WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13241) by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai: * * * Artificial Intelligence (AI): Implications for Size and Composition of the U.S. Armed Forces Overview The U.S. Armed Forces have been adopting artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data, support decisionmaking, and improve military and administrative processes, including logistics, i more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13136) on May 28, 2026, by agricultural policy analyst Zachary T. Neuhofer: * * * Changes to the Statutory Definition of Hemp and Issues for Congress The FY2026 Agriculture Appropriations Act (P.L. 119-37, Division B) amends the statutory definition of hemp in 7 U.S.C. Sec.1639o established by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334, Sec.10113). The more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10890) on June 1, 2026, by Asian affairs analyst Ricardo Barrios and foreign affairs analyst Shelby B. Senger: * * * China Primer: Illicit Fentanyl and China's Role For over a decade, the synthetic opioid fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances have been key drivers of the U.S. opioid crisis. Countering the illicit trafficking of fentanyl and the precursor chemicals ("precursor more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11434) on May 28, 2026, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Civil Procedure at the Supreme Court: Selected Cases from the October 2025 Term During the October 2025 Term to date, the Supreme Court has considered multiple cases focused on procedural issues. Among them, as discussed in order below, are cases about the relationship between federal and state procedur more PR

WASHINGTON, June 2 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48922) on May 28, 2026, entitled "Comparison of Selected Versions of H.R. 6644." The report is written by housing policy specialists Henry G. Watson, Katie Jones and Maggie McCarty and financial economics specialists Andrew P. Scott and Darryl E. Getter. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Tables Table 1. Improving Financial Literacy / Opportunities for Housing ... 3 Tab more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13236) on May 28, 2026, by legislative attorney Abigail A. Graber: * * * The Congressional Accountability Act's Employment Discrimination Provisions Before the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), federal legislative branch employees were largely exempt from the federal employment protections available to employees in the private sector, state and local governments, a more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report entitled "Risk Sharing in the Federal Reserve's Emergency Lending Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * How the Federal Reserve's Emergency Lending Facilities Shared Risk With the Treasury Under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve may - in "unusual and exigent circumstances" and with the approval of the Treasury Secretary - lend to indiv more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report entitled "Risk Sharing in the Federal Reserve's Emergency Lending Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Cost of the Treasury's Support for the Federal Reserve's Pandemic-Era Lending Facilities Title IV of the CARES Act provided $454 billion in federal funding for the emergency lending facilities. (Not all of it was used.) The funding flowed through the Treasury's more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13240) by senior research librarians Kate M. Costin and Michele L. Malloy: * * * Connecting Constituents with Federal Assistance for Health and Medical Businesses Federal assistance for health- and medical-related groups primarily focuses on nonprofit organizations. For-profit health and medical businesses do not qualify for many of these opportunities. However, these businesses more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12696) by American national government analyst Sarah J. Eckman and senior research librarian Maria Kreiser: * * * CRS Services to District and State Offices: Overview and Selected Resources The Congressional Research Service (CRS) serves all congressional offices - those on Capitol Hill as well as those in a Member's home district or state office. This CRS resource guide is desi more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11964) 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 intelligence-related prior more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11311) by defense policy analyst Alexandra G. Neenan and science and technology policy analyst Marcy E. Gallo: Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: The National Technology and Industrial Base What Is the NTIB? The National Technology and Industrial Base (NTIB), as outlined in 10 U.S.C. Sec.4801, consists of the people and organizations engaged in national security and dual more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11437) by legislative attorney Alejandra Aramayo: * * * Denaturalization: A Brief Overview of the Current Legal Framework Congress has established terms and conditions under which foreign-born persons may acquire citizenship through a process known as naturalization. In addition to providing a framework for the acquisition of citizenship for persons born abroad to U.S. cit more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11435) on May 29, 2026, by legislative attorney Peter J. Benson: * * * The Department of Justice's First Lawsuit Enforcing a Presidential Order Under Section 721 of the Defense Production Act On July 8, 2025, President Trump issued an order prohibiting a 2020 acquisition of Jupiter Systems, LLC (Jupiter), by Suirui International, a subsidiary of Suirui Group Co., Ltd. (Sui more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48968) entitled "Department of Veterans Affairs FY2026 Appropriations." The report is written by health policy analyst Jared S. Sussman and veterans policy specialists Sidath Viranga Panangala and Madeline E. Moreno. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers numerous programs that provide benefits and services to eligible veterans and their familie more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48968) entitled "Department of Veterans Affairs FY2026 Appropriations:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * FY2025 Budget Summary On March 11, 2024, President Biden submitted his budget proposal for FY2025. The Biden Administration requested $339.51 billion for VA (see Figure 5). The request included $129.10 billion in discretionary appropriations and $210.41 billion in mandatory appropriation more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48968) entitled "Department of Veterans Affairs FY2026 Appropriations:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Nonmedical Discretionary Programs Funding National Cemetery Administration (NCA) Operations and Maintenance NCA's Operations and Maintenance account receives the largest amount of NCA's discretionary funding. This account includes funding to operate 158 national cemeteries and administ more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11477) by American national government analysts Sarah J. Eckman and Karen L. Shanton. Here are excerpts: * * * Early Voting and Mail Voting: Overview and Issues for Congress Voting in person at a polling place on Election Day is the most widespread voting practice. States and localities also offer some or all eligible voters opportunities to vote without going to the polls on E more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12233) on June 1, 2026, by agricultural policy specialist Jim Monke. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Budget Dynamics Farm Bills from a Budgetary Perspective The farm bill authorizes funding for a wide range of food, agriculture, and rural development programs. Funding is divided into two main categories - mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Congress is or more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB10919) on May 28, 2026, by legislative attorney Jennifer A. Staman: * * * FDA Regulation of Medication Abortion: Recent Legal Developments Regulation of medication abortion drugs is a salient issue for federal policymakers, particularly amid continued litigation over the conditions in which these drugs may be available to pregnant patients. Some of the more prominent pendi more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48233) on May 27, 2026, entitled "Federal Reserve Board: Current and Historical Membership" by senior research librarian Ben Leubsdorf. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Federal Reserve (Fed), the U.S. central bank, is led by a seven-member Board of Governors based in Washington, DC. The President appoints governors for 14-year terms with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each governo more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10803) by foreign affairs specialist Michael A. Weber: * * * Global Human Rights: International Religious Freedom Policy For decades, U.S. policymakers have sought to promote religious freedom abroad, reflective both of a general interest in promoting human rights through U.S. foreign policy, as well as the emphasis on religious freedom in U.S. domestic law and political culture more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12675) on May 27, 2026, by social policy analyst T. Lynn Sears. Here are excerpts: * * * A Hypothetical Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment Based on the Research Consumer Price Index for the Elderly Background The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers Social Security, a social insurance program that protects an insured worker and his or her eligible family mem more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11436) on May 29, 2026, by deputy assistant director Michael John Garcia. Here are excerpts: * * * Immigration-Related Crimes Through the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and other laws, Congress has established a comprehensive framework governing the admission, removal, and presence of people who are not citizens or nationals of the United States (aliens). These rul more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11729) by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert and Army fellow Ebrima M'Bai. Here are excerpts: * * * Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Background The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Family of Vehicles (FoV) is an Army-led, joint-service program designed to replace a portion of each service's light tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. The JLTV FoV consists of tw more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10964) on June 1, 2026, by Asian trade and finance specialist Karen M. Sutter. Here are excerpts: * * * Made in China 2025 and China's Industrial Policies The People's Republic of China (PRC or China) aims to gain a global economic and technology leadership position through a range of industrial and science and technology (S&T) plans. Such plans inform PRC economic, industrial, more PR

WASHINGTON, June 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R42757) entitled "National Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends" by natural resources policy specialist Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The National Park Service (NPS) receives appropriations in annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations acts. Over the past decade (FY2017-FY2026), NPS received both regular (annual) appropriations and, in some yea more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10472) on May 29, 2026, by defense policy analyst Daniel M. Gettinger and nonproliferation specialist Mary Beth D. Nikitin: * * * 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, which has raised the threat Pyongyang  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12695) by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Jeremy M. Sharp: * * * Possible Changes in U.S. Military Aid to Israel: Considerations for Congress Overview The Trump Administration and Israeli government are reportedly negotiating a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on U.S. foreign assistance to Israel, which, if completed, would make it the fourth such bilateral understanding  more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13239) on June 1, 2026, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus and legislative attorney Jason O. Heflin: * * * Prohibiting Senators from Prediction Market Participation In April 2026, the Senate agreed to S.Res. 708, as amended, to amend Senate rules to prohibit Senators, Senate officers, and Senate employees from participating in prediction markets - exchange platforms that spe more PR

WASHINGTON, June 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13238) on June 1, 2026, by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker: * * * The Role of Employer Reports in Understanding Labor Markets Much knowledge about labor markets in the United States comes from employer reports, such as employers' responses to government surveys and tax filings. While employer responses provide valuable labor market information, there are limitati more PR

WASHINGTON, June 2 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47509) on May 28, 2026, entitled "SBA COVID-19 EIDL Financial Relief: Policy Options and Considerations." The report is written by American national government specialist Bruce R. Lindsay, economic development policy analyst Adam G. Levin, public finance analyst Anthony A. Cilluffo, research assistant Daniela E. Lacalle and financial economics specialist Darryl E. Getter. Here are excerpts: * more PR

WASHINGTON, June 2 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47509) on May 28, 2026, entitled "SBA COVID-19 EIDL Financial Relief - Policy Options and Considerations:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * SBA COVID EIDL Financial Relief Policy Options Congress may consider various policy options to provide SBA COVID EIDL borrowers financial relief including loan forgiveness, loan deferrments, and reduced interest rates. Congress may also consider establ more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48959) on May 27, 2026, entitled "SBA Disaster Loan Credit Standards, Collateral Requirements and Debt Collection." The report is written by public finance analyst Anthony A. Cilluffo, American national government specialist Bruce R. Lindsay and senior research librarian Maria Kreiser. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest, long- more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12481) by Asian affairs analyst Caitlin Campbell. Here are excerpts: * * * Taiwan: Defense and Military Issues Overview Taiwan, (which formally calls itself the Republic of China, or ROC) is a self-governing democracy of 23.3 million people located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. The People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) claims but has never controlled Taiwa more PR

WASHINGTON, June 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11090) by financial economics specialist Baird Webel: * * * The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) Prior to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, insurance covering terrorism losses was normally included in commercial insurance policies without additional cost to the policyholders. The insured losses on all insurance lines from the 9/11 attacks were approximately $60 billi more PR

WASHINGTON, June 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12694) on May 27, 2026, by public finance analyst Anthony A. Cilluffo and economic development policy analyst Adam G. Levin. Here are excerpts: * * * Trump Administration's FY2027 Small Business Administration (SBA) Budget Request The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) operates a range of programs to support small businesses. These include loan guarantee and venture capita more PR