WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45101) on March 24, 2025, entitled "Congressional Gold Medals: Background, Legislative Process and Issues for Congress" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Senators and Representatives are frequently asked to support or sponsor proposals recognizing historic events and outstanding achievements by individuals or institutions. Among the various forms of rec more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45101) on March 24, 2025, entitled "Congressional Gold Medals - Background, Legislative Process and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Design of Medals Congressional Gold Medal designs vary for each issuance. In general, the authorizing legislation provides that the Secretary of the Treasury "shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47631) on March 25, 2025, entitled "Federal Disaster Assistance for Businesses: Summaries and Policy Options" by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn and American national government specialist Bruce R. Lindsay. Here are excerpts: * * * Following natural disasters and other emergencies, businesses often face damage to property, inventory, and other assets. Businesses may also  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47631) on March 25, 2025, entitled "Federal Disaster Assistance for Businesses - Summaries and Policy Options:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Department of Commerce The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which administers disaster assistance to fishing communities and fishing-related businesses, such as marinas, recrea more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48176) on March 25, 2025, entitled "FY2025 Appropriations Status: In Brief" by Megan S. Lynch and James V. Saturno, Congress and legislative process specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Each year, Congress makes decisions about appropriations to provide discretionary funding for a broad range of government activities related to defense, transportation, education, the environment, ho more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R43744) on March 20, 2025, entitled "Monuments and Memorials Authorized Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia" by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Under the Commemorative Works Act (CWA) of 1986, Congress may authorize commemorative works to be placed in the District of Columbia or its environs. Once a commemorative work has been au more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R43744) on March 20, 2025, entitled "Monuments and Memorials Authorized Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Site Locations to Be Determined John Adams and His Family In November 2001, Congress authorized the Adams Memorial Foundation to "establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44175) on March 26, 2025, entitled "Navy Shipboard Lasers: Background and Issues for Congress" by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary This report provides background information and issues for Congress on shipboard solid state lasers (SSLs) that the Navy is developing for surface-ship self-defense. The Navy's proposed FY2025 budget requests continued research a more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44175) on March 26, 2025, entitled "Navy Shipboard Lasers - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * ODIN Overview Optical Dazzler Interdictor Navy (ODIN) systems have been installed on eight Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyers. Figure 10 and Figure 11 reportedly show an ODIN system. The first ODIN installation reportedly was done on the destroyer Dewey (DDG-105) more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48469) on March 24, 2025, entitled "The Seafood Import Monitoring Program" by natural resources policy analyst Anthony R. Marshak. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) is a federal risk-based seafood traceability program that sets reporting and recordkeeping requirements from the point of harvest to entry into U.S. commerce. The National Marine Fisher more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48469) on March 24, 2025, entitled "The Seafood Import Monitoring Program:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Planned Next Steps for the Seafood Import Monitoring Program NOAA has considered potential expansions and refinements to SIMP's implementation, including an evaluation of the program. In December 2022, NMFS issued a proposed rule to expand SIMP in accordance with directives in the  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12772) on March 25, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) Program Background The Army's current self-propelled artillery system, the M109 Paladin, first entered service in the 1960s and has been upgraded numerous times. The Army has two types of artillery: self-propelled, a more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IF12241) on March 20, 2025, by health policy analyst Kavya Sekar: * * * The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) During public health crises like the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has served as a face of the federal government's public health response. CDC's stated mission is to "protect America from more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12531) on March 24, 2025, by American national government analyst Barry J. McMillion. Here are excerpts: * * * Civil Case and Criminal Felony Defendant Filings in U.S. District Courts (2024): Overview and Analysis The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts regularly compiles data related to the workload of the federal courts. This Insight provides a brief overview and analysis of more PR

WASHINGTON, March 28 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on March 27, 2025, entitled "The Long-Term Budget Outlook - 2025 to 2055:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Chapter 2: Spending and Revenues Overview In the Congressional Budget Office's projections, which reflect the assumption that current laws governing taxes and spending generally remain unchanged, total federal outlays equal 23.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, remain near th more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IF12681) on March 20, 2025, by health policy specialist Johnathan H. Duff and legislative attorney Jennifer A. Staman. Here are excerpts: * * * Contingency Management for Substance Use Disorders Treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) typically involves pharmacological or psychosocial therapies. For instance, certain medications are used in treatment for alcohol, tobacco, or more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12530) on March 20, 2025, by foreign affairs analyst Joshua Klein: * * * Ecuador's 2025 Elections: Implications for U.S. Policy On February 9, 2025, Ecuador held national presidential and legislative elections. Incumbent President Daniel Noboa of the center-right National Democratic Action (ADN) obtained 44.17% of the vote. His principal challenger for the presidency, Luisa Gonz more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12705) on March 26, 2025, by environmental policy specialist Laura Gatz. Here are excerpts: * * * Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) for Steam Electric Power Plants Overview The Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits the discharge of pollutants from any point source into "waters of the United States" without a permit. Thus, industrial and other facilities that discharge to waters of the U more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12165) on March 25, 2025, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Administrative Expenses Federal regional commissions and authorities (hereinafter regional commissions) are congressionally chartered, federal-state partnerships that seek to address economic distress in their designated regi more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11140) on March 25, 2025, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * 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 participatio more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10876) on March 24, 2025, by military personnel specialist Kristy N. Kamarck and defense health care policy specialist Bryce H. P. Mendez. Here are excerpts: * * * Military Suicide Prevention and Response Background When a servicemember dies by suicide, those close to the member often experience shock, anger, guilt, and sorrow. As such, a servicemember's suicide may adversely more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12535) on March 26, 2025, by economic policy analyst D. Andrew Austin. Here are excerpts: * * * Overview of Recent Fiscal Spending Projections This brief summarizes projections for major components of the federal budget from the January 2025 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) budget outlook and the Biden Administration FY2025 budget submission issued in March 2024. The FY2026 budget subm more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11563) on March 24, 2025, by research librarian Laura L. Monagle: * * * Planning and Paying for College: Federal Government Resources This Insight describes federal online resources intended to help students and parents plan and acquire funds for postsecondary education. These include federal resources that provide general information on scholarships, grants, fellowships, loans, more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12532) on March 25, 2025, by Rebecca M. Nelson, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Russia's Central Bank Assets After Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, the Group of 7 countries (G7, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) announced coordinated sanctions against Russ more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12534) on March 26, 2025, by Russian and European affairs specialists Andrew S. Bowen and Cory Welt. Here are excerpts: * * * Russia's War Against Ukraine: Ceasefire Talks and Related Issues Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. More than three years later, Russia and Ukraine remain engaged in Europe's largest war in scope and scale since World War II. With  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12948) on March 25, 2025, by section research manager Paul S. Davies. Here are excerpts: * * * Social Security Fraud Overview Social Security Programs The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers Social Security, a social insurance program that protects an insured worker and his or her eligible family members against a loss of income due to the worker's retirement, di more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11279) on March 24, 2025, by legislative attorney Jared P. Cole: * * * Status of Education Department's Title IX Regulations Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal financial assistance. The Department of Education (ED) enforces the law in education programs that ED funds, including al more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12648) on March 24, 2025, by natural resources policy specialist Anna E. Normand and deputy assistant director and specialist Nicole T. Carter. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2025 Appropriations Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts. T more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12135) on March 24, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Army's Typhon Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System What Is the Army's Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) System? Reported improvements to Russian and Chinese artillery systems present a challenge to the U.S. Army. Improved longer-ranged artillery systems, new emp more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12949) on March 26, 2025, by agricultural policy analyst Lia Biondo. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Egg Production and Retail Prices According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. national average retail price of eggs per dozen hit an all-time high of $5.90 in February 2025 (Figure 1). Experts attribute this in part to an outbreak of a highly contagious and deadly viral dise more PR

WASHINGTON, March 26 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11016) on March 25, 2025, by Shayerah I. Akhtar, international trade and finance specialist: * * * U.S. Trade Policy: Trade Functions of Key Federal Agencies U.S. trade policy lies at a nexus of foreign and domestic policy. It comprises issues that shape U.S. participation in the global economy and relations with trading partners. It also affects the U.S. domestic economy, wit more PR

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12533) on March 25, 2025, by Peter J. Meyer, Latin American and Canadian affairs specialist and Kyla H. Kitamura, international trade and finance analyst: * * * U.S.-Canada Relations amid Tariffs Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act On February 1, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14193, stating that "the failure of Canada to do more" to addre more PR

WASHINGTON, March 25 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10230) on March 24, 2025, by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke. Here are excerpts: * * * Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Over the past several Congresses, Members have expressed concerns about authoritarian governance under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (2013-present). Maduro took office after garnering a narrow electoral victory followin more PR

WASHINGTON, March 24 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12581) on March 20, 2025, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * Yemen: Conflict, Red Sea Attacks and U.S. Policy Yemen is a conflict-afflicted nation along the strategic Bab al Mandab Strait, one of the world's most active shipping lanes. Since 2015, a civil war has pitted the Iran-backed Houthi movement against Yemen's interna more PR