WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R44279) on Thanksgiving on Nov. 20, 2023, by reference librarian Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch: * * * Thanksgiving: Fact Sheet Introduction Thanksgiving is a federal holiday observed on the fourth Thursday in November. In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26 a national day of Thanksgiving. Subsequent Presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations, but the dates of the commemoration   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12536) on the economic implications of Moore v. U.S. on Nov. 20, 2023, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle and public finance specialist Donald J. Marple: * * * The Economic Implications of Moore v. United States Moore v. United States (henceforth referred to as Moore) is a legal case that challenges the constitutionality of the "transition tax" imposed with the change  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12536) on Hamas and cryptocurrency fundraising on Nov. 21, 2023, by Liana W. Rosen, international crime and narcotics specialist, and Paul Tierno, financial economics analyst: * * * Terrorist Financing: Hamas and Cryptocurrency Fundraising Policymakers, including some Members of Congress, are scrutinizing U.S. efforts to counter the role that cryptocurrency fundraising plays in the fina  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12535) on racial equality in contractual relationships on Nov. 20, 2023, by legislative attorney Christine J. Back: * * * 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1981's Contract Clause: Racial Equality in Contractual Relationships Among federal statutes that address racial discrimination, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1981's contract clause uniquely focuses on guaranteeing a person's equal right to make and enforce contracts w  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12149) on the Small Business Administration's State Trade Expansion Program on Nov. 20, 2023, by economic development policy analyst Adam G. Levin. Here are excerpts: * * * The Small Business Administration's State Trade Expansion Program American small businesses regularly export to international markets, contributing to both domestic and global economies by trading with approximately   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12160) on support for native agricultural producers on Nov. 22, 2023, by agricultural policy specialist Renee Johnson. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Support for Native Agricultural Producers The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; P.L. 115-334) expanded federal farm program support for Native agricultural producers and tribal communities. Congress further   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12538) on the U.S. efforts to manage Western Hemisphere migration flows on Nov. 22, 2023. The white paper was written by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist Peter J. Meyer and presidential management fellow Shelby B. Senger. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Efforts to Manage Western Hemisphere Migration Flows In FY2023, U  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12275) on the USDA support for aquaculture operations on Nov. 22, 2023, by agricultural policy specialist Renee Johnson. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: USDA Support for Aquaculture Operations Aquaculture facilities that grow aquatic animal and plant species in controlled or selected environments (as defined as 7 U.S.C. Sec.3103) are generally eligible for support from the U  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12281) on Landsat Next on the horizon on Nov. 21, 2023, by natural resources policy specialist Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * Landsat Next on the Horizon In December 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) presented initial details about Landsat Next, the next proposed launch in the Landsat series of Earth-observing   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10949) on financial disclosure and the Supreme Court on Nov. 22, 2023, by legislative attorney Whitney K. Novak: * * * Financial Disclosure and the Supreme Court The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (EIGA) established financial disclosure reporting requirements for many high-level government officials and employees, including the Chief Justice of the United States and the Associate  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11079) on the recent appellate decisions of interest to lawmakers, Nov. 13 - Nov. 19, 2023, on Nov. 20, 2023, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and section research manager Christina L. Shifton: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (November 13-November 19, 2023) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every we  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress." The report was written by natural resources policy specialists Laura B. Comay, Pervaze A. Sheikh and Caitlin Keating-Bitonti, naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke, environmental policy specialist Jonathan L. Ramseur, and transportation policy specialist John Frittelli. Here are excerpts: * * * S  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 7) * * * Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs On July 16, 2014, then-Secretary of State John Kerry announced the appointment of retired Coast Guard Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., who served as Commandant of the Coast Guard from May 2010 to May 2014, as the first U.S. Specia  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 2 of 7) * * * Geopolitical Environment/80 Overview Following the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and particularly after the founding of the Arctic Council in 1996, the Arctic states sought to maintain the Arctic as a region of cooperation, low tension, p  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 3 of 7) * * * Russia in the Arctic Overview In considering Russia's role in the Arctic's geopolitical environment, points that can be noted include but are not limited to the following: * Geographically, Russia is the most prominent of the eight Arctic states. According to on  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 4 of 7) * * * U.S. and Allied Arctic Military Activities In General DOD and the Coast Guard (which is part of the Department of Homeland Security [DHS]) are devoting increased attention to the Arctic in their planning, budgeting, and operations. DOD as a whole, the Army, the N  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 5 of 7) * * * Commercial Sea Transportation/207 Background The search for a shorter route from the Atlantic to Asia has been the quest of maritime powers since the Middle Ages. The diminishment of Arctic ice raises the possibility of saving several thousands of miles and sever  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41153) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Changes in the Arctic - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 6 of 7) * * * Oil Pollution and Pollution Response/271 Oil Pollution Implications of Arctic Change Climate change impacts in the Arctic, particularly the decline of sea ice and retreating glaciers, has led to increased human activities in the region, some of which have the pot  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47678) on Oct. 25, 2023, entitled "Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2024: In Brief" by homeland security and appropriations specialist William L. Painter. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 FY2024 DHS Appropriations Overview ... 1 Annual Appropriations ... 1 DHS Budgetary Resources: Beyond the Score ... 3 DHS Appropriations: Comparing Scores ... 10 Emergency-Desi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47627) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Electricity Transmission Permitting Reform Proposals" by energy policy specialist Ashley J. Lawson. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Permitting reform has been a topic of debate in the 118th Congress. One aspect of this debate addresses the processes for planning, siting, approving, and paying for electricity transmission lines (broadly referred to as transm  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47749) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Overview of Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal 2024" by Congress and legislative process analyst Drew C. Aherne: * * * Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2024 (Division A of P.L. 118-15) On September 30, 2023, the President signed H.R. 5860 into law as P.L. 118-15. Division A of the act provides continuing appropriations for all 12 of the regular a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47749) on Oct. 11, 2023, entitled "Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2024:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Department of Homeland Security/35 Section 101(6) - Authorization Extensions and Supplemental Appropriations for Fee Shortfalls Section 101(6) extends the authorization of three immigration authorities through the duration of the CR. It does so by referencing Title III of  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47818) on Oct. 24, 2023, entitled "Proposals to Limit Financial Activities of Members of Congress: Background and Analysis of Legislative Proposals" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus: * * * SUMMARY In recent years, Members of Congress have proposed reforms that would prohibit the purchase, sale, or ownership of certain financial instruments by Members of Congress and other specified congr  more