WASHINGTON, June 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. 98-684) on Latin America and the Caribbean - leaders and elections on June 29, 2023, by Senior Research Librarian Carla Y. Davis-Castro. Here are excerpts: * * * Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections This report provides the results of recent presidential elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables, organized by region, that include the date o more PR

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10024) on 2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review on June 22, 2023, by Shawn Reese, emergency management and homeland security policy analyst: * * * 2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: Evolution of a Strategic Review Overview In April 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its third Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR). DHS states that the QHSR is a "comp more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11820) on the 3.8% net investment income tax on June 30, 2023, by economics specialist Mark P. Keightley. Here are excerpts: * * * The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax: Overview, Data, and Policy Options Since 2013, certain higher-income individuals have been subject to a 3.8% "unearned income Medicare contribution" tax, more commonly referred to as the net investment income tax (NIIT). Th more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12094) on the Army's XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle on June 27, 2023, by Military Ground Forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (Formerly Known as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle [OMFV]) Background The Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) is being designed to replace the M-2 Bradley In more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12437) on the Bureau of Reclamation funding in the Inflation Reduction Act on June 27, 2023, by natural resources policy specialists Charles V. Stern and Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * Bureau of Reclamation Funding in the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) In August 2022, Congress enacted P.L. 117-169, popularly known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Among its fundin more PR

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11760) on China's engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean on June 23, 2023, by Latin American affairs analyst Karla I. Rios and Asian affairs analyst Ricardo Barrios. Here are excerpts: * * * China's Engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean Relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have gro more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12439) on energy tax credits and the global minimum tax on June 30, 2023, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle and Public Finance specialist Donald J. Marples. Here are excerpts: * * * Energy Tax Credits and the Global Minimum Tax The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) (often referred to simply as the tax code) contains a number of credits to encourage certain investments. Thes more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12173) on firearms and ammunition excise tax on June 26, 2023, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle. Here are excerpts: * * * Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax (FAET) The federal government first imposed excise taxes on firearms and ammunition over 100 years ago. Today, Section 4181 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax at 10% of the manufacturer's price f more PR

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10211) on foreign leaders addressing Congress on June 26, 2023, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Foreign Leaders Addressing Congress Foreign leaders are periodically invited to address Congress. The first address by a foreign dignitary occurred on December 10, 1824, when Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette addressed the House. The most recent  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10555) on introduction to veterans health care on June 28, 2023, by veterans policy specialist Sidath Viranga Panangala and health policy analyst Jared S. Sussman. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to Veterans Health Care The federal government's role in providing health care to the nation's veterans can be traced back to World War I. The veterans' health care system was first devel more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12440) on Internal Revenue Service appropriations, fiscal 2024 on June 30, 2023, by public finance analyst Gary Guenther. Here are excerpts: * * * Internal Revenue Service Appropriations, FY2024 Overview of the IRS Budget The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has two primary responsibilities: (1) collecting most of the revenue to fund federal government agencies and programs, and (2) enfor more PR

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12438) on major arms transfers and military exercises on June 29, 2023, by South Asian affairs specialist K. Alan Kronstadt: * * * India-U.S.: Major Arms Transfers and Military Exercises Since 2008, defense trade has emerged as a central facet of the U.S.-India security partnership, and bilateral military exercises across all services are now routine. The U.S. Congress designated India  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12112) on National Park Service - fiscal 2023 appropriations on June 26, 2023, by Natural Resources Policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * National Park Service: FY2023 Appropriations The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Park System, which includes 424 units valued for their natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands cover 81 mil more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12436) on the National Park Service - fiscal 2024 appropriations on June 26, 2023, by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Park System, which includes 424 units valued for their natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands cover 81 more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11402) on status of efforts to restore Chesapeake Bay water quality on June 30, 2023, by environmental policy specialist Laura Gatz: Here are excerpts: * * * Status of Efforts to Restore Chesapeake Bay Water Quality For decades, Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia), multiple federal and local age more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12439) on strict scrutiny of racial classifications on June 30, 2023, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle and public finance specialist Donald J. Marples. Here are excerpts: * * * Equal Protection: Strict Scrutiny of Racial Classifications Under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, "[n]o State shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the more PR

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12136) on student loans - a timeline of actions taken in light of the COVID-19 pandemic on June 23, 2023, by social policy analyst Alexandra Hegji: * * * Student Loans: A Timeline of Actions Taken in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic Since the onset of the COVID-19 national emergency, lawmakers and the Department of Education (ED) have provided various types of relief for federal student lo more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12416) on temporary commemorations on federal land in the District of Columbia on June 27, 2023, 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,  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10914) on Trinidad and Tobago on June 29, 2023, by Latin American affairs specialist Karla I. Rios. Here are excerpts: * * * Trinidad and Tobago Political and Economic Environment Trinidad and Tobago, the second-most-populous English-speaking Caribbean country after Jamaica, is located in the southeast Caribbean, just seven miles from Venezuela at its closest point. The country's popul more PR

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10914) on the U.S. Army's Strategic Mid-Range Fires system on June 29, 2023, by military ground Forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System (Formerly Mid-Range Capabilities [MRC] System) What Is the Army's Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System? Reported improvements to Russian and Chinese artillery systems presen more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10325) on Uganda on June 28, 2023, by African affairs specialist Lauren Ploch Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Uganda Uganda is a major recipient of U.S. foreign aid. It has also been a top beneficiary of U.S. security assistance in Africa since the mid-2000s. U.S. officials have characterized the country as an important security partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda has played a lea more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12184) on accommodation and contempt of Congress on June 26, 2023, by Ben Wilhelm, government organization and management analyst: * * * Accommodation and Contempt of Congress: Two Oversight Case Studies During the first months of the 118th Congress, two House committees have conducted widely followed investigations that provide instructive case studies of how committees can negotiate and more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12168) on discretionary spending caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 on June 28, 2023, by public finance specialist Grant A. Driessen and Congress and legislative process specialist Megan S. Lynch. Here are excerpts: * * * Discretionary Spending Caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA, P.L. 118-5), enacted in June 2023, includes provisio more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11638) on increasing numbers of unaccompanied children at the Southwest Border on June 28, 2023, by immigration policy specialist William A. Kandel. Here are excerpts: * * * Increasing Numbers of Unaccompanied Children at the Southwest Border Since early 2021, annual encounters involving unaccompanied alien children (UC, unaccompanied children) at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Department more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12032) on the Mountain Valley Pipeline on June 26, 2023, by energy policy specialist Paul W. Parfomak and legislative attorney Adam Vann. Here are excerpts: * * * Mountain Valley Pipeline: Congressional Authorization The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a 303-mile natural gas transmission pipeline, currently under construction, which would link natural gas fields in West Virginia to the more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12185) on the South Africa-Russia ties on June 27, 2023, by African affairs specialist Nicolas Cook: * * * South Africa-Russia Ties: A U.S. Response? Since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine in 2022, indications of South Africa's support for Russia and, by implication, Russia's war aims, have increasingly roiled U.S.-South African relations. Prior to the war's outbreak, South Africa-Rus more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12186) on the Wagner Group mutiny in Russia on June 28, 2023, by Andrew S. Bowen, Russian and European affairs analyst: * * * Wagner Group Mutiny in Russia On Friday, June 23, 2023, Russia's Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launched the most serious threat yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rule. The mutiny followed worsening tensions between Prigozhin and the Ministry more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10985) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 1, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 1: Introduction This Legal Sidebar post is the first in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibit more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10986) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 2, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 2: The Colonial Era This Legal Sidebar post is the second in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendment pro more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10987) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 3, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 3: Temperance Movements This Legal Sidebar post is the third in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendment  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10988) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 4, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 4: Early Prohibition Laws This Legal Sidebar post is the fourth in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendme more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10989) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 5, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 5: Proposal and Ratification This Legal Sidebar post is the fifth in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amend more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10990) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 6, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 6: Supreme Court Cases This Legal Sidebar post is the sixth in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendment  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10990) on the Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, part 7, on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Brandon J. Murrill: * * * The Eighteenth Amendment and National Prohibition, Part 7: Repeal This Legal Sidebar post is the last in a seven-part series that discusses the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Prior to its repeal, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10984) on the recent appellate decisions of interest to lawmakers, June 19 - June 25, 2023, part 1, on June 26, 2023, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (June 19-June 25, 2023), Part 1 The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disput more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10992) on the recent appellate decisions of interest to lawmakers, June 19 - June 25, 2023, part 2, on June 26, 2023. The white paper was written by legislative attorneys Jimmy Balser, Alexander H. Pepper, Michael D. Contino and Matthew D. Trout: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (June 19-June 25, 2023), Part 2 The federal court more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10993) on regulating gender in school sports on June 26, 2023, by legislative attorney Madeline W. Donley: * * * Regulating Gender in School Sports: An Overview of Legal Challenges to State Laws Public debate over the participation of transgender women in women's sports has proliferated in recent years, raising questions of fairness in contexts ranging from the Olympics to elementa more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10893) entitled" Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina" on June 30, 2023, by legislative attorney April J. Anderson: * * * The Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision upending precedent permitting limited use of race more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45219) on June 30, 2023, entitled "Forest Service Assistance Programs" by natural resources policy analyst Anne A. Riddle. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary Congress has established several forestry assistance programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the management of state and private forests. These programs are under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Agriculture Comm more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45219) on June 30, 2023, entitled "Forest Service Assistance Programs:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Forest Service Assistance Programs The following section provides basic information on each of the FS assistance programs authorized prior to the 117th Congress, including * brief program description; * program activities; * eligibility requirements; * the FS appropriations account budget lin more PR

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45219) on June 30, 2023, entitled "Forest Service Assistance Programs:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * FS Assistance in the 117th Congress: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act The 117th Congress' passage of IIJA and IRA significantly expanded the scope and scale of the FS assistance portfolio. These laws authorized new FS assistance programs covering both new and  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 28 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R42812) on June 23, 2023, entitled "National Statuary Hall Collection: Background and Legislative Options" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus and American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The National Statuary Hall Collection, located in the U.S. Capitol, comprises 100 statues provided by individual states to honor persons notable for their historic  more PR