WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12505) on March 10, 2026, by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence. Here are excerpts: * * * China Primer: China's Political System The People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) is the only Communist Party-led state among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and among the G-20 major economies. As Congress has intensified its focus on China o more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12909) on March 9, 2026, American national government analyst Taylor R. Knoedl. Here are excerpts: * * * The Decennial Census of Population and Housing: An Overview Every decade in the year ending with "0," the U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial census of population and housing. The decennial census is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, in order more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13175) on March 9, 2026, by research librarian Clayton M. Levy. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is an agency within the Department of Defense (DOD), which is "using a secondary Department of War designation," under Executive Order 14347, dated September 5, 2025. The DPAA's stated mission is to "provide th more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13176) on March 9, 2026, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): Foreign Principal Locations and Activities in the United States The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA; 22 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.611-621) requires foreign agents (i.e., individuals and groups) doing political, advocacy, or representational work in the  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13177) on March 9, 2026, by environmental policy specialists Jonathan L. Ramseur and Elena H. Humphreys. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2026 Appropriations for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Infrastructure Programs Many policymakers and stakeholders have raised concerns about the condition of the nation's local drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and th more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13180) on March 10, 2026, by environmental policy analyst Heather McPherron and legislative attorney Kristen Hite. Here are excerpts: * * * H.R. 4776, Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (SPEED Act), as Passed by the House H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act (SPEED Act) as engrossed in the House of Repre more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11779) on March 11, 2026, by environmental policy analyst Kathryn G. Kynett and legislative attorney Kristen Hite. Here are excerpts: * * * Hydrofluorocarbon Phasedown: Background and Issues Facing Congress The United States is phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM) (P.L. 116-260, Division S, Sec.103; codified  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13182) on March 10, 2026, by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker: * * * The Impact of Generative AI on Labor Markets: Frameworks Rapid advancements in the capability and availability of artificial intelligence (AI) - particularly of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), a subset of AI that can generate new content - have been accompanied by concerns that thes more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13181) on March 10, 2026, by social policy analyst Zhe Li: * * * Implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 and Retroactivity for Benefit Applications The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (SSFA, P.L. 118-273), signed into law on January 5, 2025, repealed two Social Security provisions - the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provis more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12438) on March 10, 2026, by South Asian affairs specialist K. Alan Kronstadt: * * * India-U.S.: Major Arms Transfers and Military Exercises In October 2025, India's defense minister - in the course of inking a third 10-year defense framework agreement with the United States - called defense "the major pillar" of bilateral ties. The latest pact, meant to strengthen "interopera more PR

WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12861) on March 10, 2026, by financial economics specialists Karl E. Schneider and Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * Interest Rate Caps on Credit Cards: Policy Issues While the cost of financial services is a perennial topic of congressional debate, Congress has recently paid particular attention to the costs associated with credit cards, one of the most popular payme more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11403) on March 11, 2026, by legislative attorney Karen Sokol: * * * International Agreements and Non-binding Instruments: The Case-Zablocki Act (Case Act) In the early 1970s, Congress passed legislation to address concerns that Presidents were increasingly bypassing the Article II treaty process by using executive agreements to make international legal commitments for t more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10784) on March 10, 2026, by Diane P. Horn, flood insurance and emergency management specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority This Insight evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the Treasury and the current financial situation of the NFIP. On February 10, 2025, the NFIP bo more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13178) on March 9, 2026, by transportation policy analyst Naseeb A. Souweidane. Here are excerpts: * * * NHTSA's Authorities and Rulemaking Process NHTSA Background and Authorities The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the Department of Transportation (DOT), is primarily responsible for motor vehicle and highway safety. Congress established high more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13024) on March 12, 2026, by natural resource policy specialist Eva Lipiec. Here are excerpts: * * * National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY2026 Budget Request and Appropriations The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency in the Department of Commerce. NOAA's stated mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12782) on March 11, 2026, by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2025 Three entities in the Department of the Interior (DOI) share responsibility for managing the nation's ocean energy resources on almost 2.5 billion acres of the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS). The Bureau of Ocean Energy Man more PR

WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11056) on March 10, 2026, by health policy specialist Amanda K. Sarata: * * * Prescription Drug Importation In the context of rising drug prices, commercial and personal importation of prescription drugs from other countries at lower prices is often a subject of discussion. Generally, the importation or reimportation of a prescription drug that does not meet Federal Food, Drug more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10799) on March 11, 2026, by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr and Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard: * * * Prospects for U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Energy Cooperation The 119th Congress may engage the Trump Administration with regard to U.S. policy toward Saudi Arabia's National Project for Atomic Energy and proposals for U.S.-Saudi nuclear energy coop more PR

WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12666) on March 9, 2026, by nonproliferation specialist Mary Beth D. Nikitin: * * * Security of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)-Related Materials in the Iran Conflict: Considerations for Congress As U.S. military operations in Iran continue, Congress may examine how U.S. and partner forces plan to address potential loss of control by Iranian authorities of weapons of mass des more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11402) on March 11, 2026, by legislative attorney Adam Vann: * * * Trump Administration Actions to Curtail Offshore Wind Energy Development Meet Judicial Resistance In 2025 the Trump Administration took a number of actions that could affect the continued development and use of renewable energy resources, especially offshore wind energy projects. These actions, which incl more PR

WASHINGTON, March 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12667) on March 11, 2026, by cybersecurity policy specialist Chris Jaikaran: * * * The Trump Administration's Cyber Strategy On March 6, 2026, the White House released President Trump's Cyber Strategy for America (the strategy). The document builds upon earlier cyber-related actions and describe the Administration's policies and postures on cybersecurity. This Insight describes more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12421) on March 9, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) System Background Protecting high-value military sites against enemy cruise missile (CM), uncrewed aerial system (UAS), and rocket, artillery, and mortar (RAM) attacks has long been an  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12397) on March 10, 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 - SGT Stout Background The Army is developing a new maneuver short-range air defense system (M-SHORAD) to perform short-range air defense (SHORAD). On June 14, 2024, the Army design more PR

WASHINGTON, March 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12668) on March 12, 2026, by defense policy analysts Hannah D. Dennis and Daniel M. Gettinger: * * * Congress has expressed interest in the status of the U.S. military's inventories of munitions (e.g., ammunition, bombs, missiles, torpedoes, anti-aircraft weapons, missile interceptors). Since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28,  more PR