Advanced search Help
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).
-
Defense Primer: Arlington National Cemetery [November 14, 2019]
From the Document: "Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is a military cemetery administered by the Department of the Army. On June 15, 1864, the War Department appropriated the burial site as a military cemetery. Located in Arlington County, Virginia, the cemetery was created in 1864 during the Civil War from 200 acres of plantation land that once belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, step-grandson of the first U.S. President. Custis bequeathed his estate to his daughter who had married U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Robert E. Lee in 1831. At the start of the Civil War in 1861, the Custis Lee family fled the property. The Union Army then occupied and fortified the estate to help defend the nation's capital. In 1863, the Freedman's Village was established on the southern portion of the property to assist former slaves transitioning to freedom by providing shelter, medical care, education and training. The first military burial took place on May 13, 1864, for Private William Henry Christman, 20, a Union soldier from Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania. Two Unknown Union Soldiers were later interred on May 15, 1864, the first of nearly 5,000 Unknowns now resting in ANC. By the end of the Civil War, the grounds contained the graves of 6,000 Union soldiers. On March 3, 1883, the U.S. government purchased the property for $150,000 after years of legal wrangling with the Custis Lee family."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Torreon, Barbara Salazar
2019-11-14
-
Applicability of Federal Requirements to Selected Health Coverage Arrangements: An Overview [November 13, 2019]
From the Introduction: "A majority of individuals in the United States have private health insurance coverage. In general, health plans sold in the private health insurance market (i.e., individual coverage, small- and large-group coverage, and self-insured plans) must comply with applicable federal and state health insurance requirements. [...] However, not all private health coverage arrangements comply with federal health insurance requirements. This includes 'exempted health coverage arrangements' and 'noncompliant health coverage arrangements', as discussed below. This document provides an overview of such arrangements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Forsberg, Vanessa C.; Rosso, Ryan J.
2019-11-13
-
Department of Energy Appliance and Equipment Standards Program [November 8, 2019]
From the Document: "Congress continues to consider the extent and effectiveness of energy efficiency standards. One focus is energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Clark, Corrie E.
2019-11-08
-
Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress [Updated November 26, 2019]
From the Document: "In 2001, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 'homeland security' went from being a concept discussed among a relatively small cadre of policymakers and strategic thinkers to one broadly discussed among policymakers, including a broad swath of those in Congress. Debates over how to implement coordinated homeland security policy led to the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296), the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and extensive legislative activity in the ensuing years. Initially, homeland security was largely seen as counterterrorism activities. Today, homeland security is a broad and complex network of interrelated issues, in policymaking terms. For example, in its executive summary, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review issued in 2014 delineated the missions of the homeland security enterprise as follows: prevent terrorism and enhance security; secure and manage the borders; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard and secure cyberspace; and strengthen national preparedness and resilience. This report compiles a series of Insights by CRS [Congressional Research Services] experts across an array of homeland security issues that may come before the 116th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.; DeVine, Michael E.; Finklea, Kristin . . .
2019-11-26
-
Shipping Under the Jones Act: Legislative and Regulatory Background [Updated November 21, 2019]
From the Document: "The Jones Act, which refers to Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-261), requires that vessels transporting cargo from one U.S. point to another U.S. point be U.S.-built, and owned and crewed by U.S. citizens. The act provides a significant degree of protection for U.S. shipyards, domestic carriers, and American merchant sailors. It is a subject of debate because some experts argue that it leads to high domestic ocean shipping costs and constrains the availability of ships for domestic use. [...] Much of the commercial fleet is relatively old, raising safety concerns in certain cases. Some commercially useful types of ships are missing from the Jones Act-qualified fleet, and, to some extent, the design needs for commercial ships have diverged from those for sealift vessels. Both situations may appear inconsistent with policy goals established by Congress, which include having a merchant marine 'sufficient to carry the waterborne domestic commerce' and 'capable of serving as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Frittelli, John
2019-11-21
-
Overview of the Federal Tax System in 2019 [Updated November 20, 2019]
From the Summary: "This report describes the federal tax structure and system in effect for 2019. The report also provides selected statistics on the tax system as a whole. Historically, the largest component of the federal tax system, in terms of revenue generated, has been the individual income tax. For fiscal year (FY) 2019, an estimated $1.7 trillion, or 50% of the federal government's revenue, will be collected from the individual income tax. The corporate income tax is estimated to generate another $216 billion in revenue in FY2019, or just over 6% of total revenue. Social insurance or payroll taxes will generate an estimated $1.2 trillion, or 36% of revenue in FY2019. For 2019, it is estimated that revenues will be 16.1% of gross domestic product (GDP), slightly below the post-World War II average of 17.2% of GDP."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sherlock, Molly F.; Marples, Donald
2019-11-20
-
POWER Initiative: Energy Transition as Economic Development [November 20, 2019]
From the Introduction: "U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecast U.S. coal production to decline through 2050, with the sharpest reduction to occur by the mid-2020s. Consequently, the coal industry's decline has contributed to economic distress in coal-dependent communities, including increased unemployment and poverty rates. In response, the Obama Administration launched the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Plus Plan, which addressed the coal sector's decline through funding for (1) economic stabilization, (2) social welfare efforts, and (3) environmental efforts. [...] This report considers the background of the POWER Initiative and the broader effort of which it was originally a part, the POWER Plus Plan. It broadly surveys the state of POWER elements in the current administration, including elements of the initiative in the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and funded efforts for abandoned mine land reclamation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cecire, Michael H.
2019-11-20
-
Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources [Updated November 26, 2019]
From the Summary: "USAspending.gov, available at http://www.USAspending.gov, is a government source for data on federal awards by state, congressional district (CD), county, city, and zip code. The awards data in USAspending.gov are provided by federal agencies and represent contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance. [...] Using USAspending.gov to locate and compile accurate data on federal awards can be challenging due, in part, to continuing data quality issues that have been identified by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Users of USAspending.gov need to be aware that while search results may be useful for informing consideration of certain questions, these results may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. [...] Other federal awards data sources reviewed in this report include the following: [1] Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS); [2] Census Federal Audit Clearinghouse; [3] U.S. Budget: Aid to State and Local Governments; [4] Census Federal Aid to States (FAS) and Consolidated Federal Funds Report (CFFR); and [5] Additional federal grant awards databases, including sources tracking medical, scientific, and technical research."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer
2019-11-26
-
Overview of the Opioid Litigation and Related Settlements and Settlement Proposals [November 25, 2019]
From the Document: "According to the latest available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 people in the United States between 1999 and 2017. As described in an earlier Sidebar, the severity of the epidemic has prompted state and local governments to address the issue not only through legislation and executive actions, but also through court challenges filed around the country that seek to hold certain opioid manufacturers, distributors, or other supply chain entities legally liable for the epidemic. These challenges--which generally seek to recover the costs incurred or will be incurred by the state and local governments to address the epidemic--have generally proceeded in two settings: [1] In the opioid multidistrict litigation (MDL) formed in a federal district court, where more than 2,400 cases filed by local governments (and other non-governmental plaintiffs) have been coordinated; [2] In various state courts, where state governments have filed their cases."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shen, Wen S.
2019-11-25
-
Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated January 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Coast Guard's program of record (POR) calls for procuring 8 National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), and 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) as replacements for 90 aging Coast Guard high-endurance cutters, medium-endurance cutters, and patrol craft. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2020 budget requests a total of $657 million in procurement funding for the NSC, OPC, and FRC programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-01-28
-
Israel and the Palestinians: U.S. Peace Plan and Possible Israeli Annexation [January 30, 2020]
From the Document: "President Trump released a long-promised 'Peace to Prosperity' plan for Israel and the Palestinians on January 28, 2020, after obtaining support from Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Netanyahu's main political rival Benny Gantz. The release and Netanyahu's announced intention to annex parts of the Israeli military-controlled West Bank might affect a closely-contested Israeli election scheduled for March 2--the third in the past year pitting Netanyahu (who has been indicted on corruption charges) and Gantz against one another. Members of Congress have had mixed reactions to the plan, which has been widely seen as favoring Israeli positions more than past U.S. efforts on these issues. Prospects for negotiations seem dim given concerted opposition from Palestinian leaders. Amid a variety of regional and international reactions, some key Arab states have encouraged negotiations, and U.S. officials say that the Palestinians will have four years to satisfy the conditions on obtaining statehood (see below)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim
2020-01-30
-
Debates Over Currency Manipulation [Updated January 28, 2020]
From the Overview: "Some Members of Congress and policy experts argue that U.S. companies and jobs have been adversely affected by the exchange rate policies adopted by other countries. They allege that these countries use policies to 'manipulate' the value of their currency in order to gain an unfair trade advantage against other countries, including the United States. Other analysts are more skeptical about currency manipulation being a significant problem. They raise questions about whether government policies have longterm effects on exchange rates, whether it is possible to differentiate between 'manipulation' and legitimate central bank activities, and the net effect of currency manipulation on the U.S. economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nelson, Rebecca M.
2020-01-28
-
Defense Primer: Department of Defense Contractors [Updated January 31, 2020]
From the Document: "Throughout its history, the Department of Defense (DOD) has relied on contractors to support a wide range of military operations. A 'defense contractor,' as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, is 'any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association, or other legal non-Federal entity that enters into a contract directly with the DOD to furnish services, supplies, or construction' (see 32 C.F.R. 158.3, 'Definitions'). Within the defense policy community, the term contractor is commonly used in two different contexts. The word can describe the private companies with which DOD contracts to provide goods and services. It can also describe individuals hired by DOD--usually through private companies, which are also considered contractors in the previous context--to perform specific tasks. The term 'contractor' does not refer to military servicemembers, civilian DOD career employees, or civilian political appointees."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peters, Heidi M.
2020-01-31
-
Defense Primer: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Contracts [Updated January 31, 2020]
From the Background: "When procuring goods or services, the Department of Defense (DOD) generally seeks to obtain the best value for the government by encouraging full and open competition, as required by the 1984 Competition in Contracting Act (P.L. 98-369, also known as CICA). 'Full and open competition' occurs when all eligible prospective contractors are permitted to submit bids or proposals in response to a proposed contract action."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peters, Heidi M.
2020-01-31
-
Defense Primer: Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) [Updated January 29, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress appropriates funds for servicemember and family benefits, including services to improve their quality of life or attenuate challenges. Military families face frequent moves around the globe, often causing disruptions to spousal employment, school or child care arrangements, and other challenges associated with establishing a household in a new location. Military members who have a dependent (spouse, child, or dependent parent) with special needs may experience significant stress during these moves due to the need to find specialized health care providers, school systems with dedicated support services, and community support assistance. The military established the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) to ease these additional burdens of a move for such families."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mendez, Bryce H. P.
2020-01-29
-
Defense Primer: Acquiring Specialty Metals, Rare Earth Magnets, and Tungsten [Updated January 30, 2020]
From the Document: "Some metals (such as titanium and tungsten) and metal alloys, as well as strong permanent magnets known as rare earth magnets, are critical to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) operations. These materials are frequently integrated into components (e.g., integrated circuits, electrical wiring, or optoelectronic devices) or structures (e.g., aircraft fuselages or ship hulls) of the military platforms and weapon systems that enable warfighting capabilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peters, Heidi M.
2020-01-30
-
Lebanon Forms New Government Amid Economic Crisis, Ongoing Protests [Updated January 31, 2020]
From the Document: "On January 21, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the formation of a new Lebanese government, 85 days after nationwide protests triggered the resignation of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The new cabinet is comprised entirely of parties allied with the March 8 political bloc--headed by the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Hezbollah, and the Amal Movement--leading some to describe it as one-sided. The new government faces significant challenges, including ongoing protests and an escalating economic crisis. However, the political composition of the new government--and the perceived influence of Hezbollah in its formation--may reduce the willingness of some international donors to provide financial assistance absent significant economic reforms."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.
2020-01-31
-
Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations [Updated January 29, 2020]
From the Document: "The bulk of the 'Intelligence Community' (IC), eight of 17 total elements, resides within the Department of Defense (DOD). This includes the National Security Agency (NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA), and the four intelligence components of the military services. Non-DOD IC elements, however, also provide support to the military. Integrated IC support of the military includes strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence activities, products and services that are necessary for military strategy, planning and operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeVine, Michael E.
2020-01-29
-
Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) [Updated January 28, 2020]
From the Background: "The Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) is a projection of the forces, resources, and programs to support Department of Defense (DOD) operations. The FYDP is compiled every year and typically completed during the 'programming' phase of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. The program is updated during the 'budgeting' phase to reflect DOD's final funding decisions presented in the annual President's budget request. The FYDP captures resource management decisions for projected DOD activities associated with normal, peacetime operations. Grouping funding by programs--rather than activities, as depicted in the annual budget justification documents--the FYDP reflects the planned allocation of DOD resources to major strategic efforts over a multiyear period."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McGarry, Brendan W.; Peters, Heidi M.
2020-01-28
-
Market-Based Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Legislation: 108th Through 116th Congresses [Updated January 29, 2020]
From the Document: "Congressional interest in market-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control legislation has fluctuated over the past 15 years. During that time, legislation has often involved market-based approaches, such as a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax or emissions fee program. Both approaches would place a price--directly or indirectly--on GHG emissions or their inputs, namely fossil fuels. Both would increase the price of fossil fuels, and both would reduce GHG emissions to some degree. Both would allow emission sources to choose the best way to meet their emission requirements or reduce costs, potentially by using market forces to minimize national costs of emission reductions. Preference between the two approaches ultimately depends on which variable policymakers prefer to precisely control--emission levels or emission prices."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ramseur, Jonathan L.
2020-01-29
-
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA): Compensation Related to Exposure to Radiation from Atomic Weapons Testing and Uranium Mining [Updated January 31, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) provides one-time benefit payments to persons who may have developed cancer or other specified diseases after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing or uranium mining, milling, or transporting. Administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ), RECA has awarded over $2.3 billion in benefits to more than 36,000 claimants since its inception in 1990. The RECA program is scheduled to sunset in 2022. RECA benefits are available to the following groups: [1] onsite participants--$75,000 to persons who participated onsite in the atmospheric test of an atomic weapon and developed one of the types of cancers specified in the statute; [2] downwinders--$50,000 to persons who were present in one of the specified areas near the Nevada Test Site during a period of atmospheric atomic weapons testing and developed one of the types of cancers specified in the statute; and [3] uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters--$100,000 to persons who worked in mining, milling, or transportation of uranium between 1942 and 1971 and developed one of the types of diseases specified in the statute."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2020-01-31
-
Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy [Updated January 30, 2020]
From the Document: "Venezuela remains in a deep crisis under the authoritarian rule of Nicolás Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). On January 10, 2019, Maduro began a second term that most Venezuelans and much of the international community consider illegitimate. Congress has closely followed developments in Venezuela, the Trump Administration's policy responses, and international efforts to broker a solution to the crisis. Since January 2019, Juan Guaidó, president of Venezuela's democratically elected, opposition-controlled National Assembly, has sought to form a transition government to serve until internationally observed elections can be held. Although the United States and 56 other countries recognize Guaidó as interim president, he has been unable to wrest Maduro from power. Some observers believe that National Assembly elections, due in 2020, might start an electoral path out of the current stalemate."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2020-01-30
-
U.S.-China Trade and Economic Relations: Overview [Updated January 29, 2020]
From the Document: "As U.S.-China economic ties have grown, so have U.S. concerns about China's trade and investment practices, including the state's increasingly direct and powerful role in the economy and policies requiring many U.S. firms to disclose sensitive proprietary information to operate in China. Beijing's slowness to acknowledge and address priority U.S. concerns while Chinese firms expand offshore has highlighted uneven levels of market openness, divergent approaches to global rules, and significant differences in the operating conditions and tenets of the U.S. and Chinese economic systems, including clear separation of government and business interests, protections of freedom of information and expression, privacy and intellectual property (IP), and the impartial rule of law. Feeding U.S. concerns are an uptick in reports of Chinese corporate espionage, Beijing's tightening of information controls (and pressure on U.S. firms to abide by these controls), tit-for-tat retaliation, and industrial policies incentivizing the transfer of U.S. IP to the government and military."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sutter, Karen M.
2020-01-29
-
USMCA: Amendment and Key Changes [Updated January 30, 2020]
From the Overview: "On December 10, 2019, the United States, Canada, and Mexico agreed to a protocol of amendment to the proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The amendments include modifications to key elements of the original text in regard to dispute settlement, labor and environmental provisions, intellectual property rights (IPR), and steel and aluminum requirements in the rules of origin for autos. On December 13, the Trump Administration submitted to Congress the proposed USMCA implementing legislation, which also reflects the recent amendments. [...] The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and some Members of Congress negotiated proposed changes to the USMCA to address ongoing congressional concerns. USTR then negotiated the amendments with USMCA parties. Mexico was the first country to ratify the agreement in June 2019 and approve the amendments by a 107-1 vote in the Mexican Senate on December 12, 2019. Canada's Parliament is expected to ratify it in early 2020. Congress is considering USMCA under TPA rules, which is the time-limited authority that Congress uses to consider implementing legislation for trade agreements under expedited procedures, provided that they meet certain statutory requirements. Under TPA [Trade Promotion Authority], Congress has a maximum of 90 legislative days to vote on the agreement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Villarreal, M. Angeles; Fergusson, Ian F.
2020-01-30
-
Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): Developments in China and International Response [January 31, 2020]
From the Overview: "On December 31, 2019, China's government notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of patients with pneumonia of unknown cause in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. On January 7, 2020, Chinese scientists isolated a previously unknown coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the patients. On January 12, China's government shared the genetic sequence of the virus with WHO and international partners. By January 30, the virus had spread across China and to four continents (see Figure 1). As required by the International Health Regulations (IHR), a legally binding instrument of international law under which countries work together for global health security, the global health community is closely monitoring 2019-nCoV and seeking to limit its spread. WHO is coordinating the global response; the United States is aiding as a member of WHO and through its own agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawrence, Susan V.; Tharakan, Sara M.
2020-01-31
-
U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement [Updated January 30, 2020]
From the Overview: "On November 30, 2018, President Trump and the leaders of Canada and Mexico signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). USMCA would revise and modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in place since 1994. Pursuant to trade promotion authority (TPA), the Administration notified Congress of its intention to enter into USMCA. On December 10, 2019, the United States, Canada, and Mexico agreed to a protocol of amendment to the proposed USMCA. The revisions include modifications to key elements of the original text regarding dispute settlement, labor and environmental provisions, intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, and steel and aluminum requirements in the motor vehicle industry rules of origin. Amendments also provide for a facility-specific rapid response labor mechanism to address worker rights provisions. The Trump Administration submitted the proposed implementing legislation to Congress on December 13, 2019. On the same day, the USMCA Implementation Act (H.R. 5430) was introduced in the House of Representatives. On December 16, the companion bill was introduced in the Senate (S. 3052). The legislation was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee on December 17; by the full House on December 19 by a vote of 385-41; by the Senate Finance Committee on January 7, 2020; and by the full Senate on January 16 by a vote of 89- 10. President Trump signed the legislation on January 29, 2020 (P.L. 116-113)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Villarreal, M. Angeles; Fergusson, Ian F.
2020-01-30
-
USMCA: A Legal Interpretation of the Panel-Formation Provisions and the Question of Panel Blocking [January 30, 2020]
From the Document: "Congress has shown an interest in the effectiveness of the dispute settlement mechanism in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Some Members have questioned its effectiveness, and, as part of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA), Congress has identified effective dispute settlement as a negotiating objective that the U.S. Trade Representative must pursue when negotiating trade agreements. This In Focus examines one aspect of the State-State dispute settlement mechanism in USMCA Chapter 31: the ability of a USMCA Party to prevent the formation of a panel during dispute settlement proceedings, often termed 'panel blocking'."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hart, Nina M.
2020-01-30
-
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program [Updated January 30, 2020]
From the Document: "The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program is a Department of Justice (DOJ) formula grant program. The JAG program allocates funds to the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands (collectively referred to as 'states' hereinafter) for a variety of state and local criminal justice initiatives. The program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
James, Nathan
2020-01-28
-
Iran: Internal Politics and U.S. Policy and Options [Updated February 6, 2020]
From the Document: "Before and since the escalation of U.S.-Iran tensions in May 2019, President Trump has indicated a willingness to meet with Iranian leaders without preconditions. Iranian leaders say there will be no direct high level U.S.-Iran meetings until the United States reenters the 2015 JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and lifts U.S. sanctions as provided for in that agreement. Administration statements and reports detail a long litany of objectionable behaviors that Iran must change for there to be a normalization of relations. Some experts assert that the threat posed by Iran stems from the nature and ideology of Iran's regime, and that the underlying, if unstated, goal of Trump Administration policy is to bring about regime collapse. In the context of escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, President Trump has specifically denied that this is his Administration's goal. Any U.S. regime change strategy presumably would take advantage of divisions and fissures within Iran, as well as evident popular unrest resulting from political and economic frustration. Unrest in recent years has not appeared to threaten the regime's grip on power. However, significant protests and riots, including burning of some government installations and private establishments, broke out on November 15 in response to a government announcement of a reduction in fuel subsidies, as well as in January 2020 in response to the regime's concealment of responsibility for accidentally downing a Ukraine passenger aircraft."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2020-02-06
-
Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions [Updated February 6, 2020]
From the Introduction: "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. [...] 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
2020-02-06
