WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11321) on Sept. 15, 2025, by Legislative Attorney Alejandra Aramayo: * * * "Sanctuary" Jurisdictions: Legal Overview Several state and local jurisdictions have adopted policies that limit their cooperation with federal agencies charged with immigration enforcement. Some observers and policymakers describe these states and municipalities as "sanctuary" jurisdictions, thou more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12590) on Sept. 18, 2025, by American national government analyst Karen L. Shanton: * * * Executive Order 14248: Action by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Voting System Testing and Certification Provisions President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 25, 2025, Executive Order (E.O.) 14248, that addresses federal guidelines, testing, and certification for more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12317) on Sept. 15, 2025, by health policy analyst Kavya Sekar: * * * The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a committee of experts who make recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the use of vaccines and related agents for the control of vaccine-preventable disea more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11790) on Sept. 18, 2025, by senior research librarian Carla Y. Davis-Castro. Here are excerpts: * * * Afro-descendants of Latin America: Selected Resources The United Nations (UN) estimates that approximately "200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas." Congress has long demonstrated interest in the status of Afro-descendants a more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13103) on Sept. 15, 2025, by financial economics specialist Eva Su and telecommunications policy analyst Ling Zhu: * * * Artificial Intelligence in Capital Markets: Policy Issues Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform operations and regulation of capital markets. This In Focus lays out some background and policy implications relevant to congressional overs more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11366) on Sept. 15, 2025, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia and section research manager Tamsin G. Harrington: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from August 2025 The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the thirteen "circuits" issue thousands of precedential decisions each year. Because relatively few of these decisions are ultimately reviewed by the more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11332) on Sept. 15, 2025, by legislative attorney Christopher T. Zirpoli: * * * Court Decisions Regarding Tariffs Imposed Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) In 2025, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders imposing tariffs on most U.S. imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On September 9, 2025 more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11369) on Sept. 16, 2025, by legislative attorney Alejandra Aramayo: * * * Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Litigation Status Update The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, established in 2012 by the Obama Administration, allows individuals without legal immigration status who meet certain requirements to be deemed by the Department of Hom more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10336) on Sept. 18, 2025, by legislative attorney Hillel R. Smith: * * * The Department of Homeland Security's Authority to Expand Expedited Removal An alien apprehended by immigration authorities when attempting to unlawfully enter the United States is generally subject to an expedited removal process if an official of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determine more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13104) on Sept. 15, 2025, by income security specialists Elizabeth A. Myers and John J. Topoleski. Here are excerpts: * * * Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs): An Overview Introduction An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a defined contribution (DC) pension plan that invests primarily in shares of stock issued by one employer, called qualifying employer securities. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11368) on Sept. 16, 2025, by legislative attorneys Jimmy Balser and L. Paige Whitaker: * * * Executive Order on Elections: Legal Background and Court Challenges On March 25, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14248, "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections." The EO addresses the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the national un more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48712) on Sept. 17, 2025, entitled "Federal Disaster Assistance: An Overview of Programs" by senior research librarians Maura Mullins and Maria Kreiser. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This report is designed to assist Members of Congress and their staff as they address the needs of their states, communities, and constituents after a disaster. It includes a summary of federal programs that more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48712) on Sept. 17, 2025, entitled "Federal Disaster Assistance - An Overview of Programs:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Assistance for State, Tribes, Territories, and Units of Local Governments, and Eligible Nonprofit Organizations FEMA Public Assistance Grants Authorized by multiple sections of the Stafford Act, the Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program is FEMA's primary form of fin more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11367) on Sept. 15, 2025, by section research manager Tamsin G. Harrington and legislative attorney Jon O. Shimabukuro: * * * National Security Exclusions from the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statutes On March 27, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order that excluded 40 agencies and subdivisions from coverage under the Federal Service Lab more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12322) on Sept. 16, 2025, by immigration policy analyst Holly Straut-Eppsteiner. Here are excerpts: * * * Naturalization is the voluntary process by which a foreign national becomes a U.S. citizen. In 2024, approximately 26 million naturalized U.S. citizens were residing in the United States, representing about 51% of the total foreign-born population. U.S. citizenship afford more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS20643) on Aug. 1, 2025, entitled "Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress" by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) aircraft carrier program more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS20643) on Aug. 1, 2025, entitled "Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Issues for Congress Cost Growth and Schedule Delays One oversight issue for Congress concerns cost growth and schedule delays in building Ford-class ships. Cost growth in building Ford-class ships is shown in Table 2. As discussed  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46626) on Sept. 15, 2025, entitled "Nonlegislative Debate in the House: One-Minute, Morning-Hour and Special-Order Speeches" by Jane A. Hudiburg, Congress and legislative process specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Three types of speeches have evolved in the House of Representatives to allow Members to address a variety of topics when legislation is not pending before the body: one more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13086) on Sept. 18, 2025, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: Here are excerpts: * * * Pakistan's New Long-Range Missile Development On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced the imposition of sanctions on Pakistan's National Development Complex (NDC), which "has worked to acquire items in furtherance of Pakistan's long range ballistic missile prog more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48667) on Aug. 29, 2025, entitled "Preemption and Privacy Law" by legislative attorney Chris D. Linebaugh. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause, Congress may displace state law when it is acting within its enumerated constitutional powers. In the realm of consumer privacy, Congress has largely chosen to leave state laws in place. Rather than adopti more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48667) on Aug. 29, 2025, entitled "Preemption and Privacy Law:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * State Privacy Laws As shown in the preceding section, the current suite of federal data privacy laws leaves room for states to adopt their own privacy standards. States have used this freedom to enact an array of privacy laws. Many of these laws follow the sectoral approach and either build o more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48549) on Aug. 22, 2025, entitled "Presidential 2025 Tariff Actions: Timeline and Status" by research librarians William F. Burkhart and Keigh F. Hammond. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Since the beginning of his second term on January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump has increased tariffs on U.S. imports from all global partners. To implement these tariffs, the President has cited aut more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11370) on Sept. 17, 2025, by legislative attorneys Peter J. Benson and Chris D. Linebaugh: * * * Privacy Act Lawsuits and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order reorganizing and renaming the U.S. Digital Service as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Executive Order tasked DOGE with "m more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48641) on Sept. 17, 2025, entitled "Proposals to Limit Member of Congress Financial Activities: Analysis of Introduced Legislation in the 119th Congress" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In recent years, some Members of Congress have proposed reforms that would prohibit the purchase, sale, or ownership of certain financial instruments by Members of Co more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48706) on Sept. 15, 2025, entitled "Supreme Court Review: Criminal Law Cases from the October 2024 Term." The report is written by section research manager Michael A. Foster and legislative attorneys Dave S. Sidhu, Cassandra J. Barnum and Matthew D. Trout: * * * SUMMARY In its October 2024 term, the Supreme Court issued several significant decisions in cases involving federal criminal law  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12645) on Sept. 15, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Background According to the Department of Defense (DOD), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system (Figure 1) is a key element of U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD). THAAD employs interceptor missiles,  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44000) on Sept. 15, 2025, entitled "Turkey: Major Issues and U.S. Relations" by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jim Zanotti and Clayton Thomas. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY U.S. relations with Turkey (Turkiye), a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally, have alternated between close cooperation and notable division. Turkey and other "global swing states" such as Saudi Arabia a more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44000) on Sept. 15, 2025, entitled "Turkey - Major Issues and U.S. Relations:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Selected Foreign Policy and Defense Issues Regular parts of Turkey's foreign policy and defense agenda include * continued expansion of Turkey's arms industry and arms exports, including a renowned drone program and plans for integrated air defense;/46 * attempts to broaden T more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13092) on Sept. 16, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) The Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) The ISV (Figure 1) is a lightweight, unarmored ground transport vehicle developed by GM Defense (headquartered in Detroit, MI) intended to enhance the mobility of Ar more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21048) on Sept. 18, 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 s more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21048) on Sept. 16, 2025, entitled "U.S. Special Operations Forces: Background and Considerations for Congress" by immigration policy analyst Holly Straut-Eppsteiner: * * * 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  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12608) on Sept. 17, 2025, by Kyla H. Kitamura and Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs, international trade and finance specialists: * * * U.S. Tariffs and the 2025 U.S.-Japan Framework Agreement After months of talks spurred by U.S. tariff actions, the United States and Japan announced in July 2025 the outlines of a bilateral "strategic trade and investment agreement." Details of the fra more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13107) on Sept. 18, 2025, by Shayerah I. Akhtar, international trade and finance specialist: * * * U.S.-EU Tariffs and Trade Framework Agreement In July 2025, the world's two largest economies - the United States and the 27-member European Union (EU) - announced a bilateral framework agreement to address some tariff and trade issues. The deal is one of a few preliminary deals  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11069) on Sept. 17, 2025, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr: * * * U.S.-Proposed Missile Technology Control Regime Changes Introduction Beginning in 2017, the United States has submitted a series of proposals to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) partners that would relax the regime's export guidelines for certain Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Advocates o more PR