Current Issues
Economic Conditions & Actions
Banking Reform Proposals
The Biden Administration released (March 30) a set of banking regulatory reform proposals in the wake of the March banking crisis that followed the collapse of Silicon ...
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Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Computing
Bias-related AI Oversight by Federal Agencies
Officials from four Federal agencies pledged (April 25) in a joint statement to use their authorities to protect the public against unlawful bias and discrimination ...
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Workplace Misconduct
Forced Arbitration in Sexual Assault/Harassment Cases
Congress completed consideration and passed the “Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021” (February 10, 2022). The legislation bans arbitration agreements that preclude a party from filing a lawsuit in court involving sexual assault or ...
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Consumer/Investor Protection
ESG Retirement Plan Fiduciary Rule
Congress passed legislation (March 2) to force nullification of a Labor Department rule finalized in November pertaining to the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) actors in retirement plan investing ...
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Protecting Personal Information
FTC Action Against Meta/Facebook
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced (May 3) that it is proposing to modify a prior privacy order on Meta/Facebook, to prohibit the company ...
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Net Neutrality
Court Decision Could Influence Net Neutrality Change
A Supreme Court 6-3 decision (June 2022) concerning the authority of the EPA to regulate climate change-causing emissions of power plants, could have the effect of limiting any Biden Administration changes ...
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Cybersecurity
Marshals Service Cyber Intrusion
The US Marshals Service (USMS), an agency within the Department of Justice, was hacked during February 2023 ...
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Big Tech Concerns
FTC Action Against Meta/Facebook
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced (May 3) that it is proposing to modify a prior privacy order on Meta/Facebook, to prohibit the company ...
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Global Warming/Clean Air
Power Plant Carbon Emissions Rule
The EPA issued a proposed rule (May 11) that seeks to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants using fossil fuels. US power plants account ...
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Electric Vehicle Availability/Use
New EV Tax Rules
The Treasury Department published a proposed rule (April 17) with new requirements on critical mineral and batter components that will affect electric vehicle (EV) purchases ...
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Computer Chip Shortage/Manufacturing
CHIPS Act Funding Distribution Strategy
The Department of Commerce released (February 28) its detailed funding opportunity plan to guide the award and distribution of semiconductor industry grant ...
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Immigration - Legal & Illegal
Troops to the Border
The Department of Defense (DOD) announced (May 2) that it will add 1,500 active-duty troops to support southern border operations, on top of the existing ...
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Space Commerce & Travel
China May Counter Starlink
Reporting from China (February 24) suggests that the country is preparing a near-earth satellite constellation, codenamed “GW” to counter the Starlink system ...
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Corporate Taxes
EU Corporate Minimum Tax
The European Union (EU) reached an agreement (December 12) to impose a 15% minimum tax ...
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Travel & Airlines
Future Rule on Expenses for Stranded Passengers
The Department of Transportation announced (May 8) that it plans to start a process for a rule, without issuing an actual proposed rule, that will require airlines ...
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China
Dueling Restrictions on Technology
Politico is reporting (April 18) that the Biden Administration is nearing completion of a new Executive Order (EO) intended to further restrict China’s access to US technology ...
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Taiwan
US to Taiwan Arms Sale
The Biden Administration has notified the Congress (March 2) of its plan to move forward with its latest ...
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Goods Supply Chain
Shipping Merger is Dropped
The Department of Justice successfully helped prevent the merger of two global container shipping giants after the companies abandoned an effort to merge (August 25) ...
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Lands & Waters
Waters-of-the-United States
The US Supreme Court issued a long-awaited ruling (May 25) that concerns Federal jurisdiction in the protection of waters under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In general ...
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Research & Analysis
Competition in the Mobile App Ecosystem
U.S. Department of Commerce
This report (February 1) outlines the basis for actions to increase competition in the mobile app ecosystem.
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Accelerating Global Companies to Net Zero by 2050
Accenture
This report (November 2022) provides an assessment of large company long-term, net-zero carbon emissions commitments, including if such commitments are on track to be met and how to improve the chances for success.
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Crude Oil Windfall Profits Taxes
Congressional Research Service
This report (March 2022) summarizes the basis and options for so-called "windfall" profit taxes on major U.S. oil companies.
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Organizational Assessment: the National Counterterrorism and Security Center
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
This report (September 2022) provides the results of a review by the staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on foreign intelligence threats. Among the findings: foreign intelligence entities are targeting the public and private sectors alike, including the financial sector, the U.S. industrial base, academic entities, U.S. government departments and agencies that are not part of the intelligence community, and national laboratories; and that today’s adversaries have access to a much wider variety of tools for stealing information, influencing U.S. officials or inflaming social and political tensions than in the past, including nontraditional human, cyber, advanced technical, and open source intelligence operations to collect against U.S. plans and policies, sensitive technology, personally identifiable information, and intellectual property, as well as to influence U.S. decision-making and public opinion.
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Towards a Standard for Identifying and Managing Bias in Artificial Intelligence
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
This paper (March 2022) analyzes issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) bias as a “first step on the roadmap” for developing methods/standards to address bias. The paper examines the challenges inherent in AI bias, how such bias might be identified and managed, and suggests preliminary guidance.
Curtailing Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuel Operations
International Energy Agency
This report (February 2022) describes the basis of the worldwide challenge of methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, and the potential regulatory actions governments should consider. Some of the key regulatory policy options include leak detection and repair requirements, mandates for updated equipment, limits on non-emergency flaring and venting, minimum standards of performance, and charges/taxes applied to methane emissions.
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Gender Pay Gap
Pew Research Center
This website page provides an analysis of U.S. Census and other survey data, data which indicates that a gender pay gap exists.
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Net Neutrality - Wikipedia Page
Wikipedia
This Wikipedia website page details the background and status of Net Neutrality.
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Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would lift the pay of 32 million workers
Economic Policy Institute
This report summarizes the basis for supporting a raise of the the Federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
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State Minimum Wage Laws
US Department of Labor
This website provides information on minimum wage laws of every U.S. State.
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Countering an Authoritarian Overhaul of the Internet
Freedom House
This report (October 2022) provides a current assessment of internet freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations such as regulating surveillance and the collection of personal information by governments and elevating cyber diplomacy and coordination on technology policy.
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How Three Carbon-Intensive Industries Can Reach Net Zero Emmissions
Mission Possible Partnership (MPP)
This blog article summarizes how three carbon-intensive industries -- steel, shipping, and aviation -- can potentially achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The blog post provides links to a specific "transition strategy" for steel and aviation, while only just a "sector transition perspective" for the shipping industry.
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Section 230 Reform Deserves Careful and Focused Consideration
The Brookings Institution
This article (May 2021) summarizes considerations for policymakers with respect to Section 230 reform for technology companies.
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2021 The State of the U.S. Semiconductor Industry
Semiconductor Industry Association
This is a report (2021) of the Semiconductor Industry Association detailing what it believes are the reasons for the global semiconductor shortage.
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Key Federal Programs
Strategic Petroleum Reserve [DOE]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$219,000,000
$242,179,000
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---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$43,300,000
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$420,000,000
$464,650,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
International Trade Commission
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$110,000,000
$122,400,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
International Trade Administration [Commerce]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$559,000,000
$630,831,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Fossil Energy & Carbon Management [DOE]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$825,000,000
$893,160,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$1,839,000,000
Consumer Product Safety Commission [CPSC]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$139,050,000
$195,500,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$50,000,000
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$381,950,000
$390,192,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$376,530,000
$490,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$30,400,000
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$1,999,663,000
$2,279,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Small Business Administration (SBA)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$947,665,000
$1,056,788,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$2,489,100,000
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$612,015,000
$591,787,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
