Congressional Research Service Reports - 2,591 Matching Results
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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. The bulk of the report outlines the various sanctions against Iran and their current implementation status, international efforts to bring about compliance, and their effects; it also addresses recent discussions regarding President's Trump announcement that the U.S. was decertifying the nuclear agreement and the possibility of reinstating certain sanctions.
- U.N. Report Recommends Burmese Military Leaders Be Investigated and Prosecuted for Possible Genocide
- This report discusses the United Nations recommendations that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate and prosecute "senior officials in the Tatmadaw" (Burma's military) for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It also discusses U.S. and international response and the steps that will be taken next.
- The European Union: Questions and Answers
- This report serves as a primer on the EU. Despite the UK's vote to leave the EU, the UK remains a full member of the bloc until it completes withdrawal negotiations and officially exits the EU (expected to occur in March 2019). As such, this report largely addresses the EU and its institutions as they currently exist. It also briefly describes U.S.-EU political and economic relations that may be of interest in the 115th Congress.
- Labor Enforcement Issues in U.S. FTAs
- This report discusses labor enforcement in free trade agreements (FTAs), U.S. labor disputes, and issues for Congress to consider.
- Al Qaeda and Islamic State Affiliates in Afghanistan
- This report outlines major terrorist groups affiliated and allied with Al Qaeda (AQ) and the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or by the Arabic acronym Da'esh) and the complex, often shifting relations between them and various other state and non-state actors.
- The Nordic Countries and U.S. Relations
- This report provides an overview of U.S. relations with the five Nordic countries -- Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden -- which share deep historical, linguistic, and cultural ties and many political and economic similarities. Topics include foreign and security policies, policies toward Russia, and countering terrorism.
- Potential WTO Implications of USDA's Proposed Response to Trade-Retaliation
- This report briefly discusses the World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments that are relevant to U.S. domestic support programs and how the newly-announced U.S. trade retaliation assistance program may or may not comply with those WTO commitments.
- United Nations Issues: Congressional Representatives to the U.N. General Assembly
- This report discusses the appointment process for Congressional representatives to the annual U.N. General Assembly and the responsibilities of the appointees.
- Enforcing U.S. Trade Laws: Section 301 and China
- This report discusses the Trump Administration's decision to proceed with a Section 301 case against China's intellectual property rights (IPR) policies and their intent to impose 25% ad valorem tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. It also looks at past use of Section 301 against China.
- Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention
- This report provides information on the ongoing crisis in Yemen. Now in its fourth year, the war in Yemen shows no signs of abating. On June 12, 2018, the Saudi-led coalition, a multinational grouping of armed forces led primarily by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), launched Operation Golden Victory, with the aim of retaking the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah. The coalition also has continued to conduct air strikes inside Yemen. The war has killed thousands of Yemenis, including combatants as well as civilians, and has significantly damaged the country's infrastructure. According to the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Human Rights, from the start of the conflict in March 2015 through August 9, 2018, the United Nations documented "a total of 17,062 civilian casualties -- 6,592 dead and 10,470 injured." This figure may vastly underestimate the war's death toll.
- The World Trade Organization (WTO): U.S. Participation at Risk?
- This report discusses the possibility that the U.S. will withdraw from the World Trade Organization (WTO), after the Trump Administration expressed doubt over its value to the U.S. economy.
- 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. The bulk of the report outlines the various sanctions against Iran and their current implementation status, international efforts to bring about compliance, and their effects. Recent discussions regarding President's Trump announcement that the U.S. was decertifying the nuclear agreement and the possibility of reinstating certain sanctions are also discussed.
- Election Security: Issues in the 2018 Midterm Elections
- This report discusses concerns over possible election interference that could take place during the 2018 midterm elections.
- A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress
- This report focuses on defense-related issues and does not discuss potential implications of a shift in the international security environment for other policy areas, such as foreign policy and diplomacy, trade and finance, energy, and foreign assistance.
- A chronology of selected International economic events
- This report is about a chronology of selected events like Oil prices, the system of internationl exchange rates, conference between developing and industrialised countries, international economic summits, and related events.
- The United States and Thailand
- This report discusses various issues prohibiting the U.S. and Thailand from having a stable relationship.
- Enforcing U.S. Trade Laws: Section 301 and China
- This report discusses the Trump Administration's decision to proceed with a Section 301 case against China's intellectual property rights (IPR) policies and their intent to impose 25% ad valorem tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. It also looks at past use of Section 301 against China.
- Argentina
- This report discusses Argentina's political and economic situation, U.S. foreign aid to Argentina, trade and investment issues, and U.S. Congressional interest.
- Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive
- This report provides a brief overview of the history of the negotiations regarding reunification of the island of Cyprus and a description of some of the issues involved in those talks.
- Iran Nuclear Agreement and U.S. Exit
- This report discusses the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and various options for possible U.S. withdrawal if President Trump decided to try to reimpose sanctions on Iran.
- U.S. Sanctions on Russia: An Overview
- This report provides an overview of U.S. sanctions imposed against Russia for aggression against Ukraine, election interference, malicious cyber activity, human rights violations, weapons proliferation, and other activities.
- The European Union and China
- This report discusses the political and economic relationship between the European Union (EU) and China. The EU and China have over 70 high-level and senior-level dialogues, working groups, and steering committees reflecting the wide-ranging scope of the relationship, including in areas such as cyber, transnational crime, economics, high-tech innovation, tourism, energy, and the environment.
- Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the Russian Federation: A Sketch
- This report provides an overview of mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) in general and a sketch of the terms of the U.S.-Russia MLAT in particular.
- Military Enjoined from Transferring American ISIS Suspect to Foreign Country--at Least for Now
- This report discusses the case of Doe v. Mattis, a case with potential ramifications regarding the authority to conduct military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) upheld 2-1 the district court's injunctions temporarily protecting "John Doe" from forcible transfer to another country from Iraq, where he is currently being held by the U.S. military as a suspected ISIS combatant.
- Mexico: Evolution of the Mérida Initiative, 2007-2019
- This report begins with a brief discussion of security challenges in Mexico and Mexico's security strategy. It then provides information on congressional funding and oversight of the Mérida Initiative, with details about each of the program's four pillars. The report concludes by raising policy issues that Congress may wish to consider.
- Zimbabwe: Forthcoming Elections
- This report discusses the election players, electoral challenges, and U.S. role in the July 2018 Zimbabwe elections -- the first since the November 2017 resignation of President Robert Mugabe after 37 years in office. The election has raised hopes for the resolution of a persistent economic crisis and for a democratic transition ending a long pattern of human rights violations and undemocratic governance--and an end to the years of international condemnation, sanctions, and isolation generated by such trends.
- U.S. Decision to Cease Implementing the Iran Nuclear Agreement
- This report analyzes the Trump Administration's decision to pullout from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its potential implications. The other powers that negotiated the accord with Iran--Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany--have consistently asserted that the JCPOA is succeeding in its core objectives and that its implementation should not be jeopardized.
- Mongolia
- This report provides an overview of U.S.-Mongolia relations and the politics and economy of Mongolia.
- Iran: U.S. Economic Sanctions and the Authority to Lift Restrictions
- This report identifies the legislative bases for sanctions imposed on Iran, and the nature of the authority to waive or lift those restrictions. It includes two tables that present legislation and executive orders that are specific to Iran and its objectionable activities in the areas of terrorism, human rights, and weapons proliferation.
- 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. The bulk of the report outlines the various sanctions against Iran and their current implementation status, international efforts to bring about compliance, and their effects. Recent discussions regarding President's Trump announcement that the U.S. was decertifying the nuclear agreement and the possibility of reinstating certain sanctions are also discussed.
- Enforcing U.S. Trade Laws: Section 301 and China
- This report discusses the Trump Administration's decision to proceed with a Section 301 case against China's intellectual property rights (IPR) policies and their intent to impose 25% ad valorem tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese products. It also looks at past use of Section 301 against China.
- Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean Focus on the Politics of Energy
- This report discusses Greek and Turkish Cyprus's disputes over the natural gas deposits found off of the island and their role in Cypriot reunification negotiations.
- Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and issues for Congress on maritime territorial and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) disputes in the East China (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS) involving China, with a focus on how these disputes may affect U.S. strategic and policy interests.
- Russia's 2018 Presidential Election
- This report discusses the 2018 Russian presidential elections and the strict control exercised by the Russian government over the election process and candidates allowed to run. Brief overviews of all the candidates are provided as well as notable absences from the election along with possible plans for the future by President Vladimir Putin.
- Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy in Brief
- This report provides an overview of current political and military dynamics, with a focus on the Trump Administration's new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan military operations, and recent political developments, including prospects for peace talks and elections.
- Cuba After the Castros
- This report discusses the resignation of Raul Castro as president of Cuba and the appointment of a new president who is not a part of the Castro family and possible implications of the change in leadership.
- Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies
- This report discusses Iran's foreign and defense policy and various factors influencing its development and goals.
- Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response
- This report discusses the ongoing conflict in Syria and U.S. policy regarding the conflict and potential resolutions. It includes information on the recent U.S., French, and British joint missile strike in response to the the use of chemical weapons in Douma, Syria by Syrian government forces.
- Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention
- This report provides information on the ongoing crisis in Yemen where Saudi Arabia and members of a coalition it established have been engaged in military operations against an alliance composed of the Houthi movement and loyalists of the previous President, Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 2015.
- The United Kingdom: Background, Brexit, and Relations with the United States
- This report discusses the United Kingdom's relations with the U.S., current political situation, and the Brexit negotiations.
- The Balkans and Russia
- This report discusses relations between Russia and the Balkan countries of southeast Europe. Efforts by Russia to gain influence and hinder the Balkan countries in their relations with the EU through "soft power" and intelligence activities are discussed.
- The European Union: Questions and Answers
- This report serves as a primer on the EU. Despite the UK's vote to leave the EU, the UK remains a full member of the bloc until it completes withdrawal negotiations and officially exits the EU (expected to occur in March 2019). As such, this report largely addresses the EU and its institutions as they currently exist. It also briefly describes U.S.-EU political and economic relations that may be of interest in the 115th Congress.
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report discusses Chinese economic development in recent years implications for the United States.
- A Peace Treaty with North Korea?
- This report discusses the recent comments and upcoming summits between North Korea, South Korea, and the United States regarding denuclearization and negotiating a formal peace treaty to officially end the Korean War. A brief overview of past attempts to negotiate a peace treaty between the parties in the Korean War is provided and current priorities for a peace treaty are provided.
- Options to Cease Implementing the Iran Nuclear Agreement
- This report discusses the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and various options for possible U.S. withdrawal if President Trump decided to try to reimpose sanctions on Iran.
- Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response
- This report discusses the ongoing conflict in Syria, recent developments in Syria such as the siege of Eastern Ghouta, and U.S. policy toward Syria and involvement in the conflict.
- Iraq: In Brief
- This report discusses political, military, and humanitarian developments in Iraq in 2017 and 2018 such as the defeat of the Islamic State, displaced persons returning home, and upcoming elections.
- Election in Italy
- This report discusses the results of the Italian Parliamentary election on March 4, 2018 which ended with no party gaining a majority making a coalition necessary. Populist parties gained a significant number of seats and implications of their rise to power for Italy, the EU, NATO, and the U.S. are discussed.
- Northern Ireland: Current Issues and Ongoing Challenges in the Peace Process
- This report discusses the history of the implementation of the 1998 "Good Friday" Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland, ongoing challenges in the peace process, initiatives to further peace, and current issues surrounding the collapse of the devolved government and the refusal to form a coalition by either major party and the Brexit negotiations.
- Organization of American States: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the Organization of American States (OAS) which is a regional multilateral organization of all the independent countries in the western hemisphere (except Cuba) that was founded in 1948. Background on the organization, its structure, and current issues in Congress related to it are discussed.