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Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response

Description: This report discusses legislative action related to abortion since the 1973 "Roe v. Wade" decision. Topics covered include Major Supreme Court cases related to abortion, restrictions on federal funding being used for abortions, and previous and current legislative actions related to abortion restriction.
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Shimabukuro, Jon O.
open access

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses Bahrain's governmental structure and political climate, the 2011 uprising against the royal family and continued dissent, its alliance with Saudi Arabia, U.S. military forces in Bahrain, and human rights concerns.
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
open access

Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Proposed Reauthorization in the 115th Congress

Description: This report examines selected major H.R. 238 provisions that would authorize appropriations for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) of $250 million for each of FY2017 through FY2021, expand the current 5 cost-benefit analysis provisions in the CEA to 12 considerations and add a requirement that the CFTC conduct quantitative as well as qualitative assessments, potentially broaden the bona fide hedging definition to allow anticipated, as well as current, risks to be hedged, which migh… more
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Miller, Rena S.
open access

Ethics Pledges and Other Executive Branch Appointee Restrictions Since 1993: Historical Perspective, Current Practices, and Options for Change

Description: This report begins with an overview of the relationship between the public and the executive branch, including the use of laws, executive orders, and other guidance and Administration policy to regulate interactions. A brief summary of recent executive orders is then provided, including a side-by-side analysis of ethics pledges from the Clinton, Obama, and Trump Administrations. This analysis is followed by observations about the similarities and differences among the three pledges.
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
open access

Federal Financing for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Description: This report provides an overview of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) financing, beginning with an explanation of the federal matching rate. It describes various aspects of federal CHIP funding, such as the federal appropriation, state allotments, the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, redistribution funds, and outreach and enrollment grants. The report ends with a section about the future of CHIP funding, including the options for extending CHIP funding and what could happen… more
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Mitchell, Alison
open access

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations

Description: This report first presents a brief overview of the major agencies in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It then describes the appropriations requested by President Trump for FY2018. Next, it compares the President's request for FY2018 with appropriations enacted for FY2017. It then compares the amounts in H.R. 3354, as reported by the House Appropriations Committee, with FY2017 enacted appropriations and with FY2018 appropriations requested by the Presid… more
Date: August 29, 2017
Creator: Vincent, Carol Hardy
open access

Iran's Expanding Economic Relations with Asia

Description: This report discusses Iran's economic relations with East Asia especially China, South Korea, and Japan. Trade and partnerships have been been rebounding after the January 2016 lifting of international sanctions on Iran.
Date: November 29, 2017
Creator: Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D. & Katzman, Kenneth
open access

Killing Endangered Species: What's Reasonable Self-Defense?

Description: This report discusses the case of "United States v. Wallen" in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; it concerns a man who killed a grizzly bear cub in violation of the Endangered Species Act and claimed self-defense. It outlines the court ruling that the man enjoys a complete defense if he "actually, even if unreasonably, believe[s] his actions were necessary to protect himself or others" and discusses the implications of the decision.
Date: November 29, 2017
Creator: Doyle, Charles
open access

President Trump's Proclamation on Enhanced Vetting of Foreign Nationals from Designated Countries

Description: This report discusses President Trump's Proclamation on on Enhanced Vetting for Foreign Nationals from Designated Countries which was issued on September 24, 2017 and is a newly revised version of the previously blocked executive orders which blocked entry to people from certain Muslim-majority countries and refugees temporarily. The new list of countries with travel bans or special scrutiny consists of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, Chad, and Venezuela (only certain governme… more
Date: September 29, 2017
Creator: Kandel, William A.
open access

The Trump Administration and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

Description: This report provides an overview of the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, discusses the additional significance of the Unified Agenda in the Trump Administration, provides summary information about content of the 2017 Update, and discusses what additional information can be expected in the subsequent edition of the Agenda.
Date: November 29, 2017
Creator: Carey, Maeve P. & Francis, Kathryn A.
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