WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12499) on April 16, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Carol Hardy Vincent. Here are excerpts: * * * Bureau of Land Management: FY2024 Appropriations The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 245 million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse purposes, including   more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12638) on April 19, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Caitlin Keating-Bitonti. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2025 Appropriations Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has a mission to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Congress fun  more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11563) on April 19, 2024, by research librarian Laura L. Monagle: * * * Planning and Paying for College: Federal Government Resources This Insight describes federal online resources intended to help students and parents plan and acquire funds for postsecondary education. These include federal resources that provide general information on scholarships, grants, fellowships, and internships  more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12349) on April 17, 2024, by Elizabeth M. Webster, emergency management and disaster recovery specialist: * * * Shelter and Services Program (SSP) FY2024 Funding On April 12, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the availability of FY2024 Shelter and Services Program (SSP) grant funding. The SSP funds nonfederal entities providing food, shelter, transportation,   more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11147) on April 15, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (April 8-April 14, 2024) The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to  more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, issued the following news release: Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, voted to provide critical aid to U.S. allies and partners in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. Following the vote, he released this statement: "Around the world, we are seeing a struggle between democracy and autocracy that threatens America and our interests. As supporters of f  more

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-California, issued the following news release: LOS ANGELES, CA - Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) hosted her second annual environmental justice funding convening and grants workshop to spread awareness about federal assistance available to small businesses, organizations, and municipalities for environmental justice initiatives through President Biden and Congressional Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act.  "When President Biden si  more

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) praised the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their latest efforts to protect Americans from "forever chemical" contamination. EPA's final rule will designate two widely used per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), as hazardous substanc  more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), released the following statement after voting to pass the emergency funding packages to provide critical foreign security and humanitarian assistance: "It is long past time that we provide Ukraine with the additional support needed in its fight against Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion and tyranny. For over two years now, the Ukrainian people have held strong i  more

WASHINGTON, April 20 -- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety issued the following written testimony by Denise Tugade, ex-member of the California Youth Apprenticeship Council, involving a hearing on March 12, 2024, entitled "Youth Apprenticeships: Building Partnerships, Strengthening Career Pathways": * * * Youth Apprenticeship: A Worker Advocate Perspective The union apprenticeship model has long been an established successful path  more

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight issued the following testimony by Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, involving a hearing on March 20, 2024, entitled "Strengthening International Cooperation to Stop the Flow of Fentanyl Into the United States": * * * (Continues with Part 2 of 2) Demonstrating resolve and priority-targeting focus on criminal groups is important. A  more