This report describes presidential direction to federal agencies on floodplain management and flood resilience and presents considerations for Congress.

This report discusses the new emergency preparedness rules for organizations which participate in the Medicaid and Medicare programs that will be required to be in place by November 16, 2017.

This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury), particularly in the context of major floods, and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP as it begins to pay claims from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

This report discusses the current shortage of pilots, especially fighter pilots, in the Air Force and factors influencing pilots to leave the Air Force and possible retention and recruitment methods to help alleviate the shortage.

This report discusses the EPA's pesticide registration fees and legislation authorizing them as well as upcoming reauthorizations and possible changes.

This report discuses the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on Caribbean countries and foreign territories and provides brief descriptions of the extent of damage to Antigua and Barbuda, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Cuba, and Dominica. Current U.S. aid efforts and funds are discussed along with the international humanitarian response.

This report discusses efforts to restore power in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria decimated the island's electricity infrastructure. Challenges in power restoration due to the extent of the damage, supply deliveries, timing of the storm after Hurricane Harvey and Irma, and the electric company's financial crisis along with recommendations for strengthening the electric system are discussed.

This report discusses cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments and their effects and funding along with current uncertainty about their continuation by health insurers.

This report answers questions about the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) September 20 announcement that it would begin to normalize its balance sheet in October by gradually reducing its asset holdings.

This report discusses the results of a recent experiment on the use of gene modification for decreasing the chance of children having hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which was done through the use of CRISPR to modify the genes of human embryos at a private facility. Restrictions on the use of public funds for such studies, a brief explanation of the science, and ethical concerns are discussed.

This report discusses times when Congress has issued or proposed censures of the President for his actions which though not laws show Congress's displeasure and reflect badly on the President.

This report discusses legislative proposals that would affect veterans' disability payments and Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) in the 2018 Fiscal Year budget proposals.

This report discusses the proposed Kurdish independence referendum set for September 25, 2017 and the opposition of the Iraqi and U.S. government to holding it at that time.

This report discusses the proposed Taylor Force Act in Congress which relates to the amount of foreign aid sent to the Palestinian Authority and reductions and further requirements being implemented due to Palestinian payments to families of those killed in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict whether as combatants or civilians and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons that have been convicted of terrorism related offenses.

This report discusses various current bills in Congress that are related to to increasing business innovation and easing regulation on securities and venture-capitol firms. Brief outlines of the goals of each bill and their current progress along with arguments for and against them are presented.

This report discusses the measures undertaken by electric utilities to prevent or mitigate power outages resulting from severe weather events. Power lines and transformers used to provide electricity to customers are particularly susceptible to damage due to their exposure to the elements. The loss of life and extensive damage seen so far in the 2017 hurricane season has refocused the attention of Congress on the destructive potential of such storms. High winds, rain, and coastal surges can combine to create floods which exacerbate damage from hurricanes.

This report discusses bills proposed in Congress that either would provide temporary protection from removal or paths to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in the wake of the announcement of the phasing out of the DACA program.

This report discusses recent controversies over U.S. aid to Egypt and various announcements and threats to cut aid off due to Egypt's passage of a strict regulatory law for NGO's and possible ties with North Korea.

This report discusses President Trump's Proclamation on on Enhanced Vetting for Foreign Nationals from Designated Countries which was issued on September 24, 2017 and is a newly revised version of the previously blocked executive orders which blocked entry to people from certain Muslim-majority countries and refugees temporarily. The new list of countries with travel bans or special scrutiny consists of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, Chad, and Venezuela (only certain government officials). These countries were selected based on Department of Homeland Security evaluations on identity management strategies, information sharing, and national security and public safety risk. The types of bans for each countries and exceptions are also discussed.

This report provides a short overview of select agricultural recovery resources related to hurricanes such as Harvey and Irma. It is not a comprehensive list (see "CRS Resources" below for more information about programs) and is not intended to provide up-to-date information on unfolding events. For additional support, please contact available CRS experts in hurricane-related issue areas.

This report gives a brief overview of the 2017 chancellorship election campaign in Germany where Chancellor Angela Merkel is running for her 4th term in office. The major political parties and issues in the campaign are discussed as well as possible effects on U.S. relations with Germany.

This report discusses Syria's chemical weapon supplies, efforts to have them destroyed, recent uses of chemical weapons there, and issues related to undeclared chemical weapon stocks.

This report outlines the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in hurricane disaster relief and recovery. This role encompasses emergency response to floods and general disaster recovery, maintaining or repairing flood control structures such as dams that they operate as well as assisting in the repair of non-federally owned flood control structures. Recent activities of the Corps during and after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are discussed.

This report summarizes the parliamentary procedures the House and Senate might use to consider a resolution to censure or condemn an executive branch official and provides links to additional reading material on the subject.