WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 95-1013) on April 11, 2025, entitled "Bahrain: Issues for U.S. Policy" by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Jeremy M. Sharp. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island nation connected by a causeway to Saudi Arabia (15.5 miles away) and once claimed by Iran (124 miles away). Though small geographically and wedged between these two larger regional powers, Bahrain has outsized  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46360) on April 10, 2025, entitled "The Credit Union System: Lending Activities and Selected Regulatory Developments" by financial economics specialist Darryl E. Getter: * * * SUMMARY Credit unions make loans to their members, other credit unions, and corporate credit unions that provide financial services to individual credit unions. Historically, credit unions have faced statutory restrictions on th more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46360) on April 10, 2025, entitled "The Credit Union System - Lending Activities and Selected Regulatory Developments:" (Continued from part 1 of 2) * * * Prudential Risk Management Developments Prudential safety and soundness regulation, which includes interest rate management and holding sufficient capital reserves, may reduce the financial institutions' insolvency (failure) risk and promote publi more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 97-615) on March 11, 2025, entitled "Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2025" by Congress specialist Ida A. Brudnick: * * * SUMMARY Article I, Section 6, of the U.S. Constitution requires that compensation for Members of Congress be "ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States." Congress has relied on three different methods in adjusting salaries for M more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 97-615) on March 11, 2025, entitled "Salaries of Members of Congress - Congressional Votes, 1990-2025:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * 2014 The maximum potential 2014 pay adjustment was 1.2%, or $2,100./28 Actions to Deny the Scheduled 2014 Member Pay Increase The adjustment takes effect automatically each year unless (1) denied statutorily by Congress or (2) limited by the GS base pay adjustme more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 97-615) on March 11, 2025, entitled "Salaries of Members of Congress - Congressional Votes, 1990-2025:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * 2003 Members received a pay adjustment of 3.1% in January 2003, increasing their salary to $154,700 from $150,000. Actions Related to the Scheduled Annual Adjustment for 2003 Members originally were scheduled to receive a 3.3% adjustment under the formula.72 By  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48504) entitled "U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: Process and Potential Effects" by environmental policy analyst Jonathan D. Haskett: * * * SUMMARY On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14162, in which Section 3(a) provided direction to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) regarding withdrawing the United States for a second time from the "Paris Agreemen more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48504) entitled "U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement - Process and Potential Effects:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Selected PA Provisions The PA sets goals for addressing climate change and establishes international mechanisms for furthering these goals; these include the establishment of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the PA (CMA), among other pro more PR

WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11642) on April 10, 2025, by American national government specialist R. Sam Garrett: * * * Absentee Voting for Uniformed Services and Overseas Citizens: Roles and Process, In Brief Members of the military, their families, and overseas U.S. citizens face unique voting challenges. These can include delays in receiving or transmitting balloting materials; uncertainty about voter eligibilit more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11797) on April 14, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) The Significance of the Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) Congress has expressed concern about the threat to U.S. national security posed by Russia and China. The Army believes to address this threat, it must be able to operate in a multi-dom more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12967) on April 15, 2025, by foreign affairs analyst Kosi Ogbuli. Here are excerpts: * * * Cameroon Cameroon is a diverse, resource-rich, majority Francophone country bordering the Gulf of Guinea. Its strategic location and ports (Douala, Kribi) make it an economic conduit for Central Africa, connecting landlocked nations like Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to Atlantic tra more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10262) on March 11, 2025, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Commemorative Coins: An Overview Commemorative coins are produced by the U.S. Mint pursuant to an act of Congress. These coins celebrate and honor American people, places, events, and institutions. Although they are considered legal tender, they are not minted for general circulation. Instead, th more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12968) on April 16, 2025. The white paper is written by science and technology policy analyst Laurie Harris, telecommunications policy analyst Ling Zhu and industrial organization and business policy specialist Clare Y. Cho: * * * Competition and Antitrust Concerns Related to Generative AI Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies used to generate synthetic content, such as text, imag more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on April 11, 2025, entitled "Business Tax Credits for Wind and Solar Power." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance The federal government provides tax credits for investments in energy sources that generate electricity without emitting carbon dioxide in the process. Two tax credits, the investment tax credit (ITC) and the production tax credit (PTC), directly support investment in wind and solar elect more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on April 11, 2025, entitled "Business Tax Credits for Wind and Solar Power:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * How CBO Models the Tax Credits' Effects on Investment CBO uses two models to analyze the effects of energy-related tax credits on investment in the electric power sector and the federal budget: * CBO's capital tax model, or CapTax, is designed to estimate the effects of federal taxes on ca more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10519) on April 11, 2025, by defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces The United States is in the process of modernizing its strategic nuclear forces. This modernization effort includes numerous Department of Defense (DOD) major defense acquisition programs, some of which are annually assessed by the Government Accountabilit more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11277) on March 11, 2025, by legislative attorneys Jimmy Balser and Jon O. Shimabukuro: * * * Deferred Resignation or "Fork in the Road": Selected Relevant Legal Challenges and Considerations for Congress On January 28, 2025, federal employees received an email communicating an option to resign from their positions effective September 30, 2025, by replying to the email. This new p more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11278) on March 11, 2025, by legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea: * * * Diverting Military Construction Funds During a National Emergency: Legal Framework On January 20, 2025, President Trump declared a national emergency pursuant to the National Emergency Act (NEA) with respect to the U.S. southern border and declared a national energy emergency under the same authority. In bo more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R46293) on April 11, 2025, by reference librarian Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch. Here are excerpts: * * * Earth Day: Fact Sheet Introduction Earth Day is an annual event to raise awareness about environmental issues. First held on April 22, 1970, it is celebrated each year on April 22. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Earth Day. It contains historical information, more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12969) on April 16, 2025, by acting section research manager Grant A. Driessen. Here are excerpts: * * * Selected Issues in Tax Reform: Federal Subsidies for Municipal Bond Interest The federal tax code includes subsidies for interest income earned on state and local (municipal) bonds. Municipal governments issue bonds to investors to finance investments in exchange for interest paymen more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12544) on April 16, 2025, by defense policy analyst Hannah D. Dennis: * * * The Golden Dome (Iron Dome) for America: Overview and Issues for Congressional Consideration On January 27, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14186, titled The Iron Dome for America. The EO announced a shift in U.S. missile defense policy, expanding the scope of the homeland missile defense missio more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12939) on March 11, 2025, by social policy specialist Alexandra Hegji. Here are excerpts: * * * HEA Title IV Student Aid Program Enforcement Actions Financial assistance provided under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) is the largest source of federal aid to assist students in obtaining a postsecondary education. Students may use Title IV funds to attend institutions of highe more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12966) on April 14, 2025, by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker: * * * Measuring the Impacts of the H-1B Visa Program on Foreign Labor Markets: Two Recent Quasi-Experimental Studies The H-1B visa program, created by the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649), allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring a college degree. Many H more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12546) on April 17, 2025, by Todd Kuiken, science and technology policy analyst: * * * National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology: Final Report and Options for Congress Section 1091 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81) established the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) as an independent commission in the legi more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10644) on April 15, 2025, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Jim Zanotti. Here are excerpts: * * * The Palestinians: Overview, Aid, and U.S. Policy Issues The Palestinians are an Arab people whose origins are in present-day Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel - led by the Iran-backed Sunni Islamist group Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11284) on April 11, 2025, by legislative attorneys Wen W. Shen and Jennifer A. Staman: * * * Preventive Services Access Heads to the Supreme Court: Kennedy v. Braidwood On April 21, 2025, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument in Kennedy v. Braidwood, a constitutional challenge to a federal requirement on private health plans to cover clinical preventive services for milli more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10481) on April 9, 2025, by social policy analyst Zhe Li. Here are excerpts: * * * Railroad Retirement Board: Retirement, Survivor, Disability, Unemployment and Sickness Benefits Introduction The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers retirement, survivor, disability, unemployment, and sickness benefits for railroad workers and their families under the provisions of the Railroad  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12543) on April 15, 2025, by macroeconomic policy specialists Marc Labonte and Andrew P. Scott: * * * Recent Regulatory Activity on Bank Merger Policy Bank mergers are generally approved by the federal banking agencies and the Department of Justice. In September 2024, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) updated the way  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12545) on April 17, 2025, by Kyla H. Kitamura, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 232 Automotive Tariffs: Issues for Congress On March 26, 2025, President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on U.S. imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. Sec.1862, as amended). On April 3, t more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12970) on April 16, 2025, by public finance analyst Anthony A. Cilluffo: * * * Selected Issues in Tax Reform: The Small Business Start-Up Deduction Businesses are typically allowed to deduct their start-up costs over a 15-year period. Businesses with low start-up costs are allowed an accelerated deduction for their start-up costs during the year the business begins. Section 195 of the I more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12937) on March 11, 2025, by foreign affairs analyst Jared G. Tupuola. Here are excerpts: * * * Solomon Islands Solomon Islands (colloquially, the Solomons) is a Pacific Islands Country (PIC) in the Melanesian sub-region roughly 2,000 miles northeast of Australia. Solomon Islands is a heterogenous society, with over 70 language groups spoken by over 700,000 inhabitants, on six major is more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12525) on April 16, 2025, by financial economics analyst Paul Tierno: * * * The Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act of 2025: An Overview On April 2, 2025, the House Financial Services Committee ordered to be reported an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2392, the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger E more PR

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12542) on April 11, 2025, by energy policy specialist Phillip Brown. Here are excerpts: * * * Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Inventory Outlook and Policy Considerations In his January 2025 inaugural address, President Trump indicated that his administration intends to fill the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to capacity. A February 2025 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretarial O more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12949) on April 14, 2025, by agricultural policy analyst Lia Biondo. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Egg Production and Retail Prices According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. national average retail price of eggs per dozen hit an all-time high of $5.90 in February 2025 (Figure 1). Experts attribute this in part to an outbreak of a highly contagious and deadly viral dise more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12200) on April 15, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Marine Corps Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) Background On March 23, 2020, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) announced a major force design initiative planned to occur over 10 years originally referred to as "Force Design 2030" which is now known as "Force Design." Under Force  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12533) on April 14, 2025, by Peter J. Meyer, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist and Kyla H. Kitamura, international trade and finance analyst: * * * U.S.-Canada Relations amid Tariffs Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act On February 1, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14193, stating that "the failure of Canada to do more" to address ill more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11120) on April 16, 2025, by international trade and finance specialists Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Kyla H. Kitamura. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-Japan Trade Agreements and Negotiations The United States and Japan are among the world's largest economies and have been close economic partners, though they do not have a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The partners more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12964) on April 14, 2025, by defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink: * * * U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control: Overview and Potential Considerations for Congress The United States has periodically sought to advance its national security interests through the negotiation and conclusion of nuclear arms control agreements with its adversaries. In January 2025 remarks, President Donald Trump ad more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12150) on March 12, 2025, by Andrew S. Bowen, Russian and European affairs analyst: * * * Ukrainian Military Performance and Outlook Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) have been increasingly challenged to defend against Russian advances, given ongoing disadvantages in personnel and a less developed defense industry more PR