This report is a bibliography on third party movements in the United States.

This bibliography collects published works outlining the role of the State Department and the National Security Council in creating policies.

This report attempts to summarize Soviet strategic doctrine, cite possible arguments for and against Soviet ABM deployment by Soviet and Western specialists.

This report first explains how, under current bankruptcy law, Chapter 9 (municipalities) debtors have significant freedom to modify their outstanding pension obligations through the bankruptcy process. The report then explores proposals to alter the legal principles governing the adjustment of municipal pensions in bankruptcy.

This report discusses "tort reform" which refers to whether (and to what extent) legislatures should limit lawsuits concerning negligence, personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, and other similar causes of action. The report surveys several major tort and litigation reform bills pending in the 115th Congress and discusses some of the legal issues raised by each bill.

This report discusses proposed balanced budget amendments to the Constitution and their content.

This report discusses the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018, P.L. 115-123) and the inclusion in it of an FY2019 budget resolution. The report then discusses the differences between a traditional budge resolution and a substitute budget resolution like the one found in the BBA.

This report provides an overview of the various deferred action immigration programs in the U.S. (DACA, TPS, etc.) and their various regulations and protections.

This report discusses the effort to build a "smart" electricity grid across the the U.S. which can be run with digital technologies that control most of the major functions of a power plant. The current state of the movement and concerns regarding cyber-security are also discussed.

This report discusses the disagreement between the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Treasury Department on how to issue new tax regulations. It discusses the historical roots and nature of the disagreement and potential implications.

This report discusses a federal district court's decision to halt a new Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15 weeks unless the the life of the mother was in danger.

This report provides an overview of U.S. foreign assistance to Israel. It includes a review of past aid programs, data on annual assistance, and analysis of current issues.

This report discusses the Trade Promotion Authority program which allows the President to request an expedited procedure for an international trade deal that meets certain requirements. The report answers a variety of frequently asked questions regarding TPA's functions and purpose and Congressional power over it.

This report discusses the Army's Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) and transport and reconnaissance vehicles being developed for their use. The FY2019 budget request for the program is also included.

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 soil and water conservation topics, which are prominent in discussions of policy options for the next farm bill. Two omnibus conservation proposals have been introduced (H.R. 1551 and H.R. 1600), and many interest groups continue to offer policy recommendations ranging from general concepts to specific legislative language.

This report discusses multiple factors that attribute to rising food prices in the United States of America.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) provides a comprehensive federal scheme for the regulation of employee pension and welfare benefit plans offered by employers. ERISA contains various provisions intended to protect the rights of plan participants and beneficiaries in employee benefit plans. These protections include requirements relating to reporting and disclosure, participation, vesting, and benefit accrual, as well as plan funding. ERISA also regulates the responsibilities of plan fiduciaries and other issues regarding plan administration. ERISA contains various standards that a plan must meet in order to receive favorable tax treatment, and also governs plan termination. This report provides background on the pension laws prior to ERISA, discusses various types of employee benefit plans governed by ERISA, provides an overview of ERISA’s requirements, and includes a glossary of commonly used terms.

This report summarizes the Authorization of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a multi-media federal program to persuade America's youth not to use drugs, expired at the end of FY2002. The 108th Congress is expected to consider the reauthorization of the campaign as part of the reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The campaign's effectiveness has been questioned, and the program has engendered its share of controversy.

This report is written in response to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about military funeral honors and military cemeteries. It provides information to questions in three general areas: implementation of the funeral honors and eligibility criteria; components of the honor detail and the funeral ceremony; and specific questions on burial and honors at Arlington National Cemetery. It also cites legislation requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to make military funeral honors available to every eligible veteran upon request.

Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments, but each state designs and administers its own state program under broad federal guidelines. Accordingly, state variation in eligibility, covered services, and the delivery of, and reimbursement for, services is the rule rather than the exception. How is Congress to respond to the numerous proposals to move Medicaid forward into the near and long term? This report lays out some of these issues, explains the factors underlying them, and provides links to CRS products that can help Members of Congress and their staff prepare to discuss Medicaid’s role today and into the future.

The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act has two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials, and to authorize related research. Permit and enforcement provisions of the law are often referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act. The basic provisions of the act have remained virtually unchanged since 1972, when it was enacted to establish a comprehensive waste management system to regulate disposal or dumping of all materials into marine waters that are within U.S. jurisdiction, although a number of new authorities have been added. This report presents a summary of the law.

This report concerns rules created in 2003 by the Alcohol and Tobacco and Trade Bureau that prohibits manufacturers from advertising substantive health benefits from alcoholic beverages. Moreover, the report covers the history and debate on this issue and of the Bureau.

This report provides a frame of reference for considering the relative merits of using these organizations in peace and security operations. It first reviews the types of actions and activities available to deal with situations ranging from low-level tension to open conflict to post-conflict transition. It then examines, for each of the organizations, the major considerations, i.e., effectiveness, advantages, and disadvantages, and other important issues for U.S. policy makers in their use.