Refugee Admissions and Resettlement, & More from CRS
The total number of refugees that can be admitted to the United States this year — termed the worldwide refugee ceiling — is 110,000 persons.
The total amount is allocated among refugees from Africa (35,000), East Asia (12,000), Europe and Central Asia (4,000), Latin America/Caribbean (5,000), and Near East/South Asia (40,000), with an unallocated reserve of 14,000 persons.
Background on law and policy affecting refugees is presented in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service. See Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy, November 30, 2016.
The number of government employees involved in acquisition of U.S. military systems, equipment and services reached 158,212 as of March 2016, according to another new CRS report. See The Civil Defense Acquisition Workforce: Enhancing Recruitment Through Hiring Flexibilities, November 22, 2016.
The U.S. has gone from being a net exporter of fruits and vegetables in the 1970s to being a net importer today, CRS found. On the other hand, U.S. production of nuts is strong. As far as nuts are concerned, there have been “continued increases and, generally, a growing U.S. trade surplus.” See The U.S. Trade Situation for Fruit and Vegetable Products, updated December 1, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Demographic and Social Characteristics of Persons in Poverty: 2015, November 30, 2016
Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding, updated November 30, 2016
Agency Final Rules Submitted After June 2, 2016, May Be Subject to Disapproval, CRS Insight, updated November 30, 2016
The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction, November 30, 2016
Authorization of Appropriations: Procedural and Legal Issues, updated November 30, 2016
Federal Income Tax Treatment of the Family, updated November 23, 2016
Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?, updated November 23, 2016
Conflict of Interest and “Ethics” Provisions That May Apply to the President, CRS memorandum, November 22, 2016
Iran’s Nuclear Program: Status, updated November 30, 2016
The Central African Republic: Background and U.S. Policy, updated December 1, 2016
What Happens if Johnny Hacks His Seventh Grade Report Card?, CRS Legal Sidebar, December 1, 2016
The United States has the only proven and scalable tritium production supply chain, but it is largely reserved for nuclear weapons. Excess tritium production capacity should be leveraged to ensure the success of and U.S. leadership in fusion energy.
Despite an emerging awareness of the importance of state and local government innovation capacity, there is a shortage of plausible strategies to build that capacity.
Innovations in artificial intelligence and robotics will allow us to accelerate the search process using foundation AI models for science research and automate much of the experimentation with robotic, self-driving labs.
FAS commends the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for clearing a historic 75 pieces of legislation, including multiple crucial bills to confront the wildfire crisis.