WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11916) on April 9, 2024, by financial economics specialist Rena S. Mille. Here are excerpts: * * * Credit Rating Agencies: Background and Regulatory Issues Credit rating agencies (CRAs) provide investors with evaluations of the creditworthiness of debt (i.e., how likely a debt is to be repaid in full) issued by a wide spectrum of entities, including corporations, sovereign nations, an more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11953) on April 8, 2024, by Michael D. Sutherland, international trade and finance analyst, and Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Evergrande Group and China's Debt Challenges Since 2021, some Members of Congress have raised concerns about the People's Republic of China (PRC or China)'s debt levels and the solvency of PRC property developers.  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12440) on April 8, 2024, by public finance analyst Gary Guenther. Here are excerpts: * * * Internal Revenue Service Appropriations, FY2024 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 like more PR

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12464) on April 10, 2024, by African affairs specialist Alexis Arieff. Here are excerpts: * * * Niger A military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, a former Presidential Guard commander, seized power in July 2023, part of a wave of coups in Africa. In March 2024, the junta rescinded Niger's status of forces agreement (SOFA) with the United States, which underpins one of the la more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12631) on April 9, 2024, by immigration policy analyst Jill H. Wilson. Here are excerpts: * * * Optional Practical Training (OPT) for Foreign Students in the United States Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment established through regulation for foreign students and recent graduates in the United States in F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant (i.e., temporary) status. In calendar more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12630) on April 8, 2024. The white paper is written by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle, public finance specialist Donald J. Marples and legislative attorney Benjamin M. Barczewski: * * * The Possible Elimination of Chevron Deference: Potential Implications for Tax Revenue and Administration The Supreme Court has heard oral argument in the cases Loper Bright Enterpris more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12629) on April 8, 2024, Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs, international trade and finance specialist, and Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist: * * * Proposals to Regulate U.S. Outbound Investment to China Introduction The U.S. government has generally supported an open investment environment at home and abroad to promote U.S. economic growth, sustain the U.S. position as a p more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12628) on April 8, 2024, by health policy specialist Amanda K. Sarata: * * * Regulation of Laboratory-Developed Tests: FDA's Proposed Rule The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) as a class of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device that is designed, manufactured, and used within a single clinical laboratory. LDTs are an important part of personalized m more PR

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10164) on April 10, 2024, by African affairs specialist Alexis Arieff. Here are excerpts: * * * Senegal The March 2024 election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, an opposition activist who has never held elected office, curtailed a constitutional crisis in Senegal while signaling potentially major shifts in economic policy and foreign relations. President Diomaye Faye, sworn in April more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10482) on April 10, 2024, by social policy analyst Emma K. Tatem and income security analyst William R. Morton. Here are excerpts: * * * Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Overview Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal assistance program that provides monthly cash payments to older adults and individuals with qualifying disabilities who have income and resources (i.e., asset more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10597) on April 9, 2024, by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield. Here are excerpts: * * * United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding of U.N. Peacekeeping The United States is the single largest financial contributor to United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping activities. Congress authorizes and appropriates U.S. contributions, and it has an ongoing interest in ensuring such fundin more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11916) on April 9, 2024, by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield. Here are excerpts: * * * United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the U.N. System The United States is the single largest financial contributor to the United Nations (U.N.) system. Congress has long debated the appropriate level of U.S. funding to U.N. system activities and whether U.S. contributions are u more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12346) on April 5, 2024, by Ben Wilhelm, government organization and management analyst: * * * The Government Spending Oversight Act and the Future of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee On March 21, 2024, Chairman Gary Peters and Senator Mitt Romney of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs introduced S. 4036, the Government Spending Oversight Act o more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12266) on April 8, 2024, by R. Corinne Blackford, small business and economic development policy analyst: * * * Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Minority Business Enterprises: Definitions and Differences in Terms Used by Government Programs Government contracting programs that promote small business contracting opportunities support certain types of more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11143) on April 8, 2024, by legislative attorney Dorothy C. Kafka and section research manager Christina L. Shifton: * * * Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. United States: Fifth Amendment Takings Claims for Alleged Disclosures of Trade Secrets and Confidential Information On January 18, 2024, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied, in part, the government's motion to dismiss a lawsui more PR

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11146) on April 9, 2024, by legislative attorney Valerie C. Brannon: * * * Lindke v. Freed and Government Officials' Use of Social Media The First Amendment's Free Speech Clause limits the government's ability to exclude constituents from public forums, both offline and online. In March 2024, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Lindke v. Freed opining on when a government officia more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11144) on April 8, 2024, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (April 1-April 7, 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 fe more PR

WASHINGTON, April 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11145) on April 4, 2024, by legislative attorney Dave S. Sidhu: * * * Supreme Court Clarifies Scope of Drug Offense Sentencing Relief Under the First Step Act In Pulsifer v. United States, the Supreme Court resolved a question that had divided federal courts of appeals: what is the scope of eligibility for certain federal drug defendants seeking a sentence below a mandatory minimum more PR