WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12598) on Jan. 22, 2026, by economic policy analyst D. Andrew Austin: * * * Attempted Dismissals of Members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board On Friday, August 1, 2025, President Trump sent dismissal notices to five of the seven members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB or Oversight Board): Arthur J. Gonzalez, Cameron McKenzi more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48089) on Jan. 13, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams" by acting section research manager Anna E. Normand, natural resources policy specialist Pervaze A. Sheikh and research planning coordinator Erin H. Ward. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress has repeatedly debated how to operate and allocate resources from federal water reso more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48089) on Jan. 13, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 1 of 4) * * * Snake River Salmon and Steelhead Trout Populations Listed Under the ESA The ESA was enacted to conserve species identified as endangered or threatened and their habitats./49 Three species of anadromous fishes listed under the ESA are currently more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48089) on Jan. 13, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 2 of 4) * * * Conserving and Restoring Snake River Fishes Federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders have conducted activities to conserve and restore Snake River salmon and steelhead trout. Most federal activities aimed at restoring salmon and steelhead more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48089) on Jan. 13, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 3 of 4) * * * Litigation over FCRPS Biological Opinions and Supplements from 2000 to 2014 NMFS issued the 2020 BiOp in response to a 2016 court order, after the court concluded that NMFS's second supplement to its 2008 BiOp for FCRPS operations violated the  more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11964) on Jan. 22, 2026, by Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Defense and Intelligence Unfunded Priorities Introduction By law, certain U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) officials and other executive branch agency officials are required to submit reports to Congress describing defense and intelli more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11147) on Jan. 20, 2026, by defense policy analyst Nicholas M. Munves and senior research librarian Carly A. Miller. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Active Component Enlisted Recruiting Congressional Role The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the Armed Forces, including the power "To raise and support Armies" and "To provide and maintain a Navy."  more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12611) on Jan. 21, 2026, by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist. * * * DOD Replicator Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction Replicator, unveiled on August 28, 2023, is a Department of Defense (DOD) initiative to field thousands of uncrewed systems by August 2025. (DOD is now "using a secondary Department of War designation more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12397) on Jan. 20, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Appropriations, FY2026 The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible for renewable energy and end-use energy efficiency technology  more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11140) on Jan. 21, 2026, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn: * * * Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Overview of Structure and Activities Federal regional commissions and authorities (FRCAs) address perceived regional economic underdevelopment. These organizations accommodate multileveled and multijurisdictional participation in and implementati more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12641) on Jan. 20, 2026, by Daniel M. Gettinger, defense policy analyst, and Cameron M. Keys defense logistics and resource management policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2026 NDAA: Summary of Funding Authorizations Of the approximately $1.0 trillion requested in the FY2026 President's budget for discretionary activities within the national defense budget function, $882. more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11274) on Jan. 22, 2026, by legislative attorneys Peter G. Berris and Clay Wild: * * * Geofence Warrants and 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 constitutional privacy protec more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12643) on Jan. 22, 2026, by European affairs analyst Sarah E. Garding. Here are excerpts: * * * Greenland, Denmark and U.S. Relations President Trump and other Administration officials have asserted repeatedly that Greenland, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is vital to U.S. national security in terms of countering Russia and China in the Arctic and bolstering m more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11079) on Jan. 22, 2026, by natural resources policy specialists Laura B. Comay and Carol Hardy Vincent: * * * National Park Service: Government Shutdown Issues Like other federal agencies, the National Park Service (NPS) has halted most operations during occasional government shutdowns resulting from lapses in appropriations. In the past three decades, such shutdowns occurred  more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12644) on Jan. 21, 2026, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Patent Listing in FDA's Orange Book For over 40 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has maintained a resource formally titled Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. This frequently updated publication - available as a searchable online database - is more commonly cal more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13153) on Jan. 21, 2026, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Clayton Thomas. Here are excerpts: * * * Protests in Iran: Possible U.S. Responses and Issues for Congress The outbreak of nationwide protests in Iran in late December 2025 prompted a government crackdown that appears to have quelled the unrest, at least temporarily, but questions about the stability of Iran's autho more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13157) on Jan. 21, 2026, by defense policy analyst Jennifer DiMascio and Air Force fellow Joshua Korzilius. Here are excerpts: * * * Refueling Tanker Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress The U.S. Air Force operates tanker aircraft to refuel and extend the range of U.S. and allied aircraft during military operations. For example, in June 2025, the Air Force reportedly u more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13159) on Jan. 22, 2026. The white paper is written by energy policy specialist Michael Ratner, international trade and finance analyst Michael D. Sutherland and Russian and European affairs specialist Cory Welt. Here are excerpts: * * * Russia-China Natural Gas Trade The Russian Federation (Russia) is a major energy exporter, while the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11140) on Jan. 21, 2026, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn: Here are excerpts: * * * Taxation of Tip Income Under the 2025 Reconciliation Law Federal law generally requires workers to pay individual income taxes and payroll taxes on their earned income. The 2025 reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21) created a new temporary deduction for up to $25,000 per house more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12302) on Jan. 22, 2026, by social policy specialist Gene Falk and research librarian Sarah K. Braun: Here are excerpts: * * * Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Pregnancy Centers The House passed H.R. 6945, which addresses the use of funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant in pregnancy centers, on January 21, 2026. The bill def more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11441) on Jan. 20, 2026, by Christina L. Arabia, security assistance, security cooperation and global arms trade analyst: * * * Transfer of Defense Articles: Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) Overview The Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) program, authorized by Congress in the Arms Export Control Act (AECA; 22 U.S.C. Sec.2751 et seq.), as amended, provides for the export of U.S. defen more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12397) on Jan. 20, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Army's Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (MSHORAD) System Background The Army is developing a new maneuver short-range air defense system, or M-SHORAD, to perform short-range air defense (SHORAD). In the early 2000s, the Army divested SHORAD more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10981) on Jan. 20, 2026, by American national government analyst Karen L. Shanton: * * * The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): An Overview The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is an independent federal agency that is charged with helping election officials to improve the administration of elections and voters to participate in the electoral process. It was est more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12466) on Jan. 20, 2026, by foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Passport Services: Background and Issues for Congress Background The U.S. Department of State (DOS) defines a passport as "an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer." Congress has authorized DOS to grant, issue, and verif more PR

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12548) on Jan. 21, 2026, by social policy analyst Kara Clifford Billings: * * * The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 (P.L. 119-69) The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 (P.L. 119-69) was enacted on January 14, 2026. The law allows whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk in federally funded school lunches and exempts milk from federal saturated fat limits. Such milks have be more PR