Congressional Research Service Reports - 895 Matching Results
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- National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
- This report provides a brief description of the establishment, purposes, and organization of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).
- Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: FY2019 Budget and Appropriations
- This report outlines the 2019 fiscal year budget request for the U.S. State Department, foreign operations, and related programs such as foreign aid. It discusses information about funding levels requested, major projects for the year, and Congressional actions.
- The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview
- This report first describes how the Vacancies Act operates and outlines its scope, identifying when the Vacancies Act applies to a given office, how it is enforced, and which offices are exempt from its provisions. The report then explains who may serve as an acting officer and for how long, focusing on the limitations the Vacancies Act places on acting service. Finally, the report turns to issues of particular relevance to Congress, primarily highlighting the Vacancies Act's enforcement mechanisms.
- Organizing Executive Branch Agencies: Who Makes the Call?
- This report lays out the applicable legal considerations relevant to analyzing potential executive branch agency reorganizations that have been proposed by the Trump Administration.
- U.S. Department of State Personnel: Background and Selected Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the background and current status of the U.S. Department of State and Foreign Service, as well as issues for Congress to consider in regard to the personnel of these departments.
- Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: FY2019 Budget and Appropriations
- This report outlines the 2019 fiscal year budget request for the U.S. State Department, foreign operations, and related programs such as foreign aid. It discusses information about funding levels requested, major projects for the year, and Congressional actions.
- Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: Fiscal Year 2018
- This report provides an overview and analysis of FY2018 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary focus is on Congressional direction and funding provided through the appropriations process, but also notes funding made available to DHS outside this process (e.g., user fees and trust funds). It includes an appendix with definitions of key budget terms, and lists other Congressional Research Service reports that provide context and additional details regarding specific component appropriations and issues.
- Defense Primer: Understanding the Process for Auditing the Department of Defense
- This report explains why the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) receives annual audits, how the audits are conducted, limitations of audits, and considerations for Congress.
- ATF's Ability to Regulate "Bump Stocks"
- This report discusses whether ATF has the right to regulate "bump stocks" for rifles which allow rifles to mimic the actions of an automatic weapon and recent proposed regulatory action by ATF.
- The President's Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for the Department of Energy
- This report discusses President Trump's FY2019 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE) and it compares it with past budgets.
- NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet
- This report provides data on past, current, and proposed appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. No bills have yet been introduced in the 115th Congress proposing future-year authorizations of NASA appropriations.
- Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report discusses the the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies's fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill. It firsts presents a brief overview of the major agencies in the annual Interior appropriations bill. It then describes the appropriations requested by President Trump for FY2018. It next compares the FY2018 funding levels requested by the President, passed by the House, and contained in the Senate chairmen's draft with each other and with FY2017 appropriations. Finally, it summarizes the current status, including the government shutdown due to a lapse in continuing appropriations (provided through January 19, 2018).
- Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2018: In Brief
- This report compares the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) request and actual funding in FY2018 with last years budget.
- Legislative Branch: Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report provides an overview of the FY2018 legislative branch appropriations bill and compares funding levels from previous years to FY2018.
- SBA's Office of Inspector General: Overview, Impact, and Relationship with Congress
- This report examines the Small Business Administration(SBA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG's) statutory authorities; reporting requirements; funding ($26.9 million in FY2018, including $7 million in supplemental appropriations for overseeing SBA disaster assistance); staffing and organizational structure; and recent activities (audits, investigations, etc.). It also examines the SBA OIG's impact on monetary savings, SBA programs and operations, and legislation affecting the agency. The report concludes with observations concerning the SBA OIG's relationship with Congress.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report discusses the Department of Veterans Affairs FY2018 appropriation and the legislative budget process.
- D.C. Circuit Court Upholds as Constitutional the Structure of the CFPB: Part 2
- This report discusses the decision of the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court which upheld the structural design of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This report is Part II of a two part series and will address some of the separate opinions issued in the case and then highlight certain implications for Congress.
- The Corporation for National and Community Service: Overview of Programs and Funding
- This report provides an overview of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) which is an independent federal agency that administers the programs authorized by two statutes: the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA; P.L. 101-610), as amended, and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA; P.L. 93-113), as amended. NCSA and DVSA programs were most recently reauthorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (P.L. 111-13). The report describes programs authorized by these laws and compares CNCS funding for FY2015, FY2016, FY2017, and FY2018.
- OMB and Treasury Disagree over Process for Issuing New Tax Rules
- This report discusses the disagreement between the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Treasury Department on how to issue new tax regulations. It discusses the historical roots and nature of the disagreement and potential implications.
- Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members
- This report provides a brief description of Congress and the executive branches' relations with the military and defense department and a brief overview of the structure, roles, and needs of the military and defense communities.
- Department of Health and Human Services: Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request
- This report discusses the FY2019 appropriations request for the Department of Health and Human Services. The report begins by reviewing the department's mission and structure. Next, the report offers a brief explanation of the conventions used for the FY2018 estimates and FY2019 request levels in the budget documents released by the HHS and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The report also discusses the concept of the HHS budget as a whole, in comparison to how funding is provided to HHS through the annual appropriations process. The report concludes with a breakdown of the HHS request by agency, along with additional HHS resources that provide further information on the request. A table of CRS key policy staff is included at the end of the report.
- Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding
- This report describes the Small Business Administration's programs and funding sources.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report discusses the FY2018 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and recent funding trends.
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): A Primer
- This report discusses The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's (PBGC) structure, funding, and functions.
- Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations Overview: Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis
- This report discusses FY2018 appropriations (discretionary budget authority) for the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau), historic components of the Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. This report will be updated as legislative developments warran
- Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2018 Budget and Appropriations
- This report discusses the State Department's Foreign Operations and Related Programs budget for Fiscal Year 2018 and Congressional action related to it.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request Fact Sheet
- This report provides a brief overview of the FY2019 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), with links to relevant Administration budget documents and CRS reports. A list of CRS analysts with expertise on various aspects of the HUD budget is also provided.
- U.S. Postal Service Governors: And Then There Were None
- This report discusses the U.S. Postal Service's Board of Governors and the current state of the board having no governors on it. The workings of the board and the implications of the board's lack of members is also discussed.
- Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies
- This report lists about 200 congressional liaison offices and is intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. The information was supplied by the appropriate agency and is current as of the date of publication. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Funding: Overview and Recent Trends
- This report examines the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) appropriations (new budget authority, minus rescissions and sequestration) over time, focusing on developments and trends since FY2000.
- Overview of FY2018 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- This report describes actions taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2018 appropriations for the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. It also provides an overview of FY2017 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as part of annual CJS appropriations.
- Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
- This report discusses the role of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and how the position fits into the organizational structure of the Defense Department.
- D.C. Circuit Court Upholds as Constitutional the Structure of the CFPB: Part 1
- This report discusses the decision of the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court which upheld the structural design of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This report begins with a brief summary of the Supreme Court's views of the President's removal power before addressing the PHH litigation and the en banc majority opinion. Part II of this series will address some of the separate opinions issued in the case and then highlight certain implications for Congress.
- The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape
- This report discusses the structure and role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and recent legislation in the 115th Congress regarding the FCC.
- Who's the Boss at the CFPB?
- This report discusses an ongoing dispute over who the new acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is following the resignation of the past director on Nov. 24., 2017. President Trump appointed Mick Mulvaney as the acting director, but the past director had already appointed Leandra English who has filed a lawsuit and asked for a temporary restraining order preventing Mulvaney from performing the duties of director. This report outlines the merits of the case and the President's power to fill vacancies under the Vacancies Act.
- Update: Who's the Boss at the CFPB
- This report is an update regarding the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as there were two indivuduals who claimed the right to the job. The Trump Administration appointed acting director, Mick Mulvaney, was confirmed in his position after a lawsuit filed by the previous acting director, Leandra English, was denied by the DC courts.
- Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Independent and Other Agencies During the 114th Congress
- This report identifies all nominations during the 114th Congress that were submitted to the Senate for full-time positions in 40 organizations in the executive branch (27 independent agencies, 6 agencies in the Executive Office of the President [EOP], and 7 multilateral organizations) and 4 agencies in the legislative branch. The tables include full-time positions confirmed by the Senate, pay levels for these positions, and appointment action within each agency, with additional summary information across all agencies in an appendix.
- Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence)
- This report provides an overview of the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence Division) and the origin of the position.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report focuses on FY2018 appropriations and FY2019 advance appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It includes an overview of the VA, a description of the appropriations, other funding developments through the Veterans Choice Program (VCP), presidential budget requests, and congressional actions.
- HUD Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations: In Brief
- This report describes the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) 2018 budget appropriations. The report tracks progress on FY2018 HUD appropriations and provides detailed account-level, and in some cases sub-account-level, funding information (Table 1) as well as a discussion of selected key issues.
- Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Appropriations
- This report discusses the FY2018 appropriations for the State Department's Foreign Operations and Related Programs section and their funding levels, as well as the legislative process.
- Out of Office: Vacancies, Acting Officers, and Day 301
- This report discusses the provisions of the Vacancies Act and the upcoming expiration of the time limit for temporary staff to to perform the duties of advice and consent staff positions that are still unfilled. Legal effects of letting the Vacancies Act take effect are also discussed.
- The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview
- This report first describes how the Vacancies Act operates and outlines its scope, identifying when the Vacancies Act applies to a given office, how it is enforced, and which offices are exempt from its provisions. The report then explains who may serve as an acting officer and for how long, focusing on the limitations the Vacancies Act places on acting service. Finally, the report turns to issues of particular relevance to Congress, primarily highlighting the Vacancies Act's enforcement mechanisms.
- Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Executive Departments During the 114th Congress
- This report identifies all nominations submitted to the Senate during the 114th Congress for full-time positions in 15 executive departments. Information for each department is presented in tables. The tables include full-time positions confirmed by the Senate, pay levels for these positions, and appointment action within each executive department. Additional summary information across all 15 executive departments appears in the Appendix. During the 114th Congress, the President submitted 102 nominations to the Senate for full-time positions in executive departments. Of these 102 nominations, 64 were confirmed, 8 were withdrawn, and 30 were returned to him in accordance with Senate rules. For those nominations that were confirmed, a mean (average) of 156.1 days elapsed between nomination and confirmation. The median number of days elapsed was 125.5.
- Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 115th Congress
- This report considers prominent topics in the 115th Congress's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization debate. Major issues discussed are financing, air traffic control privatization, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), the Essential Airline Service (EAS), foreign airlines, and certification reform.
- Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding
- This report discusses the Small Business Administration (SBA) and their various programs along with various programmatic changes resulting from the enactment of P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, P.L. 112-239, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, P.L. 114-38, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 2015, P.L. 114-88, the Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (RISE After Disaster Act of 2015), P.L. 114-92, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, and P.L. 114-328, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. In addition, it provides an overview of the SBA's budget and references other CRS reports that examine these programs in greater detail.
- Funding Gaps and Government Shutdowns: CRS Experts
- This report provides the names of CRS staff who specialize in each departmental area that is funded by annual appropriations and thus most affected by government shutdowns.
- FDA Human Medical Product User Fee Programs: In Brief
- This report discusses FDA human medical product user fees for prescription drugs, medical devices, generic drugs, and biosimilars which are charged to companies producing the products and make up a large portion of the FDA's revenues. User fees are authorized in legislation on a five-year cycle, with authority for their actual collection and expenditure provided each year through the annual appropriations process. Appendix A outlines various features of the user fee programs.
- Department of Health and Human Services Halts Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) Payments
- This report discusses the the case "House of Representatives v. Hargan" which was a case by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appealing the House's decision to end cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments. Questions regarding the status of the case and possible legal and legislative methods of restoring CSR payments are addressed.
- GAO Issues Opinions on Applicability of Congressional Review Act to Two Guidance Documents
- This report discusses the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) issued opinions regarding whether a 2013 interagency guidance document and a 2016 amendment to the Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan by the Department of Agriculture were considered "rules" and as such be subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The GAO determined neither document was a rule and thus they were not subject to CRA.