WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. 98-684) on Latin America and the Caribbean - Leaders and Elections on Dec. 14, 2023, by research librarians Carla Y. Davis-Castro and Travis A. Ferrell. Here are excerpts: * * * Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections This report provides the results of recent presidential elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables, organized by region, that in  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12551) on accrual and reinvestor Small Business Investment Companies on Dec. 15, 2023, by public finance analyst Anthony A. Cilluffo: * * * Accrual and Reinvestor Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to increase access to capital for small businesses. Among those is the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) pr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10214) on Bangladesh on Dec. 13, 2023, by Asian policy analyst Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * Bangladesh Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) is a Muslim-majority South Asian nation bordering India and Burma (Myanmar) on the Bay of Bengal. The world's eighth most populous country, with approximately 167 million people, it has a land area about the size of Iowa. Its democratic   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11267) on coup-related restrictions in U.S. foreign aid appropriations on Dec. 12, 2023, by foreign assistance analyst Nick M. Brown and African affairs specialist Alexis Arieff. Here are excerpts: * * * Coup-Related Restrictions in U.S. Foreign Aid Appropriations Events in Africa and Burma have brought attention to a provision in annual State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12548) entitled "How the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 Could Affect Consumers, Merchants and Banks" on Dec. 13, 2023, by financial economics analyst Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * How the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 Could Affect Consumers, Merchants, and Banks When a consumer makes a payment with a credit card, a small portion of the transaction is used to compe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12544) on the Department of Agriculture's Emergency Relief Program on Dec. 11, 2023, by Megan Stubbs, agricultural conservation and natural resources policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Department of Agriculture's Emergency Relief Program (ERP) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers a suite of programs that assists farmers and ranchers with recovering from a natu  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12543) entitled "Has the Federal Reserve Achieved a Soft Landing in 2023?" on Dec. 11, 2023, by macroeconomic policy specialists Lida R. Weinstock and Marc Labonte. Here are excerpts: * * * Has the Federal Reserve Achieved a Soft Landing in 2023? Since the Federal Reserve (Fed) began raising rates in response to high inflation in March 2022, it has been trying to achieve a "soft landing  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10298) on India's domestic political setting on Dec. 8, 2023, by South Asian affairs specialist K. Alan Kronstadt. Here are excerpts: * * * India's Domestic Political Setting Overview India, the world's most populous country, is, according to its Constitution, a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" where the bulk of executive power rests with the prime minister and his   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12551) on Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity on Dec. 14, 2023. The white paper was written by international trade and finance specialists Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Kyla H. Kitamura and Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin. Here are excerpts: * * * Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) In May 2022, the United States and 13 partners launched the Indo-P  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12541) on Iran and special drawing rights on Dec. 8, 2023, by Rebecca M. Nelson and Martin A. Weis, international trade and finance specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * Iran and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization) on Israel and the ensuing conflict have increased U.S. government scrutiny on Iran, a longti  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12551) on Libya and U.S. policy on Dec. 15, 2023, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Libya and U.S. Policy Over a decade after a 2011 uprising that toppled longtime authoritarian leader Muammar al Qadhafi, Libya has yet to make a transition to stable governing arrangements. Elections and diplomacy have produced a series of interim gov  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12542) on the Offshore Energy Agency appropriations, fiscal 2024 on Dec. 8, 2023, by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2024 Three entities in the Department of the Interior (DOI) share responsibility for managing the nation's ocean energy resources on almost 2.5 billion acres of the U.S. outer continenta  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12547) on the public housing program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Public Housing Program The low-rent public housing program - authorized by Section 9 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 - is the nation's oldest federal rental assistance program. It offers low-cost apartments for low-income households. While it is arguably the m  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11159) on the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit and the Saver's Match on Dec. 15, 2023, by public finance analyst Brendan McDermott. Here are excerpts: * * * The Retirement Savings Contribution Credit and the Saver's Match The Retirement Savings Contribution Credit (Internal Revenue Code [I.R.C.] Sec.25B) - commonly referred to as the Saver's Credit - is a tax expenditure meant to   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12546) on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the nation's largest rental assistance program. Authorized under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Sec.1437f(o)), it subsidizes the r  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12545) on the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance Program The Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program subsidizes the rents of low-income individuals and families through rental assistance contracts between the Department of  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12082) on U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement on Dec. 8, 2023, by Liana Wong, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * USMCA: Automotive Rules of Origin The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA; P.L. 116-113) entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA was viewed as instrumental in creating a highly   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12546) on use of force in cyberspace on Dec. 11, 2023, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Use of Force in Cyberspace Introduction There are no internationally accepted criteria yet for determining whether a nation state cyberattack is a use of force equivalent to an armed attack, which could trigger a military response.  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12286) on the AI Executive Order and its potential implications for DOD on Dec. 12, 2023, by Alexandra G. Neenan, defense infrastructure policy analyst, and Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist: * * * The AI Executive Order and Its Potential Implications for DOD On October 20, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) on the Safe, Secure, and T  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12284) on COP28 and global health on Dec. 8, 2023, by global health specialist Tiaji Salaam-Blyther and research assistant Catherine L. Able-Thomas. Here are excerpts: * * * COP28 and Global Health In 1995, delegates from Parties and observer States to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change met in Berlin, Germany, for the first Conference of the Parties (COP) to i  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12280) on implementation status of HOTMA income and rent changes on Dec. 8, 2023, by American national government analyst Karen L. Shanton: * * * Federal Guidelines, Testing, and Certification for Electronic Poll Books (E-Poll Books) The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) oversees a program to test and certify voting systems to a set of voluntary federal guidelines known as the Vol  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12285) on implementation status of HOTMA income and rent changes on Dec. 8, 2023, by housing policy specialists Maggie McCarty and Libby Perl: * * * Implementation Status of HOTMA Income and Rent Changes Between January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, the way that incomes and rents are calculated for the roughly 5 million households that participate in federal rental assistance programs wil  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11798) on Line 5 Pipeline on Dec. 6, 2023, by energy policy specialist Paul W. Parfomak. Here are excerpts: * * * Line 5 Pipeline: Replacement/Tunnel Project The Line 5 Pipeline is a 30-inch, 645-mile pipeline owned by Enbridge carrying up to 540,000 barrels per day of crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, WI, to Sarnia, Ontario (Figure 1). A key segment of Line 5 is an underw  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12023) entitled "National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Report on Ligado Networks and the Interference Debate" on Dec. 11, 2023, by telecommunications policy analyst Jill C. Gallagher: * * * National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Report on Ligado Networks and the Interference Debate On April 19, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11748) entitled "National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Report on Ligado Networks and the Interference Debate" on Dec. 14, 2023, by social policy specialist Jessica Tollestrup and public finance specialist Margot L. Crandall-Hollick: * * * Overview of Child Support Enforcement Access to Taxpayer Data and the Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act (S. 3154) The Tribal Child  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10972) on Montana's TikTok ban, an injunction and pending legal actions on Dec. 8, 2023, by assistant director Sanchitha Jayaram and legislative attorney Jared P. Cole: * * * Montana's TikTok Ban, an Injunction, and Pending Legal Actions On November 30, 2023, a U.S. district judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing Montana from enforcing a ban on TikTok's operations in the   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11089) on the recent appellate decisions of interest to lawmakers, Dec. 4 - Dec. 10, 2023, on Dec. 11, 2023, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and legislative attorney Karen Sokol: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (December 4-December 10, 2023) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases in  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11087) on Title VI and peer-to-peer racial harassment at school on Dec. 8, 2023, by legislative attorney Jared P. Cole: * * * Title VI and Peer-to-Peer Racial Harassment at School: Federal Appellate Decisions Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. While that mandate appl  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11088) on veterans disability benefits and equitable tolling on Dec. 11, 2023, by legislative attorney Andreas Kuersten: Here are excerpts: * * * Arellano v. McDonough: Veterans Disability Benefits and Equitable Tolling On January 23, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Arellano v. McDonough. The case involved a U.S. Navy veteran, Adolfo Arellano, with a service-connected psychia  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47833) on Nov. 14, 2023, entitled "Emergency Access to Strategic and Critical Materials: The National Defense Stockpile" by Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In wartime, without sufficient raw materials available in useable form, militaries and companies manufacturing defense equipment may struggle to resupply materiel  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 98-972) on Dec. 12, 2023, entitled "Federal Employees' Retirement System: Summary of Recent Trends" by Income Security specialist Katelin P. Isaacs. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary This report describes recent trends in the characteristics of annuitants and current employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) as well as th  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R40962) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Pledge by Selected Countries: Nationally Determine Contributions and Net-Zero Legislation." by research and library services section head Kezee Procita and research librarian Claire M. Jordan. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Human-related emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) have increased globally over time. These increasing  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 97-1011) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables" by Congress specialist Ida A. Brudnick. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. In the past, Congress periodically enacted specific legislation to alter its pay; the last time this occurred affected pay   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 97-1011) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "Salaries of Members of Congress - Recent Actions and Historical Tables:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * January 2013 Member Pay Adjustment Delayed and Then Denied The maximum potential 2013 pay adjustment of 1.1%, or $1,900, was known when the BLS released data for the change in the ECI during the 12-month period from December 2010 to December 2011 on   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46368) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "U.S. Assistance for Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview." The report was written by African affairs specialists Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Nicolas Cook, Alexis Arieff and Tomas F. Husted. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Overview. Congress authorizes, appropriates, and oversees U.S. foreign assistance for sub-Saharan Africa ("Africa"), which is often the largest re  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46368) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "U.S. Assistance for Sub-Saharan Africa - An Overview:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) The MCC, which Congress established in 2004 (Title VI of Division D, P.L. 108-199), supports economic growth programs in developing countries that meet a range of governance and development benchmarks./33 The MCC funds two types of   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS22131) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "What Is the Farm Bill?" by agricultural policy specialists Renee Johnson and Jim Monke. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The farm bill is an omnibus, multiyear law that governs an array of agricultural and food programs. Titles in the most recent farm bill encompassed farm commodity revenue supports, agricultural conservation, trade and foreign food assista  more