This report provides a short overview of issues Congress may consider in its oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) federal assistance during the 2017 hurricane season (e.g., Harvey, Irma, and Maria) and other disasters (e.g., fires in California).

This report answers frequently asked questions about the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program and the recent announcement on September 5, 2017 that the program was being rescinded.

The purpose of this report is to provide a general discussion of legislative provisions and proposals relating to the military benefits for former spouses.

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

This report discusses the electric power grid of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands which were mainly destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria with Puerto Rico being the hardest hit power grid. The report mainly concerns previous and current efforts to create long-term comprehensive energy plans for insular areas such as Puerto Rico and some of the challenges encountered in doing so.

This report discusses Cabo Verde, a small island nation located off the west coast of Africa; its geographic location has made the country a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe and a key refueling stop-over for trans-Atlantic air traffic between Africa and the United States.

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 examines the use of resolutions of inquiry in the House of Representatives from 1947 to 2011. A resolution of inquiry is a measure that formally calls on the executive branch to provide specified factual information to Congress.

This report describes the GI Bills for veteran education benefits enacted prior to 2008 and provides a description of the eligibility requirements, eligible programs of education, benefit availability, and benefits. The report also provides some summary statistics, comparisons between the programs (see Table 2), and brief discussions of related programs.

This report discusses the United States's part in global digital trade and various policies and agreements with other countries regarding trade.

This report discusses Special Operations Forces (SOF), which play a significant role in U.S. military operations and, in recent years, have been given greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. A potential issue for Congress is the Administration's decision to send U.S. SOF forces to Syria.

This report outlines the rules for scheduling and notifying members of Senate committee hearings.

This report outlines the rules for providing witness testimony at Senate committee hearings.

This report first provides a brief overview of Senate rules as they pertain to committee actions. The report then provides tables that summarize selected, key features of each committee's rules in regard to meeting day, hearing and meeting notice requirements, scheduling of witnesses, hearing quorum, business quorum, amendment filing requirements, proxy voting, polling, nominations, investigations, and subpoenas. In addition, the report looks at selected unique provisions some committees have included in their rules in the miscellaneous category. The tables represent only a portion of each committee's rules, and provisions of the rules that are substantially similar to or essentially restatements of the Senate's Standing Rules are not included. This report will be not be updated further during the 115th Congress.

This report outlines the process that the Senate goes through when considering a treaty.

This report identifies and summarizes the provisions of the Senate's standing rules, standing orders, precedents, and other directives that have general applicability to legislative activity in the Senate's standing committees. It covers four main issues: committee organization, committee meetings, hearings, and reporting.

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 discusses the ongoing conflict in Syria and provides an overview of U.S. policy responses. The rise of the insurgent terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL/ISIS) and Russia's military intervention on behalf of the Syrian government have reshaped debates over U.S. policy toward the ongoing civil conflict in Syria, now in its fifth year.

The purpose of this report is to provide a general discussion of legislative provisions and proposals relating to the military benefits for former spouses.

This report discusses the military retirement system. The system currently includes monthly compensation for qualified active and reserve retirees, disability benefits for those deemed medically unfit to serve, and a survivor annuity program for the eligible survivors of deceased retirees.

This report describes the power of the Congress over the armed forces, including the power to "to raise and support Armies," "to provide and maintain a Navy," "to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces" and "to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States.... "

This report discusses Iran's national security policy. Some experts forecast that Iran's foreign and defense policies might shift after international sanctions were eased in January 2016 in accordance with the July 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA).

This report focuses on one pillar of the Dodd-Frank Act's (P.L. 111-203) response to addressing financial stability and ending too big to fail: a new enhanced prudential regulatory regime that applies to all banks with more than $50 billion in assets and to certain other financial institutions. Under this regime, the Federal Reserve is required to apply a number of safety and soundness requirements to large banks that are more stringent than those applied to smaller banks. These requirements are intended to mitigate systemic risk posed by large banks. This report also examines the question of which banks are systemically important.