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Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2022 [March 8, 2022]
From the Summary: "This report lists hundreds of instances in which the United States has used its Armed Forces abroad in situations of military conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes. It was compiled in part from various older lists and is intended primarily to provide a rough survey of past U.S. military ventures abroad, without reference to the magnitude of the given instance noted. The listing often contains references, especially from 1980 forward, to continuing military deployments, especially U.S. military participation in multinational operations associated with NATO or the United Nations. Most of these post-1980 instances are summaries based on presidential reports to Congress related to the War Powers Resolution. A comprehensive commentary regarding any of the instances listed is not undertaken here."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Torreon, Barbara Salazar; Plagakis, Sofia
2022-03-08
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Ninth Circuit Holds That Criminal Penalties for Encouraging or Inducing Illegal Immigration Violate First Amendment [March 8, 2022]
From the Document: "The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) governs the admission, removal, and presence of non-U.S. nationals ('aliens', as the term is used in the INA [hyperlink]) in the United States. Although it is generally not a crime [hyperlink] for a removable alien to be present in the United States, Congress has established criminal sanctions for certain conduct [hyperlink] that undermines immigration rules. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1324 [hyperlink], it is a crime for an individual to smuggle, transport, harbor, or conceal unlawfully present aliens. One provision of this statute--8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) [hyperlink] (subsection (iv)--makes it a crime for any individual to 'encourage[] or induce[] an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of the law.' The INA does not define the terms 'encourage' or 'induce,' which has led to some debate over the type of conduct encompassed by subsection (iv). [...] This Legal Sidebar discusses the recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) in 'United States v. Hansen' [hyperlink], in which the court held that the criminal offense of encouraging or inducing illegal immigration under subsection (iv) violates the First Amendment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Santamaria, Kelsey Y.
2022-03-08
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Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 to 2020: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President [Updated March 8, 2022]
From the Document: "This report lists and describes actions taken by the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the President on all Supreme Court nominations, from 1789 to 2020. The listing appears in a Supreme Court nominations table, 'Table 1,' later in this report. Preceding the table is summary text, which highlights certain nominations statistics derived from the table. The text also provides historical background information on the Supreme Court appointment process and uses nominations statistics from the table to shed light on ways in which the appointment process has evolved over time. Many of the statistical findings discussed, for example, provide historical perspective on the emergence, and then increased involvement, of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the appointment process."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McMillion, Barry J.
2022-03-08
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Supreme Court Appointment Process: President's Selection of a Nominee [Updated March 8, 2022]
From the Summary: "The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary. Appointments are usually infrequent, as a vacancy on the nine-member Court may occur only once or twice, or never at all, during a particular President's years in office. Under the Constitution, Justices on the Supreme Court receive what can amount to lifetime appointments which, by constitutional design, helps ensure the Court's independence from the President and Congress. The procedure for appointing a Justice is provided for by the Constitution in only a few words. The 'Appointments Clause' (Article II, Section 2, clause 2) states that the President 'shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme Court.' The process of appointing Justices has undergone changes over two centuries, but its most basic feature--the sharing of power between the President and Senate--has remained unchanged: To receive appointment to the Court, a candidate must first be nominated by the President and then confirmed by the Senate. [...] On February 28, 2022, President Biden formally nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the anticipated vacancy created by Justice Breyer's announced retirement. The information presented in this report is current through the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McMillion, Barry J.
2022-03-08
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China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--background and Issues for Congress [Updated March 8, 2022]
From the Summary: "In an era of renewed great power competition, China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has become the top focus of U.S. defense planning and budgeting. China's navy, which China has been steadily modernizing for more than 25 years, since the early to mid-1990s, has become a formidable military force within China's near-seas region, and it is conducting a growing number of operations in more-distant waters, including the broader waters of the Western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and waters around Europe. China's navy is viewed as posing a major challenge to the U.S. Navy's ability to achieve and maintain wartime control of blue-water ocean areas in the Western Pacific--the first such challenge the U.S. Navy has faced since the end of the Cold War. China's navy forms a key element of a Chinese challenge to the long-standing status of the United States as the leading military power in the Western Pacific. Some U.S. observers are expressing concern or alarm regarding the pace of China's naval shipbuilding effort and resulting trend lines regarding the relative sizes and capabilities of China's navy and the U.S. Navy. China's naval modernization effort encompasses a wide array of ship, aircraft, and weapon acquisition programs, as well as improvements in maintenance and logistics, doctrine, personnel quality, education and training, and exercises. China's navy has currently has certain limitations and weaknesses, and is working to overcome them."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-03-08
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5706, Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on October 27, 2021. From the Bill Summary: "H.R. 5706 would require transportation carriers to create policies for reporting and combating sexual assault and sexual harassment that occurs on vehicles they operate, including procedures for reporting incidents, procedures for employees after such reports are filed, training for personnel who may receive such reports, and procedures for prohibiting future travel by passengers who cause such an incident. Covered carriers would include air carriers, certain motor carriers, commuter and intercity rail entities, transit entities, passenger vessels, transportation network companies, and for-hire vehicle companies. The bill would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to collect, maintain, and make information available to the public on the number of sexual assaults and harassment incidents that occur on vehicles operated by transportation carriers and the number of such incidents that are reported to law enforcement. The data published would exclude any personally identifiable information. H.R. 5706 also would establish new and increase existing civil fines for physically or sexually assaulting or threatening to assault an employee working for a service that transports passengers."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-03-07
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Viral Injustice
From the Introduction: "The coronavirus-19 pandemic (COVID-19) wrecked, at least for a time, virtually every feature of American life. Everyone bears some pandemic burden, but the public health costs are distributed in ways that reflect and amplify existing inequalities. During the pandemic, the communities that lost institutional contests for health-protective resources were already structurally disadvantaged. There was, however, one American community whose experience of neglect and harm was almost singular: people in government custody."
University of California, Berkeley. School of Law
Garrett, Brandon; Kovarsky, Lee
2022-03-07?
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United Nations Security Council and General Assembly Responses to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine [March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "Responding to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.N. Security Council [hyperlink] and General Assembly [hyperlink] have met on several occasions to discuss possible action to address the conflict's threat to international peace and security. In the process, these organs have used procedures unused in the United Nations for 40 years. Congress may consider examining the effect of these actions on U.S. obligations and those of U.N. Member States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchfield, Luisa; Weed, Matthew C.
2022-03-07
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S&T Needs to Improve Its Management and Oversight of R&D Projects
From the Document: "S&T [Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate] aims to deliver timely, innovative technology solutions to bolster DHS mission operations. To do this, S&T works with DHS and its components to identify capability gaps in DHS operations and to research and develop technologies to address those gaps. We conducted this audit to determine whether S&T executes R&D [research and development] projects in accordance with Federal and DHS guidelines, policies, and procedures. [...] We made five recommendations to S&T to improve the execution of R&D projects."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Harsche, Richard; Christopher, Peter; Chavez, Rolando . . .
2022-03-07
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Military and Intelligence Issues and Aspects [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced [hyperlink] that Russia would recognize the independence [hyperlink] of two Russia-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine (the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics [hyperlink], or DNR/LNR). Russian recognition appeared to include the entire regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, most of which had remained under Ukrainian control since Russia's first invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Shortly after February 21, Putin announced Russia would send 'peacekeepers [hyperlink]' into the DNR/LNR to defend against fabricated Russian charges [hyperlink] of Ukrainian plans [hyperlink] for invasion and sabotage attempts [hyperlink]. Despite denials from Russian officials, Russia had spent months amassing a significant portion [hyperlink] of its military capabilities [hyperlink] around Ukraine. The attack began after Russia had mobilized [hyperlink] between 150,000 and 190,000 [hyperlink] personnel on the Ukrainian border, in Belarus, and in Ukraine's occupied Crimea region, according to U.S. government estimates [hyperlink]. Russia's invasion follows months of warning and concern [hyperlink] from the Biden Administration [hyperlink], European allies, NATO, and some Members of Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bowen, Andrew S.
2022-03-07
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Truck Driver Shortage: Implications for the Postal Service
From the Executive Summary: "In 2021, the U.S. economy experienced strained supply chains and labor shortages that were a painful reality for consumers and businesses alike. One factor in these supply-chain challenges was a shortage of truck drivers. The trucking industry has reported a shortage for decades. [...] The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted research to assess how the truck driver shortage impacts the Postal Service. We also sought to identify best practices that may help the Postal Service further mitigate challenges posed by the driver shortage. In addition to reviewing Postal Service policies and data, the OIG interviewed subject matter experts (SMEs), including academics, associations, trucking companies (carriers), and shippers, to understand how the industry more broadly is working to mitigate the shortage."
United States Postal Service. Office of Inspector General
2022-03-07
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International Monetary Fund [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "The International Monetary Fund (IMF, the Fund), founded in 1945, is an international organization that works to ensure the stability of the international monetary system. The United States is a founding member of the IMF and the largest financial contributor. Congress helps shape the U.S. participation in the IMF through oversight, appropriations, and other legislation. Key issues for Congress include IMF support for Ukraine, possible IMF sanctions on Russia, China's role at the IMF, and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weiss, Martin A.
2022-03-07
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Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report provides basic information about U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons. It begins with a brief discussion of how these weapons have appeared in public debates in the past few decades, then summarizes the differences between strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons. It then provides some historical background, describing the numbers and types of nonstrategic nuclear weapons deployed by both nations during the Cold War and in the past decade; the policies that guided the deployment and prospective use of these weapons; measures that the two sides have taken to reduce and contain their forces, and the 2018 NPR's [Nuclear Posture Review] recommendation for the deployment of new U.S. nonstrategic nuclear weapons. The report reviews the issues that have been raised with regard to U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons, and summarizes a number of policy options that might be explored by Congress, the United States, Russia, and other nations to address these issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2022-03-07
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U.S.-Taiwan Trade Relations [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "Taiwan is a top U.S. trade partner and a key link in global technology and manufacturing supply chains, supporting both the U.S. and China markets. Taiwan's economy is highly dependent on global trade, with exports accounting for almost 70% of gross domestic product (GDP). Taiwan faces economic challenges, such as labor mismatches and energy and water shortages, and is seeking to generate growth in emerging technologies (e.g., biotechnology) and semiconductor research, design, and fabrication. Taiwan is seeking to reduce its economic dependence on the People's Republic of China (PRC or China), including through trade diversification and on-shoring of some production. Central to these efforts are actions by both the U.S. and Taiwan governments to deepen trade, investment, and technology ties."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sutter, Karen M.
2022-03-07
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Army Corps of Engineers: Environmental Infrastructure (EI) Assistance [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress typically authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) activities in omnibus authorization laws, often titled Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs). Since WRDA 1992 (P.L. 102-580), Congress has authorized and funded USACE assistance with design and construction of infrastructure in specified municipalities, counties, and states. This assistance supports publicly owned and operated facilities, such as water distribution works, stormwater collection, surface water protection projects, and environmental restoration, among others. This USACE assistance is broadly labeled 'environmental infrastructure' (EI)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.
2022-03-07
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New U.S. Marine Corps Force Design Initiative: Force Design 2030 [Updated March 7, 2022]
From the Document: "On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) announced [hyperlink] a major force design initiative planned to occur over the next 10 years referred to as 'Force Design 2030.' In this initiative, the Marine Corps aims to redesign the force for naval expeditionary warfare and to better align itself with the National Defense Strategy, in particular, its focus on strategically competing with China and Russia. These force design initiatives are informed by two operational concepts: Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment [hyperlink] and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) [hyperlink]. In support of these concepts, the Marines intend to eliminate or reduce certain types of units and eliminate some military occupational specialties (MOS). The Marines also plan to reorganize higher echelon Marine formations and get smaller--reducing forces by 12,000 personnel by 2030."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2022-03-07
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 4, 2022
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: "Geospatial Transmission Hotspots of Recent HIV Infection -- Malawi, October 2019-March 2020"; "Disparities in COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Coverage Between Urban and Rural Counties -- United States, December 14, 2020-January 31, 2022"; "SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Transmission Within Households -- Four U.S. Jurisdictions, November 2021-February 2022"; "Safety Monitoring of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses Among Persons Aged 12-17 Years -- United States, December 9, 2021-February 20, 2022"; "Effectiveness of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] Vaccination in Preventing COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Nonimmunocompromised Children and Adolescents Aged 5-17 Years -- VISION Network, 10 States, April 2021-January 2022"; "Notes from the Field: First Reports of Locally Transmitted Seoul Hantavirus Infection -- District of Columbia, May 2018-December 2018"; "Notes from the Field: Readiness for Use of Type 2 Novel Oral Poliovirus Vaccine in Response to a Type 2 Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Outbreak -- Tajikistan, 2020-2021"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Kidney Disease, by Age Group and Sex -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, July-December 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-03-04
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1218, Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on November 17, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 1218 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. Using information about the cost of broadband mapping, CBO estimates that it would cost the FCC less than $500,000 to update its broadband health maps to incorporate maternal health outcomes. However, because the FCC is authorized to collect fees each year sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of its regulatory activities, CBO estimates that the net cost to the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-03-04
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2541, Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on November 3, 2021. From the Document: "S. 2541 would authorize Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert officers in the Native American tactical patrol unit in the Tohono O'odham Nation, referred to as 'Shadow Wolves,' to a special agent pay status after meeting certain training requirements. The bill also would require ICE to develop a strategy within 90 days to retain and recruit Shadow Wolves and expand the Shadow Wolves program. Additionally, S. 2541 would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the effectiveness of the ICE strategy annually for three years."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-03-04
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6434, Japanese American World War II History Network Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on February 16, 2022. From the Document: "H.R. 6434 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park Service (NPS). The network, which would be authorized for seven years, would coordinate federal and nonfederal activities that commemorate, honor, and interpret the history of Japanese Americans during World War II. It would consist of NPS units and programs related to the period along with properties and programs of other federal, state, local, and private entities that wished to join. Under the bill, the NPS would produce and distribute educational materials about the network, create an official symbol, and provide technical assistance to entities interested in joining. The bill would authorize the NPS to enter into cooperative agreements and memorandums of understanding with private organizations and state and local governments. Using information from the NPS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6434 would have an insignificant cost in each year, totaling $1 million over the 2022-2026 period; spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-03-04
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 904, Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] Cost Estimate as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on February 28, 2022. From the Document: "S. 904 would authorize the appropriation of specific amounts totaling $47 million over the 2022-2025 period for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Army Corps of Engineers to develop and adopt interagency standards on outdoor recreation data and to make mapping data on federal lands open for recreation publicly available. For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted late in fiscal year 2022. Based on historical spending patterns for similar activities and assuming that the authorized amounts will be appropriated each year, CBO estimates that implementing S. 904 would cost $47 million over the 2022-2026 period."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-03-04
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I&A Identified Threats Prior to January 6, 2021, but Did Not Issue Any Intelligence Products Before the U.S. Capitol Breach (Redacted)
From the Document: "We initiated this review to determine the actions of Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) relating to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. [...] We made five recommendations to ensure that I&A is better equipped to respond to similar events in the future."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Lang, Erika; Bacon, Brendan; Flatow, Gregory . . .
2022-03-04
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Statutory Federal Gun Registry Prohibitions and ATF Record Retention Requirements [March 4, 2022]
From the Document: "Four provisions of current law prohibit a national registry of most, but not all, modern firearms. Two of these prohibitions set limits on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) principally, while the other two set limits on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In 2016, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found ATF mainly in compliance with its limits, but a May 2021 proposed rule has raised questions anew about ATF record retention. This rule would require gun dealers to retain transaction records for the entirety of their licensed activities, as opposed to the last 20 years of those activities. These records are submitted to ATF whenever dealers go out of business. Some gun rights advocates and Members of Congress contend that this proposed rule possibly exceeds ATF's legal authority and could be in contravention to the two ATF-related registry prohibitions described below."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Krouse, William J.
2022-03-04
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: New Financial and Trade Sanctions [Updated March 4, 2022]
From the Document: "On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 26 [hyperlink], the leaders of the European Commission (the European Union's main executive body), France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States announced that specific Russian banks will be removed from the SWIFT (Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) financial messaging system, as well as measures to prevent the Russian central bank from accessing a portion of its international reserves. Between February 22 and February 25, the United States and allies also expanded sanctions on Russian sovereign debt [hyperlink], Russia's two largest banks (Sberbank and VTB, which account for about 50% of banking assets [hyperlink] in Russia), and technology exports [hyperlink] to Russia, among other targets."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nelson, Rebecca M.; Casey, Christopher A.
2022-03-04
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Assessment of Structural Barriers and Racial Group Disparities of COVID-19 Mortality With Spatial Analysis
From the Key Points: "'Question'[:] How do the associations between structural factors and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] mortality help explain the disproportionate outcomes experienced by different racial and ethnic groups? 'Findings'[:] In this cross-sectional study of 3142 counties in 50 US states and the District of Columbia, the associations between different measures of social determinants of health and COVID-19 mortality varied across racial and ethnic groups (Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, and non-Hispanic White populations) and different community types (rural, suburban, and urban areas). 'Meaning'[:] Findings from this study suggest the need for future research that addresses health inequity and guides policies and programs by further exploring the different dimensions and regional patterns of social determinants of health."
JAMA Network
Lin, Qinyun; Paykin, Susan; Halpern, Dylan . . .
2022-03-04
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Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview [Updated March 4, 2022]
From the Document: "Cuba remains a one-party authoritarian state with a government that has sharply restricted freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and other basic human rights since the early years of the 1959 Cuban revolution. [...] Cuba's public health response to the pandemic initially kept cases and deaths low, but both increased in late 2020 and surged until August 2021. The country experienced another surge in cases in January 2022 due to the Omicron variant, but deaths remained low because of high vaccination rates. As of March 3, 2022, Cuba reported almost 8,500 deaths since the pandemic began and had fully vaccinated 87% of its population with its own COVID-19 vaccines. [...] In its initial months, the Biden Administration announced it was conducting a review of policy toward Cuba. The White House press secretary said in March 2021 that the Administration would make human rights a core pillar of policy and would review policy decisions made in the prior Administration, including the decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2022-03-04
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Locomotive Idling, Air Quality, and Blocked Crossings [Updated March 4, 2022]
From the Document: "When a train is not moving but its engines are running, it can present risks and disruptions for the surrounding community. Locomotives emit fuel exhaust that degrades air quality and generates noise and vibrations. If the idling train is stopped at a highway-rail grade crossing, local road transportation could be significantly impacted, especially if the nearest open railroad crossing is not close by. This could create serious conditions if first responders are unable to reach emergencies on the other side of the tracks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Goldman, Ben
2022-03-04
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Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) [Updated March 4, 2022]
From the Overview: "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is Southeast Asia's primary multilateral organization, a 10- member grouping of nations with a combined population of 660 million and a combined annual gross domestic product (GDP) of around $3.1 trillion in 2021. Established in 1967, it has grown into one of the world's largest regional fora, representing a strategically important region straddling some of the world's busiest sea lanes, including the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. Taken collectively, ASEAN would rank as the world's fifth-largest economy and the United States' fourth-largest export market. ASEAN's members are Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Members rotate as chair: Cambodia is ASEAN's chair for 2022 and Indonesia is to assume the chair in 2023. ASEAN engages in a wide range of diplomatic, economic and security discussions through hundreds of annual meetings and through a secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2008, the United States became the first non-ASEAN nation to appoint a representative to ASEAN, and in 2011 it opened a U.S. mission to ASEAN in Jakarta with a resident ambassador. Several other nations have followed suit. President Biden plans a formal meeting with ASEAN's leaders March 28-29 in Washington, DC."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dolven, Ben
2022-03-04
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Surface Transportation and Climate Change: Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) [Updated March 4, 2022]
From the Document: "Surface transportation is a major source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one of the main greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to climate change. The effects of climate change, such as extreme heat and sea level rise, also pose a threat to highways, bridges, and public transportation infrastructure. Congress reauthorized the surface transportation programs as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). The IIJA included 'mitigation' policies and programs aiming to reduce GHG emissions from surface transportation and 'adaptation' policies and programs aiming to make the surface transportation system less vulnerable and more resilient to the impacts of actual or expected future climate change. As with previous authorization acts, the IIJA funded surface transportation programs from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The IIJA also provided funding with a multiyear advance appropriation from the Treasury general fund."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mallett, William
2022-03-04
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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: Selected Primary Material [Updated March 3, 2022]
From the Document: "On February 25, 2022, President Joseph Biden announced the nomination [hyperlink] of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) to become an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. This nomination is to fill the impending vacancy on the Court caused by Justice Stephen Breyer's announcement [hyperlink] of his intention to retire from the Court effective 'when the Court rises for the summer recess this year (typically late June or early July).' This Sidebar contains reference information about Judge Jackson, including a biography; a list of publications she authored or coauthored; legislative documentation related to her previous nominations; a selection of her written opinions; a list of Supreme Court briefs to which she contributed; and additional resources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jones, Juria L.; Deal, Laura
2022-03-03
