This report uses a question and answer format to highlight key aspects of the military compensation system and to address topics of recurring congressional interest, including the following: compensation elements and rates, statutory formulas for increasing compensation elements, historical increases in basic pay, comparability with civilian pay, and additional compensation for those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

This report answers seven frequently asked questions about President Trump's defense budget proposal for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 which was made on March 16, 2017. Additional funding for overseas contingency operations and a higher defense budget are major sections of the proposal discussed.

This report provides a brief history of U.S. climate change regulation, reviews the different types of regulation and legal actions that have been pursued in the national debate over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, examines selected legal issues and next steps in related litigation, and addresses what these legal and regulatory developments mean for Congress. President Trump's Executive Order of March 28, 2017 requiring agencies to reconsider their policies related to climate change is also discussed.

This report provides roll call vote data on Keystone XL Pipeline legislation identified by CRS using CQ.com's Roll Call Vote Report database as well as the Congress.gov legislative database. Roll call votes listed in the tables are broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation--substantive votes (i.e., votes on amendments or passage of bills) versus procedural votes (e.g., votes to recommit the bill to a committee or to provide for the consideration of a bill). Votes are also listed in chronological order for each Congress. This report is current through the end of the 114th Congress and will be updated as events warrant.

This report outlines the Department of Transportation's (DOT) appropriations for fiscal year 2017 and highlights selected areas of funding such as intercity passenger rail, Highway trust funding solvency, TIGER grants, and Essential Air Service (EAS).

This report discusses FirstNet's announcement of a partnership with AT&T to build a dedicated wireless broadband network for use by public safety agencies which will allow first responders during an emergency to share information with other public safety departments and have a dedicated internet connection for emergency communication.

This report discusses House bills H.R. 1430 and 1431 which were passed by the House in late March 2017. These bills address regulations regarding the EPA's obligation to share the scientific basis for their actions.

This report discusses a case which was brought by Army Captain Nathan Smith against President Barack Obama in 2016, arguing that President Obama had no authority to be conducting the campaign against the Islamic State because no Congressional approval had been given. The case was dismissed in Nov. 2016 but he has appealed the dismissal of the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

This report discusses the fiscal year 2017 appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and related agencies. Comparisons between previous and current funding levels and cuts proposed by the Trump Administration are also discussed.

This report discusses the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act which is planning to provide subsidized loans and credit assistance to water infrastructure projects through the EPA.

This report provides an overview of the government assistance available to individuals and households following a flood and provides links to more comprehensive guidance on both flood insurance and disaster assistance.

This report describes the two procedures by which a measure may be introduced on the Senate floor. These two methods are the Senate either unanimously approving a motion brought the majority leader or agreeing to a motion by the majority leader which allows for debate.

This report describes what the cloture process is and how it is used. Cloture is a method used by the Senate to end a debate without rejecting the bill or amendment.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) program.

This report discusses energy tax incentives and historical trends regarding their value and the types of fuels they supported.

This report discusses filibusters and the use of cloture to end them in the Senate. In regards to cloture it concentrates on the operation of cloture under the general provisions of Senate Rule XXII, paragraph 2, though it also identifies key modifications to its application in recent years.

This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process--from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential consideration. However, the process by which a bill can become law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In fact, for many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of congressional stages that are often understood to make up the legislative process.This report presents a look at each of the common stages through which a bill may move, but complications and variations abound in practice.

This report describes the process of enforcing a rule of order in the Senate.

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 provides a brief history of FDA drug regulation, describes FDA's early risk management programs, and focuses on the agency's current risk management authorities, specifically risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS). The report also discusses issues that have arisen as a result of REMS, particularly the impact on generic drug competition. It does not discuss antitrust issues raised by restricted distribution systems.

This report examines issues related to financial regulators and cost-benefit analysis' (CBA), including potential difficulties facing such regulators and methods available to them when preforming a CBA, the analytical requirements the agencies currently face, and the arguments for and against increasing requirements on financial regulators. This report also briefly describes several examples of proposed legislation that would change the requirements facing financial regulators.

This report discusses proposals regarding the devolution of surface transportation building and maintenance to states and the economic and safety related impacts such an act might have. Arguments for and against the idea and recent revisions to surface transportation legislation which already reduce federal regulation are also discussed.

This report provides information about the rules and authorities that affect media coverage of Congress, current practices among the press galleries, and selected data on gallery membership since the 94th Congress. It also provides a brief discussion of considerations that commonly underlie the galleries' practices or may affect gallery operations and congressional media rules.

This report describes statutory requirements for allocating congressional nominations to service academies. It also identifies the qualifications that must be met by potential nominees, as established by statute and each academy. Finally, sample documents that could be used by congressional offices at various stages of the nomination selection process are included. These documents provide basic information and can be customized to fit the specific needs of individual office policies.