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Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program:...
This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Columbia-class program, a program to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines...
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Defense's 30-Year Aircraft Plan Reveals New Details
This report discusses the U.S. Department of Defense 30-year aviation plan released in April 2018. The yearly plan is intended to chart the direction of the aviation enterprise and is typically...
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Hurricane Michael: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources
This report provides a brief overview of emergency and major disaster declarations relevant to Hurricane Michael, and selected federal resources and links to CRS products related to Stafford Act...
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Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and...
This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's program for acquiring new polar icebreakers -- previously known as the polar icebreaker (PIB) program and now...
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Military Medical Care: Frequently Asked Questions
This report answers selected frequently-asked questions about military health care, including: 1) How is the Military Health System structured?, 2) What is TRICARE?, 3) What are the different TRICARE...
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Iran Sanctions
This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran. The report tracks "implementation" of the various U.S. laws and Executive Orders as designations and imposition of sanctions. Some...
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The United States and the "World Court"
This report reviews the most recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings against the United States by Iran and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the implications for Congress...
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Afghanistan: Legislation in the 115th Congress
This report summarizes legislative proposals in the 115th Congress that relate to U.S. policy in Afghanistan. Proposals address a number of issues including: 1) aspects of the U.S. troop presence in...
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Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. A total of 32 LCSs have been procured through FY2018. For FY2019, the Navy is...
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Global Trade Imbalances
This report discusses the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) July 2018 report on global trade imbalances that identifies countries with "excessive" current account balances and exchange rates that are...
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy
This report discusses the current political and economic landscape of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its relationship with the U.S. The UAE has been a significant U.S. partner in Gulf security for...
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Party Leaders in the House: Election, Duties, and Responsibilities
This report summarizes the election, duties, and responsibilities of the Speaker of the House, the majority and minority leaders, and the whips and whip system.
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Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Standards
This report discusses the amendments to the federal standards that regulate fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new passenger cars and light trucks. The amendments were proposed by the...
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EPA's Affordable Clean Energy Proposal
This report provides background information about the Clean Air Act (CAA) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the power sector, and also highlights some of the major components of the Environmental...
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The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Selected Issues
This report begins with a brief legislative and regulatory history of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, with a brief description of how the program works. It also describes several...
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China's Currency Policy
This report provides an overview of the economic issues surrounding the current debate over China's currency policy. It identifies the economic costs and benefits of China's currency policy for both...
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Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process
This report reviews the process and procedures that currently apply to congressional consideration of foreign arms sales proposed by the President. This includes consideration of proposals to sell...
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South Sudan's Civil War: Nearly 400,000 Estimated Dead
This report discusses the impact of the civil war in South Sudan, which has been ongoing since December 2013.
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China's Status as a Nonmarket Economy (NME)
This report discusses China's classification by the World Trade Organization (WTO). China contends that language in its WTO accession protocol required all WTO members to terminate their use of the...
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World Trade Organization: Overview and Future Direction
This report provides background history of the World Trade Organization (WTO), its organization, and current status of negotiations. It also explores concerns regarding the WTO's future direction and...
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Teacher Preparation Policies and Issues in the Higher Education Act
This report provides a description of current programs and provisions in Title II-A and identifies a number of the key issues that may be part of the debate over the reauthorization of the Higher...
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The Defense Production Act of 1950: History, Authorities, and Considerations...
This report examines some of the extensive history of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), focusing primarily on its creation and most recent legislative reauthorization. This report also...
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The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Background and Funding
This report begins by describing the population using emergency food assistance. It goes on to discuss the the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) program, including its administration at the...
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Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA
This report provides an overview of the structure and organization of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
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Iran and Israel: Tension Over Syria
This report discusses the tensions between Iran and Israel, which have been exacerbated since 2011 by Iranian military operations in support of the Syrian government.
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The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA): Historical Overview, Funding, and...
This report provides a brief history of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with an overview of the crimes addressed through the act. It includes brief descriptions of earlier VAWA reauthorizations...
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Quantum Information Science: Applications, Global Research and Development,...
This report provides an overview of quantum information science (QIS) technologies: sensing and metrology, communications, and computing and simulation. It also includes examples of existing and...
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Defense Primer: RDT&E
This report describes the appropriations structure and funding levels for the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD's) research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E). The DOD relies on scientific...
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Lame Duck Sessions of Congress Following a Majority-Changing Election: In Brief
This report describes "lame duck" sessions of Congress, which take place whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected but before the term of the current Congress ends. It specifically...
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Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1961-FY2019
This report is a research aid that lists the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) authorization and appropriations bills for FY1961-FY2019 including: bill numbers, report numbers, dates reported and...
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Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress
This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process. For many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of congressional...
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The Posse Comitatus Act and Related Matters: A Sketch
This report examines instances, as approved by Congress, where circumstances warrant a departure from the general rule of the Posse Comitatus Act, wherein the military is typically prevented from...
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Presidential Disability Under the Twenty-fifth Amendment: Constitutional...
This report provides a description and analysis of Sections 3 and 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, which deal with presidential disability or inability. It also reviews the history of presidential...
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Brexit at a Pivotal Moment
This report discusses the draft withdrawal agreement in the the United Kingdom's (UK's) expected withdrawal from the European Union (EU), known as Brexit. It also summarizes issues for the U.S....
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Video Relay Service: Program Funding and Reform
This report provides an introduction about how the video relay service works and and overview of the program. It discusses the fundamental restructuring of the program to support innovation and...
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Bahrain: Unrest, Security, and U.S. Policy
This report discusses the political structure and human rights issues in Bahrain, including the 2011 uprising and its aftermath. Additionally, the report discusses Bahrain's relations with the United...
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FY2018 and FY2019 Agriculture Appropriations: Federal Food Safety Activities
This report provides a brief overview of the FY2018 and FY2019 appropriations that address food safety activities at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
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Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives: A Summary of...
This report gives an overview of the federal incentives that support the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation including tax deductions and...
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Section 232 Investigations: Overview and Issues for Congress
This report provides an overview of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, analyzes the Trump Administration's Section 232 investigations and actions, and considers potential policy and...
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Tribal Broadband: Status of Deployment and Federal Funding Programs
This report discusses federal funding for tribal broadband, and whether or not it is sufficient. Native American tribal areas and communities tend to lag behind other areas and segments of American...
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U.S. Agent Orange/Dioxin Assistance to Vietnam
This report discusses U.S. assistance to Vietnam for the environmental and health damage attributed to a dioxin contained in Agent Orange and other herbicides sprayed over much of the southern portion...
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Serbia: Background and U.S. Relations
This report provides an overview of Serbia and its governmental structure, economy, and foreign relations with the U.S., Kosovo, Turkey, Russia, and the European Union (EU).
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The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC): An Overview
This report summarizes the background and functions of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC).
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Morocco: Background and U.S. Relations
This report outlines the politics, economy, terrorism issues, and foreign relations of Morocco.
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Iran Sanctions
This report discusses U.S. sanctions against Iran and the 2016 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement which led to the lifting of sanctions based on nuclear proliferation in Iran....
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The Global Compact on Migration (GCM) and U.S. Policy
This report discusses the United Nations' Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Trump Administration's withdrawal of the United States from the GCM negotiations.
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The "National Security Exception" and the World Trade Organization
This report examines the meaning of the national security exception in Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)--a provision also implicated in a recent World Trade Organization...
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U.S.-Japan Announce New Limited Trade Negotiations
This report discusses announced plans for bilateral negotiations for a trade agreement between the United States and Japan.
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Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design
This report describes how world geography influences U.S. military strategy. Of particular importance to U.S. policymakers is preventing the emergence of a regional hegemony in one part of Eurasia.
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Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate
This report describes the process of enforcing a rule of order in the U.S. Senate.
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