WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R45125) on Feb. 25, 2025, by senior knowledge management librarian Elizabeth C. Larson: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 History ... 1 Legislation ... 1 Related CRS Products ... 2 Selected Speeches and Recognitions ... 2 Selected Presidential Proclamations ... 2 Government Resources ... 3 Contacts Author Information ... 3 * * * Introduction Women's History Month commemor more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10149) on Feb. 28, 2025, by Liana Wong, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Overview What is AGOA? AGOA (P.L. 106-200, as amended) created a nonreciprocal U.S. trade preference program, also referred to as AGOA, to provide duty-free access to the U.S. market for most exports from eligible countries in sub- more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12749) on Feb. 26, 2025, by natural resources policy specialist Carol Hardy Vincent. Here are excerpts: * * * Bureau of Land Management: FY2025 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, inc more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12827) on Feb. 26, 2025, by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker. Here are excerpts: * * * Current Employment Survey Benchmark Revisions On February 7, 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released annual "benchmark" revisions to official estimates of national-level nonfarm employment from April 2023 through October 2024. These revisions downwardly adjusted nat more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10484) on Feb. 24, 2025, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke: * * * Defense Primer: Department of the Navy One Military Department with Two Military Services The Department of the Navy (DON) is a single military department that includes two military services--the Navy and the Marine Corps. As such, DON has a single civilian leader, the Secretary of the Navy, and two fou more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12928) on Feb. 26, 2025, by income security analyst Elizabeth A. Myers. Here are excerpts: * * * Distribution of Retirement Account Balances: Analysis of the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances Introduction Households rely on a variety of income sources in retirement, such as payments from Social Security and defined benefit (DB) pensions, assets in defined contribution (DC) pla more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11744) on Feb. 28, 2025, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Authorization During the 118th Congress, the Economic Development Reauthorization Act (EDRA, P.L. 118-272) reauthorized seven federal regional commissions and authorities (FRCAs) and established two new FRCAs--the Mid-Atlantic more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11396) on Feb. 28, 2025, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn: * * * Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Operations The federal regional commissions and authorities are ten congressionally-chartered, federal-state partnerships that were developed to address economic distress in targeted geographic regions. With congressional authorization, new regio more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11253) on Feb. 27, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to U.S. Economy: Fiscal Policy What Is Fiscal Policy? Fiscal policy is the means by which the government adjusts its budget balance through spending and revenue changes to influence broader economic conditions. According to mainstream economics, the government can  more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12921) on Feb. 24, 2025, by senior research librarian Maria Kreiser and American federalism and emergency management policy analyst Natalie Paris: * * * Letters of Support for Grant Seekers: Considerations for a Congressional Office Congressional Member offices are often approached by constituents who are applying for federal grants and would like the Member to write a letter of more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10821) on Feb. 28, 2025, by energy policy specialist Mark Holt. Here are excerpts: * * * Price-Anderson Act: Nuclear Power Industry Liability Limits and Compensation to the Public After Radioactive Releases Since the establishment of the nuclear power industry in the 1950s, the issue of how to handle nuclear accident liability has been debated often in Congress. From the begin more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10501) on Feb. 27, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to U.S. Economy: Personal Income What Is Income? Income is a measure of resources accruing to an individual over a period of time. In general, individuals receive income from their labor, assets, and government transfers. In its broadest terms, income is a measure  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10963) on Feb. 27, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to U.S. Economy: Personal Saving Personal saving, which includes the saving of households but not of businesses or government, can have a significant impact at both the individual and economy-wide levels in the long and short terms. The personal saving rate was disr more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11665) on Feb. 18, 2025, Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence. Here are excerpts: * * * President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan Introduction Under the U.S. "one-China" policy, the U.S. government has, since 1979, maintained official relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) and unofficial relations with self-governed Taiwan, over which the PRC cla more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12923) on Feb. 24, 2025, by agricultural policy analyst Christine Whitt. Here are excerpts: * * * Pricing Amendments to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders The Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system was authorized in the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (50 Stat. 246). FMMOs are geographically defined fluid-milk demand areas. Under FMMO law and regulations, the U more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10557) on Feb. 24, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to U.S. Economy: Productivity What Is Productivity? Productivity is broadly defined as the ratio of output to inputs. With respect to the economy, productivity measures how efficiently goods and services can be produced by comparing the amount of economic output wi more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12930) on Feb. 27, 2025, by economic policy senior specialist Jane G. Gravelle: * * * Selected Issues in Tax Reform: Dynamic Scoring Dynamic scoring includes, in projections of revenue effects, indirect changes in tax collections due to the overall growth effects on the economy. If the economy becomes larger due to the tax cut, tax revenues are larger because of the larger base, more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12920) on Feb. 24, 2025, by financial economics analyst Karl E. Schneider and macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock: * * * Short-Term Rental Markets: A Primer Short-term rentals (STR) do not have an official definition but are generally furnished homes or rooms rented for fewer than 30 days, often for tourism or short-term business travel. STRs have a long history, trad more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10506) on Feb. 28, 2025, by income security specialist William R. Morton and social policy analyst Emma K. Tatem. Here are excerpts: * * * Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Overview Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is part of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, commonly known as Social Security. OASDI is a federal social insur more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12922) on Feb. 24, 2025, by environmental policy analyst Angela C. Jones: * * * Trump Administration Environmental-Justice-Related Executive Orders: Potential Implications for EPA Programs In January 2025, President Trump issued executive orders (E.O.s) that revoked prior E.O.s, including E.O.s related to environmental justice. Another Trump Administration E.O. directed federal more PR

WASHINGTON, March 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11991) on Feb. 27, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW): Dark Eagle What Is the Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon? The Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known as Dark Eagle (Figure 1), with a reported range of 1,725 miles, consists of a ground-launched missile e more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10443) on Feb. 24, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction to U.S. Economy: Unemployment This In Focus provides an introduction to the official unemployment rate and alternative measures of unemployment, briefly examines the reasons for unemployment, and places the unemployment rate in a broader economic context. How Is th more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12932) on Feb. 28, 2025, by natural resources policy specialist Anne A. Riddle: * * * Wildfire and the Budget in the 119th Congress The increasing extent of - and damage caused by - wildfire in the United States over the last 20 years has led to questions about the federal government's role in funding wildfire preparedness, suppression, and recovery. Federal Funding Structure f more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12513) on Feb. 24, 2025, by financial economics specialists Karl E. Schneider and Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * CFPB Finalizes Overdraft Rule, Related Legislation Overdraft refers to when the money in a consumer account cannot cover a given transaction, but a financial institution pays the transaction. While some financial institutions do not offer overdraft coverage more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12512) on Feb. 24, 2025, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy specialist: * * * DOD Policy Changes: Reproductive Health Benefits The Department of Defense (DOD) offers certain reproductive health services through the Military Health System and its TRICARE program to approximately 9.5 million beneficiaries comprised of servicemembers, military retirees, and their depe more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11269) on Feb. 18, 2025, legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea: * * * The Alien Enemy Act: History and Potential Use to Remove Members of International Criminal Cartels On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order (E.O.) to declare a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to address the threat to U.S. natio more PR

WASHINGTON, March 1 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11274) on Feb. 27, 2025, by legislative attorneys Peter G. Berris and Clay Wild: * * * Geofence Warrants: A Circuit Split on Application of the Fourth Amendment Introduction From thermal imaging and wiretaps to GPS tracking and various forms of electronic eavesdropping, the emergence of new technologies and their investigative use have sometimes created legal tension with more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11270) on Feb. 19, 2025, legislative attorney Wen W. Shen. Here are excerpts: * * * National Opioid Litigation: Settlement Agreements as of January 2025 According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over a million Americans have died of opioid-involved overdoses since 1999, with deaths rising by 67% between 2017 and 2023. This increase in opioid-i more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11209) on Feb. 24, 2025, by financial economics specialists Karl E. Schneider and Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * Terminal Disclaimers of Patent Rights: Background and Issues for Congress Terminal disclaimers are a legal mechanism that allows a patent holder or applicant to relinquish part of a patent's term, so that the patent expires earlier than it would with more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48005) on February 21, 2025, entitled "Critical Mineral Resources: The U.S. Geological Survey Role in Research and Analysis" by Linda R. Rowan, natural resources and earth sciences analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a lead federal science agency responsible for mineral resources research and analysis, where resource refers to a naturally occurring c more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48005) on February 21, 2025, entitled "Critical Mineral Resources - The U.S. Geological Survey Role in Research and Analysis:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program According to the USGS, NCGMP researches, produces, and maintains geologic maps and three-dimensional geologic framework models of areas in the United States to support the responsible us more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21048) on Feb. 24, 2025, entitled "U.S. Special Operations Forces - Background and Considerations for Congress" by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Summary Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations. In 1986, Congress, concerned about the status of SOF within overall U.S. defense planning, passed legislation (P.L. 99-661) to str more PR