WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10119) by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence: Here are excerpts: * * * China Primer: U.S.-China Relations Introduction The second Trump Administration has shifted the framing of U.S. policy toward the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) away from that of the first Trump and Biden Administrations. Rather than portraying the United States and China as engaged in s more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11459) by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Hypersonic Boost-Glide Weapons The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD; currently "using a secondary Department of War designation" under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025) is pursuing two types of hypersonic weapons technologies: boost-glide systems  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IF11836) by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist: * * * Defense Primer: Quantum Technology Quantum technology translates the principles of quantum physics into technological applications. Quantum technology has not yet reached maturity for most applications; however, it could hold significant implications for the future of military sensing, encryptio more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48947) entitled "Department of Transportation FY2027 Funding Request." The report is written by transportation and industry analyst Rachel Y. Tang and transportation policy specialists William J. Mallett, John Frittelli, Ben Goldman, Ali E. Lohman, Jennifer J. Marshall and Naseeb A. Souweidane. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for the fe more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48947) entitled "Department of Transportation FY2027 Funding Request:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Federal Transit Administration Federal funding assistance to public transportation agencies is provided primarily through the public transportation programs administered by FTA./28 The Trump Administration's request for FTA in FY2027 would be a 22% reduction from the amount provided in F more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12601) by education policy specialist Rebecca R. Skinner. Here are excerpts: * * * ESEA: Charter Schools Program Charter schools are public schools of choice that are created in accordance with state laws and are publicly funded and tuition-free. They are operated according to the terms of charters or contracts granted by a charter authorizer (e.g., local educational agency [LE more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12042) by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck. Here are excerpts: * * * Evergrande Group and China's Debt Challenges Congress has authorized separation or severance pay for involuntarily and voluntarily discharged servicemembers throughout most of the military's history (see Table 1). The purposes for these authorities have been three-fold: (1) to ease the transitio more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13225) by agricultural policy analyst Zachary T. Neuhofer and legislative attorney Jason O. Heflin: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Horticulture Title Congress has included a horticulture title in the farm bill since the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-234). The horticulture title of a farm bill generally contains reauthorizations, amendments, and new programs that  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13224) by education policy analyst Rita R. Zota: * * * Federal Requirements for Student Consumer Information Transparency in Higher Education In light of rising college costs and growing student loan debt, the availability of practical information about college costs, value, and quality has garnered congressional interest. Students and their families may consult various sources  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13223) by natural resources policy analyst Alicyn R. Gitlin. Here are excerpts: * * * The Federal Role in Hazardous Wildfire Fuel Treatments Introduction Hazardous fuels are combustible vegetation that accumulates on the landscape, presenting a threat of starting and spreading wildfires that resist control. Hazardous fuels and their associated wildfire threats cross land manag more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13222) by environmental policy specialists Jerry H. Yen and Angela C. Jones: * * * Fees to Administer Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act: Authority, Implementation and Reauthorizing Legislation In June 2016, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LCSA; P.L. 114-182) amended Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA; 15 U.S.C. 2601 et s more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48945) entitled "Housing Cost Burdens in 2024: In Brief." The report is written by innovation policy lab fellow Mary Daniels, economics specialist Mark P. Keightley and housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Origin of Housing Cost Burden Standards ... 1 Housing Cost Burdens in 2024 ... 2 Housing Cost Burdens by Tenure and Over Time ... 2 D ifference more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (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, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11755) by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Marine Corps' Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Background The Marine Corps describes the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) as a 'next-generation, eight-wheeled vehicle designed to move Marines from ship to shore. The vehicle will be the primary means of tactical mobility for the Marine infa more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13227) by labor policy analyst Elizabeth Weber Handwerker and legislative attorney Jon O. Shimabukuro: * * * The McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) Introduction The McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) of 1965, 41 U.S.C. Sec.Sec. 6701-6707, requires the payment of locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits to employees working pursuant to contracts that 1. are  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R43973) by senior knowledge management librarian Elizabeth C. Larson: * * * Memorial Day Speech Resources: Fact Sheet Introduction Memorial Day is a day of reflection and remembrance, established "to pay tribute to individuals who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States and their families." Memorial Day also symbolically marks the beginning of summer, because it co more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13077) by Linda R. Rowan, natural resources and earth sciences analyst: * * * National Landslide Preparedness Act and the Status of Landslide Risk Reduction In 2021, Congress passed the National Landslide Preparedness Act (NLPA; P.L. 116-323, 43 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.3101 et seq.). Among its provisions, the NLPA directs the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter, the Secretary), acting more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13133) by health policy analyst Thomas P. Hackman and senior research librarian Michele L. Malloy. Here are excerpts: * * * Overview of the Medicare Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model On June 22, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new prior authorization (PA) initiative in traditional Medicare, the Wasteful and Inappropr more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R43434) entitled "Policy and Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: Finding Documents, Analysis, News and Training." The report is written by research librarians Sarah K. Braun, Tilly Finnegan-Kennel, Ellen M. Lechman and Michele L. Malloy. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This report is intended to serve as a finding aid for congressional documents, executive branch documents and inf more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48916) entitled "Retailer Inventory and Pricing Behavior During Supply Chain Disruptions" by Michael Alan Havlin and Clare Y. Cho, industrial organization and business policy specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Recent supply chain disruptions have contributed to price increases for certain consumer goods, such as vehicles, groceries, apparel, and consumer electronics. Congress has e more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48916) entitled "Retailer Inventory and Pricing Behavior During Supply Chain Disruptions:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Selected Policy Options for Congress Some Members of Congress have expressed concern about retailers' price increases and perceptions of price gouging, particularly during supply chain disruptions. These concerns tend to be focused on retailers of certain goods that a more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13226) by natural resources policy specialists Caitlin Keating-Bitonti and Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * Seabed Mining on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf: Background and Recent Developments As part of a national effort to secure reliable supplies of critical minerals, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14285 of April 24, 2025, "Unleashing America's Offsho more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12545) by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 232 Automotive Tariffs: Issues for Congress In 2025, President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on U.S. imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. Sec.1862). Section 232 authorizes the President to take acti more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12692) by Air Force fellow Joshua Korzilius and defense policy analysts Jennifer DiMascio and Daniel M. Gettinger: * * * U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress Overview On February 28, 2026, the United States, in coordination with Israel, initiated military operations against Iran under the designation Operation Epic Fury (OEF). The confl more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12692). The white paper is written by Air Force fellow Joshua Korzilius and defense policy analysts Jennifer DiMascio and Daniel M. Gettinger: * * * U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress Overview On February 28, 2026, the United States, in coordination with Israel, initiated military operations against Iran under the designation Operati more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12678). The white paper is written by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Clayton Thomas, Jim Zanotti and Christopher M. Blanchard: * * * U.S.-Iran Ceasefire and Negotiations: Assessment and Issues for Congress An April 8 ceasefire between the United States and Iran remains in place but is on "life support," per President Donald Trump, amid intermittent fighting since May 4 that  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN10979) by Kelsi Bracmort, natural resources and energy policy specialist: * * * Year-Round Sale of E15 E15 - a fuel blend of up to 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline - generally cannot be sold during the summer driving season (June 1-September 15) because it does not meet gasoline Reid vapor pressure (RVP) requirements, which limit fuel volatility under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The sta more PR