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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. LSB10894 |
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Legal Sidebari Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (Jan. 3 Jan. 8, 2023) January 9, 2023 The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to federal lawmakers, focusing on orders and decisions of the Supreme ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IF11127 |
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Updated January 9, 2023 What Is Political Warfare ? Background Military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote in his seminal book On War that war is the continuation of politics by other means. Historically, in Congress as well as in the broader policy community, the term political warfare described the synchronized use of any aspect of national power short of overt conventional warfare such as ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IN12073 |
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INSIGHTi Convention on Biological Diversity: Recent Decisions Affecting U.S. Engineering Biology January 9, 2023 The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The United States is the ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IF10550 |
Title
Updated January 9, 2023 Defense Primer: The Military Departments Military Departments The term military department refers to the executive functions of an armed service and the service s activities, installations, and field headquarters, all of which are under the control and direction of the secretary of the department (10 U.S.C. 101(a)(6)). There are three federal military departments and they ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IF12152 |
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Updated January 9, 2023 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Supplemental Appropriations The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a science agency in the Department of the Interior (DOI) that provides information to describe and understand the geological processes of the Earth, to mitigate risks of natural hazards, and to support the management of water, energy, mineral, and ecosystem resources. Congress ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IN11297 |
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INSIGHTi Temporary Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Increase for Title IV-E Foster Care and Permanency Payments Updated January 9, 2023 The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA, P.L. 116-127) authorizes temporarily increased federal funding to states through a higher federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), also known as the Medicaid matching rate. This expanded federal ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2023 |
Report No. IF12303 |
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January 9, 2023 The Pacific Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview The Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) is a set of prioritized defense investments and activities established by Congress to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense, assure allies and partners, and counter adversary threats in the Indo-Pacific region in response to China s growing military power. Background and Establishment ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. R47000 |
Title
Options for Making the National Flood Insurance Program More Affordable Updated January 6, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47000 SUMMARY Options for Making the National Flood Insurance Program More Affordable Concerns about the affordability of flood insurance premiums have come to the fore as FEMA introduces a new pricing system known as Risk Rating 2.0, which ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. RL33436 |
Title
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress Updated January 6, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL33436 Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress Summary Japan is a significant partner of the United States in a number of foreign policy areas, including addressing regional security concerns, which range from hedging against Chinese military modernization to ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. R47331 |
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U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2023 Appropriations Updated January 6, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47331 SUMMARY U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2023 Appropriations R47331 January 6, 2023 Peter J. Meyer The United States provides foreign assistance to Latin American and Caribbean countries to ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. IF12300 |
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January 6, 2023 Indonesia: GHG Emissions and Climate Change Policy Introduction The Republic of Indonesia faces multiple challenges related to addressing the effects of climate change and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also meeting its economic and development needs. Indonesia, an archipelagic nation of approximately 17,000 islands with a population of approximately 276 million, is ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. IF11190 |
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Updated January 6, 2023 U.S. Dollar Coins: History and Current Status The Secretary of Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is statutorily authorized to issue specific denominations of circulating coins (31 U.S.C. 5112). The dollar coin was first authorized in the Coinage Act of 1792 (1 Stat. 246) and initially featured images such as Liberty on the (front) obverse and eagles on the (back) reverse. ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. IN12070 |
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INSIGHTi The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: Lowering the 50% Bond Threshold to 25% January 6, 2023 This Insight explains a proposal from the 117th Congress pertaining to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program that may be reintroduced in the 118th Congress: lowering the bond threshold on developments that combine LIHTCs with tax-exempt bond financing from 50% to 25%. This proposal was ...
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| Date Jan. 6, 2023 |
Report No. IF12097 |
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Updated January 6, 2023 The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Background and FY2023 Appropriations Background The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), provides scientific information about geologic processes to mitigate risks from natural hazards and to support the management of water, energy, mineral, ecosystem, and land resources. The USGS also collects long-term ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. R46665 |
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Stafford Act and Selected Federal Recovery Programs for Civil Unrest: Historical Perspectives and Policy Observations Updated January 5, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46665 SUMMARY Stafford Act and Selected Federal Recovery Programs for Civil Unrest: Historical Perspectives and Policy Observations States and localities have looked to the federal government ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. R46196 |
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Solar Energy: Frequently Asked Questions Updated January 5, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46196 SUMMARY Solar Energy: Frequently Asked Questions Use of solar energy for electricity generation is growing in the United States and globally. In the United States, solar energy overall accounted for 3.9% of total electricity generation in 2021, compared to 0.7% in ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10043 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Insurance This In Focus provides a summary of the insurance market and regulatory system in the United States. Market Structure Insurance companies constitute a major segment of the U.S. financial services industry. The insurance industry is often separated into two parts: 1. life and health insurance, which also includes annuity products ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11717 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Financial Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is a major concern of financial institutions and financial regulators. Recent data breaches at large financial institutions have increased concerns about the privacy and security of consumer financial information. For example, in 2019, a data breach at insurance company First American Financial ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10117 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Derivatives Background A derivative is a contract that derives its value from an underlying asset at a designated point in time. For example, derivatives may be tied to physical commodities (such as wheat, cattle, oil, or gold), stock indices, or interest rates. A derivative s value fluctuates as the underlying asset s value or expected ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11749 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program: An Overview The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program is a tribal economic development assistance program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development s (HUD) Office of Native American Programs. Although it is authorized under the same statute and has a name similar to the ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IN12069 |
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INSIGHTi U.S. Circuit Court Nominees Confirmed During the 117th Congress (2021-2022) January 5, 2023 This Insight provides information and analysis related to U.S. Courts of Appeals nominees confirmed during the 117th Congress (which also corresponds, approximately, to President Biden s first two calendar years in office). For some of the information presented below for the 117th Congress, ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11715 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: The Housing Finance System Background Prior to the Great Depression, U.S. residential mortgage markets operated at local levels and were highly sensitive to local conditions. Lenders funded mortgages by relying on local deposits, which were concentrated in heavily populated areas, such as Chicago and New York, rather than less populated ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10031 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank; P.L. 111-203) established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to implement and enforce federal consumer financial law while maintaining consumer access to financial products and services. Dodd- ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11682 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Consumer Finance Consumer finance refers to the borrowing, saving, and investment choices that people (i.e., households) make over time. These financial decisions can be complex and can affect financial well-being both now and in the future. Understanding why and how consumers make financial decisions is important when considering policy ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10035 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Banking Banks serve an important role in the financial system and broader economy. They aggregate the savings of households and businesses and lend to individuals, businesses, and federal and local governments. Economic output would be lower if, instead of banks, businesses had to finance investments themselves or individuals had to rely ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10054 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: The Federal Reserve Structure of the Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 (12 U.S.C. 221 et seq.) created the Federal Reserve (Fed) as the nation s central bank. The Fed is composed of 12 regional Federal Reserve banks overseen by a Board of Governors in Washington, DC. Figure 1 illustrates the city in which each bank is ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. R47378 |
Title
Australia: Background and U.S. Relations January 5, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47378 SUMMARY Australia: Background and U.S. Relations R47378 January 5, 2023 Congressional interest in Australia has focused on Australia s role as a key ally and trade partner of the United States. Australia also figures prominently in congressional oversight of the Bruce ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10701 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Accounting and Auditing Regulatory Structure, U.S. and International This In Focus provides an overview of how accounting and auditing standards are created and regulated in the private sector, the federal government, and state and local governments. Different accounting and auditing standards evolved in the private and public sectors to ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10408 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to U.S. Economy: GDP and Economic Growth Economic activity and longer-term growth are of concern to policymakers due to the connection between the economy s performance and the overall well-being of Americans. This In Focus provides an introduction to the U.S. economy, including how economists measure its performance and the factors that influence its long-run ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10477 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to U.S. Economy: Inflation What Is Inflation? Inflation is defined as a general increase in the price of goods and services across the economy, or, in other words, a general decrease in the value of money. Conversely, deflation is a general decrease in the price of goods and services across the economy, or a general increase in the value of money. As inflation ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF10700 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Systemic Risk Recent Episodes of Financial Instability Systemic risk is financial market risk that poses a threat to financial stability. The 2007-2009 financial crisis was characterized by system-wide financial instability. Overtaken by panic, market participants became unwilling to engage in even routine transactions at the height of ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF12060 |
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Updated January 5, 2023 HUD Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing (RCB) Program The Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing program (Rural Capacity Building or RCB), administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of several federal programs that supports local housing and community development in ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11065 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: The Regulatory Framework This In Focus provides a brief introduction to the federal agencies that regulate U.S. financial markets. For more detail, see CRS Report R44918, Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of the U.S. Financial Regulatory Framework, by Marc Labonte. The Financial System Financial firms match the available funds of savers and ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IN12068 |
Title
INSIGHTi U.S. District Court Nominees Confirmed During the 117th Congress (2021-2022) January 5, 2023 This Insight provides information and analysis related to U.S. district court nominees confirmed during the 117th Congress (which also corresponds, approximately, to President Biden s first two calendar years in office). For some of the information presented below for the 117th Congress, ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF12291 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Elections and Voting: Policy and Legal Issues for the 118th Congress Traditionally, the federal government s role in campaigns and elections primarily includes regulating campaign finance, protecting voting rights, and supporting states in election administration. Congress approved substantial amendments to these policy areas between 2002 and 2009. Recent Congresses also ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF12276 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Foreign Government Employment by Armed Services Retirees Background In 2021, the Washington Post filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of State (DOS) for the records associated with retired general and flag officers who had obtained approvals required by federal law for employment with a foreign government. Information ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2023 |
Report No. IF11716 |
Title
Updated January 5, 2023 Introduction to Financial Services: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Issues ESG is a widely used acronym for environmental, social, and governance issues. Corporate governance concerns about how companies should be managed has evolved over time to include, arguably, a wider array of issues that encompass ESG. Some consider ESG factors to be an integral part of ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. R46639 |
Title
Inauguration Day: Fact Sheet Updated January 4, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46639 Inauguration Day: Fact Sheet Introduction Inauguration Day is a quadrennial legal holiday in the District of Columbia and neighboring parts of Maryland and Virginia, observed when the President and the Vice President are sworn into office on January 20. If January 20 falls on ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. LSB10892 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (Dec. 27, 2022 Jan. 2, 2023) January 4, 2023 The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to federal lawmakers, focusing on orders and decisions of the ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF11773 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2023 Redesigning Circulating Quarters, Half Dollars, and Dollar Coins: Current and Future Designs In January 2021, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-330) was enacted. The legislation authorizes the redesigns of the circulating quarter dollar, half dollar, and $1 coins to be issued between 2022 and 2030. Generally, coins are either circulating (i.e., ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. R47374 |
Title
FDA Regulation of Medical Devices January 4, 2023 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47374 SUMMARY FDA Regulation of Medical Devices Medical devices are an important part of health care service delivery, and developments in new technologies can improve their ability to diagnose and treat illness. The medical device industry produces a wide range of products from ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF11758 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2023 U.S. Global Health Funding: FY2020-FY2023 Appropriations Background Congress has appropriated significant increases in global health funding in recent decades, particularly to establish and maintain the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President s Malaria Initiative (PMI) initiated during the Bush Administration (Figure 1). During the Obama ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF10533 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2023 Congressional Involvement in the Design of Circulating Coins In April 1792, the Coinage Act (1 Stat. 246) established the United States Mint. Pursuant to the act, Congress prescribed various aspects of the design of circulating coins. For example, the Coinage Act directed the U.S. Mint to strike coins of specific denominations Eagles ($10), Half Eagles ($5), Quarter Eagles ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF12107 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2023 Ukraine and International Financial Institutions Russia s war against Ukraine has devastated the Ukrainian economy and is having widespread repercussions in Europe and around the world. While the economic impact is largest in Ukraine, neighboring countries are suffering from trade disruptions; higher food, energy, and commodity prices; and an influx of refugees. The World ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF12304 |
Title
January 4, 2023 Potential Causes of Delayed Disbursements of Supplemental Grant Funding Introduction Federal Grant Life Cycle Congress uses an annual appropriations process to fund the routine activities of most federal agencies, including appropriating funding for federal grant programs. Congress may also appropriate additional funds to supplement federal grant programs. For example, Congress ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2023 |
Report No. IF11394 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2023 Quarter and Half Dollar Coins: History and Current Status The Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is statutorily authorized to issue specific denominations of circulating coins (31 U.S.C. 5112). Currently, the United States has six circulating coins dollar, half dollar, quarter dollar, dime, nickel, and penny. All coinage is also required to have certain ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2023 |
Report No. IF11327 |
Title
Updated January 3, 2023 Introduction to U.S. Economy: Housing Market The Housing Market Real estate and the housing market play an important role in the U.S. economy. At the individual level, roughly 65% of occupied housing units are owner occupied, homes are often a substantial source of household wealth in the United States, and housing construction provides widespread employment. At the ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2023 |
Report No. IF11324 |
Title
Updated January 3, 2023 Defense Primer: Defense Support of Civil Authorities Introduction The U.S. military has a long history of providing support to civil authorities, particularly in response to disasters, but for other purposes as well. The Defense Department currently defines defense support of civil authorities as Support provided by U.S. Federal military forces, DOD civilians, DOD contract ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2023 |
Report No. IF10557 |
Title
Updated January 3, 2023 Introduction to U.S. Economy: Productivity What Is Productivity? Productivity is broadly defined as the ratio of output to inputs. With respect to the economy, productivity measures how efficiently goods and services can be produced by comparing the amount of economic output with the amount of inputs (labor, capital, etc.) used to produce those goods. Policymakers are ...
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| Date Dec. 30, 2022 |
Report No. R47258 |
Title
FCC Spectrum Auction Authority: Background and Proposals for Extension Updated December 30, 2022 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47258 SUMMARY FCC Spectrum Auction Authority: Background and Proposals for Extension Radio spectrum ( spectrum ) is the continuum of frequencies allocated for radio transmissions and is a finite and valuable resource. It is necessary for ...
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