program facilities on responding to events that can impact operations, and on emergency preparedness before, response to, and after a critical event. It is presented by three different subject matter experts from emergency management, as well as the dialysis and opioid treatment communities, and includes topics such as recognition of an event that would compromise the provision of critical services, patient and staff communications, and service recovery."
National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Disaster Information Management Research Center; New York City. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Chason, Kevin; Lapsia, Vijay; Fiori, Michael
2018-07-17
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Attaching a Price to Greenhouse Gas Emissions with a Carbon Tax or Emissions Fee [July 17, 2018]
"Significant debate continues about what, if any, policy initiatives may be appropriate or feasible to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Major scientific assessments in the United States and internationally conclude that 'it is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.' Human-related GHG emissions, if continued, would tend to drive further warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and other impacts. Small future climate changes may bring benefits for some and adverse effects to others. Large climate changes would be increasingly adverse for a widening scope of populations and ecosystems. Many nations and subnational governments (including U.S. state and local governments) have begun to address the risks of GHG-induced climate change by enacting GHG emission abatement programs. In the United States, combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) released 76% of U.S. GHG emissions in 2016. Over 99% of the combustion emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal human-related GHG. Congressional interest in legislation that would establish a market-based approach (e.g., cap-and-trade or carbon price proposals) to address GHG emissions has fluctuated over the last decade. In the 115th Congress, Members have introduced at least eight bills that would attach a price to GHG emissions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Leggett, Jane A.
2018-07-17
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Brett M. Kavanaugh: Selected Primary Material [July 17, 2018]
"On July 9, 2018, President Trump announced the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) to fill the impending vacancy on the Supreme Court caused by Justice Kennedy's scheduled retirement on July 31, 2018. This sidebar contains reference information about Judge Kavanaugh, including a biography; a list of publications he authored or co-authored; legislative documentation related to previous nominations; lists of his written opinions; a list of Supreme Court briefs to which he contributed; and additional resources. For initial observations about Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, please see CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10168, President Trump Nominates Judge Brett Kavanaugh: Initial Observations, by Andrew Nolan."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Taylor, Julia; Stophel, Keri B.; Tarnay, Eva M.
2018-07-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2374: Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act
"S. 2374 would expand how data on deaths is used by federal and state agencies for the purpose of limiting improper federal payments. The bill would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share all such information with more agencies and for a broader range of purposes."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-07-16
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 3031: Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018
"S. 3031 would require federal agencies to conduct an annual inventory and assessment of personal property under their control. Federal personal property includes everything other than real property--from office supplies to aircraft and motor vehicles. According to the Government Accountability Office, current law requires agencies to continuously review property they control and to identify unneeded personal property and dispose of it promptly. The General Services Administration has issued regulations establishing a governmentwide disposal process for unneeded property. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget provides guidance to agencies on efficient operations, emphasizing internal controls to ensure that agencies identify unneeded property."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-07-16
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2837: Preventing Drug Diversion Act of 2018
"Current law requires manufacturers, distributors, and others who handle controlled substances to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and to report to that agency any suspicious orders of such substances. S. 2837 would change the current reporting procedures. The bill also would direct DEA to establish a centralized database for collecting those orders and to share the information with states. The agency is already working to develop such a database."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-07-16
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Older Americans Act: Overview and Funding [July 16, 2018]
"The Older Americans Act (OAA) supports a wide range of social services and programs for individuals aged 60 years or older. These include supportive services, congregate nutrition services (i.e., meals served at group sites such as senior centers, community centers, schools, churches, or senior housing complexes), home-delivered nutrition services, family caregiver support, community service employment, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons. Except for Title V, Community Service Employment for Older Americans (CSEOA), all programs are administered by the Administration on Aging (AOA) in the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Title V is administered by the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Colello, Kirsten J.; Napili, Angela
2018-07-16
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Improper Payments in High-Priority Programs: In Brief [July 16, 2018]
"The Improper Payments Information Act (IPIA) of 2002 defines improper payments as payments that should not have been made or that were made in an incorrect amount, including both overpayments and underpayments. This definition includes payments made to ineligible recipients, duplicate payments, payments for a good or service not received, and payments that do not account for applicable discounts. Since FY2004, federal agencies have been required to report on the amount of improper payments they issue each year and take steps to address the root causes of the problem. The data show a significant increase in improper payments from FY2007 ($42 billion) to FY2010 ($121 billion), followed by a slight decrease through FY2013 ($106 billion), another increase through FY2016 ($144 billion), and a slight decrease in FY2017 ($141 billion). The data also show that a small subset of programs has accounted for 85% to 98% of the government's total improper payments each year. With this in mind, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order (E.O.) 13520 in 2009, which requires agencies to take additional measures to reduce the amount of improper payments associated with these 'high-priority' programs. Notably, the executive order requires agencies to identify high-priority programs, develop detailed plans for reducing related improper payments, and establish annual goals against which progress could be measured. Agencies have identified 20 high-priority programs, all but one of which have been reporting data for several years. The data on high-priority programs present mixed results. Nine high-priority programs have showed improvement over time, as indicated by decreasing error rates, while three others have reported no improvement in their error rates. The error rates for the eight remaining high-priority programs have increased since they were first reported. Without further progress in reducing the error rates among high-priority programs the government's total amount of improper payments may continue to exceed $100 billion per fiscal year, as it has since FY2009. Over the period of FY2004 through FY2017, highpriority improper payments have totaled $1.2 trillion and total improper payments have totaled $1.3 trillion."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hatch, Garrett
2018-07-16
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Media Consolidation: United States v. AT&T and Implications for Future Transactions [July 16, 2018]
"On June 12, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.C. District Court) ruled that the proposed merger of AT&T, Inc. (AT&T) with Time Warner Inc. (Time Warner) could proceed without conditions, after one of the most closely watched antitrust trials in recent memory. The companies announced their intent to merge in October 2016. After examining the transaction for over a year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) challenged the proposed merger in November of 2017, arguing that consolidation of AT&T, a communications and satellite television provider, with Time Warner, a programming aggregator, would substantially lessen competition in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. § 18). The court, after conducting a six-week trial examining the evidence, held that the government had not met its burden of proof under Section 7. The AT&T/Time Warner merger closed on June 14, 2018. The case drew intense interest because it represented the first time in nearly 40 years that the federal government asked a court to block a proposed transaction between companies that did not compete within the same market, i.e., a 'vertical' transaction. (Most transactions challenged under Section 7 involve parties that do compete within the same market, i.e., 'horizontal' transactions.) Antitrust experts labeled the case 'enormously significant,' because challenges to vertical transactions are so rare and thus there is little precedent as to such cases."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ruane, Kathleen Ann
2018-07-16
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Supreme Court Directs State Court to Decide Whether Indian Tribe Can Invoke Sovereign Immunity in Property Dispute [July 16, 2018]
"Indian tribes possess 'inherent sovereign authority,' which means, among other things, that they cannot be subject to lawsuits unless the tribe waives or Congress expressly abrogates such immunity. Recently, the Supreme Court in Upper Skagit Indian Tribe v. Lundgren ruled that a Washington state court erroneously rejected an Indian tribe's claim that sovereign immunity foreclosed a lawsuit involving a property dispute between two landowners and the tribe. Citing the Supreme Court's 1992 decision in County of Yakima v. Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakima Indian Nation, the state court had reasoned that an Indian tribe's claim of sovereign immunity did not bar courts from exercising jurisdiction to settle disputes over real property. In reversing the state court's decision, the Supreme Court held that the state court's reliance on Yakima was misplaced because that case did not address the scope of tribal sovereign immunity, but only concerned the question of whether a particular federal law permitted state taxation of certain land within an Indian reservation. The Supreme Court directed the lower court to address the plaintiffs' new contention that an Indian tribe cannot assert sovereign immunity in an action relating to immovable property located in in the territory of another sovereign, namely, in another state. While the Supreme Court's decision clarifies its ruling in Yakima, the Court's decision leaves unresolved the underlying issue of whether an Indian tribe may invoke sovereign immunity in cases involving disputes over real property."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2018-07-16
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Public Disclosure of Corporate Tax Returns [July 16, 2018]
"Federal corporate tax returns are confidential and protected from public disclosure under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as enacted by the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-455). Before 1976, corporate tax returns where classified as part of the 'public record' to varying degrees. Since 1976, there have been occasional calls for the privacy veil to be lifted in response to aggressive tax planning and evasion. This Insight examines several issues surrounding public disclosure of corporate tax returns; however, the discussion below does not address important legal and constitutional issues related to tax return disclosure. When considering the issues discussed below, it is important to note that tax disclosure is not all or nothing. Policymakers may seek a balance between corporate confidentiality and the public's desire to review certain corporate tax information it believes would be informative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Keightley, Mark P.
2018-07-16
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Army Futures Command (AFC) [July 16, 2018]
"The Army's post-Cold War development of major combat systems has been characterized by a number of high-profile program cancellations, such as Crusader, an artillery system cancelled in 2002 after having spent $2.2 billion; Comanche, a helicopter program cancelled in 2004 after having spent $7.9 billion; and the Future Combat System (FCS), cancelled in 2009 after having spent $18.1 billion. In addition to the expenditure of resources, these cancellations have impeded the development of newer, more capable systems, permitting potential adversaries to achieve battlefield parity and, in some cases, superiority over U.S. ground combat systems."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2018-07-16
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FEMA Daily Operations Briefings, July 15 - 21, 2018
This document is a compilation of all the FEMA Daily Operations Briefings from July 15 - 21, 2018. 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
2018-07-15?
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Defense Budget and the Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions [July 13, 2018]
"Enacted on August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011 as amended (P.L. 112-25, P.L. 112240, P.L. 113-67, P.L. 114-74, and P.L. 115-123) sets limits on defense and nondefense spending. As part of an agreement to increase the statutory limit on public debt, the BCA aimed to reduce annual federal budget deficits by a total of at least $2.1 trillion from FY2012 through FY2021, with approximately half of the savings to come from defense. The spending limits (or caps) apply separately to defense and nondefense discretionary budget authority. Budget authority is authority provided by law to a federal agency to obligate money for goods and services. The caps are enforced by a mechanism called sequestration. Sequestration automatically cancels previously enacted appropriations (a form of budget authority) by an amount necessary to reach prespecified levels. The defense spending limits apply to national defense (budget function 050) but not to funding designated for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) or emergencies. Some defense policymakers and officials argue the spending restrictions impede the Department of Defense's (DOD's) ability to adequately prepare military personnel and equipment for operations and other national security requirements. Others argue the limits are necessary to curb rising deficits and debt."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McGarry, Brendan W.
2018-07-13
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 13, 2018
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: "Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Adults Aged ≥45 Years -- United States, 2015-2016"; "Hypertension Among Youths -- United States, 2001-2016"; "Occupational Mercury Exposure at a Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Facility -- Wisconsin, 2017"; "Notes from the Field: Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected -- 10 States, July 2016-June 2017"; "Notes from the Field: Overdose Deaths with Carfentanil and Other Fentanyl Analogs Detected -- 10 States, July 2016-June 2017"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥20 Years Told Their Cholesterol Was High Who Were Taking Lipid-Lowering Medications, by Sex and Age Group -- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006 to 2015-2016."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2018-07-13
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Fueling an Epidemic: A Flood of 1.6 Billion Doses of Opioids into Missouri and the Need for Stronger DEA Enforcement
"The three major pharmaceutical distributors in the United States -- McKesson Corporation, AmerisourceBergen Corporation, and Cardinal Health, Inc. -- each recorded 2017 revenue in excess of $125 billion and ranked within the top 15 companies on the 2017 Fortune 500 list. Although unknown to many Americans, these companies play a critical role in preventing the diversion of opioid products from pharmacies and other customers to the black market. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), distributors carry a legal obligation to monitor and report suspicious orders of controlled substances to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The sheer volume of opioid products distributed in the United States makes compliance with CSA obligations a key component of the fight against the opioid epidemic. According to information McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health provided to the Committee, for example, these companies shipped around 1.6 billion dosage units of opioid products to Missouri alone between 2012 and 2017. This volume of opioids equated to more than 260 dosage units for every Missourian during the five-year period. During 2015 -- the peak year for opioid shipments to Missouri during 2012 - 2017 -- the three major distributors shipped approximately 52 opioid dosage units per person in the state."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2018-07-12
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Information Security: Supply Chain Risks Affecting Federal Agencies, Statement of Gregory C. Wilshusen Director, Information Security Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, and Oversight and Management Efficiency, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
"IT [Information Technology] systems are essential to the operations of the federal government. The supply chain--the set of organizations, people, activities, and resources that create and move a product from suppliers to end users--for IT systems is complex and global in scope. The exploitation of vulnerabilities in the IT supply chain is a continuing threat. Federal security guidelines provide for managing the risks to the supply chain. This testimony statement highlights information security risks associated with the supply chains used by federal agencies to procure IT systems. The statement also summarizes GAO's [Government Accountability Office] 2012 report that assessed the extent to which four national security-related agencies had addressed such risks. To develop this statement, GAO relied on its previous reports, as well as information provided by the national security-related agencies on their actions in response to GAO's previous recommendations. GAO also reviewed federal information security guidelines and directives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2018-07-12
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5677, International Security Assistance Act of 2018
"H.R. 5677 would authorize the sale of a naval vessel, amend several authorities of the Departments of State and Defense to provide security assistance to foreign countries, and require the Department of State to designate personnel to coordinate security assistance and train them for that purpose. In total, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $27 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. In addition, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5677 would decrease direct spending by $10 million over the 2019-2028 period. Because the bill would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. The bill would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5677 would not have a significant effect on direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 5677 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-07-12
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5846, Promoting Flood Risk Mitigation Act
"H.R. 5846 would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to complete and submit to the Congress a study on the efficacy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's current practices related to the federal acquisition of private properties following major flood disasters. GAO would be required to examine the available funding for such federal acquisition through current grant programs, evaluate any constraints that may impede the timely acquisition of damaged or destroyed properties, consider potential options to address any constraints identified, and assess how an acquisition program could be used to reduce future flood recovery costs. Using information on the costs of similar studies, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would not have significant cost. Enacting H.R. 5846 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-07-12
