Advanced search Help
Searching for terms: ALL ("human AND trafficking") in: full text and any metadata
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Peacekeeping and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on Civilian Capabilities [Updated January 22, 2007]
"The State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) was established to address longstanding concerns, both within Congress and the broader foreign policy community, over the perceived lack of the appropriate capabilities and processes to deal with transitions from conflict to stability. These capabilities and procedures include adequate planning mechanisms for stabilization and reconstruction operations, efficient interagency coordination structures and procedures in carrying out such tasks, and appropriate civilian personnel for many of the non-military tasks required. Effectively distributing resources among the various executive branch actors, maintaining clear lines of authority and jurisdiction, and balancing short- and long-term objectives are major challenges for designing, planning, and conducting post-conflict operations, as is fielding the appropriate civilian personnel. President Bush referred to the latter in his January 23, 2007 State of the Union address, calling for Congress to work with the Administration 'to design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps.' […] The issues for the 110th Congress include whether to increase funding for S/CRS and provide a permanent authorization and whether to authorize and fund new mechanisms that would 'operationalize' the State Department. As in the original and subsequent iterations of the Lugar-Biden legislation, these mechanisms consist of (1) a discretionary Conflict Response Fund and (2) a readiness response corps that would include an active force of federal employees, a standby force of active duty and retired federal employees, and a large civilian reserve corps of individuals with the specialized skills necessary for stabilization and reconstruction, analogous to the military reserve, as mentioned in the President's 2007 State of the Union address. The State Department is expected to present a proposal for such a corps to Congress in early 2007."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Serafino, Nina M.; Weiss, Martin A.
2007-01-22
-
Peacekeeping and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on Civilian Capabilities [Updated January 26, 2006]
"The State Departments new Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) is intended to address longstanding concerns, both within Congress and the broader foreign policy community, over the perceived lack of the appropriate capabilities and processes to deal with transitions from conflict to sustainable stability. These capabilities and procedures include adequate planning mechanisms for stabilization and reconstruction operations, efficient interagency coordination structures and procedures in carrying out such tasks, and appropriate civilian personnel for many of the non-military tasks required. Effectively distributing resources among the various executive branch actors, maintaining clear lines of authority and jurisdiction, and balancing short- and long-term objectives are major challenges for designing, planning, and conducting post-conflict operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Serafino, Nina M.; Weiss, Martin A.
2006-01-26
-
Peacekeeping and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on Civilian Capabilities [Updated June 2, 2006]
"The State Department's new Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) is intended to address longstanding concerns, both within Congress and the broader foreign policy community, over the perceived lack of the appropriate capabilities and processes to deal with transitions from conflict to sustainable stability. These capabilities and procedures include adequate planning mechanisms for stabilization and reconstruction operations, efficient interagency coordination structures and procedures in carrying out such tasks, and appropriate civilian personnel for many of the non-military tasks required. Effectively distributing resources among the various executive branch actors, maintaining clear lines of authority and jurisdiction, and balancing short- and long-term objectives are major challenges for designing, planning, and conducting post-conflict operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Serafino, Nina M.; Weiss, Martin A.
2006-06-02
-
Peacekeeping and Conflict Transitions: Background and Congressional Action on Civilian Capabilities [Updated June 28, 2005]
"The State Department's new Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) is intended to address longstanding concerns, both within Congress and the broader foreign policy community, over the perceived lack of the appropriate capabilities and processes to deal with transitions from conflict to sustainable stability. These capabilities and procedures include adequate planning mechanisms for stabilization and reconstruction operations, efficient inter-agency coordination structures and procedures in carrying out such tasks, and appropriate civilian personnel for many of the non-military tasks required. Effectively distributing resources among the various executive branch actors, maintaining clear lines of authority and jurisdiction, and balancing short- and long-term objectives are major challenges for designing, planning, and conducting post-conflict operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Serafino, Nina M.; Weiss, Martin A.
2005-06-28
-
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: COVID-19 Resources [website]
From the Website: "Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). When public health emergencies occur, there is rapidly evolving information that may be confusing and lead to feelings of anxiety. In the event of an outbreak in your community, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of yourself, your children and your family. Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties. These resources will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak or pandemic might affect your family-- both physically and emotionally--and what you can do to help your family cope in times of public health emergencies."
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
-
Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [October 13, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on pre-release custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. […] However, the wide-scale adoption of risk and needs assessment in the criminal justice system is not without controversy. Several critiques have been raised against the use of risk and needs assessment, including that it could have discriminatory effects because some risk factors are correlated with race; that it uses group base rates for recidivism to make determinations about an individual's propensity for re-offending; and that risk and needs assessment are two distinct procedures and should be conducted separately."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-10-13
-
Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [July 24, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. […] Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity. The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model has become the dominant paradigm in risk and needs assessment. The risk principle states that high-risk offenders need to be placed in programs that provide more intensive treatment and services while low-risk offenders should receive minimal or even no intervention. The need principle states that effective treatment should focus on addressing needs that contribute to criminal behavior. The responsivity principle states that rehabilitative programming should be delivered in a style and mode that is consistent with the ability and learning style of the offender."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-07-24
-
Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System [June 22, 2015]
"The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased significantly over the past three decades from approximately 419,000 inmates in 1983 to approximately 1.5 million inmates in 2013. Concerns about both the economic and social consequences of the country's growing reliance on incarceration have led to calls for reforms to the nation's criminal justice system. There have been legislative proposals to implement a risk and needs assessment system in federal prisons. The system would be used to place inmates in rehabilitative programs. Under the proposed system some inmates would be eligible to earn additional time credits for participating in rehabilitative programs that reduce their risk of recidivism. Such credits would allow inmates to be placed on prerelease custody earlier. The proposed system would exclude inmates convicted of certain offenses from being eligible to earn additional time credits. Risk and needs assessment instruments typically consist of a series of items used to collect data on behaviors and attitudes that research indicates are related to the risk of recidivism. Generally, inmates are classified as being high, moderate, or low risk. Assessment instruments are comprised of static and dynamic risk factors. Static risk factors do not change, while dynamic risk factors can either change on their own or be changed through an intervention. In general, research suggests that the most commonly used assessment instruments can, with a moderate level of accuracy, predict who is at risk for violent recidivism. It also suggests that no single instrument is superior to any other when it comes to predictive validity."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2015-06-22
-
Reinstatement of Removal: An Introduction [January 22, 2021]
From the Document: "The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) establishes removal processes for different categories of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who do not meet requirements governing their entry or continued presence in the United States. Most removable aliens found in the interior of the country are subject to 'formal' removal proceedings under INA § 240. Aliens in these proceedings have certain procedural guarantees including the right to appear at a hearing before an immigration judge (IJ), to pursue relief from removal, and to appeal an adverse decision. But the INA sets forth a streamlined 'reinstatement of removal' process for certain aliens who unlawfully reenter the United States after being removed--a process that accounts for a considerable number of the removals of aliens found in the interior of the United States. This In Focus provides a brief introduction to the reinstatement of removal framework."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2021-01-22
-
Congressional Commissions: Overview and Considerations for Congress [Updated January 22, 2021]
From the Summary: "Congressional advisory commissions are formal groups established to provide independent advice; to make recommendations for changes in public policy; to study or investigate a particular problem, issue, or event; or to commemorate an individual, group, or event. While no legal definition exists for what constitutes a 'congressional commission', in this report a congressional commission is defined as a multimember independent entity that (1) is established by Congress, (2) exists temporarily, (3) serves in an advisory capacity, (4) is appointed in part or whole by Members of Congress, and (5) reports to Congress. These five characteristics differentiate a congressional commission from a presidential commission, an executive branch commission, or other bodies with 'commission' in their names. Over 150 congressional commissions have been established since 1989. [...] This report provides an overview and analysis of congressional advisory commissions, information on the general statutory structure of a congressional commission, and a catalog of congressional commissions created since the 101st Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straus, Jacob R.
2021-01-22
-
Cybercrime Response Capabilities and Capacity: An Evaluation of Local Law Enforcement's Response to a Complex Problem
From the thesis Abstract: "Local law enforcement is expected to respond to cybercrimes by having the appropriate level of capabilities and capacity for highly technical and complex investigative activities. Having the specialized resources necessary to have this type of investigative capabilities and capacity presents significant challenges for local law enforcement agencies regardless of size. Small and midsize agencies face even greater challenges based on a lack of necessary resources, ranging from trained personnel to funding. Adding to the list challenges is a lack of standardization, policies, and protocols to provide guidance to agencies looking for strategies to address the need for cybercrime investigative capabilities and capacity. This thesis examined different models being used by local law enforcement agencies of all sizes to address the need for cybercrime investigative capabilities and capacity and lumped them into three models: internal resources, conventional task forces, and hybrid task forces. Using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis, the three models were examined. The findings revealed commonalities and differences between the models, highlighting potential pros and cons for each. Recommendations were made for local law enforcement decision makers to consider when developing policies and protocols around their need for cybercrime investigative capabilities and capacity."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Monaghan, Ryan M.
2020-12
-
Muted Voices: Toward an Understanding of the U.S. Asylum Program at the Southwest Border
From the thesis Abstract: "The often-dismissed people who live, work, and pass through the Mexico-U.S. border can offer new insight into the U.S. asylum program crisis. This thesis develops a concept called muted voices that can help identify, access, and hear the subjective stories of displaced people, border patrol agents, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers. These individuals go through a similar journey of trauma and stress in their interactions with U.S. bureaucratic systems--systems made even more cumbersome by executive orders and procedural changes from a presidential administration hell-bent on restricting the U.S. asylum program. The fictional narratives and historical background presented in this thesis illuminate the everyday realities, struggles, and complexities along the border as well as the geopolitical, historical, and economic conditions that have culminated in the current crisis. The accounts of a displaced youth fleeing his home, a border patrol agent implementing the praxis of bordering, ordering, and othering, and a refugee officer interpreting asylum procedures reveal how policies shape lives and help to situate implications and recommendations for homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Chen, Jaime
2020-12
-
Mexico: Evolution of the Mérida Initiative, 2007-2021 [Updated January 13, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress remains concerned about the effects of organized-crime-related violence in Mexico on U.S. security interests and U.S. citizens' safety in Mexico. Homicides in Mexico have reached record levels in each of the last four years as criminal groups have fought for control of smuggling routes into the United States. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is under pressure to improve his security policy. Congress has increased oversight of bilateral efforts since the November 2019 killing of an extended family of dual citizens near the Arizona border in Mexico. U.S. arrests of a former Mexican public security minister (December 2019) and a former defense minister (October 2020) on drug trafficking-related charges have raised congressional concerns about endemic corruption in Mexico. This product provides an overview of the roughly $3.3 billion appropriated for the Mérida Initiative and assesses Mexico's security strategy and bilateral security efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2021-01-13
-
Persistent and Evolving Threat: An Examination of the Financing of Domestic Terrorism and Extremism, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, January 15, 2020
This is the January 15, 2020 hearing "A Persistent and Evolving Threat: An Examination of the Financing of Domestic Terrorism and Extremism" held before the House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy of the Committee on Financial Services. From the opening statement of Emanuel Cleaver: "Domestic terror poses a persistent and evolving threat of violence and economic harm to the United States. These are not my own words. That was said by senior leaders within the FBI on the state of our country when appearing before Congress in June. The rate, pace, and lethality of domestic terrorist attacks have only grown more devastating since this testimony was delivered. [...] This hearing presents us the unique opportunity to look past the politics that surround this issue to explore how we can confront and overcome this crisis. How may we most effectively follow the money to disrupt the financing of these crimes? How can we enable law enforcement and the financial services institutions to counter domestic terror financing?" Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Lecia J. Brooks, Jared M. Maples, Mary B. McCord, Rena S. Miller, and George Selim.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021
-
Public Trust and Law Enforcement-A Brief Discussion for Policy Makers [February 9, 2015]
"Recent events involving conflict between the police and citizens have generated interest in what role Congress could play in facilitating efforts to build trust between law enforcement and the people they serve while promoting effective crime reduction. This report provides a brief overview of police-community relations and how the federal government might be able to promote more accountability and better relationships between citizens and law enforcement. Gallup poll data show that, overall, Americans are confident in the police; but, confidence in the police varies according to race, place of residence, and other factors. In 2014, less than 50% of Americans favorably rated the honesty and ethics of police, the lowest percentage since 1998. If they conclude that low public ratings of the police are at least partially attributable to police policies, Congress may decide to address state and local law enforcement policies and practices they believe erode public trust in law enforcement. Federalism limits the amount of influence Congress can have over state and local law enforcement policy. Regardless, the federal government might choose to promote better law enforcement-community relations and accountability through (1) federal efforts to collect and disseminate data on the use of force by law enforcement, (2) statutes that allow the federal government to investigate instances of alleged police misconduct, and (3) the influence the Department of Justice (DOJ) has on state and local policing through its role as an enforcer, policy leader, convener, and funder of law enforcement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan; Bjelopera, Jerome P.; Finklea, Kristin M. . . .
2015-02-09
-
Advantage At Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power
From the Introduction: "The United States is a maritime nation. Our security and prosperity depend on the seas. Since the end of World War II, the United States has built, led, and advanced a rules-based international system through shared commitments with our allies and partners. Forward deployed forces of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard--collectively known as the Naval Service--have guaranteed the security of this system. Free and open access to the world's oceans has fostered an extraordinary era of wealth and peace for many nations. That system is now at risk. 'Advantage at Sea' is a Tri-Service Maritime Strategy that focuses on China and Russia, the two most significant threats to this era of global peace and prosperity. We prioritize competition with China due to its growing economic and military strength, increasing aggressiveness, and demonstrated intent to dominate its regional waters and remake the international order in its favor. Until China chooses to act as a responsible stakeholder rather than brandish its power to further its authoritarian interests, it represents the most comprehensive threat to the United States, our allies, and all nations supporting a free and open system."
United States. Department of the Navy; United States. Marine Corps; United States. Coast Guard
2020-12
-
Electronic Border Searches After 'Riley'
From the thesis Abstract: "This thesis discusses the implications of the Supreme Court's 2014 decision in Riley v. California for the search of electronic devices at the border, termed 'electronic border searches.' It explores the degree to which such searches continue to be constitutionally permissible and contrasts Riley's categorical rule protecting electronic devices in the interior with the general search power granted the government at the border. Following an examination of the divergences among lower courts in applying Riley, it finds Riley has limited application to the conduct of electronic border searches and that they continue to be constitutionally permissible. This thesis also explores how the reasonableness of such searches can be maintained despite evolving technology and privacy perceptions. By examining other legislative and constitutional rules, it derives an approach for electronic border searches where powerful government interests and privacy concerns collide. The result is a view of electronic devices at the border as hybrid property--as both containers and novel 'effects.' Accordingly, this thesis advocates a hybrid-scope-limited approach that tethers suspicion-less electronic border searches to the original rationale for the border search doctrine. It presents a bifurcated framework leading to a two-tiered, hybrid-scope-limited rule where distinct levels of intrusion into electronic devices at the border are tied to differential levels of suspicion."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bode, Aaron
2020-12
-
Fire Service Intelligence: Informed Strategies, Operations, and Tactics
From the thesis Abstract: "Fire service agencies struggle to receive and use relevant, agency-specific intelligence, which hampers their ability to prevent attacks, protect the community, mitigate an attack's impact, respond safely, and recover from such events. This thesis presents the intelligence requirements necessary to support the fire service and specifies how the fire service can use intelligence to guide strategic policy development, operational planning, and tactical decision-making. It employed a qualitative gap analysis, using a 15- question survey of fire service personnel, to compare the current state of the fire service intelligence apparatus with a desired future state. This thesis also used case analysis to identify current intelligence products to understand how well they support strategic, operational, and tactical decisions. This thesis identifies intelligence gaps from a broader fire-service audience and offers a holistic set of recommendations, thus contributing to intelligence research. The gaps involve collaborating with law enforcement on intelligence, establishing intelligence requirements to better support the fire service, handling sensitive information, and using finished intelligence for decision-making. This thesis recommends identifying and distributing intelligence requirements to the fire service, developing training and policy guidance on intelligence handling, and creating a joint intelligence guide."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Phillips, Derrick D.
2020-12
-
It Starts at Home: Internal Actions Police Agencies Can Take to Improve Staffing
From the thesis Abstract: "The shortage of police officers in the United States has become a crisis. Many officers leave the force after only a few years, and police departments struggle to find qualified applicants to fill rapidly increasing openings. This thesis asks what police leaders can do to solve their staffing problems. The research looks to the armed forces' recruitment methodology and the private sector's use of analytics to address strategic problems, and analyzes two police departments that have been able to reduce the number of open positions through an integrated approach to recruiting, retention, and force management. The research finds that traditional methods are no longer effective; modern recruiting requires departments to adapt to new and changing environments and generations. Recruitment advertising must be honest and targeted to the right audience, and must use the most appropriate medium for the message. To promote retention, police leaders must go beyond offering competitive compensation; equally as important, they must consider how they engage with and connect to their employees. Further, successful force management requires leaders to determine which positions must truly be filled by sworn officers and which can be filled by appropriately skilled civilians. To address staffing challenges, police leaders must start with retention and force management to determine what and who they need, and then enhance their recruiting efforts to complete the triad and fill their open spots."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Haynes, Mark L.
2020-12
-
Threats to the Homeland, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, November 14, 2013
This is the November 14, 2013 hearing on "Threats to the Homeland," before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Chairman Thomas R. Carper: "Today's hearing will consider threats to the U.S. homeland from terrorists, from cyber attackers, from homegrown extremists, and from lone wolf offenders. The objective of this hearing is for this Committee to gain a better understanding of how these threats have evolved over the last year and if our national security agencies are keeping up with these ever-changing threats. I would add another purpose for these hearings is to find out what we need to be doing on the legislative side to better enable you to keep up with these ever-changing threats. As we know, 12 years ago, our country's sense of security was upended when Al-Qaeda launched the most significant attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor. In the years since that tragic day, we have made significant progress in combatting the terrorist threat to our homeland. On behalf of this entire Committee, I want to express our thanks from the American people for the very good work that has been done and continues to be done to try to make sure that we stay safe in a very dangerous world. Our aviation system is more secure. Our borders are stronger. Our government agencies share more terrorist intelligence than ever before. Our first responders are better prepared to deal with disasters and terrorist attacks. Americans are safer because of these efforts. And while we have made great strides, our system for preventing terrorist attacks is not perfect, and as Dr. Coburn knows, one of my guiding principles is, if it is not perfect, make it better. This is not a time to rest on our laurels." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Rand Beers, James B. Comey, Jr., and Matthew G. Olsen.
United States. Government Printing Office
2014
-
Roles and Responsibilities for Defending the Nation from Cyber Attack, Hearing Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, October 19, 2017
This is the October 19, 2017 hearing titled "The Roles and Responsibilities for Defending the Nation from Cyber Attack," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. From the opening statement of John McCain: "Not a week passes that we do not read about some disturbing new incident: cyber attacks against our government systems and critical infrastructure, data breaches that compromise sensitive information of our citizens and companies, attempts to manipulate public opinion through social media, and of course attacks against the fundamentals of our democratic system and process. Those are just the ones that we know about. This is a totally new kind of threat, as we all know. Our adversaries, both state and non-state actors, view the entire information domain as a battlespace, and across it, they are waging a new kind of war against us, a war involving but extending beyond our military, to include our infrastructure, our businesses, and our people. The Department of Defense has a critical role to play in this new kind of war, but it cannot succeed alone. To be clear, we are not succeeding." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John McCain, Jack Reed, Kenneth P. Rapuano, Scott Smith, and Christopher C. Krebs.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019
-
Iran: Internal Politics and U.S. Policy and Options [Updated July 29, 2021]
From the Summary: "U.S.-Iran relations have been mostly adversarial since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, occasionally flaring into direct conflict while at other times witnessing negotiations or tacit cooperation on selected issues. U.S. officials have consistently identified the regime's support for militant Middle East groups as a significant threat to U.S. interests and allies, and limiting the expansion of Iran's nuclear program has been a key U.S. policy goal for nearly two decades. The Obama Administration engaged Iran directly and obtained a July 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA) that exchanged sanctions relief for limits on Iran's nuclear program. The accord did not contain binding curbs on Iran's missile program or its regional interventions, or any requirements that the Iranian government improve its human rights practices. The Trump Administration criticized the JCPOA's perceived shortcomings and, returning to prior policies of seeking to weaken Iran strategically, on May 8, 2018, it ceased implementing U.S. commitments under the JCPOA and reimposed all U.S. sanctions. [...] The Biden Administration has again shifted U.S. policy toward Iran, moving closer to that pursued during the Obama Administration. The Biden Administration has engaged in talks with Iran to restore full implementation of the JCPOA by both Iran and the United States, including offering the lifting of those U.S. sanctions that are 'inconsistent with the JCPOA.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2021-07-29
-
Biden Administration's Immigration Enforcement Priorities: Background and Legal Considerations [Updated August 4, 2021]
From the Document: "Almost immediately after taking office, President Biden issued a series of directives on immigration matters. Some of these directives focused on altering the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency primarily charged with the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Federal statute confers immigration authorities with 'broad discretion' to determine when it is appropriate to pursue the removal of a non-U.S. citizen or national (alien) who lacks a legal basis to remain in the country. Resource or humanitarian concerns have typically led authorities to prioritize enforcement actions against subsets of the removable population (e.g., those who have committed certain crimes or pose national security risks). [...] This Sidebar addresses the Biden Administration's immigration enforcement priorities and legal considerations that they raise."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2021-08-04
-
Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy, Hearing Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, July 8, 2015
This is a testimony compilation of the July 8, 2015 hearing on "Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy" held before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. From the opening statement of Chuck Grassley: "The core of the Fourth Amendment is the requirement that, with limited exceptions, when a law enforcement officer is investigating a crime, the officer must obtain an individualized warrant or court order to conduct a search that would violate a person's reasonable expectation of privacy. And that order must be issued by a neutral and detached judge based on facts that demonstrate probable cause. Through this brilliant framework, for over 200 years, our constitutional system has preserved the rule of law, ensured our public safety is maintained, and protected our individual privacy and civil liberties in part through the separation of powers. But recently, prominent law enforcement officials have been questioning whether the laws Congress has enacted over the years to adapt that framework to changing technology, such as the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, are adequate to the task today." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Sally Quillian Yates, James B. Comey, Cyrus Vance Jr., Herbert Lin, and Peter Swire.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary
2015-07-08
-
Location Privacy Protection Act of 2014, Hearing Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, June 4, 2014
This testimony compilation is from the June 4, 2014 hearing on the "Location Privacy Protection Act of 2014" held before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. From the opening statement of Patrick Leahy: "Today, the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law will discuss Senator Franken's Location Privacy Protection Act, which he reintroduced earlier this year. I commend the Subcommittee's Chairman for holding this important hearing and for his work on consumer privacy issues. With the explosion of smart technologies and mobile applications, now commonly referred to as 'apps,' American consumers face threats to privacy now like never before. Many of us carry smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets, at all times and use them for anything from navigational and social networking purposes to shopping and playing games. While this technology has brought many new benefits to consumers, it has also raised troubling questions and presented new challenges for how to protect individuals' privacy." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Bea Hanson, Jessica Rich, Mark Goldstein, Brian Hill, Lou Mastria, Sally Greenberg, Robert D. Atkinson, and Cindy Southworth.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary
2014-06-04
-
Cybersecurity, Preparing for and Responding to the Enduring Threat, Hearing Before the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session Special Hearing, June 12, 2013
This testimony compilation is from the June 12, 2013 hearing, "Cybersecurity: Preparing for and Responding to the Enduring Threat," before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. From the opening statement of Keith B. Alexander: "I am here representing the Department of Defense in general and the men and women, military and civilian, who serve at U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS). It is my honor to appear today with colleagues from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST). I hope to describe some of the challenges we face in performing the difficult but vital missions of keeping U.S. national security systems secure, helping to protect our nation's critical infrastructure from national-level cyber attacks, and working with other U.S. Government agencies, state and local authorities, national allies, and the private sector in defending our nation's interests in cyberspace. Together we make up a team deeply committed to compliance with the law and the protection of privacy rights that works every day with other U.S. government agencies, industry, academia, citizens, and allies, for only our combined efforts will enable us to make progress in cybersecurity for the nation as a whole." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Keith B. Alexander, Richard A. McFeely, Patrick D. Gallagher, and Rand Beers.
United States. Government Printing Office
2013-06-12
-
Border Insecurity: The Rise of MS-13 and Other Transnational Criminal Organizations, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, May 24, 2017
"This testimony compilation is from the May 24, 2017 hearing on 'Border Insecurity' held before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Ron Johnson: 'During the Committee's examination of America's unsecure borders we have learned how transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels exploit American policies and our lack of border security to advance their criminal agenda. Today we continue that important work by discussing how the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, and other Central American gangs affect communities throughout the United States.' Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Timothy D. Sini, Scott Conley, and J. Thomas Manger."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2017-05-24
-
Title X (Public Health Service Act) Family Planning Program [March 15, 2016]
"The federal government provides grants for family planning services through the Family Planning Program, Title X of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §§300 to 300a-6). Enacted in 1970, it is the only domestic federal program devoted solely to family planning and related preventive health services. In 2014, Title X-funded clinics served 4.1 million clients.
Title X is administered through the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although the authorization of appropriations for Title X ended with FY1985, funding for the program has continued through appropriations bills for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Education)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Napili, Angela
2016-03-15
-
Title X (Public Health Service Act) Family Planning Program [September 3, 2014]
"The federal government provides grants for voluntary family planning services through the Family Planning Program, Title X of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §§300 to 300a-6). Enacted in 1970, it is the only domestic federal program devoted solely to family planning and related preventive health services. In 2012, Title X-funded clinics served 4.8 million clients. Title X is administered through the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although the authorization of appropriations for Title X ended with FY1985, funding for the program has continued through appropriations bills for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor- HHS-Education). [...] The law (42 U.S.C. §300a-6) prohibits the use of Title X funds in programs where abortion is a method of family planning. According to OPA, family planning projects that receive Title X funds are closely monitored to ensure that federal funds are used appropriately and that funds are not used for prohibited activities such as abortion. The prohibition on abortion does not apply to all the activities of a Title X grantee, but only to activities that are part of the Title X project. A grantee's abortion activities must be 'separate and distinct' from the Title X project activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Napili, Angela
2014-09-03
-
Title X (Public Health Service Act) Family Planning Program [May 6, 2015]
"The federal government provides grants for voluntary family planning services through the Family Planning Program, Title X of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. §§300 to 300a-6). Enacted in 1970, it is the only domestic federal program devoted solely to family planning and related preventive health services. In 2013, Title X-funded clinics served 4.6 million clients. […] Grantees continue to be required to certify that they encourage 'family participation' when minors seek family planning services and to certify that they counsel minors on how to resist attempted coercion into sexual activity. The appropriations law also clarifies that family planning providers are not exempt from state notification and reporting laws on child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape, or incest. The law (42 U.S.C. §300a-6) prohibits the use of Title X funds in programs where abortion is a method of family planning. According to OPA, family planning projects that receive Title X funds are closely monitored to ensure that federal funds are used appropriately and that funds are not used for prohibited activities such as abortion. The prohibition on abortion does not apply to all the activities of a Title X grantee, but only to activities that are part of the Title X project. A grantee's abortion activities must be 'separate and distinct' from the Title X project activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Napili, Angela
2015-05-06
