WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12566) on Jan. 8, 2024. The white paper was written by international trade and finance analyst Michael D. Sutherland and Asian affairs specialists Ricardo Barrios, Caitlin Campbell and Nicolas Cook. Here are excerpts: * * * China and Sub-Saharan Africa The People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) maintains relations with nearly every country in Sub-Saharan Africa ("Africa"). Often da  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10521) on Jan. 12, 2024, by nonproliferation specialists Paul K. Kerr and Mary Beth D. Nikitin: * * * Defense Primer: Command and Control of Nuclear Forces The U.S. President has sole authority to authorize the use of U.S. nuclear weapons. This authority is inherent in his constitutional role as Commander in Chief. The President can seek counsel from his military advisors; those advisor  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10542) on Jan. 12, 2024, by section research manager Nathan J. Lucas. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Commanding U.S. Military Operations Military operations, both in peacetime and in war, are an inherently complex undertaking. One key to success, therefore, is a clear, unified chain of command. This enables senior leaders in the U.S. government - in particular, the President   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12054) on Jan. 9, 2024, by natural resources policy analyst Anne A. Riddle. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Forestry Title Forest management generally, as well as forest research and forestry assistance, is within the jurisdiction of the agriculture committees in Congress. Although most forestry programs are permanently authorized, forestry often is addressed in the periodic  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11709) on Jan. 8, 2024, by natural resources policy analyst Mark K. DeSantis. Here are excerpts: * * * Department of the Interior Law Enforcement Programs Overview The Department of the Interior (DOI) employs law enforcement officers (LEOs) for a variety of purposes including fostering public safety, protecting natural and cultural resources, and enforcing federal laws and regulations  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12295) on Jan. 8, 2024, by legislative attorney Christopher T. Zirpoli: * * * An Introduction to Section 337 Intellectual Property Litigation at the U.S. International Trade Commission In recent decades, parties asserting patent infringement and other intellectual property (IP) claims have increasingly looked to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) as a fast-paced forum with aut  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12565) on Jan. 8, 2024, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: What Is Irregular Warfare? Introduction U.S. military doctrine distinguishes between two types of warfare: traditional warfare and irregular warfare. In Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Publication (JP) 1 Joint Warfighting, conventional warfare i  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12372) on Jan. 10, 2024, by Latin American affairs analysts June S. Beittel and Ramon Miro. Here are excerpts: * * * Peru: Country Overview and U.S. Relations Peru is a geographically and ethnically diverse country of 34 million inhabitants encompassing large portions of the Amazon Basin, the Andean highlands, and the Pacific coast of South America. Since the early 2000s, Peru has susta  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10545) on Jan. 8, 2024, senior research librarian Barbara Salazar Torreon and military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Defense Primer: Special Operations Forces Overview Special Operations Forces (SOF) are those active duty and reserve component forces of the military services designated by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and specifically selected, organized, trained,   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11930) on Jan. 8, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Syria and U.S. Policy Since 2011, conflict between the government of Syrian President Bashar al Asad and opposition forces seeking his removal has displaced roughly half of the country's population and killed over half a million people. Five countries operate in or maintain mil  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12416) on Jan. 8, 2024, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Temporary Commemorations on Federal Land in the District of Columbia The District of Columbia, especially the area around the National Mall, is widely known for its monuments and memorials. These permanent commemorative works, which are located on federal land, honor the military; arts, science, and   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12297) on Jan. 10, 2024, by public finance specialist Margot L. Crandall-Hollick. Here are excerpts: * * * The Child Tax Credit: What Lies Ahead? The child tax credit has been temporarily modified several times in recent years. Media reports suggest policymakers may be interested in modifying the credit again in the near term to benefit low- and moderate-income families. This Insight pro  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12221) on Jan. 8, 2024, by defense infrastructure policy analyst Luke A. Nicastro. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 NDAA: Defense Industrial Base Policy Updated January 8, 2024 Background The defense industrial base (DIB) is the network of organizations, facilities, and resources that supplies the U.S. government - particularly the Department of Defense (DOD) - with materials, products,   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12298) on Jan. 11, 2024, by Natalie R. Ortiz, government organization and management analyst: * * * Digital Accessibility: Agencies Receive New Guidance from OMB The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued guidance to agencies on making websites and digital services accessible to persons with disabilities. OMB's guidance includes information provided in a September 2023 memorandu  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12296) on Jan. 10, 2024, by Congress and legislative process specialists Drew C. Aherne and Megan S. Lynch. Here are excerpts: * * * The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) in FY2024: Current Status Spending Limits The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA, P.L. 118-5), enacted in June 2023, temporarily suspended the debt limit and established statutory discretionary spending limits for FY2024 and  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11897) on Jan. 9, 2024, by European affairs specialist Kristin Archick: * * * Russia's War Against Ukraine: European Union Responses and U.S.-EU Relations The 27-member European Union (EU) has implemented a range of policy responses to Russia's war against Ukraine. EU actions and coordination with the United States are of interest to Congress given the EU's role as an important U.S. partn  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11094) on Jan. 9, 2024. The white paper was written by section research manager Juria L. Jones and legislative attorneys Jennifer K. Elsea and L. Paige Whitaker: * * * Disqualification of a Candidate for the Presidency, Part I: Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment as It Applies to the Presidency On January 5, 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to hear former President Donald Trump's   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11096) on Jan. 10, 2024. The white paper was written by section research manager Juria L. Jones and legislative attorneys Jennifer K. Elsea and L. Paige Whitaker: * * * Disqualification of a Candidate for the Presidency, Part II: Examining Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment as It Applies to Ballot Access On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11102) on Jan. 11, 2024, by legislative attorney Kelsey Y. Santamaria: * * * Humanitarian Parole Authority: A Legal Overview and Recent Developments Parole authority under 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1182(d)(5)(A) has garnered recent attention by lawmakers. Section 1182(d)(5)(A) grants discretion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to temporarily "parole" an alien who is applying for ad  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11101) on Jan. 9, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and legislative attorney Daniel T. Shedd: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (January 1-January 7, 2024) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past w  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11100) on Jan. 8, 2024, by legislative attorney Justin C. Chung: * * * Supreme Court Considers Scope of Congress's Sixteenth Amendment Income Taxing Power in Moore v. United States On December 9, 2023, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Moore v. United States, an appeal challenging a one-time "Mandatory Repatriation Tax" (MRT) on U.S. shareholders of a foreign corporation for  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45122) on Dec. 4, 2023, entitled "Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy" by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Clayton Thomas: * * * SUMMARY Over two years after the Taliban's 2021 return to power, U.S. policymakers are still grappling with the reality of the group's autocratic rule and the negative consequences that rule has had for many Afghans and U.S. policy interests. In 2021, U.S. and i  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45122) on Dec. 4, 2023, entitled "Afghanistan - Background and U.S. Policy:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * U.S. Policy Impacts of the Taliban's Return to Power Renewed Taliban rule in Afghanistan has implications for a number of U.S. policy interests. It has created opportunities and challenges for the various terrorist groups that have a presence in Afghanistan, and has forced the Unite  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47882) on Dec. 26, 2023, entitled "Agency Nonacquiescence: An Overview of Constitutional and Practical Considerations" by legislative attorney Benjamin M. Barczewski. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY When Congress delegates the power to regulate to a federal agency, it often also provides for judicial review of that agency's actions. Reviewing courts are generally empowered to "set aside" agen  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47882) on Dec. 26, 2023, entitled "Agency Nonacquiescence - An Overview of Constitutional and Practical Considerations:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Statutory Venue Provisions The term venue refers to the court or courts in which it is appropriate for a lawsuit to proceed./77 The question of which court will hear an appeal from an agency also bears on whether an agency decides to engag  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47754) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict: Frequently Asked Questions." The report was written by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jim Zanotti, Jeremy M. Sharp, Christopher M. Blanchard and Clayton Thomas, foreign policy legislation specialist Matthew C. Weed, international humanitarian policy specialist Rhoda Margesson, international relations specialist Luisa   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47754) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):" (Continued from Part 1 of 4) * * * Is there evidence that Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad are using cryptocurrency to finance their activities?/65 According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal and CNN, citing a cryptocurrency analytics firm, digital currency wallets linked to   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47754) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):" (Continued from Part 2 of 4) * * * What is Egypt's role regarding humanitarian developments in Gaza? Egypt controls the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, making it the only non-Israeli-controlled passenger entryway into Gaza. As war continues in Gaza and the humanitarian situation the  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47754) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "Israel and Hamas October 2023 Conflict - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):" (Continued from Part 3 of 4) * * * What are the considerations for Congress and U.S. policy? What are some consular, diplomatic, and security issues involving U.S. citizens in Israel and Gaza?/256 Over 160,000 Americans are estimated to be in Israel; Americans in Gaza are estimated   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47413) on Jan. 5, 2024, entitled "Points of Order in the Congressional Budget Process" by congress and the legislative process specialists James V. Saturno and Megan S. Lynch: * * * SUMMARY The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, as amended) created an annual process that allows Congress to establish and enforce parameters for budgetary legislation. Budgetary decisions  more