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The article discusses that fiscal policy and recovery from the Covid-19 recession in the U.S. It mentions the concerns about the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and government policies aimed at limiting person-to-person contact. It also discusses the health concerns of the public and the stay-at-home and shutdown orders designed to limit contact reduced cash flow to businesses and increased the number of unemployed workers.

In the past half-century, in government and beyond, information creation, distribution, retention, and preservation activities have transitioned from a tangible, paper-based process to digital processes managed through computerized information technologies. Information is created as a digital object which then may be rendered as a text, image, or video file. Those files are then distributed through a myriad of outlets ranging from particular software applications and websites to social media platforms. The material may be produced in tangible, printed form, but typically remains in digital formats. The Government Publishing Office (GPO) is a legislative branch agency that serves all three branches of the national government as a centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published information. The agency is overseen by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP), which in 1895 was charged with overseeing and regulating U.S. government printing. GPO operates on the basis of a number of statutory authorities first granted in the 19th and 20th centuries that presume the existence of government information in an ink-on-paper format, because no other format existed when those authorities were enacted. GPO's activities include the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which provides permanent public access to published federal government information, and which last received legislative consideration in 1962. In light of the governance and technological changes of the past four decades, a relevant question for Congress might arise: To what extent can decades-old authorities and work patterns meet the challenges of digital government information? For example, the widespread availability of government information in digital form has led some to question whether paper versions of some publications might be eliminated in favor of digital versions, but others note that paper versions are still required for a variety of reasons. Another area of concern focuses on questions about the capacity of current information dissemination authorities to enable the provision of digital government information in an effective and efficient manner. With regard to information retention, the emergence of a predominantly digital FDLP may raise questions about the capacity of GPO to manage the program given its existing statutory authorities. These questions are further complicated by the lack of a stable, robust set of digital information resources and management practices like those that were in place when Congress last considered current government information policies. The 1895 printing act was arguably an expression of the state-of-the-art standard of printing technology and provided a foundation which supported government information distribution for more than a century. By contrast, in the fourth or fifth decade of transitioning from the tangible written word to ubiquitous digital creation and distribution, the way ahead is not as clear, due in part to a lack of widely understood and accepted standards for managing digital information. This report examines three areas related to the production, distribution, retention, and management of government information in a primarily digital environment. These areas include • the Joint Committee on Printing; • the Federal Depository Library Program; and • government information management in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the second half of the 19th century, the federal government pursued a policy of confining Indian tribes to reservations. The federal statutes and treaties reserving such land for Indian reservations typically did not address the water needs of these reservations, a fact that has given rise to questions and disputes regarding Indian reserved water rights. Dating to a 1908 Supreme Court ruling, courts generally have held that many tribes have a reserved right to water sufficient to fulfill the purpose of their reservations and that this right took effect on the date the reservations were established. This means that, in the context of a state water law system of prior appropriations, which is common in many U.S. western states, many tribes have water rights senior to those of non-Indian users with water rights and access established subsequent to the Indian reservations' creation. Although many Indian tribes hold senior water rights through their reservations, the quantification of these rights is undetermined in many cases. Since 1990, the Department of the Interior's policy has been that Indian water rights should be resolved through negotiated settlements rather than litigation. These agreements allow tribes to quantify their water rights on paper, while also procuring access to water through infrastructure and other related expenses. In addition to tribes and federal government representatives, settlement negotiations may involve states, water districts, and private water users, among others. Approval and implementation of Indian water rights settlements typically requires federal action-often in the form of congressional approval. As of March 2023, 39 Indian water rights settlements had been federally approved, with total estimated costs in excess of $8.5 billion (nominal dollars). Of these, 35 settlements were approved and enacted by Congress and 4 were administratively approved by the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior. One new settlement was approved in the 117th Congress, and another existing settlement was amended. Additional new and amended settlements have been proposed in the 118th Congress. After congressional approval, federal projects associated with approved Indian water rights settlements generally have been implemented by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), pursuant to congressional directions. Historically, federal funding for settlements generally has been provided through discretionary appropriations; Congress also has approved mandatory funding for some settlements. The Reclamation Water Settlements Fund was created in 2009 under P.L. 111-11 as a source of additional funding for existing and future settlements. It is scheduled to provide $120 million per year in mandatory funding for settlements through FY2029, with the availability of these funds set to expire in FY2034. More recently, in 2021, Congress approved and appropriated $2.5 billion for another Indian water rights fund, the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund, in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). The FY2024 President's budget request for Reclamation proposed additional changes in funding for these settlements. At issue for Congress is under what circumstances new Indian water rights settlements should be considered, approved, and amended, and to what extent Congress should fund existing settlements. Many have noted that the resolution of Indian water rights settlements is a mutually beneficial means of resolving long-standing legal issues. Although there is little opposition to the generally stated principle that negotiated settlements are preferable to litigation, in some cases the executive branch and/or other water users oppose individual settlements (or elements thereof). Other questions include how to manage cost overruns associated with these settlements and who should be in charge of settlement implementation and oversight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deadlocked November 2000 presidential election focused national attention on previously obscure details of election administration. Congress responded with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 107-252). HAVA created the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), established a set of election administration requirements, and provided federal funding, but it did not supplant state and local control over election administration. Several issues have arisen or persisted in the years since HAVA was enacted. Some observers have criticized the EAC for being obtrusive, slow, ineffectual, or even unnecessary. Others believe that the agency is an important resource for improving the election administration. The EAC lacked a quorum of commissioners between 2011 and 2015. HAVA requires computerized state voter registration systems, and its voting-system requirements promote the use of electronic voting systems. However, those systems, especially the kinds that record votes directly into a computer's memory (DREs), raise concerns about security and reliability. In response, many states have enacted requirements for paper ballot records that can be verified by the voter and used in recounts. All states now use paper-based optical scan systems for at least some voters, and most use them in at least some polling places. DRE systems are also used in most states, in many cases to meet HAVA accessibility requirements, but in several states to serve as the primary voting system in at least some jurisdictions. Several states also have jurisdictions that still use hand-counted paper ballots. Both DRE and optical scan voting systems are computerized, with votes counted electronically. All computerized systems, whether used in the polling place or the election office, are potentially vulnerable to unauthorized access aimed at stealing, deleting, or modifying the information that the systems store or process. Such vulnerabilities apply not only to systems with Internet connectivity but also those that can be accessed electronically through other means, such as memory cards. Documented intrusions into systems of state and local election offices and political organizations in 2016 have amplified concerns about attempts by nation-states such as Russia, or by nonstate actors, to use tampering or disinformation campaigns to influence the election. The Department of Homeland Security and the EAC are providing assistance to states to help them secure their systems. Whether such actions will be sufficient is a subject of ongoing debate, although many observers expect that the risk of tampering is minimal. HAVA's limited voter-identification provisions did not resolve the longstanding controversy over whether broad identification requirements are needed to prevent voter fraud, or whether such requirements would create an unacceptable risk of disenfranchising legitimate voters. Many states have enacted requirements that voters present identification documents at polling places. Also, while HAVA's voter-registration requirements may have improved that process, some observers have argued that more automated registration systems are needed to make further improvements. HAVA authorized $3.65 billion in payments to states to replace voting systems and meet the requirements of the act. Congress appropriated $3.28 billion of that amount between FY2003 and FY2010. Altogether, more than $3.5 billion of HAVA funds were appropriated through FY2016: the $3.28 billion in election reform payments to states, $196 million for the EAC and its programs, and more than $129 million in accessibility payments to states, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Numerous bills to amend HAVA have been considered in Congress, but none have been enacted except the 2009 MOVE Act, which made some amendments relating to uniformed services and overseas voters. In the 114th Congress, H.R. 195, reported by the Committee on House Administration, would eliminate the EAC and transfer its functions to the Federal Election Commission. House-passed appropriations bills for FY2014 and FY2015 would have defunded the EAC, but the agency has received about $10 million in final appropriations for each fiscal year since FY2012. Other bills in the 114th Congress would address a variety of issues, and some committees have held hearings on election issues, including security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On September 14, 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-81), into law. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA) amended the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) of 1995 (P.L. 104-65, as amended) to provide, among other changes to federal law and House and Senate rules, additional and more frequent disclosures of lobbying contacts and activities. This report explains the role of the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in the implementation and administration of lobbying registration and disclosure requirements and summarizes the guidance documents they have jointly issued. Under the LDA, the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate manage the registration, filing, and collection of documents submitted by lobbyists and lobbying firms. Prior to the HLOGA, lobbyists were required to file paper documents with both the Clerk and the Secretary. These forms are now filed electronically and jointly with the Clerk and the Secretary. In addition, the Clerk and the Secretary are responsible for making documents publicly available and reporting incorrect or false filings to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Beginning in December 2007, the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate issued joint guidance documents for HLOGA implementation. The initial guidance document identified eight substantive changes to the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act, and discussed how the Clerk and Secretary interpret and implement the HLOGA's provisions. In addition, the guidance document provided direction on successful completion of quarterly registration and disclosure documents, the new semiannual campaign contribution reporting requirement, and interpretation of the Clerk and Secretary's role in referring noncompliance to the U.S. attorney. Since issuing the initial guidance document in 2007, the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate, pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §1605, have conducted periodic reviews of existing guidance and have issued multiple updates. The document was last updated on January 31, 2017. That update reflected adjustments in registration thresholds pursuant to changes in the Consumer Price Index; provided additional clarifications on identifying clients and covered officials; provided additional examples for filing by outside lobbyists; clarified that all income and expenditure reporting should be rounded to the nearest $10,000; clarified that all "sole proprietors" are required to file two LD-203 disclosure forms-one for the registrant [firm] and one for the individual lobbyist; and encouraged filers to use the online public database for compliance purposes. For further analysis on the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act and the Lobbying Disclosure Act, see CRS Report R40245, Lobbying Registration and Disclosure: Bef ore and After the Enactment of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, by Jacob R. Straus; and CRS Report R44292, The Lobbying Disclosure Act at 20: Analysis and Issues f or Congress, by Jacob R. Straus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers an overview of the state of the U.S. economy and explores the fiscal measures taken in response to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the two forms of fiscal policy responses during an economic downturn, the theoretical and empirical effects of fiscal policy, and an outlook on federal debt.

The article examines the economic and societal benefits of nanotechnology. Topics mentioned include the National Nanotechnology Initiative launched in 2000 to advance nanotechnology research, development and commercialization, its structure and funding agency and program component area, and the implications of nanotechnology to the environment, health, and safety. Other selected issues discussed include competitiveness, scientific papers, and patents, as well as nanomanufacturing.

The article offers information about several issues related to the administration of tax benefits in the United States. It Includes concerns the application for tax benefits, which is the federal income tax return, and the verification of data provided on it; many households use paid preparers and commercial software to file their tax returns, which can affect the accuracy of the data provided.

The article offers information on a series of proposals submitted by the U.S. since 2017 to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) partners to relax its export guidelines for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It discusses the objective of the MTCR, a white paper presented by the U.S. concerning exports of Category I UAS, exporters of Category I UAS, concerns of experts on UAS proliferation, and restrictions imposed by the U.S. on UAS exports.

The article offers information on the election administration issues since the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in the U.S. Topics include the use of computers in managing voter registration lists, vote counting, and other aspects of election administration, importance of cybersecurity, and adoption of direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting system.

The article discusses the lead of the U.S. in public investments in nanotechnology research and development (R&D), noting other nations that have established similar programs and increased funding. It notes the amount of investments in nanotechnology from public, private and corporations, led by the U.S. followed by Asia and Europe. It mentions that U.S. had fallen behind Russia and China in nanotechnology R&D funding on a purchasing power parity basis.

The article focuses on the evaluation of the U.S. refundable tax credit Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through its efficiency on the labor force participation of unmarried workers.

The article presents a report of the U.S. Congressional Research Services on the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) Risk Adjustment Program. Topics discussed include aims of the act to reduce incentives that insurers may have to avoid enrolling individuals at risk of high health care costs in the private health insurance market; permanent risk adjustment program as established by ACA; and role of risk adjustment in risk mitigation.

The article focuses on Government interventions to end the financial crises in U.S. Topics discussed include asset-backed securities ( ABS) faced financial crisis; several government programs by Congress such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Federal Reserve; and contribution of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, housing government sponsored enterprises in financial investments.

The article focuses on the constitutional powers of Congress and the President regarding foreign trade agreements, examining the roles each branch plays in the negotiation and approval processes. It discusses the evolving landscape of trade agreements, particularly the emergence of hybrid agreements that blend congressional and executive authority, raising legal questions about their constitutionality and the implications for the balance of power in U.S. trade policy.

The article focuses on the development and strategic implications of hypersonic weapons by the U.S. as part of its conventional prompt global strike program. It highlights the distinction between hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles, emphasizing the increasing interest and funding from both the Pentagon and Congress due to advancements in hypersonic technology by adversaries like Russia and China.

The article focuses on the U.S. President Joe Biden Administration's executive actions affecting federal student loan programs, highlighting the modifications made to address the significant student debt crisis in the U.S. It outlines the various actions taken from Fiscal year 2021 to Fiscal Year 2023, their financial implications, and the contrasting views on their effectiveness and costs to the federal government.

The article provides information on the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class (SSN-774) nuclear-powered attack submarine program and AUKUS submarine (Pillar 1) project, as well as policy considerations for Congress. The budget proposed by the Navy for fiscal year 2025 seeks to procure one SSN-774 that would become the 41st boat in the class, with an estimated cost of 5,759.5 million dollars. Pillar 1 involves the deployment, selling and development of SSN by Australia, the United kingdom and the U.S.

The article provides information on the U.S. Navy's Constellation-class (FFG-62) frigate program and related considerations for Congress. The program aims to procure at least 20 FFG-62 frigates, including the six ships that have been acquired through fiscal year (FY) 2024. The budget proposed by the Navy for FY2025 requests 1,170.4 million dollars to procure the seventh ship in the program. Potential oversight issues to be considered by Congress include the risk of cost growth in the program.

The article provides information on the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) destroyer programs and related policy considerations for Congress. The Navy has procured 94 DDG-51 ships through fiscal year (FY) 2024. The budget proposed by the Navy for FY2025 seeks to procure two more DDG-51 costing about 2.5 billion dollars each. The Navy procured three DDG-1000 destroyers in FY2007 to FY2009 but plans no further procurement of the ships.

The article explores the potential use of coastal blue carbon ecosystems as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach and related considerations for the U.S. Congress. It describes the nature of coastal blue carbon ecosystems and their CDR capacity, as well as the importance of improving the mapping of such ecosystems to determine their carbon sequestriation and carbon storage ability and durability. It discusses several legislative issues to be considered by Congress related to such ecosystems.

The Navy’s Columbia (SSBN-826) class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) program is a program to design and build a class of 12 new SSBNs to replace the Navy’s current force of 14 aging Ohio-class SSBNs. Since 2013, the Navy has consistently identified the Columbia-class program as the Navy’s top priority program. The Navy procured the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021; the boat was funded with three-year incremental funding in FY2021-FY2023. The Navy procured the second Columbia-class boat in FY2024; the boat is being funded with two-year incremental funding (also called split funding) in FY2024-FY2025. The Navy wants to procure the remaining 10 boats in the program—boats 3 through 12—at a rate of one per year in FY2026- FY2035. The Navy’s FY2025 budget submission estimates the total procurement cost of the first boat at $15,179.1 million (i.e., about $15.2 billion) and the procurement cost of the second Columbia-class boat at $9,283.1 million (i.e., about $9.3 billion). The first boat’s procurement cost is much higher than that of subsequent boats in the class because the first boat includes most of the detail design/nonrecurring engineering (DD/NRE) costs for the class. (It is a long-standing Navy budgetary practice to incorporate the DD/NRE costs for a new class of ship into the total procurement cost of the first ship in the class.) The first boat’s estimated procurement cost includes $6,557.6 million for plans, meaning (essentially) the DD/NRE costs for the class. Excluding costs for plans, the estimated hands-on construction cost of the first ship is $8,621.5 million (i.e., about $8.6 billion). The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $3,341.2 million (i.e., about $3.3 billion) in procurement funding to complete the procurement cost of the second Columbia-class boat and $6,215.9 million (i.e., about $6.2 billion) in advance procurement (AP) funding for Columbia class boats to be procured in FY2026 and subsequent years. Issues for Congress for the Columbia-class program include the following: • The impact of an estimated 12- to 16-month delay in the delivery of the first Columbia-class boat on the Navy’s plans for replacing Ohio-class SSBNs on a timely basis; • industrial-base challenges of building both Columbia-class boats and Virginia-class attack submarines (SSNs) at the same time; • the risk of cost growth in the Columbia-class program; and • the potential impact of the Columbia-class program on funding that will be available for other Navy programs, including other shipbuilding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains the multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC) mechanisms that the U.S. Congress allows the Department of Defense to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs, as well as related considerations for Congress. It describes similarities and differences between MYP and BBC, as well as the funding approaches of each contracting mechanism. It discusses issues to be faced by Congress, including the frequency of using MYP or BBC.

The article offers information on capital income and its importance as a source of income in the U.S. Topics discussed include the effects of the trends in the distribution of wealth on income distribution, the mean value of family financial assets by percentile of income, and factor that contributes to high income inequality.

The article focuses on U.S. government information products intended by current statutory arrangements to pass through the Government Publishing Office (GPO) for production and distribution. It is said that publicly available information about government activity ensures accountability and transparency of government action.

The article discusses the distributional effects of the corporate income tax in the U.S. Explored is the study which utilizes corporate tax rates to evaluate manufacturing wages' differences. Also tackled are empirical wage studies and cross-country studies, including one on the taxation of labor income.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including corporate taxes in the U.S., tax rates and taxation reform.

Industrial hemp is an agricultural commodity that is cultivated for use in the production of a wide range of products, including foods and beverages, cosmetics and personal care products, nutritional supplements, fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibers, paper, construction and insulation materials, and other manufactured goods. Hemp can be grown as a fiber, seed, or other dual-purpose crop. However, hemp is also from the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa, as marijuana. As a result, production in the United States is restricted due to hemp's association with marijuana, and the U.S. market is largely dependent on imports, both as finished hemp-containing products and as ingredients for use in further processing (mostly from Canada and China). Current industry estimates report U.S. hemp sales at nearly $600 million annually. In the early 1990s there was a sustained resurgence of interest to allow for commercial hemp cultivation in the United States. Several states conducted economic or market studies and initiated or enacted legislation to expand state-level resources and production. Congress made significant changes to federal policies regarding hemp in the 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79, §7606). The 2014 farm bill provided that certain research institutions and state departments of agriculture may grow hemp under an agricultural pilot program. The bill further established a statutory definition for industrial hemp as "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis." Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol is the dominant psychotrophic ingredient in Cannabis sativa. In subsequent omnibus appropriations, Congress has blocked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal law enforcement authorities from interfering with state agencies, hemp growers, and agricultural research. Appropriators have also blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from prohibiting the transportation, processing, sale, or use of industrial hemp that is grown or cultivated in accordance with the 2014 farm bill provision. Despite these efforts, industrial hemp continues to be subject to U.S. drug laws, and growing industrial hemp is restricted. Under current U.S. drug policy, all cannabis varieties--including industrial hemp--are considered Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA, 21 U.S.C. §§801 et seq.), and DEA continues to control and regulate hemp production. Strictly speaking, the CSA does not make growing hemp illegal; rather, it places strict controls on its production and enforces standards governing the security conditions under which the crop must be grown, making it illegal to grow without a DEA permit. In other words, a grower needs to get permission from DEA to grow hemp or faces the possibility of federal charges or property confiscation. Further guidance from DEA, USDA, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), issued in August 2016, provides additional clarification regarding federal authorities' position on industrial hemp and its future policies and enforcement actions regarding its cultivation and marketing. Although many in the U.S. hemp industry were encouraged by parts of the 2016 guidance, they have expressed concerns about other aspects of the statement. Congress has continued to introduce legislation to further advance industrial hemp and could further address these concerns in the next farm bill. Legislation introduced in the House, as part of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act--first introduced in the 109th Congress--would amend the CSA to specify that the term marijuana does not include industrial hemp. A Senate companion bill was introduced in the 114th Congress. In addition, in the 114th Congress, bills were introduced in both the House and the Senate that would amend the CSA "to exclude cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants from the definition of marihuana" intended to promote the possible medical applications of industrial hemp. These bills may be reintroduced in the 115th Congress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the U.S. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, addressing common inquiries regarding its funding, expenditures, assistance caseload, benefit amounts, and work requirements. It highlights the fixed federal funding provided to states, the utilization of funds for various benefits and services, and the impact of inflation on the value of the TANF basic block grant.

The article focuses on the evaluation of the U.S. refundable tax credit Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through its efficiency on the labor force participation of married workers.

The article offers information on various factors that trigger trends among top earners, thus affect income distribution. Factors include economies of scale, the economics of superstars, and pay-setting dynamics and the structure of compensation. Also mentioned are social norms and licensing requirements.

The article presents an introduction and overview of the paper "Voter Identification Requirements: Background and Legal Issues" from the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Topics include the status of voter identification (ID) requirements in the U.S., the ID requirement in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the public support for the photo ID requirement to vote.

The article offers information on the kinds of voting systems in the U.S. under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Among the voting systems discussed such as the optical scan systems such as electronic ballot-marking device (BMD), the direct recording electronic (DRE) systems, and the hand-counted paper ballots.

The article presents a paper by Elizabeth Rybicki titled "Amendments Between the Houses: Procedural Options and Effects." Topics include the need for the U.S. Congress and Senate to have the same legislative language in a bill prior to its presentation to the U.S. President, the method of amendment exchange, and the use of a conference committee. It also discusses the motion to recommit, the concept of "filling the tree," and the filing of cloture.

The article presents a report of the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), that talks about the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the labor market and women's employment in the U.S. It mentions women are more concentrated in the jobs most affected by business closures and restrictions.

The article explores the factors and policy options contributing wage inequality and the stagnation of earnings of low-wage workers including technological advancement, globalization and wage setting institutional changes in the U.S. Topics include an economic research that suggests a major force in causing this growing wage inequality and lower wage growth was skill-based technological change; decline in unions and labor force mobility; and Wage Insurance policies and Federal Job Guarantee.

The article discusses the domestic programs and operations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Topics explored include the commitment of CDC to health promotion in addition to disease prevention, the support being extended by the CDC to public health research and education, and the legislative reform of the CDC considered by some members of the U.S. Congress due to its performance during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The article discusses the financial assistance programs of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which aim to help disaster survivors. Topics explored include the way both agencies share real-time information on grant and disaster loan approvals, the eligibility for SBA's Disaster Loan Program, and the application process for the Individual Assistance (IA) and Individuals and Households Program (IHP) of FEMA.

The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. The seven other Arctic states are Russia, Canada, Iceland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The Arctic Research and Policy Act (ARPA) of 1984 (Title I of P.L. 98-373 of July 31, 1984) "provide[s] for a comprehensive national policy dealing with national research needs and objectives in the Arctic." The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the lead federal agency for implementing Arctic research policy. The Arctic Council, created in 1996, is the leading international forum for addressing issues relating to the Arctic. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets forth a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans, including the Arctic Ocean. The United States is not a party to UNCLOS. An array of climate changes in the Arctic is now documented by observing systems, with more expected with future greenhouse gas-driven climate change. Observed physical changes in the Arctic include warming ocean, soil, and air temperatures; melting permafrost; shifting vegetation and animal abundances; and altered characteristics of Arctic cyclones. A monitoring report of the Arctic Council concluded in 2019 that "the Arctic biophysical system is now clearly trending away from its previous state [in the 20th century] and into a period of unprecedented change, with implications not only within but also beyond the Arctic." Following the end of the Cold War, the Arctic states sought to maintain the Arctic as a region of cooperation, low tension, peaceful resolution of disputes, and respect for international law. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the emergence of great power competition between the United States, Russia, and China has introduced elements of competition and tension into the Arctic's geopolitical environment. Russia's war in Ukraine beginning on February 24, 2022, has further affected the region's geopolitical environment by prompting the seven Arctic states other than Russia to suspend most forms of Arctic cooperation with Russia, by prompting Finland and Sweden to apply for NATO membership (they are now NATO members), and in other ways. The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Coast Guard are devoting increased attention to the Arctic in their planning, budgeting, and operations. Whether DOD and the Coast Guard are taking sufficient actions for defending U.S. interests in the region is a topic of congressional oversight. The Coast Guard has two operational polar icebreakers and through FY2023 has received funding for procuring the first two of four or five planned new heavy polar icebreakers. The diminishment of Arctic ice could lead in coming years to increased commercial shipping on two trans-Arctic sea routes-the Northern Sea Route close to Russia, and the Northwest Passage close to Alaska and through the Canadian archipelago-though the rate of increase in the use of these routes might not be as great as sometimes anticipated in press accounts. International guidelines for ships operating in Arctic waters have been updated. Changes to the Arctic brought about by warming temperatures will likely allow more onshore and offshore exploration for oil, gas, and minerals. Warming that causes permafrost to melt could pose challenges to onshore exploration activities. Increased vessel traffic (e.g., oil and gas exploration, cruise ships, expanded fishing activities) in the Arctic increase the risk of pollution in Arctic waters. Cleaning up oil spills in ice-covered waters will be more difficult than in other areas, primarily because effective strategies for cleaning up oil spills in ice-covered waters have yet to be developed. Changes in the Arctic could result in migration of fish stocks to new waters, and could affect protected species. The United States is working with other countries regarding the management of Arctic fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on social security coverage of local government and state employees in the U.S. Topics discussed include the beneficiaries of social security, the source of funding for the social security program of the federal government, the expansion of coverage under the program by the U.S. Congress, the debate on proposals to make social security coverage for state and local government employees, and major categories of work not covered by the program.

This article presents information on the role of the federal government in dam removal in the U.S. Topics discussed include reasons for dam removal by dam owners and stakeholders, and the dam removal process. It also tackles factors that influence the federal government's role in dam removal, such as ownership, location and purpose.

The article discusses the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international security environment and highlights assessments by the U.S. intelligence community. It identifies various areas where the pandemic could bring about changes, including shifts in global governance, impacts on U.S. global leadership, alterations in great power competition, changes in democratic and authoritarian governance, economic effects, and shifts in military operations.

The emergence over the past decade of intensified U.S. competition with the People's Republic of China (PRC or China) and the Russian Federation (Russia)-often referred to as great power competition (GPC) or strategic competition-has profoundly changed the conversation about U.S. defense issues from what it was during the post-Cold War era: Counterterrorist operations and U.S. military operations in the Middle East-which had been more at the center of discussions of U.S. defense issues following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001-are now a less prominent (but still present) element in the conversation, and the conversation now focuses more on the following elements, all of which relate largely to China and/or Russia: • grand strategy and geopolitics as a starting point for discussing U.S. defense issues; • the force-planning standard, meaning the number and types of simultaneous or overlapping conflicts or other contingencies that the U.S. military should be sized to be able to conduct-a planning factor that can strongly impact the size of the U.S. defense budget; • organizational changes within the Department of Defense (DOD); • nuclear weapons, nuclear deterrence, and nuclear arms control; • global U.S. military posture; • U.S. and allied military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region; • U.S. and NATO military capabilities in Europe; • new U.S. military service operational concepts; • capabilities for conducting so-called high-end conventional warfare; • maintaining U.S. superiority in conventional weapon technologies; • innovation and speed of U.S. weapon system development and deployment; • mobilization capabilities for an extended-length large-scale conflict; • supply chain security, meaning awareness and minimization of reliance in U.S. military systems on components, subcomponents, materials, and software from non-allied countries, particularly China and Russia; and • capabilities for countering so-called hybrid warfare and gray-zone tactics. The issue for Congress is how U.S. defense planning and budgeting should respond to GPC and whether to approve, reject, or modify the Biden Administration's defense strategy and proposed funding levels, plans, and programs for addressing GPC. Congress's decisions on these issues could have significant implications for U.S. defense capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. defense industrial base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many wars or conflicts in U.S. history have federally designated "periods of war," dates marking their beginning and ending. These dates are important for qualification for certain veterans' pension or disability benefits. Confusion can occur because beginning and ending dates for "periods of war" in many nonofficial sources are often different from those given in treaties and other official sources of information, and armistice dates can be confused with termination dates. This report lists the beginning and ending dates for "periods of war" found in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It also lists and differentiates other beginning dates given in declarations of war, as well as termination of hostilities dates and armistice and ending dates given in proclamations, laws, or treaties. The dates for the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are included along with the official end date for Operation New Dawn in Iraq on December 15, 2011, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on December 28, 2014, and Operation Freedom's Sentinel on September 30, 2021. Operation Inherent Resolve continues along the Syrian-Iraqi border effective October 15, 2014. Operation Enduring Sentinel, initiated on October 1, 2021 to counter terrorist threats from Afghanistan, remains ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the changing dynamics in the Arctic, with topics including the impact of diminishing sea ice, geopolitical competition among the United States, Russia, and China, and increased military operations, commercial shipping, and resource exploration in the region. It highlights the significance of these changes for the United States, particularly with regard to its political, economic, energy, and environmental interests in the Arctic.

The article focuses on the evolution of U.S. foreign policy regarding democracy and human rights, tracing congressional involvement since the 1970s. Topics discussed include the historical context, contemporary challenges, and various policy tools Congress employs to promote democracy and human rights globally.

The article focuses on the Antiquities Act of 1906, detailing controversies surrounding presidential actions regarding the establishment, modification, and abolition of national monuments. Topics include debates over the extent of presidential authority, monument size, and the inclusion of nonfederal lands within monument boundaries, reflecting ongoing legislative proposals and concerns from b U.S. federal policies both advocates and critics.

The article discusses the cross-country empirical study by Djankov et. al. on the Laffer curve and the impact of U.S. corporate tax rates on investment, entrepreneurship and wages. The authors cite that the Djankov study is a single cross section and therefore does not allow for analysis of fixed country effects, and comment on theoretical problems with the study, which includes the use of a hypothetical firm and cash flow tax rate variable that are not representative of situations.

The House and Senate must pass the same bill or joint resolution in precisely the same form before it can be presented to the President. Once both houses have passed the same measure, they can resolve their differences over the text of that measure either through an exchange of amendments between the houses or through the creation of a conference committee. The House and Senate each have an opportunity to amend the other chamber's amendments to a bill; thus, there can be House amendments to Senate amendments to House amendments to a Senate bill. If either chamber accepts the other's amendments, the legislative process is complete. Alternatively, each house may reach the stage of disagreement at any time by insisting on its own position or by disagreeing to the position of the other chamber. Having decided to disagree, they then typically agree to create a conference committee to propose a single negotiated settlement of all their differences. Conference committees are generally free to conduct their negotiations as they choose, but under the formal rules they are expected to address only the matters on which the House and Senate have disagreed. Moreover, they are to propose settlements that represent compromises between the positions of the two houses. When they have completed their work, they submit a conference report and joint explanatory statement, and the House and Senate vote on accepting the report without amendments. Only after the two houses have reached complete agreement on all provisions of a bill can it be sent to the President for his approval or veto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains what is fiscal policy of the federal government, which it uses as a tool for affecting the macroeconomics just as the monetary policy. Topics discussed include measuring of economic activity with the gross domestic product (GDP), expansionary fiscal policy in times of recession, and how government withdraws the fiscal stimulus by increasing taxes or decreasing spending.