Newsletter of Ernest Bailes for his constituents in district 18 discussing news, activities, and various updates related to work in the Texas legislature. It focuses on the update on the Pro-Life bill progressing through the House, the passing of a bill to protect forest land, the bill filed to support a presidential library at Sam Huston State University, and the bill proposed on public school accountability.

This report describes how Colombia's drug policies have evolved in light of Colombia's peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and its changing counter-narcotics policy. The final peace agreement addresses important issues, such as illicit crop cultivation--a major source of FARC income--and rural development.

This report covers the H-2A agricultural guest worker program and the H-2B nonagricultural guest worker program. It explores the statutory and regulatory provisions that govern each program, focusing in particular on the much-debated labor certification process. It discusses past and present legislative efforts to reform the H-2A and H-2B programs and to create new guest worker visas, and identifies and analyzes key policy considerations to help inform future congressional action.

Identifies the remote sensing and modelling technologies capable of estimating ET and PPT with the end goal of improving NIWR across Texas.

This report consists of a list of about 200 congressional liaison offices intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.

This report discusses the Historically Underutilized Business Zone Empowerment Contracting (HUBZone), program and examines arguments both for and against targeting assistance to geographic areas with specified characteristics as opposed to providing assistance to people or businesses with specified characteristics. It then assesses the arguments both for and against the continuation of the HUBZone program. The report also discusses the HUBZone program's structure and operation, focusing on the definition of HUBZone areas and HUBZone small businesses and the program's performance relative to federal contracting goals. It includes an analysis of the SBA's administration of the program and the SBA's performance measures.

This report discusses the WIN-T communications program and network used by the Army for distributing information to the whole Army while in the field. There are two main stages of development and implementation the first being stationary command posts communication networks which is fully implemented and the second is equipping combat vehicles with mobile real-time communication devices to improve situational awareness and providing combat commanders with the same type of mobile communication abilities. The second stage is partially implemented and continues to be added to units each year. Related DOD reports and Congressional concerns are also addressed.

This report discusses the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which is an Army-led, multi-service initiative to develop a family of light tactical vehicles as a successor to the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs). It includes background information; a description of the JLTV program, program history, and program activities; information about the JLTV contract, Lockheed Martin's protest to the program, budgetary issues, and potential issues for Congress.

This report illuminates information on the various layers of the Internet, with a particular focus on the Dark Web. It discusses both legitimate and illicit uses of the Dark Web, including how the government may rely upon it. Throughout, the report raises issues that policy makers may consider as they explore means to curb malicious activity online.

This report provides an overview of the development of the process for appointing the FBI Director, briefly discusses the history of nominations to this position, and identifies related congressional hearing records and reports.

This report discusses the cancellation of building two new nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsonville, South Carolina due to budget shortfalls, the bankruptcy of the construction company Westinghouse, delays, and rising costs.

This report discusses the ongoing conflict in Syria and provides an overview of U.S. policy responses. The rise of the insurgent terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL/ISIS) and Russia's military intervention on behalf of the Syrian government have reshaped debates over U.S. policy toward the ongoing civil conflict in Syria, now in its fifth year.

This report discusses the federal grants funding that goes to state and local governments. Members of Congress receive numerous requests from grant seekers, including state and local governments, nonprofit social service and community action organizations, private research groups, small businesses, and individuals, for information and help in obtaining funds for projects.

This report discusses the various industrial uses for hemp, a variety of Cannabis sativa that is of the same plant species as marijuana. It compares hemp with marijuana and discusses global production, legal status, and recent legislative activity.

This report examines the interplay between the federal government (i.e., Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ICE) and state and local jurisdictions in enforcing immigration law, with a specific focus on noncitizens who have been convicted of a crime. It explores major programs and federal resources available to state and local law enforcement agencies that cooperate with ICE to enforce immigration law.

This report provides background on the agreement negotiated by Iran and six other countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany--collectively known as the P5+1) regarding Iran's nuclear program, and discusses the implications for U.S.-Iran relations.

This report discusses "bump-fire" stocks for guns which allow less experienced users to shoot semiautomatic rifles more rapidly. "Bump-stocks" that contain a coiled spring are considered firearms by the ATF but other varieties of modified stocks that do not contain coiled springs are not classified as firearms and as such are unregulated. The shooter in the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas shooting used semiautomatic rifles with 'bump-stocks" which has led to renewed interest in their regulation in Congress.

This report discusses military pay raises and the annual statutory basic pay raise based on changes in the Employment Cost Index. It includes descriptions of information related to the topic along with a table of historical increases in basic pay.

This report discusses the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch as a Supreme Court Justice and the effects he may have on current and upcoming cases as the ninth member of the Supreme Court.

This report discusses President Trump's removal of James Comey as FBI Director and the Presidents legal power to do such a removal.

This report answers frequently asked questions about the state innovation waiver program of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which allows states to waive certain requirements of the ACA and instead create their own health insurance coverage plans that will still provide the same level of coverage and affordability as the ACA would have. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Secretary of the Treasury share responsibility for reviewing state innovation waiver applications and deciding whether to approve applications.

This report discusses the Constitutional Court decision for impeachment of the former President of South Korea, Park Geun-hye. The decision was the latest development in a corruption scandal that has engulfed South Korean politics and the business world since October 2016, and comes against the backdrop of North Korean missile tests.

This report describes the re-authorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), created in 1974.

This report provides information on current vacancies in the Senate, the constitutional origins of the Senate vacancy clause, the appointment process by which most vacancies are filled, and related contemporary issues.