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| Date Feb. 20, 2018 |
Report No. M20180202 |
Title
MEMORANDUM February 20, 2018 Subject: Civil-Suit Provision in the House-passed Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38) From: Sarah Herman Peck, Legislative Attorney, shermanpeck@crs.loc.gov, 7-0796 This memorandum was prepared to enable distribution to more than one congressional office. This memorandum evaluates legal issues potentially arising from the civil-suit provision in H.R. 38, ...
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| Date Feb. 20, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10080 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Where Can Corporations Be Sued for Patent Infringement? Part II February 20, 2018 As discussed in Part I of this two-part Sidebar, in May 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court in TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, overturned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) s longstanding precedent regarding where proper venue lies in patent infringement cases. The ...
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| Date Feb. 20, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10079 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Where Can Corporations Be Sued for Patent Infringement? Part I Updated February 20, 2018 In May 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued arguably the most important patent decision in several years, TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, which overturned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) s longstanding precedent regarding where proper venue lies in ...
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| Date Feb. 20, 2018 |
Report No. IF10734 |
Title
February 20, 2018 FY2018 Defense Spending Under an Interim Continuing Resolution Background On September 8, 2017, Congress passed and the President signed H.R. 601 (P.L. 115-56), the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018, and Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017. In addition to providing supplemental appropriations in response to Hurricane Harvey and temporarily ...
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| Date Feb. 16, 2018 |
Report No. IN10728 |
Title
The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program: Increased Funding and Policy Changes in BBA 2018 Updated February 16, 2018 Teaching health centers (THCs) are outpatient facilities that receive federal funds directly to train medical and dental residents. These facilities are operated by federal health centers, rural health clinics, and tribal health programs, among others. ...
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| Date Feb. 16, 2018 |
Report No. PRES-AUMF |
Title
MEMORANDUM February 16, 2018 Subject: Presidential References to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Publicly Available Executive Actions and Reports to Congress From: Matthew Weed, Specialist in Foreign Policy Legislation, 7-4589 This memorandum was prepared to enable distribution to more than one congressional office. This memorandum sets out information and analysis concerning ...
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| Date Feb. 16, 2018 |
Report No. IF10829 |
Title
February 16, 2018 Agriculture Funding in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 On February 9, 2018, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123), which broadly authorized supplemental appropriations, including for crop and livestock losses from the 2017 hurricane season and wildfires. The act also revised several existing agriculture programs, which has long-term policy ...
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| Date Feb. 16, 2018 |
Report No. IF10312 |
Title
Updated February 16, 2018 How Many People Experience Homelessness? Attempts by the federal government to estimate the number of people who are homeless have only taken place on a regular basis for a little more than a decade. Prior to that, there had been several national estimates of homelessness but nothing both comprehensive and recurring. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ...
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| Date Feb. 16, 2018 |
Report No. ZZZ96CE106DA87EEDE8 |
Title
MEMORANDUM February 16, 2018 Subject: Presidential References to the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Publicly Available Executive Actions and Reports to Congress From: Matthew Weed, Specialist in Foreign Policy Legislation, 7-4589 This memorandum was prepared to enable distribution to more than one congressional office. This memorandum sets out information and analysis concerning ...
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| Date Feb. 15, 2018 |
Report No. IN10861 |
Title
INSIGHTi Discretionary Spending Levels Under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 February 15, 2018 On February 9, 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018) was signed into law as P.L. 115-123. Among other things, it raised the discretionary spending caps for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 originally implemented by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25). BBA 2018 reverses $80 billion ...
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| Date Feb. 15, 2018 |
Report No. IN10860 |
Title
INSIGHTi Has the Economy Reached Full Employment? If So, Will It Stay There? February 15, 2018 The unemployment rate has fallen from 10% in 2009 to 4.1% today, its lowest since 2000. Several other labor market indicators also point to an economy at or near full employment. If unemployment gets too low, it could plant the seeds for a future recession. An overheating economy can temporarily surge ...
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| Date Feb. 15, 2018 |
Report No. RL30638 |
Title
Tax-Exempt Bonds: A Description of State and Local Government Debt Grant A. Driessen Analyst in Public Finance February 15, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL30638 Tax-Exempt Bonds: A Description of State and Local Government Debt Summary This report provides information about state and local government debt. State and local governments issue debt instruments in exchange for ...
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| Date Feb. 15, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10076 |
Title
Legal Sidebari HPSCI Memorandum Sparks Debate over FISA Application Requirements Updated February 15, 2018 The recent disclosure by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) of a declassified memorandum written by HPSCI majority staff has sparked a renewed conversation about the government s longstanding authority to conduct electronic surveillance on U.S. citizens pursuant to ...
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| Date Feb. 15, 2018 |
Report No. IF10731 |
Title
Updated February 15, 2018 South Africa: Current Developments and U.S. Relations On February 14, 2018, South Africa s second term president, Jacob Zuma, resigned after defying an order by the executive committee of the governing African National Congress (ANC) that he do so, and in the face of a threatened no-confidence vote in parliament. The parliament then elected as national president Cyril ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. R45103 |
Title
Hunting and Fishing on Federal Lands and Waters: Overview and Issues for Congress R. Eliot Crafton Analyst in Natural Resources Policy February 14, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45103 Hunting and Fishing on Federal Lands and Waters: Overview and Issues for Congress Summary This report provides an overview of issues related to hunting and fishing on federal lands. Each ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. RS22753 |
Title
Child Support Enforcement Annual User Fee: In Brief Updated February 14, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RS22753 Child Support Enforcement Annual User Fee: In Brief Contents Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Annual CSE User ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. IN10804 |
Title
Two-Year Extension of the Community Health Center Fund Updated February 14, 2018 The Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended), enacted in 2010, appropriated billions of dollars of mandatory funds to support two programs that focus on expanding access to primary care services for populations that are typically underserved: the Health Centers program and the National Health Service Corps ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. IN10859 |
Title
INSIGHTi Administration s Infrastructure Program Emphasizes New Nonfederal Revenue February 14, 2018 The Trump Administration s legislative outline for infrastructure, released on February 12, 2018, proposes a new Infrastructure Incentives Program to make grants to state and local governments. This would be the largest single piece of the Administration plan in terms of dedicated federal funding, ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. TE10025 |
Title
Statement of Chris Jaikaran Analyst in Cybersecurity Policy Before Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Oversight & Subcommittee on Research and Technology U.S. House of Representatives Hearing on Beyond Bitcoin: Emerging Applications for Blockchain Technology February 14, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov TE10025 Congressional Research ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. R45105 |
Title
Potential Options for Electric Power Resiliency in the U.S. Virgin Islands Corrie E. Clark Analyst in Energy Policy Richard J. Campbell Specialist in Energy Policy D. Andrew Austin Analyst in Economic Policy February 14, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45105 Options for Electric Power Resiliency in the U.S. Virgin Islands Summary In September of 2017, Hurricanes Irma and ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. IF10808 |
Title
Updated February 14, 2018 Burma s Peace Process: Narrowing Opportunities in 2018 Burma (Myanmar) has been riven by a low-grade civil war between government forces and various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) since it became an independent sovereign state in 1948. In 2016, State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), assumed power after a landslide ...
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| Date Feb. 14, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10077 |
Title
Legal Sidebari The Half Trillion Dollar Ruling: Latest DoddFrank Case Narrows Skin-in-the-Game Rule February 14, 2018 Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) held that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act s (Dodd-Frank s) risk-retention requirements which one of the bill s co-authors has described as the single most important part of the ...
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| Date Feb. 13, 2018 |
Report No. R45102 |
Title
Diversity Immigrants Regions and Countries of Origin: Fact Sheet Jill H. Wilson Analyst in Immigration Policy February 13, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45102 Diversity Immigrants Regions and Countries of Origin: Fact Sheet ngoing congressional deliberations over whether to maintain, alter, or eliminate the diversity immigrant visa program1 (also known as the lottery or ...
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| Date Feb. 13, 2018 |
Report No. R44294 |
Title
Ecuador: In Brief June S. Beittel Analyst in Latin American Affairs February 13, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R44294 Ecuador: In Brief Summary Ecuador is a small, oil-producing country of 16 million inhabitants located on the west coast of South America between Colombia and Peru. In 2017, Ecuador was considered to have the thirdlargest proven reserves of crude oil in ...
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| Date Feb. 13, 2018 |
Report No. R43587 |
Title
The Veterans Health Administration and Medical Education: In Brief Elayne J. Heisler Specialist in Health Services Sidath Viranga Panangala Specialist in Veterans Policy February 13, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43587 The Veterans Health Administration and Medical Education: In Brief Contents Background ...
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| Date Feb. 13, 2018 |
Report No. IF10614 |
Title
Updated February 13, 2018 EU Sanctions on Russia Related to the Ukraine Conflict The European Union (EU), like the United States, has imposed sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Ukraine s Crimea region in 2014 and its subsequent support of separatists in eastern Ukraine. Many Members of Congress have welcomed EU efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and have broadly supported U.S.-EU ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. R45098 |
Title
U.S. Army Weapons-Related Directed Energy (DE) Programs: Background and Potential Issues for Congress Andrew Feickert Specialist in Military Ground Forces February 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45098 U.S. Army Weapons-Related Directed Energy (DE) Programs Summary The U.S. military has a long and complicated history in developing directed energy (DE) weapons. Many past ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. R45052 |
Title
Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities Jeffrey M. Stupak Analyst in Macroeconomic Policy February 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45052 Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities Summary The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and its Office of Financial Research (OFR) were established by the Dodd- ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. IF10823 |
Title
Updated February 12, 2018 The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Tax: Reauthorization Issues and Legislation in the 115th Congress The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) provides immediate access to funds for a federal response to an oil spill and compensation for damages. The regulatory procedures of the National Contingency Plan establish a framework for coordinating a federal response with ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. IF10827 |
Title
February 12, 2018 U.S. Relations with Burma: Key Issues in 2018 Congress is examining the conduct of U.S. policy toward Burma (Myanmar) in light of an ongoing, major humanitarian crisis and other developments in Burma. While Congress was largely deferential to the Obama Administration s moves to normalize diplomatic relations with Burma, it may decide to play a more active role in formulating and ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10075 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Would It Violate Equal Protection to Prohibit Naturalized Dreamers from Sponsoring Their Parents for Immigrant Visas? February 12, 2018 Much of the recent immigration reform debate has focused on legislative options to address the situation of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who were brought to the country as children and who do not have lawful immigration status. Such aliens are ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10073 |
Title
Legal Sidebari D.C. Circuit Upholds as Constitutional the Structure of the CFPB Part I February 12, 2018 The entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) issued a potentially important decision on January 31, upholding the structural design of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The en banc court held by a vote of 7-3 that the agency s various ...
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| Date Feb. 12, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10074 |
Title
Legal Sidebari D.C. Circuit Upholds as Constitutional the Structure of the CFPB Part II February 12, 2018 As discussed in Part I of this two-part Sidebar, the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) issued a decision last week upholding the structural design of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The court ruled in PHH Corp. v. CFPB that the ...
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| Date Feb. 9, 2018 |
Report No. R43145 |
Title
U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy William A. Kandel Analyst in Immigration Policy February 9, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43145 U.S. Family-Based Immigration Policy Summary Family reunification has historically been a key principle underlying U.S. immigration policy. It is embodied in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which specifies numerical limits for ...
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| Date Feb. 9, 2018 |
Report No. IN10858 |
Title
INSIGHTi Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Updated February 9, 2018 The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was enacted as part of Division E of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892). Among other changes, FFPSA expands federal support for services to prevent the need for children to enter foster care, while adding new restrictions on federal room and board support for ...
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| Date Feb. 9, 2018 |
Report No. R43609 |
Title
Enforcement of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: Select Legal Issues Kathryn B. Armstrong Legislative Attorney Jennifer A. Staman Legislative Attorney February 9, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43609 Enforcement of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: Select Legal Issues Summary In an increasingly interconnected world, public health concerns and crises have domestic and ...
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| Date Feb. 9, 2018 |
Report No. IF10723 |
Title
Updated February 9, 2018 P.L. 115-97, the 2017 Tax Revision, and Small Business Taxation Small business owners have long been an influential player in domestic debates over tax policy. This role stems in part from the widely held view that small firms make uniquely valuable and substantial contributions to the U.S. economy. Current federal tax law contains a number of tax benefits (or preferences) ...
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| Date Feb. 9, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10078 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Association Health Plans: Some Key Aspects of the Labor Department s Proposed Rule February 9, 2018 Association health plans (AHPs) are in the spotlight due to a recent Labor Department proposed rule that aims to broaden access to this type of health insurance coverage. The proposed rule responds to an October 2017 executive order issued by President Trump, which directed his ...
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| Date Feb. 8, 2018 |
Report No. IN10857 |
Title
INSIGHTi Federal Reserved Water Rights and Groundwater: Quantity, Quality, and Pore Space February 8, 2018 Tribal rights to groundwater have not been legally established to the same extent as rights to other natural resources (e.g., surface water, timber, minerals). A March 2017 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the rights of a California Indian tribe (the Agua ...
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| Date Feb. 8, 2018 |
Report No. IF10825 |
Title
February 8, 2018 Digital Currencies: Sanctions Evasion Risks Introduction Growth in the Cryptocurrency Market As the market for digital currencies evolves, one area on which Congress has focused is the potential use of digital currencies for sanctions evasion. Digital currencies face an uneven international regulatory environment, and countries are considering different approaches to regulating ...
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| Date Feb. 7, 2018 |
Report No. IN10856 |
Title
INSIGHTi Section 201 Safeguards on Solar Products and Washing Machines February 7, 2018 On January 23, 2018, President Trump announced that he would impose additional tariffs on imports of large residential washing machines and solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, effective February 7, 2018. The President acted based on findings by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that increased U.S. ...
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| Date Feb. 7, 2018 |
Report No. IF10824 |
Title
Updated February 7, 2018 Financial Innovation: Cryptocurrencies A cryptocurrency (sometimes referred to as virtual currency, a term that can also refer to a broader class of electronic money) acts as money in an electronic payment system in which transactions are validated by a decentralized network of computers rather than a thirdparty intermediary, such as a bank. The use of this financial ...
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| Date Feb. 7, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10067 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Addressing Sexual Harassment by Modifying the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995: A Look at Key Provisions in H.R. 4924 Updated February 7, 2018 On February 6, 2018, H.R. 4924 passed the House by a voice vote. This Sidebar was originally written in reference to H.R. 4924 s predecessor bill, H.R. 4822. The two bills are nearly identical, with much of H.R. 4822, including the ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. R45092 |
Title
The 2017 Tax Revision (P.L. 115-97): Comparison to 2017 Tax Law Molly F. Sherlock, Coordinator Specialist in Public Finance Donald J. Marples, Coordinator Specialist in Public Finance February 6, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45092 The 2017 Tax Revision (P.L. 115-97): Comparison to 2017 Tax Law Summary A tax revision enacted late in 2017 substantively changed the federal ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. TE10024 |
Title
Statement of Clinton T. Brass Specialist in Government Organization and Management Before Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management U.S. Senate Hearing on Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Ways of Funding Government: Exploring the Cost to Taxpayers of Spending Uncertainty Caused by Governing Through Continuing Resolutions, ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. R45097 |
Title
Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: In Brief Gene Falk Specialist in Social Policy Karen E. Lynch Specialist in Social Policy Jessica Tollestrup Specialist in Social Policy February 6, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45097 Federal Spending on Benefits and Services for People with Low Income: In Brief Contents Introduction ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10072 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Criminal Prohibitions on Disclosing the Identities of Covert Intelligence Assets February 6, 2018 The recent arrest of a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer with knowledge of human intelligence operations targeting China that reportedly have been compromised raises questions regarding possible legal recourse the United States may take. The alleged perpetrator, Jerry ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. IF10641 |
Title
Updated February 6, 2018 Farm Bill Primer: Federal Programs Supporting New Farmers Beginning farmers and ranchers (BFRs) generally defined as having operated a farm or ranch for no more than 10 years (7 U.S.C. 3319f) comprise an important part of the U.S. agricultural sector. Not only do they contribute to rural and non-rural economies, but they are considered to be critical given ongoing concerns ...
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| Date Feb. 6, 2018 |
Report No. IF10820 |
Title
February 6, 2018 Social Security Benefits and Unauthorized Alien Workers Are unauthorized alien workers eligible for Social Security benefits? This In Focus addresses the frequently asked question in a summary format. A more detailed discussion is provided in CRS Report RL32004, Social Security Benefits for Noncitizens. An alien is any person not a citizen or national of the United States and is ...
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| Date Feb. 5, 2018 |
Report No. R43756 |
Title
Al Qaeda and U.S. Policy: Middle East and Africa Clayton Thomas Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs February 5, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43756 Al Qaeda and U.S. Policy: Middle East and Africa Summary After a more than a decade and a half of combating Al Qaeda (AQ) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States faces a diverse array of threats from Al Qaeda affiliates ...
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