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| Date May 16, 2024 |
Report No. IF11735 |
Title
Updated May 16, 2024 China s One Belt, One Road Initiative: Economic Issues The People s Republic of China (PRC or China) in 2013 launched an ambitious and multifaceted foreign economic policy initiative One Belt, One Road to expand China s global economic reach and influence. In 2015, China s leaders changed the English name to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), possibly to deflect from the ...
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| Date May 15, 2024 |
Report No. IN12358 |
Title
INSIGHTi Potential Disapproval of SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 Under the Congressional Review Act May 15, 2024 A growing number of firms are providing platforms for crypto transactions, which has prompted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to consider how crypto exposures should be treated. Many of these firms safeguard the platform users crypto assets and maintain crypto keys ...
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| Date May 14, 2024 |
Report No. LSB10482 |
Title
Legal Sidebari State Marijuana Legalization and Federal Drug Law: A Brief Overview for Congress Updated May 14, 2024 State marijuana laws have changed significantly in recent years, and federal law appears poised to change in the coming months. At the state level, many states have enacted laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A smaller but growing number of states have also ...
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| Date May 14, 2024 |
Report No. LSB10694 |
Title
Funding Limits on Federal Prosecutions of State-Legal Medical Marijuana Updated May 14, 2024 Federal law generally prohibits the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. In April 2024, news outlets reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) planned to change the status of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by ...
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| Date May 13, 2024 |
Report No. R48065 |
Title
Congressional Recognition of Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background and Current Practice May 13, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48065 SUMMARY Congressional Recognition of Commemorative Days, Weeks, and Months: Background and Current Practice R48065 May 13, 2024 Jacob R. Straus Specialist on the Congress In each Congress, Members typically introduce ...
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| Date May 10, 2024 |
Report No. IF10703 |
Title
Updated May 10, 2024 Lebanese Hezbollah Hezbollah ( Party of God, also spelled Hizballah) is an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia militia and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Hezbollah is an Iranian partner force, helping Tehran project power across the region, train allied militias (reportedly including Hamas), and threaten U.S. interests and allies across the region. Formed in the ...
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| Date May 9, 2024 |
Report No. IF10922 |
Title
Updated May 9, 2024 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program Background Under the initial authorization for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program (Title I of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, P.L. 103-322, the 1994 Crime Act ), grants could be awarded for (1) hiring new police officers or rehiring police officers who have been laid off to ...
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| Date May 9, 2024 |
Report No. IF10574 |
Title
Updated May 9, 2024 Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to Military Operations Nine of 18 total statutory elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) reside within the Department of Defense (DOD) and provide integrated intelligence support to military strategy, planning, and operations. These elements include the National Security Agency (NSA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), ...
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| Date May 9, 2024 |
Report No. IF12658 |
Title
May 9, 2024 Social Security: Representative Payees and Power of Attorney Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients (referred to herein as beneficiaries for both programs) may require additional help managing their finances and may grant power of attorney to family, friends, or professionals to act on their behalf. One common question is why individuals with ...
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| Date May 7, 2024 |
Report No. IF11882 |
Title
Updated May 7, 2024 Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons Both the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the House Armed Services Committee s bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force Report have identified directed energy as a technology that could have a significant impact on U.S. national security in the years to come. As the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to invest in directed-energy (DE) ...
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| Date May 7, 2024 |
Report No. R42755 |
Title
The Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Primer Updated May 7, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R42755 The Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Primer Summary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers several educational assistance programs, most notably the GI Bills, that provide funds to or on behalf of veterans and servicemembers and their family members to facilitate their ...
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| Date May 6, 2024 |
Report No. LSB11162 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (April 29 May 5, 2024) May 6, 2024 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 Court ...
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| Date May 2, 2024 |
Report No. R46413 |
Title
Election Day: Frequently Asked Questions Updated May 2, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46413 SUMMARY Election Day: Frequently Asked Questions Election Day is the day legally established to select public officials in the United States. General elections for federal offices President, Vice President, and U.S. Congress are held on the Tuesday after the first ...
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| Date May 1, 2024 |
Report No. IN12301 |
Title
INSIGHTi Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: Issues for Congress Updated May 1, 2024 Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and Israel s military response in Gaza, the Ansar Allah/Houthi movement, an Iran-backed force in Yemen, has targeted (Figure 1) Israeli territory and commercial and naval vessels near the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a key maritime choke point. In response, the United States, its ...
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| Date May 1, 2024 |
Report No. IF12523 |
Title
Updated May 1, 2024 Repatriation of Native American Remains and Cultural Items: Requirements for Agencies and Institutions Some federal agencies, museums, and other institutions have, over time, acquired human remains and cultural items related to the Indigenous peoples who originally inhabited the United States. Congress has mandated the return or repatriation of some of these remains and ...
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| Date May 1, 2024 |
Report No. TE10101 |
Title
Statement of Michael Ratner Specialist in Energy Policy Before Committee on the Budget U.S. Senate Hearing on Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak: Big Oil s Evolving Efforts to Avoid Accountability for Climate Change May 1, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov TE10101 Congressional Research Service 1 Chairman Whitehouse, Ranking Member Grassley, Members of the ...
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| Date April 29, 2024 |
Report No. IF12646 |
Title
April 29, 2024 Taiwan s Position in the World Introduction Taiwan, the self-governing Asian democracy that also calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), has struggled to maintain international space for itself in the world. The People s Republic of China (PRC), with its capital in Beijing, has never controlled Taiwan, but claims sovereignty over it and has vowed to unify with it, by force if ...
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| Date April 24, 2024 |
Report No. IN12348 |
Title
INSIGHTi Ecuador s April 2024 Plebiscite on Security Measures: Implications for Congress Updated April 24, 2024 On April 21, 2024, Ecuador held a plebiscite on 11 proposed reforms that seek to address the country s ongoing security crisis. According to preliminary results released by Ecuador s electoral body, voters voted in favor of 9 of the 11 questions, approving all of the reforms aimed at ...
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| Date May 24, 2024 |
Report No. IF12674 |
Title
May 24, 2024 Americans Investment Options in Capital Markets for Retirement One of the main ways Americans prepare for retirement is to invest in various financial assets. Their investment options include investing directly in stocks, bonds, and investment funds through individual brokerage accounts and investing indirectly through pension funds that invest on behalf of employees. This In Focus ...
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| Date May 24, 2024 |
Report No. RS22478 |
Title
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress Updated May 24, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RS22478 Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress Summary Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress. Rules for giving certain types ...
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| Date May 24, 2024 |
Report No. IN12367 |
Title
INSIGHTi FY2025 NDAA: Military Basic Pay Reform Proposal May 24, 2024 In 2023, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) established the Quality of Life (QOL) Panel to develop proposals for a fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2025 NDAA). On April 8, 2024, the QOL Panel released its final report with several recommendations included in H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of ...
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| Date May 24, 2024 |
Report No. R47390 |
Title
Kuwait: Issues for the 118th Congress Updated May 24, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47390 SUMMARY Kuwait: Issues for the 118th Congress The Persian Gulf emirate of Kuwait derives its global influence from its large oil and natural gas reserves, its sizeable sovereign financial resources, its strategic location, and its diplomatic outreach and posture in ...
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| Date May 24, 2024 |
Report No. LSB11168 |
Title
Legal Sidebari College Athletes Unionize: Trustees of Dartmouth College and Other Legal Issues May 24, 2024 On March 5, 2024, the Dartmouth men s basketball team voted to become the first U.S. collegiate athletes to unionize. A regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) previously determined that the players are employees of Dartmouth College (Trustees of Dartmouth ...
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| Date May 23, 2024 |
Report No. RL33028 |
Title
Social Security: The Trust Funds Updated May 23, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL33028 Social Security: The Trust Funds Summary The Social Security program pays monthly cash benefits to retired or disabled workers and their family members and to the family members of deceased workers. Program income and outgo are accounted for in two separate trust funds ...
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| Date May 23, 2024 |
Report No. IF10275 |
Title
Updated May 23, 2024 Taiwan: Background and U.S. Relations Introduction Taiwan, which also calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), is a self-governing democracy of 23.4 million people located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. The United States terminated diplomatic relations with the ROC on January 1, 1979, in order to establish diplomatic relations with the People s Republic of ...
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| Date May 23, 2024 |
Report No. LSB11163 |
Title
Legal Sidebar Litigation Continues Over Use of Contract Pharmacies in 340B Drug Discount Program Updated May 23, 2024 The 340B Drug Discount Program enables eligible hospitals and other safety net providers to purchase outpatient prescription drugs at discounted prices. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human ...
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| Date May 23, 2024 |
Report No. IN12366 |
Title
INSIGHTi Israel and Hamas: Possible International Criminal Court (ICC) Arrest Warrants May 23, 2024 On May 20, 2024, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan filed applications for warrants of arrest before a Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) of the ICC in the Situation in the State of Palestine. He seeks to indict top leaders of Israel including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and of the ...
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| Date May 23, 2024 |
Report No. IF10209 |
Title
Updated May 23, 2024 U.S.-Vietnam Relations Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1995, overlapping strategic and economic interests have led the two countries to expand ties across a wide spectrum of issues. Particularly since 2010, the two governments have formed partnerships on many regional security and economic ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. RL34391 |
Title
Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Updated May 22, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL34391 Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program Summary Required number of polar icebreakers. A 2023 Coast Guard fleet mix analysis concluded that the service will require a total of eight to nine ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF11526 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 U.S.-Kenya Trade Negotiations The United States and Kenya began free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations in 2020 under then-President Donald Trump and then-President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. The Joseph R. Biden Administration did not continue the FTA talks; it instead launched the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) in July 2022. STIP aims to establish ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. R46602 |
Title
Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding Updated May 22, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46602 SUMMARY Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding R46602 May 22, 2024 Henry B. Hogue Specialist in American The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (PTA) authorizes funding for the General Services National Government Administration (GSA) to ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF10600 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 Defense Primer: Department of Defense Contractors Throughout its history, the Department of Defense (DOD) has relied on contractors to support a wide range of military operations. Within the defense policy community, the term contractor is commonly used in two different contexts. The word can describe the private companies, academic institutions, and other entities with which ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF12040 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine The United States has been a leading provider of security assistance to Ukraine, particularly since Russia launched its expanded invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then, the United States has committed more than $52 billion in security assistance to support Ukraine s efforts to defend itself against Russia s aggression, secure ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF12042 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 Defense Primer: Military Separation and Severance Pay Congress has authorized separation or severance pay for involuntarily and voluntarily discharged servicemembers throughout most of the military s history (see Table 1). The purposes for these authorities has been three-fold: (1) to ease the transition to civilian life for servicemembers with minor physical disabilities; (2) ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF11546 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 Removal of Inspectors General: Rules, Practice, and Considerations for Congress In 1978, Congress passed the Inspector General Act (IG Act; P.L. 95-452) with the intent to improve oversight within certain executive branch agencies. During the floor debate on the legislation, Senator Thomas Eagleton described independence as the most important characteristic of the inspectors ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF12673 |
Title
May 22, 2024 Burden and the Paperwork Reduction Act: An Overview A fundamental purpose of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) codified at Title 44, Sections 3501-3521, of the U.S. Code is to minimize the burden that federal information collections impose on the public. Agencies must often collect information to fulfill their missions and must identify the practical utility, or usefulness, of ...
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| Date May 22, 2024 |
Report No. IF12640 |
Title
Updated May 22, 2024 TikTok and China s Digital Platforms: Issues for Congress Congress and U.S. policymakers at the federal and state levels have taken steps to address their national securityrelated concerns about the People s Republic of China s (PRC or China) influence over PRC digital platforms operating in the United States. Most U.S. actions to date have focused on TikTok, owned by ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R47624 |
Title
Legislative Branch: FY2024 Appropriations Updated May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47624 SUMMARY Legislative Branch: FY2024 Appropriations The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Congressional Workplace Rights; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. RL32665 |
Title
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL32665 Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The current and future size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of the Navy s ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R48074 |
Title
DHS Budget Request Analysis: FY2025 May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R48074 SUMMARY DHS Budget Request Analysis: FY2025 On March 11, 2024, President Joe Biden s Administration released its budget request for FY2025, including $107.74 billion in total non-contingent budget authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS is the third largest ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R47599 |
Title
AUKUS Pillar 2 (Advanced Capabilities): Background and Issues for Congress Updated May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47599 SUMMARY AUKUS Pillar 2 (Advanced Capabilities): Background and Issues for Congress AUKUS Pillar 2 refers to a suite of cooperative activities conducted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to develop and field ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R42672 |
Title
The Crime Victims Fund (CVF): Federal Support for Victims of Crime Updated May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R42672 SUMMARY The Crime Victims Fund (CVF): Federal Support for Victims of Crime R42672 May 21, 2024 Lisa N. Sacco Analyst in Illicit Drugs and In 1984, the Crime Victims Fund (CVF, or the Fund) was established by the Victims of Crime Crime Policy ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R47337 |
Title
Military Memorials, Monuments, and Museums: Selected Resources for Federal, State, and Local Funding Updated May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R47337 SUMMARY Military Memorials, Monuments, and Museums: Selected Resources for Federal, State, and Local Funding R47337 May 21, 2024 Carly A. Miller Research Librarian This report provides selected resources to ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. R44000 |
Title
Turkey (T rkiye): Major Issues and U.S. Relations Updated May 21, 2024 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44000 SUMMARY Turkey (T rkiye): Major Issues and U.S. Relations R44000 May 21, 2024 Jim Zanotti Specialist in Middle U.S. relations with Turkey take place within a complicated geopolitical environment, reflecting Eastern Affairs some shared and some divergent ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF11626 |
Title
Updated May 21, 2024 The Armed Forces Retirement Home Since the late 1700s, Congress has established numerous federal programs to provide housing, housing assistance, and health care support to certain wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers, military retirees, and other veterans. Some of those programs included the establishment of military asylums for temporarily or permanently disabled ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF12672 |
Title
May 21, 2024 Russia s Nuclear Weapons Russia presents an acute threat to the United States and its allies, according to the 2022 National Defense Strategy. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, a Biden Administration review of U.S. nuclear policy, states: Russia remains the U.S. rival with the most capable and diverse nuclear forces. Today it is unique in the combination of strategic and non-strategic ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF10684 |
Title
Updated May 21, 2024 Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel Grade and Rank The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly defined levels of authority. These different levels are called grades, while rank refers to the order of precedence among those in different grades and within the same grade (e.g., someone who has been a Sergeant for three years outranks someone who has been ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF11725 |
Title
Updated May 21, 2024 Bulgaria: An Overview After decades of single-party communist rule and a difficult transition period in the 1990s, Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union (EU) in 2007. Bulgaria s Black Sea location and NATO and EU memberships make it an important U.S. partner. Members of Congress may monitor several issues in Bulgaria with implications for the U.S.-Bulgaria ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF11755 |
Title
Updated May 21, 2024 The Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Background The Marine Corps describes the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) as The Corps next-generation vehicle designed to move Marines from ship to shore (Figure 1). Designed to replace the Corps aging Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV), which has been in service since 1972, the ACV will be the primary means of tactical mobility ...
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| Date May 21, 2024 |
Report No. IF12387 |
Title
Updated May 21, 2024 EPA s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), a budget reconciliation measure commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). IRA contains eight titles, each with some provisions that directly or indirectly address issues related to climate change, including the reduction of U.S. greenhouse ...
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