WASHINGTON, June 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12094) on June 5, 2025, 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 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) (see Figure 1 for more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11318) on June 4, 2025, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from April 2025 The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the thirteen "circuits" issue thousands of presidential decisions each year. Because relatively few of these decisions are ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals are often th more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47605) on June 3, 2025, entitled "Connecting Older Adults to Information on Benefits and Services" by senior research librarian Tamar B. Breslauer: * * * SUMMARY Older adults often contact congressional offices with questions about federal benefits, programs, and services. This report assists Members and congressional staff helping older adults navigate this landscape by connecting them to inf more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10685) on June 3, 2025, by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and research librarian Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Military Officers Grade and Rank The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly defined levels of authority. The different levels for officers are defined in law and called grades, while rank refers to the ord more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12771) on June 3, 2025, by defense policy analyst Jennifer DiMascio. Here are excerpts: * * * Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) Background The U.S. Army is developing the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) to serve as a next-generation aircraft for vertical lift, air assault, maritime interdiction, aeromedical evacuation, combat search and rescue, humanitarian more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45104) on June 2, 2025, entitled "Guide to Committee Activity Reports: Purpose, Rules and Contents" by Congress specialist Ida A. Brudnick. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Guide to Committee Activity Reports: Purpose, Rules, and Contents All House committees and most Senate committees are required to prepare reports each Congress detailing their activities. These committee activity reports more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12331) on June 3, 2025, by Latin American affairs analyst Karla I. Rios. Here are excerpts: * * * Haiti in Crisis: Developments Related to the Multinational Security Support Mission Haiti's political and security situation has continued to deteriorate in 2025 despite the 2024 deployment of a Kenya-led, UN-authorized Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) that the U.S. gove more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13015) on June 2, 2025, by natural resources policy analyst Anthony R. Marshak. Here are excerpts: * * * The Marine Mammal Commission Introduction The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) is an independent advisory agency of the executive branch that provides "independent, science-based oversight" of federal agency policies and actions addressing human impacts on marine mammals and  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R43973) on June 2, 2025, by senior knowledge management librarian Elizabeth C. Larson: * * * Memorial Day Speech Resources Introduction Memorial Day is a day of reflection and remembrance, established to pay tribute to individuals who died in service to the United States. Memorial Day also symbolically marks the beginning of summer because it coincides with the end of the school year in m more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12558) on June 2, 2025, by agricultural policy analyst Lia Biondo. Here are excerpts: * * * New World Screwworm: Current Issues The New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is a housefly-sized parasite that lays eggs in the wounds or mucous membranes of warm-blooded vertebrates (e.g., mammals, birds). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) eradicated screwworm from the U more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12557) on June 4, 2025, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * Nuclear Power Tax Credits Congress is currently considering legislation that would modify the federal income tax code, including changes to tax policies affecting nuclear power generation. This Insight describes existing tax credits for nuclear power and briefly discusses proposed refo more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48553) on June 2, 2025, entitled "PJM's Electric Capacity Market: Background and Current Issues" by energy policy specialist Ashley J. Lawson. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY PJM is the country's largest electric grid operator, managing the electricity transmission system for more than 65 million people in all or part of 13 states - Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan,  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48553) on June 2, 2025, entitled "PJM's Electric Capacity Market - Background and Current Issues:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Options and Considerations for Congress Congress could choose to monitor results of future PJM capacity auctions as it evaluates affordability and reliability needs in the region. Congress can conduct oversight of PJM's capacity market (and other products) in  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13017) on June 3, 2025, by natural resources policy analyst Anthony R. Marshak. Here are excerpts: * * * President Trump's April 2025 Executive Order on American Seafood Competitiveness: Considerations for U.S. Fisheries Introduction On April 17, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14276, "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness," which required multiple fed more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12658) on June 4, 2025, by social policy analysts T. Lynn Sears and Emma K. Tatem. Here are experts: * * * Social Security: Representative Payees and Power of Attorney Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (i.e., Social Security) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients (referred to herein as "beneficiaries" for both programs) may require additiona more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13018) on June 4, 2025, by social policy analyst Emma K. Tatem: * * * Social Security Administration Representative Payees The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two federal income support programs--Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (i.e., Social Security) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)--that in FY2024 collectively paid over $1.5 trillion in bene more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10165) on June 3, 2025. The white paper is written by Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin, international trade and finance analyst Liana Wong and foreign affairs analyst Daniel J. Longo. Here are excerpts: * * * South Korea: Background and U.S. Relations Overview South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States' most important strategic a more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10165) on June 4, 2025. The white paper is written by Asian affairs specialist Mark E. Manyin, international trade and finance analyst Emma K. Tatem and foreign affairs analyst Daniel J. Longo. Here are experts: * * * South Korea: Background and U.S. Relations Overview South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States' most important strategic more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11292) on June 4, 2025, by legislative attorneys Benjamin M. Barczewski and Todd Garvey: * * * Supreme Court Grants Emergency Motion on President's Removal Power On May 22, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the executive branch's motion to stay lower court orders reinstating officials at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) who  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12648) on June 3, 2025, by Nicole T. Carter, deputy assistant director and specialist and natural resources policy specialist Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2025 Appropriations For FY2025, Congress enacted funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) civil works activities as part of a full-year continuing appropriations act (commo more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13019) on June 4, 2025, by social policy analyst T. Lynn Sears: * * * The VA Fiduciary Program: An Overview Introduction The purpose of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Fiduciary Program is "to protect Veterans and other beneficiaries who, due to injury, disease, or due to age, are unable to manage their financial affairs." If VA determines that a beneficiary is unable t more PR

WASHINGTON, June 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10715) on June 4, 2025, by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke: * * * Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions Policy Since 2005, the United States has imposed targeted sanctions on Venezuelan individuals and entities that have engaged in criminal, antidemocratic, or corrupt actions. U.S. sanctions have been imposed via both executive and congressional action. In more PR