WASHINGTON, March 8 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12327) on March 7, 2024, by economic policy analyst D. Andrew Austin. Here are excerpts: * * * Slower Population Growth, Economic Growth and U.S. Fiscal Prospects In November 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau released its first post-pandemic U.S. population projections. Newly projected population growth is slower than in earlier projections (Figure 1). Although the COVID19 pandemic had a noti  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12420) on March 5, 2024, by labor policy specialist Sarah A. Donovan and legislative attorney Jon O. Shimabukuro: * * * The Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Benefit This In Focus provides an overview of the federal employee paid parental leave benefit created by the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA), Title LXXVI, Subtitle A of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Y  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10247) on March 5, 2024, by Asian affairs specialist Ben Dolven. Here are excerpts: * * * Indonesia Overview With over 279 million citizens, Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, and the world's third-largest democracy (after India and the United States). It has the world's 16th-largest economy - the 7th-largest when  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11054) on Feb. 28, 2024, by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker. Here are excerpts: * * * Measuring Job Openings in the U.S. Labor Market Introduction The number of job openings is an economic indicator that can provide information about the potential strength or weakness of the labor market. It is often used in comparison to another commonly cited labor market indicator: t  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10530) on March 4, 2024, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Military Health System The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a statutory health entitlement (under Title 10, Chapter 55, of the U.S. Code) through the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS offers health care benefits and services through its TRICARE program   more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12605) on March 5, 2024, by health policy analyst Hassan Z. Sheikh and legislative attorney Hannah-Alise Rogers. Here are excerpts: * * * The Orphan Drug Act: Legal Overview and Policy Considerations Just under half of all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approvals between 2017 and 2021 were for orphan drugs, which are drugs used to treat rare diseases or conditions. Historically  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10430) on March 6, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Leticia Chacon. Here are excerpts: * * * Panama: An Overview Panama's central location in the Americas (linking North and South America), large financial sector, use of the U.S. dollar as currency, and transportation infrastructure - especially the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans - make the country a global  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11803) on March 5, 2024, by Michael D. Sutherland, international trade and finance analyst and Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Capital Markets and China: Issues for Congress Financial ties between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC or China) had been expanding since 2012. They have contracted since 2020 in the con  more

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10430) on March 5, 2024. The white paper was written by Luke A. Nicastro, defense infrastructure policy analyst, Caitlin Campbell, Asian affairs analyst, and Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) Overview U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM or INDOPACOM) is one of six Department of   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12390) on March 4, 2024, by Liana W. Rosen and Rebecca M. Nelson, international crime and narcotics specialists: * * * U.S. Sanctions: Overview for the 118th Congress U.S. Sanctions and Authorities U.S. sanctions in furtherance of foreign policy or national security objectives are coercive economic or diplomatic measures taken against a target to bring about a change in behavior. In U.S  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10997) on March 5, 2024, by M. Angeles Villarreal, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement Overview The 118th Congress, in both legislative and oversight capacities, may be active in numerous trade policy issues related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force on July 1, 2020 (  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12325) on March 4, 2024, by firearms policy analyst Jordan B. Cohen: * * * The Undetectable Firearms Act: Issues for Congress In the 1980s, the production of guns made with polymer (industrial plastic) stoked concerns that firearms were becoming undetectable by metal detectors in places like airports and federal buildings. In response, Congress passed, and President Ronald W. Reagan signe  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12326) on March 4, 2024, by international trade and finance analyst Liana Wong and Asian Affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin: * * * Vietnam's Nonmarket Economy (NME) Status Shortly after extending normal trade relations (NTR) status to Vietnam in 2001, the United States designated Vietnam as a "nonmarket economy" (NME) for the purposes of antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases.   more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. IF12602) on March 1, 2024, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie and energy policy analyst Martin C. Offutt. Here are excerpts: * * * The Clean Hydrogen Production Credit: How the Incentives are Structured The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; P.L. 117-169) enacted a new tax credit for the production of "clean" hydrogen. Widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel may reduce econ  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10283) on Feb. 29, 2024, by agricultural policy specialists Jim Monke and Renee Johnson. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: What Is the Farm Bill? The farm bill is an omnibus, multiyear law that governs an array of agricultural and food programs. It provides an opportunity for policymakers to comprehensively and periodically address agricultural and food issues. In additio  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11120) on March 4, 2024, by assistant director Sanchitha Jayaram: * * * Foreign Ownership of U.S. Real Property: Developments in Shen v. Simpson As described in this CRS Legal Sidebar, lawmakers have considered and promoted various legislative options to restrict ownership of land by certain foreign entities. One such law, Florida's SB 264, establishes certain land ownership restri  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. IF10713) on Feb. 29, 2024, by education policy specialist Rebecca R. Skinner and research assistant Isobel Sorenson: * * * Overview of Public and Private School Choice Options School choice generally refers to the opportunity for parents to select an elementary or secondary school for their child that differs from the assigned school that the child would otherwise attend based on whe  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11121) on March 4, 2024, by legislative attorney Todd Garvey: * * * Presidential Immunity, Criminal Liability, and the Impeachment Judgment Clause The President of the United States "occupies a unique position" in the American constitutional system as the head of the executive branch of government "entrusted with supervisory and policy responsibilities of utmost discretion and sens  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11123) on March 5, 2024. The white paper was written by legislative attorney Jason O. Heflin, deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and coordinator of research planning Erin H. Ward: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (February 26 - March 3, 2024) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involvin  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10283) on Feb. 29, 2024, by legislative attorneys Rosemary W. Gardey and Hillel R. Smith: * * * Can the President "Close the Border"? Relevant Laws and Considerations The ongoing debate between some Members of Congress and the President over how to respond to the record number of alien encounters at the southern border has recently intensified. One disagreement centers on the scope  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11119) on Feb. 28, 2024, by legislative attorney Jay B. Sykes: * * * SEC's First "Shadow Trading" Case Slated for Trial Corporate insiders commit securities fraud when they trade their firms' shares on the basis of material nonpublic information (MNPI). A pending Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement action raises a related but novel issue: is it unlawful for corpora  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11122) on March 4, 2024, by legislative attorney Bryan L. Adkins: * * * Smith v. Spizzirri: Supreme Court to Consider Whether Federal Courts May Dismiss a Lawsuit Subject to Arbitration In Smith v. Spizzirri, the Supreme Court will consider whether Section 3 of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) permits federal trial courts to dismiss a lawsuit, rather than stay the case, when all o  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. IF12481) on March 1, 2024, by Asian affairs analyst Caitlin Campbell. Here are excerpts: * * * Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues U.S. policy toward Taiwan (which officially calls itself the Republic of China or ROC, Taiwan) has long prioritized the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The United States supports Taiwan's efforts to deter the People's Republic  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. IF12603) on March 1, 2024, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie: * * * The Tax Credit Exception for Leased Electric Vehicles The Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) created or modified three tax credits for purchases of electric vehicles (EVs): the clean vehicle credit (CVC), the used clean vehicle credit (UCVC), and the credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles (CQCC  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47058) on Dec. 18, 2023, entitled "Access to Government Information: An Overview" by government organization and management analyst Meghan M. Stuessy. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress has long recognized the people's right to know about the operations and actions of the federal government. A series of modern statutes provides a framework for ways the public may access government info  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47058) on Dec. 18, 2023, entitled "Access to Government Information - An Overview:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * The Privacy Act The Privacy Act of 1974 concerns the use and disclosure of government information collected on individuals./35 While the other three statutes discussed in this report focus on the broad release of government information to the public, the Privacy Act instead   more

WASHINGTON, March 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47881) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Long-Term Services and Supports: History of Federal Policy and Programs" by health and aging policy specialist Kirsten J. Colello. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary Long-term services and supports (LTSS) refer to a broad range of health and health-related services and supports needed by individuals who lack the capacity for self-care due to a physical, cognit  more

WASHINGTON, March 8 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47881) on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "Long-Term Services and Supports: History of Federal Policy and Programs:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Medicaid and LTSS Eligibility Medicaid is intended to provide a safety net for those who cannot afford to pay the high cost of health care. Medicaid eligibility for adults aged 65 and over (i.e., aged) and individuals who are blind or disabled is of   more

WASHINGTON, March 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 98-35) on Feb. 28, 2024, entitled "Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision" by Social Policy analyst Zhe Li. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary Social Security is a work-based, federal insurance program that provides cash benefits to workers and their eligible family members in the event of the worker's retirement, disability, or death. A worker's employment or self-employment is con  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47850) on Dec. 1, 2023, entitled "The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee: A Primer" by government organization and management analyst Ben Wilhelm. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The organization now known as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has organized U.S. participation in the Olympic Games since the early 20th century and serves a leading role representing t  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47850) on Dec. 1, 2023, entitled "The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee - A Primer:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Supporting Athletes Athletes' Advisory Council The Athletes' Advisory Council (AAC, also known more recently as the Team USA Athletes' Commission)/61 is a representative body for active athletes within USOPC whose mission is to "ensure communication" between those athl  more