This report discusses the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-215) that established a pension system for federal employees in the executive branch of government.

To address the challenges facing the U.S. intelligence community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. This report discusses these challenges and efforts the current and previous Administrations and Congresses have taken and are taking to address them. The report includes criticism of the intelligence community's efforts regarding Iraq, Iran, and other areas. Improved analysis remains a key goal in these discussions.

This report examines the current state of Algeria, including the country's associations with terrorism, despite steady decreases of domestic terrorism; the lessening in power of the Algerian military; and growing oil revenues.

This report describes the relationship between the United States and the Sultanate of Oman, especially with respect to Oman's support of U.S. efforts toward peace in the Middle East, the U.S. free trade agreement with Oman, and Oman's relatively close relations with Iran, the last of which seems incongruous with the other positive aspects of Oman's relationship with the U.S.

This report presents a summary of trade negotiations and the proposed U.S.-Panama free trade agreement (FTA). The proposed U.S.-Panama FTA is a comprehensive agreement. Some 88% of U.S. commercial and industrial exports would become duty-free upon implementation, with remaining tariffs phased out over a 10-year period.

None

This report is on Ban of Use of Polygraph Evidence Does not amount to Abridgment of Military Defendant's Right to Present a Defense.

This report provides an overview on Coordinated Party Expenditures in Federal Elections.Federal campaign finance law provides political parties with three main options :direct contributions,coordinated expenditures,independent expenditures.

This report includes information regarding United States relations and bilateral issues with Jordan. Jordan's reaction to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jordan's role in peace negotiations, and trade issues are among topics discussed in this report.

None

This report discusses Egypt-U.S. relations, issues in Egyptian-U.S. relations, and U.S. foreign assistance to Egypt

None

Fish and marine mammals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas; many federal laws and regulations guide their management. This report discusses a variety of laws and legislation pertaining to this issue.

This report discusses the various legal authorities and regulations that govern offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in U.S. waters. The report also discusses recent executive action and legislative proposals concerning offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production.

This report provides an overview of the DOD's F-35 development and procurement program and funding levels for FY2018 and requested funding levels for FY2019.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the LPD-17 Flight II amphibious ship program, previously known as the LX(R) program.

This report discusses the success and challenges of securities regulation reform passed 10 years ago as a a part of the Dodd-Frank Act and new legislation in Congress that would repeal or change aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act.

This report analyzes the use of special prosecutors and independent counsels that were authorized under now-expired provisions of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as well as the use of special counsels that are currently authorized by DOJ regulations. A glossary of terms at the beginning of the report briefly defines these italicized terms (see Table 1). The report continues with an examination of various constitutional issues relevant to these efforts.

This report provides a brief overview of federal land management and its challenges along with legislation in the 115th Congress which related to federal land management.

This report provides an overview of U.S. contributions to multilateral development banks. It shows in tabular form how much the Administration requested and how much Congress appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000.

This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the CVN-78 program, which includes the CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80 as the first three ships in the Navy's new Gerald R. Ford (CVN- 78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs).

This report provides an economic overview of the correctional sector as background for the unfolding debate over spending and other policies. It begins with information on the growth in prison populations in public and in private prisons and also briefly explores the economic impacts of prison location. It is not intended a study of the effectiveness of sentencing and other laws, nor of evolving polices aimed at reducing recidivism and prison populations.

This report discusses domestic and global nuclear security measures. It talks about the challenges to achieve the four year goal, the multilateral efforts to improve nuclear security, and the role of nongovernmental organization and the nuclear industry. The report concludes that Congress will continue to decide on funding for the U.S. domestic and international programs focused on nuclear material security and nuclear terrorism prevention.

This report discusses the process of naming Navy ships, which have traditionally been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy. Congress in recent years has proposed, and sometimes passed, legislation regarding the naming of specific ships.