WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13114) on Sept. 26, 2025, by Megan Stubbs, agricultural conservation and natural resources policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Agricultural Conservation After Enactment of the FY2025 Budget Reconciliation Law (P.L. 119-21) In July 2025, Congress passed the FY2025 budget reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21). This was a reconciliation act pursuant to directives included in  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12244) on Sept. 22, 2025, by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck: * * * Armed Forces Compensation During a Lapse in Appropriations Compensation for members of the Armed Forces (i.e., Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard) is funded through annual appropriations to personnel-related line items in accounts of the U.S. Department of Defense  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12610) on Sept. 24, 2025, by Foreign Affairs analyst Shelby B. Senger and Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke: * * * Colombia's Antidrug Efforts and the "Failed Demonstrably" Designation On September 15, 2025, President Trump determined Colombia had "failed demonstrably," for the first time in nearly 30 years, to meet its international counternarcotics obliga more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11618) on Sept. 25, 2025, by American national government analyst Sarah J. Eckman: * * * Congressional Redistricting Criteria and Considerations Congressional redistricting involves creating geographic boundaries for U.S. House districts within a state. Following each decennial census, House districts are first allocated among states through apportionment (or reapportionment),  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10470) on Sept. 25, 2025, by Michael E. DeVine, intelligence and national security analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is responsible for the oversight and direction of the 18 elements of the intelligence community (IC). This includes managing the allocation and expenditure of National Intel more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12612) on Sept. 25, 2025, by energy policy analyst Melissa N. Diaz. Here are excerpts: * * * DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office in the 119th Congress The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) executes funding for research and development (R&D) of vehicle technologies (e.g., engines, motors, batteries), alternative fuels, materials, and transportation  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12612) on Sept. 26, 2025, by energy policy analyst Melissa N. Diaz. Here are excerpts: * * * DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office in the 119th Congress The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) executes funding for research and development (R&D) of vehicle technologies (e.g., engines, motors, batteries), alternative fuels, materials, and transportation  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48716) on Sept. 22, 2025, entitled "Executive Branch Tariff Actions in the 119th Congress: CRS Products, Experts and Points of Contact" by international trade and finance specialists Christopher A. Casey and Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Tariffs: Related CRS Products ... 3 Overview ... 3 Statutory Authorities ... 3 IEEPA ... 3 Section 3 more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12519) on Sept. 25, 2025, by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura and senior research librarian Keigh E. Hammond. Here are excerpts: * * * Expanded Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum In 2025, President Trump has expanded and increased existing steel and aluminum tariffs, imposed since 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12519) on Sept. 26, 2025, by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura and senior research librarian Keigh E. Hammond. Here are excerpts: * * * Expanded Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum In 2025, President Trump has expanded and increased existing steel and aluminum tariffs, imposed since 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12611) on Sept. 25, 2025, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie: * * * Expiration and Carryforward Rules for the Residential Clean Energy Credit P.L. 119-21, the FY2025 reconciliation law commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, repealed the residential clean energy credit (RCEC) for expenditures made after calendar year 2025. Since the enactment of P.L. 119-21  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10470) on Sept. 25, 2025, by Shayerah I. Akhtar, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Export-Import Bank: Overview and Issues for Congress The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank, or the Bank) is the U.S. government's export credit agency (ECA) and is among at least 117 ECAs across more than 90 economies globally. A wholly owned more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11373) on Sept. 25, 2025, by legislative attorney Sean Stiff: Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Energy Efficiency Standards Program: Background and Recent Developments The federal Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, a national program setting minimum efficiency standards for a variety of consumer and industrial products, was first authorized as a voluntary program more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13109) on Sept. 23, 2025, by macroeconomic policy analyst Lida R. Weinstock. Here are excerpts: * * * The Federal U.S. Gold Stock Today, gold transactions and other uses are almost entirely a private market function. However, historically, gold was bought and sold by the U.S. government (and many other governments) for a variety of purposes. While largely unused, the federal  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13108) on Sept. 23, 2025, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2026 Budget Request for the Military Health System In June 2025, President Donald J. Trump submitted to Congress his Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request, which included $848.3 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Defense (DOD), which is "using  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13110) on Sept. 24, 2025, by Peter J. Meyer, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Honduras: An Overview Honduras historically has been a close U.S. partner in Central America. Recurrent instability and weak rule of law have hindered Honduras's development, however, and contributed to transnational challenges, including migration and drug tr more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47884) on Sept. 23, 2025, entitled "Identifying Minors Online" by Clare Y. Cho, industrial organization and business policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Concerns about potential harms to minors on the internet, particularly on social media platforms, have grown in recent years. Dating to the 1990s, policymakers have enacted legislation seeking to protect minors online, some  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47884) on Sept. 23, 2025, entitled "Identifying Minors Online:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Policy Considerations for Legislation Multiple bills introduced in the 119th Congress seek to increase protections for minors online by creating requirements for website operators./58 Some requirements for website operators, if included in enacted legislation, could be subject to constitution more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48717) on Sept. 19, 2025, entitled "Judicial Review and the National Environmental Policy Act" by legislative attorney Kristen Hite. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the most frequently litigated federal environmental statutes. NEPA is also one of the most broadly applicable federal environmental statutes, with over 100,000 actions take more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48717) on Sept. 19, 2025, entitled "Judicial Review and the National Environmental Policy Act:" (Continued from Part 1o f 2) * * * Common Issues in NEPA Litigation NEPA litigation involves a wide range of agencies and raises issues involving agency choices and determinations. This section provides an overview of selected issues raised in NEPA litigation that may be of interest to Congress. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10472) on Sept. 26, 2025, by nonproliferation specialist Mary Beth D. Nikitin and defense policy analyst Daniel M. Gettinger: * * * North Korea's Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs Overview Over the past decade, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea) has advanced its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, raising the threat Pyongyang poses more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13034) on Sept. 25, 2025. The white paper is written by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay, energy policy specialist Corrie E. Clark and public finance specialist Donald J. Marples: * * * Offshore Wind: Status and Issues for the 119th Congress The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as amended (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. Sec.1337(p)), authorizes the Secretary of the Inte more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11373) on Sept. 25, 2025, by legislative attorney Sean Stiff: * * * Pocket Rescissions and the Impoundment Control Act: Background and History On July 24, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Rescissions Act of 2025. The statute marks the first time since 1992 that a President has successfully invoked the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) to secure pas more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11374) on Sept. 25, 2025, by legislative attorney Sean Stiff: Here are excerpts: * * * Pocket Rescissions and the Impoundment Control Act: Legal Authority and Options for Congress On July 24, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Rescissions Act of 2025. The statute marks the first time since 1992 that a President has successfully invoked the Impoundment C more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13113) on Sept. 25, 2025, by social policy specialist Alexandra Hegji. Here are excerpts: * * * The Potential Increase in Federal Student Loan Defaults in Fall 2025 ("Default Cliff") Recently, multiple news outlets and advocacy organizations have asserted that borrowers of federal student loans will soon face a so-called "default cliff." The default cliff anticipates a signif more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11371) on Sept. 23, 2025, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Ellingburg v. United States: Supreme Court to Hear Ex Post Facto Clause Challenge to Criminal Restitution Statute On October 14, 2025, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in Ellingburg v. United States, a case presenting the question whether criminal restitution under the Mandatory  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12044) on Sept. 23, 2025, by foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Department of State: Background and Selected Issues for the 119th Congress Background Created by an act of Congress in 1789, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) is the executive branch's lead foreign affairs agency and oldest cabinet agency. The Secretary of State, appointed b more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48642) on Sept. 19, 2025, entitled "U.S. Export Controls and China: Advanced Semiconductors" by Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Semiconductors are strategic and uniquely important electronic devices. They are fundamental to most industrial and national security activities and serve as essential building blocks of other technologies, such more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13112) on Sept. 25, 2025, by natural resources policy specialist Nicole T. Carter and acting section research manager Anna E. Normand: * * * Water Resources Development Acts: Primer and Action in the 119th Congress The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is an agency that develops water resource projects, among other civil and military missions. Congress often considers omnib more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46418) on Sept. 23, 2025, entitled "The Weatherization Assistance Program Formula" by energy policy specialist Corrie E. Clark and senior research librarian Lynn J. Cunningham. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy consumption by making their dwellings more energy efficie more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10835) on Sept. 25, 2025, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses? This Insight provides a short overview of what would happen if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were not to be reauthorized by September 30, 2025, and allowed to lapse. Expirati more PR