WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Fact Sheet (No. R46293) on April 18, 2024, by reference librarian Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch: * * * Earth Day: Fact Sheet Introduction Earth Day is an annual event to raise awareness about environmental issues. First held on April 22, 1970, it is celebrated each year on April 22. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Earth Day. It contains historical information, links to legislati more PR

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12636) on April 18, 2024, by Patricia Moloney Figliola, internet and telecommunications policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * The End of the Affordable Connectivity Program: What Next for Consumers? Introduction The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) in 2021, p more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12433) on April 17, 2024, by environmental policy specialist Richard K. Lattanzio. Here are excerpts: * * * Automobiles, Air Pollution, and Climate Change On August 5, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14037, "Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks" (86 FR 43583). The order required, among other items, executive agencies to revisit and amend the federal s more PR

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11096) on April 18, 2024, by government organization and management specialist Maeve P. Carey. Here are excerpts: * * * The Congressional Review Act: Defining a "Rule" and Overturning a Rule an Agency Did Not Submit to Congress The Congressional Review Act (CRA, 5 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.801-808) provides Congress with a mechanism to review federal agency actions that meet the CRA's definition o more PR

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12635) on April 18, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Nicole T. Carter and Anna E. Normand. Here are excerpts: * * * https://crsreports.congress.gov April 18, 2024 Continuing Authorities Programs (CAPs) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) can study and implement certain types of water resource projects without project-specific cong more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11211) on April 15, 2024, by European affairs specialist Kristin Archick. Here are excerpts: * * * The European Parliament and U.S. Interests A Key EU Institution The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected institution of the 27-country European Union (EU). The EP's current 705 members represent the EU's roughly 445 million citizens. The EP has accumulated more power ove more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10211) on April 15, 2024, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Foreign Leaders Addressing Congress Foreign leaders are periodically invited to address Congress. The first address by a foreign dignitary occurred on December 10, 1824, when Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette addressed the House. The most recent address took place on April 11, 2024, more PR

WASHINGTON, April 19 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12636) on April 18, 2024, by environmental policy analyst Jonathan D. Haskett and energy policy specialist Mark Holt. Here are excerpts: * * * Nuclear Energy in a Climate Change Context: Current Appropriations for Nuclear Energy Development The potential role of nuclear energy in mitigating climate change has been a significant element of recent congressional discussions about energy a more PR

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12433) on April 17, 2024, by Maeve P. Carey and Natalie R. Ortiz, government organization and management specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * The Paperwork Reduction Act and Federal Collections of Information: A Brief Overview Congress enacted the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) in 1980 and reauthorized it in 1995 (codified at 44 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.3501-3521) in part to address a concern th more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10506) on April 15, 2024, by income security analyst and social policy analyst Emma K. Tatem. Here are excerpts: * * * Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Overview Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is part of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, commonly known as Social Security. OASDI is a federal social insurance program that provides m more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12135) on April 16, 2024, 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 employment t more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12540) on April 15, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Caitlin Keating-Bitonti and Carol Hardy Vincent. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2024 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 the more PR