This report provides data and analysis related to nominations made to the Supreme Court during years of unified and divided party government.

This report discusses the North American Leaders' Summits (NALS), a trilateral summit that meets in effort to increase cooperation on broader economic and security issues between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This report discusses the policy climate surrounding gun control in the wake of the attack in an Orlando, Florida nightclub. On June 12, 2016, an armed assailant killed 49 people and wounded over 50 others in the club.

This report discusses regulations regarding blowout preventer systems and well control for oil and gas operations on the U.S. outer continental shelf (81 Fed. Reg. 25887). The regulations aim to reduce the risk of an offshore oil or gas blowout that could jeopardize human safety and harm the environment.

This report provides data and analysis related to nominations made to the Supreme Court during presidential election years from 1900 to the present.

This report discusses tax provisions which expired at the end of 2016 and were not addressed in the 2017 tax reform bill and various options for Congress to either extend them or end them.

This report discusses the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the requirements that private insurers must meet to satisfy the federal flood insurance requirements. It also discusses legislation in the 115th Congress related to flood insurance.

This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, particularly in the context of major floods, and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP.

This report provides a short overview of what would happen if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were not to be reauthorized by July 31, 2018, and allowed to lapse.

This report discusses OPEC's policy and agreement with 11 non-OPEC countries to reduce oil production to stabilize the price of oil which began January 1, 2017 and is in effect until March 31, 2018. Brief descriptions of the results of the agreement on global oil stocks are provided.

This report discusses the proposed "Hearing Protection Act" (A part of the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act,H.R. 3668) which would take gun silencers out from under the jurisdiction of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and have them regulated only by the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). The NFA requires fingerprint based background checks, taxes various parts of the production process, requires sellers to be federally licensed, and silencers must be registered with ATF.

This report discusses the training of Navy and Air Force pilots through the use of "adversary" squadrons which fly planes that are either similar or actual versions of those used by enemy countries. The Air Force is considering contracting out this service due to the pilot shortage in the Air Force. Various options and precedent for such contracting services are discussed.

This report discusses the military intervention in Zimbabwe which occurred on November 14 and 15th, 2017, and provides a discussion of the main events leading up to the action and possible outcomes.

This report discusses concerns over possible election interference that could take place during the 2018 midterm elections.

This report summarizes the issue of development of major combat systems for the Army and the proposed solution: Army Futures Command. The report ends with possible issues for Congress to consider.

This report discusses the federal regulatory role in regards to drinking water, more specifically in the context of the Flint water crisis. Lead exposure is a major public health concern, particularly because low-level exposures can impair the neurodevelopment of children. The main source of lead in drinking water is the corrosion of plumbing materials in the distribution system.

This report briefly discusses the current status of the Department of Defense's (DOD's) 1033 Program, under which excess DOD property -- such as personal computers, vehicles, and firearms -- are made available to qualified federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.

This report have discusses the benefits and risks of the U.S. nuclear weapons policy, known as a "no first use" pledge. U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that the United States could, under certain circumstances, use nuclear weapons against a state, even if the latter has not already done so.

This report discusses the U.S. relations and economic linkages with the Latin American and Caribbean region that have made significant political and economic advances over the past three decades, though challenges remain.