WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11329) on April 30, 2024, by natural resources policy analyst Mark K. DeSantis. Here are excerpts: * * * American Battlefield Protection Program The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP; 54 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.308101-308105) is a grant program administered by the National Park Service (NPS) aimed at promoting the preservation of sites where "historic battles were fought on American so  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12006) on April 29, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay: * * * Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence Introduction Intelligence Community (IC) programs include the resources (i.e., money and manpower) to accomplish intelligence-related goals and responsibilities as defined by the United States Code (U.S.C.) and Executive Order 12333. IC   more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11331) on April 29, 2024, by environmental policy specialists Richard K. Lattanzio and Angela C. Jones. Here are excerpts: * * * The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program Emissions from diesel engines - especially particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides, and air toxics - have been shown to contribute to air pollution that adversely impacts public health a  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12347) on April 30, 2024, by Danielle M. Trachtenberg, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Digital Trade and Data Policy: Key Issues Facing Congress Digital trade includes trade in all goods and services for which orders are placed digitally. E-commerce generally refers to digitally ordered goods. Services that are digitally ordered may also be delivered dig  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11243) on May 1, 2024, by defense budget analyst Brendan W. McGarry. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: DOD Transfer and Reprogramming Authorities In provisions of the United States Code (U.S.C.) and annual authorization and appropriations acts, Congress provides the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) limited authorities to obligate funds for purposes other than originally approved, o  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12647) on April 29, 2024, by public finance analyst Gary Guenther. Here are excerpts: * * * Internal Revenue Service Appropriations, FY2025 Overview of the IRS Budget The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is responsible for (1) collecting most of the revenue to fund federal government agencies and programs, and (2) enforcing taxpayer compliance with federal tax laws through activities li  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12644) on May 1, 2024, legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Patent Listing in FDA's Orange Book For over 40 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has maintained a resource formally titled Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. This frequently updated publication - now available as a searchable online database - is more commonly called the "Ora  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12523) on May 1, 2024, by natural resources policy analyst Mark K. DeSantis and senior research librarian Nik Taylor: * * * Repatriation of Native American Remains and Cultural Items: Requirements for Agencies and Institutions Some federal agencies, museums, and other institutions have, over time, acquired human remains and cultural items related to the Indigenous peoples who originally in  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12649) on April 30, 2024, by macroeconomic policy specialists Lida R. Weinstock and Marc Labonte. Here are excerpts: * * * Risks to the 2024 Economic Outlook The economy in 2023 was characterized by high but falling inflation, a tight labor market, and moderate to high growth. Many economists predicted that monetary policy tightening by the Federal Reserve (Fed) would result in a recessio  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12646) on April 29, 2024, by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence. Here are excerpts: * * * Taiwan's Position in the World Introduction Taiwan, the self-governing Asian democracy that also calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), has struggled to maintain "international space" for itself in the world. The People's Republic of China (PRC), with its capital in Beijing, has never   more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12301) on May 1, 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 the B  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11510) on May 1, 2024, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Lying in State or Honor in the U.S. Capitol by Non-Members of Congress On April 29, 2024, Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, lay in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. In a press release, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12352) on April 30, 2024, by government organization and management analyst Natalie R. Ortiz and American national government specialist Garrett Hatch: * * * Establishing Data Standards and Measuring Building Use: Select Provisions of the Telework Transparency Act of 2024 (S. 4043) On March 21, 2024, Senator Gary Peters introduced the Telework Transparency Act of 2024 (S. 4043). Th  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12351) on April 29, 2024, by transportation and industry analyst Rachel Y. Tang: * * * Senate Committee-Passed FAA Bill Revived Debate over Reagan National Airport Slot and Perimeter Rules On February 29, 2024, seven months after the House of Representatives passed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization legislation H.R. 3935, the Senate version of the bill (S. 1939) was re  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12353) on May 1, 2024, by Congress and legislative process specialists James V. Saturno and Megan S. Lynch: * * * Discretionary Spending: Setting a Topline Amount for FY2025 Appropriations May 1, 2024 Each year, Congress produces appropriations legislation that provides discretionary funding for a broad range of government activities. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have jur  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12304) on May 1, 2024, by American national government analyst Taylor R. Knoedl: * * * Revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversees the collection of race and ethnicity data through Statistical Policy Directive (SPD) No. 15: Standards for Maintaini  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12354) on May 1, 2024, by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke and foreign affairs analyst Leticia Chacon. Here are excerpts: * * * Venezuela's 2024 Presidential Election On July 28, 2024, Venezuela is scheduled to hold a presidential election, which could be a step toward restoring the country's democracy after a decade of increasingly authoritarian rule. There is widesp  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11157) on April 29, 2024, by legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea and Karen Sokol: * * * Assessing Recent U.S. Airstrikes in the Middle East Under the War Powers Framework Airstrikes by U.S. forces in the Middle East have markedly increased since the outbreak of the current Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023. To date, the targets have been Iranian-supported militant groups  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11105) on May 1, 2024, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Legal Consequences of Rescheduling Marijuana On April 30, 2024, news outlets reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) planned to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The planned change followed an August 2023 recommendation from the Department of H  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11158) on April 29, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (April 22-April 28, 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 t  more