WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11381) on Dec. 22, 2025, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: Here are excerpts: * * * Changes to the Federal Definition of Hemp: Legal Considerations Under the Controlled Substances Act The cannabis plant and products derived from cannabis may be subject to regulation under multiple provisions of federal and state law, including controlled substances laws, agricultu more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R45000) on December 23, 2025, by Reference and Instruction Librarian Jermaine A. Dennis: * * * Christian Holidays: Fact Sheet Contents Introduction ... 1 Major Holidays and Observances ... 1 Easter ... 1 Christmas ... 2 Congressional Recognition ... 2 Presidential Recognition ... 3 Historical and Cultural Resources ... 3 Related CRS Reports ... 4 Contacts Author Informati more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13139) on Dec. 22, 2025, by legislative attorney Andrew S. Coghlan: * * * Congress's Authority to Restrict Monetary Civil Settlements When a court orders the federal government to pay damages, when the Department of Justice (DOJ) agrees on behalf of the United States to pay a monetary settlement, or when a federal agency agrees through an administrative process to pay more than more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10535) on Dec. 23, 2025, by legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea: * * * Defense Primer: Congress's Constitutional Authority with Regard to the Armed Forces Article I, Section 8, Clauses 11-14 The Congress shall have power *** ; To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water. To raise and support Armies, but no App more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10484) on Dec. 22, 2025, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke: * * * Defense Primer: Department of the Navy One Military Department with Two Military Services The Department of the Navy (DON) is a single military department that includes two military services - the Navy and the Marine Corps. As such, DON has a single civilian leader, the Secretary of the Navy, and two f more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12631) on Dec. 19, 2025, by immigration policy analyst Jill H. Wilson. Here are excerpts: * * * Expanded "Travel Ban" to Take Effect January 1, 2026 On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry to the United States by nationals of 39 countries plus individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority (PA)-issued travel documents. This proclamation (se more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11389) on Dec. 19, 2025, by health policy specialist Amanda K. Sarata: * * * FDA Regulation of Laboratory-Developed Tests (LDTs) Laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are a class of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device that is designed, manufactured, and used within a single laboratory. LDTs may be used in the context of identifying evolving diseases (e.g., new strains of infectious di more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12635) on Dec. 22, 2025, by macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates in Late 2025 The Federal Reserve (Fed) targets the federal funds rate (FFR, an overnight interbank lending rate) to achieve its statutory dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability, which it defines as a 2% inflation rate. (For backg more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45302) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An Overview" by American national government specialist R. Sam Garrett. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Conventional wisdom holds that the federal government plays relatively little role in U.S. campaigns and elections. Although states retain authority for most aspects of election administration, a closer look  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45302) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections - An Overview:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Major Federal Statutes that Regulate Campaigns and Elections At least nine major statutes substantially affect the federal role in U.S. campaigns and elections. This section provides brief highlights of each, and cites other CRS products that contain additional  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45302) on Dec. 19, 2025, entitled "Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections - An Overview:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Federal Agencies This section briefly summarizes federal agencies that are substantially involved in regulating or supporting U.S. campaigns or federal elections. This report does not attempt to provide a detailed discussion of these roles, nor does it address is more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10539) on Dec. 23, 2025, by legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea: * * * Defense Primer: Legal Authorities for the Use of Military Forces By the Framers' apparent design, to keep the nation's "purse" and the "sword" in separate hands and in other ways hinder the nation's embroilment in unnecessary wars, the Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the President. Co more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11105) on Dec. 22, 2025, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Legal Consequences of Rescheduling Marijuana On December 18, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Attorney General to take all necessary steps to expeditiously move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The executive order followe more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10534) on Dec. 23, 2025, by legislative attorney Jennifer K. Elsea: * * * Defense Primer: President's Constitutional Authority with Regard to the Armed Forces Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States....  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12183) on Dec. 19, 2025, by Michael E. DeVine, intelligence and national security analyst: * * * Procedures for Declassifying Intelligence of Public Interest The classification regime exists as a means of safeguarding sensitive intelligence sources and methods, or other kinds of sensitive information that is relevant to the national security of the United States. On occasion, C more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12209) on Dec. 22, 2025, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus and American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * Statues and Busts in the U.S. Capitol: Collections and Authorities The U.S. Capitol is home to hundreds of works of art. Among them are a number of statues and busts, including the National Statuary Hall Collection and the Senat more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44668) on Dec. 23, 2025, entitled "The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: A Legislative History" by social policy specialist Gene Falk. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant was created in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193). It was born out of the welfar more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44668) on Dec. 23, 2025, entitled "The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant - A Legislative History:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Major Differences Between AFDC and TANF PRWORA ended AFDC and related programs, and folded their funding into the broad-purpose TANF block grant. Dedicated funding was ended to assist the specific population eligible for family cash assistan more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12634) on Dec. 22, 2025, by American national government specialist Barry J. McMillion. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Circuit Court Nominees Confirmed During the First Year of the Second Trump Presidency: Comparative Overview and Statistics This Insight provides information related to the number of U.S. circuit court nominees confirmed to date during the first calendar year of  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13042) on Dec. 22, 2025, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) U.S. Cyber Command (commonly referred to as CYBERCOM), is the Department of Defense (DOD) - which is "using a secondary Department of War designation" under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025 - more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13042) on Dec. 23, 2025, by Catherine A. Theohary, national security policy, cyber and information operations specialist: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) U.S. Cyber Command (commonly referred to as CYBERCOM), is the Department of Defense (DOD) - which is "using a secondary Department of War designation" under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025 - more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13140) on Dec. 23, 2025, by natural resources policy analyst Eric P. Nardi. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2026 Appropriations Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has a mission to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Congress funds FWS more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10354) on Dec. 19, 2025, by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield. Here are excerpts: * * * United Nations Issues: U.S. Funding to the UN System Congress is responsible for authorizing and appropriating funding to the United Nations (UN) system. Since the United Nations was founded in 1945, the United States has historically been the single largest financial con more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11385) on Dec. 23, 2025, by legislative attorney Kristen Hite: * * * World Court Details Countries' Climate Obligations On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion detailing various international law obligations of countries regarding climate change and remedies that may be available in the event of breach. The United States was o more PR