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
With summer 2025 in the rearview mirror, we’re taking a look back to see how federal actions impacted heat preparedness and response on the ground, what’s still changing, and what the road ahead looks like for heat resilience.
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.