WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R44363) on Feb. 13, 2024, by reference and digital services librarian Maya V. Thomas: * * * SUMMARY This fact sheet links to authoritative information resources related to National African American History Month, which is also referred to as African American History Month and Black History Month. It is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National African American History Mo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12592) on Feb. 16, 2024, by defense policy analyst Jennifer DiMascio. Here are excerpts: * * * Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Program Proposed Cancellation: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Army announced, as part of a major proposed restructuring of its aviation programs, that it seeks to cancel the Future Attack Reconna  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12572) on Feb. 13, 2024, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle: Here are excerpts: * * * Business Tax Provisions in the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, released by the Senate Finance Committee on January 16, 2024, and passed by the House on January 31, 2024 (H.R. 7024), would, among ot  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12574) on Feb. 13, 2024, by public finance analyst Brendan McDermott. Here are excerpts: * * * The Casualty and Theft Loss Deduction The Internal Revenue Code has let some taxpayers deduct unreimbursed losses caused by recent disasters and thefts from their income subject to the income tax. Congress temporarily limited the casualty and theft loss deduction as part of the 2017 tax law (P  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10511) on Feb. 12, 2024, by social policy specialist Karen E. Lynch. Here are excerpts: * * * Child Care Entitlement to States: An Overview Overview The Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES) was created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193). PRWORA authorized the CCES in Section 418 of the Social Security Act. Section 41  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10890) on Feb. 13, 2024. The white paper is written by Asian affairs specialists Ricardo Barrios and Susan V. Lawrence and international crime and narcotics specialist Liana W. Rosen: * * * China Primer: Illicit Fentanyl and China's Role In the context of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, illicit fentanyl is both a domestic and a foreign policy issue for Congress. In addre  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12591) on Feb. 12, 2024, by health policy specialists Nora Wells and Amanda K. Sarata: * * * Cybersecurity and Digital Health Information As the technologies used in health care expand, so too do cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Increasingly, health care actors use electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and telehealth services to provide and facilitate  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12119) on Feb. 14, 2024, by Andres B. Schwarzenberg, international trade and finance specialist: * * * Industrial Policy and International Trade Supply-chain vulnerabilities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic have intensified debate in Congress about the proper role of the government in the U.S. economy. The debate also reflects growing concerns about how some foreign governments use stat  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12528) on Feb. 14, 2024, by Andres B. Schwarzenberg, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs): An Overview U.S. exporters' access to foreign markets increasingly depends on compliance with a diverse array of non-tariff measures (NTMs) that governments have designed to achieve various public policy objectives. As tariffs on internati  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12207) on Feb. 12, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Joshua Klein: * * * Paraguay: An Overview Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America bordered by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. The United States has had close relations with Paraguay for decades, providing assistance to counter corruption and spur trade and economic development. The United States and Paraguay also work together  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12277) on Feb. 15, 2024, by Rebecca M. Nelson, international trade and finance specialist: Here are excerpts: * * * Russia's War on Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a new war against Ukraine, a country Russia first invaded in 2014 and has partially occupied for nearly a decade. The war is estimated to have led to hundreds of thousands   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12327) on Feb. 14, 2024, by Andres B. Schwarzenberg, international trade and finance specialist: * * * U.S. Trade Policy: Future Direction and Key Economic Debates Congress plays a major role in shaping U.S. trade policy through the exercise of its constitutional authorities. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the "Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Impos  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10002) on Feb. 16, 2024, by Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization established in 1995 following the ratification of the Uruguay Round Agreements, and today includes 164 members. It succeeded the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (G  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12301) on Feb. 14, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: Issues for Congress Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and Israel's military response in Gaza, the Ansar Allah/Houthi movement, an Iran-backed force in Yemen, has targeted (Figure 1) Israeli territory and commercial and naval vessels near t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11723) on Feb. 14, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Nicole T. Carter and Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Congress authorizes and funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to undertake civil works activities, including planning and construction of water resource   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12320) on Feb. 16, 2024, by public finance analysts Anthony A. Cilluffo and Brendan McDermott. Here are excerpts: * * * Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rates The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides standard mileage rates as optional methods for taxpayers to substantiate their transportation expenses. This Insight reviews how the standard mileage rates are set, who use  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12309) on Feb. 16, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Iraq: Attacks and U.S. Strikes Reopen Discussion of U.S. Military Presence Iran-backed armed groups attacked U.S. personnel in Iraq more than 60 times between the October 2023 onset of the Israel-Hamas war and February 4, 2024. In response, President Joe Biden has ordered U.S.  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11810) on Feb. 16, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Anna E. Normand and Nicole T. Carter. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works: Primer and Resources Congress plays a role in the nation's water resource development through authorization and appropriations of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects and activities. USACE is a Department of Def  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11965) on Feb. 14, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Nicole T. Carter and Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022) Recent Congresses have biennially considered omnibus legislation authorizing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) civil works activities, typically called Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs). Eligibility   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11115) on Feb. 13, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and legislative attorney Dorothy C. Kafka: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (February 5-February 11, 2024) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the p  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R43947) on Nov. 28, 2023, entitled "House of Representatives Staff Levels, 1977-2023" by American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY House of Representatives Staff Levels, 1977-2023 This report provides staffing levels in House Member, committee, leadership, and other offices since 1977. Between 1977 and 2023, the number of House staff grew from   more