The Budgetary Effects of the United States’ Participation in the International Monetary Fund

"Since 1945, when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was established to promote global economic cooperation and stability, the United States has been its largest contributor. Today, the United States’ financial commitment to the IMF totals approximately $164 billion; that is the maximum amount that the IMF can draw from the United States to make loans to other IMF members..."
International Monetary Fund

The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2013

"In 2013, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimates, average household market income— a comprehensive income measure that consists of labor income, business income, capital income (including capital gains), and retirement income—was approximately $86,000. Government transfers, which include benefits from programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance, averaged approximately $14,000 per household. The sum of those two amounts, which equals before-tax income, was about $100,000, on average. In this report, CBO analyzed the distribution of four types of federal taxes: individual income taxes, payroll (or social insurance) taxes, corporate income taxes, and excise taxes. Taken together, those taxes amounted to about $20,000 per household, on average, in 2013.1 Thus, average after-tax income—which equals market income plus government transfers minus federal taxes— was about $80,000, and the average federal tax rate (federal taxes divided by before-tax income) was about 20 percent..."
Household_income

"The housing crisis of the last decade has not slowed the steady trend towards bigger houses with more bathrooms and multi-car garages but these more spacious new homes are now on smaller lots.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on characteristics of new housing for the Department of Housing and Urban Development using the Survey of Construction. Annual data from the survey show that the proportion of single-family homes completed in 2015 with four or more bedrooms and three or more bathrooms has been on the rise since 1987. The share of new homes that are 3,000 square feet or more has been increasing since 1999. The same upward pattern applies to homes that are even larger — 4,000 square feet or more..."
Housing

Democrats Issue Benghazi Report and Release Interview Transcripts

"Today, the Democratic Members of the Select Committee on Benghazi issued a 339-page report entitled,“Honoring Courage, Improving Security, and Fighting the Political Exploitation of a Tragedy.”  Democrats also released all of the unclassified interview transcripts in their possession so the American people can read them for themselves.

“Decades in the future, historians will look back on this investigation as a case study in how not to conduct a credible investigation,” the Members wrote.  “They will showcase the proliferation of Republican abuses as a chief example of what happens when politicians are allowed to use unlimited taxpayer dollars—and the formidable power of Congress—to attack their political foes.”

The Democratic report’s overarching conclusion is that the evidence obtained by the Select Committee confirms the core findings already issued by many previous investigations into the attacks in Benghazi.  Although the Select Committee obtained additional details that provide context and granularity, these details do not fundamentally alter the previous conclusions.
Benghazi Report

The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress

"Major changes have occurred in campaign finance policy since 2002, when Congress substantially amended campaign finance law via the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). The Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United and a related lower-court decision, SpeechNow.org v. FEC, arguably represent the most fundamental changes to campaign finance law in decades. Citizens United lifted a previous ban on corporate (and union) independent expenditures advocating election or defeat of candidates. SpeechNow permitted unlimited contributions supporting such expenditures and facilitated the advent of super PACs. Although campaign finance policy remains the subject of intense debate and public interest, there have been few recent major legislative or regulatory changes. During the 114th Congress, two bills substantially devoted to campaign finance policy have advanced beyond introduction. The Committee on House Administration reported H.R. 412, which would terminate the presidential public financing program. In addition, the committee ordered reported H.R. 4734, which would permit candidates to name someone other than the treasurer to disburse funds if the candidate dies. In activity somewhat related to campaign finance policy, provisions in the FY2016 consolidated appropriations law (P.L. 114-113; H.R. 2029) prohibited some additional reporting requirements surrounding contributions and expenditures. (See also related bills H.R. 2995, S. 1910, and S. 2132.) FY2017 bills (H.R. 5485; S. 3067) also contain provisions related to campaign finance..."
Campaign finance

Designating Stonewall National Monument

"On Friday, June 24, President Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument – the first national monument dedicated to telling the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community’s struggle for equal rights. In this week’s address, the President talked about the importance of preserving and sharing this significant part of the American story.

Although we have seen true progress over the years, the President acknowledged that the LGBT community still faces discrimination to this day. With that in mind, the President emphasized that as a country, we must continue to push for equality, acceptance and tolerance – because that’s what makes our country the greatest nation on earth..."
Stonewall National Monumment

CDC investigation: Blood lead levels higher after switch to Flint River water

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released the results of its investigation into the potential health impact that lead contamination in the Flint, Michigan water supply had on the blood lead levels of local children.  The findings indicate that when the source of the water supply was switched to the Flint River, without appropriate corrosion control measures, young children who drank the water had blood lead levels (BLLs) that were significantly higher than when the source of water was the Detroit water system. After the switch back to the Detroit water system, the percentage of children under 6 years with elevated blood lead levels returned to levels seen before the water switch took place.

“This crisis was entirely preventable, and a startling reminder of the critical need to eliminate all sources of lead from our children’s environment,” said Patrick Breysse, Ph.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. “CDC is committed to continued support for the people of Flint through our Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention program and efforts to raise awareness and promote action to address the critical public health issue in communities across the country.”

To understand the impact of consuming contaminated drinking water on children’s blood lead levels, CDC researchers examined data on levels of lead in blood of children younger than six years before, during, and after the switch in Flint’s water source. The current CDC blood lead level of concern (also known as a reference level) is 5 or more micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (≥5 µg/dL). This reference value is based on the population of children ages 1-5 years in the U.S. who are in the top 2.5% of children tested for lead in their blood..."
Blood lead

American Time Use Survey — 2015 Results

"In 2015, 38 percent of workers in management, business, and financial operations occupations, and 35 percent of those employed in professional and related occupations, did some or all of their work from home on days they worked, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Workers employed in other occupations were less likely to work from home on days they worked.

These and other results from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) were released today. These data include the average amount of time per day in 2015 that individuals worked, did household activities, and engaged in leisure and sports activities. Additionally, measures of the average time per day spent providing childcare—both as a primary (or main) activity and while doing other things—for the combined years 2011-2015 are provided..." 
Time use

Foreign Aid: An Introduction to U.S. Programs and Policy

"Foreign assistance is a fundamental component of the international affairs budget and is viewed by many as an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy. On the basis of national security, commercial, and humanitarian rationales, U.S. assistance flows through many federal agencies and supports myriad objectives, including promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, improving governance, expanding access to health care and education, promoting stability in conflictive regions, countering terrorism, promoting human rights, strengthening allies, and curbing illicit drug production and trafficking. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, foreign aid has increasingly been associated with national security policy. At the same time, foreign aid is seen by many Americans, and Members of Congress, as an expense that the United States cannot afford given current budget deficits..."
Foreign Aid

America’s Age Profile Told through Population Pyramids

"Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released population estimates by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin for the nation, states and counties. These data enable us to learn about the U.S. population, including its age structure. Age structure is often displayed using a population pyramid. You can learn about the makeup of the U.S. population as a whole by looking at its population pyramid, below...."
Aged population

How Photography Shaped America's National Parks

"Have you ever gotten a postcard from a national park? Chances are the picture that comes to mind—maybe the powerful eruption of Old Faithful spouting up in Yellowstone or the rocky depths of the Grand Canyon—is the same shot that people across the world have seen.

There’s a reason for that. The idea of America’s national parks that's ingrained in the collective consciousness has been shaped through more than 150 years of photographing them, Jamie Allen contends in her new book, Picturing America’s Parks.

You might be surprised by just how important a role photography played in constructing what America thinks of as national parks today. Allen, an associate curator at the George Eastman Museum, weeds through the parks' origins, critically exploring the forces behind those now-iconic visages..."
National parks

Food Safety at Fairs and Festivals

"A big part of summer for many people is attending fairs and festivals. There are always fun things to see and experience, including art work, music, games, and rides. One of the biggest draws to these events is the many different types of foods and drinks available.

Foodborne illnesses increase during the summer months, making it even more important to follow food safety steps. There are several reasons that foodborne illnesses increase in summer; one is that people are cooking and eating outside more often. Sometimes the usual safety controls that a kitchen provides, like monitoring of food temperatures, refrigeration, workers trained in food safety and washing facilities, may not be available when cooking and dining at fairs and festivals.

Remember that food safety practices should be the same at fairs as they are at restaurants and at home: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Learn more about these steps here, and reduce the chance you’ll get a foodborne illness this summer...."
Food safety and fairs

Federal Register Volumes Now Available Online

"Where can you get back issues of the Federal Register online? The Law Library of Congress has now completed thecollection of historical volumes of the Federal Register available online.

The Law Library acquired this collection from William S. Hein & Co., Inc. to make all volumes of the Federal Register available in open access to researchers.  The collection starts with the first Federal Register in 1936 and contains all volumes through 1993. For more recent volumes, see federalregister.gov and FDSys (volumes 1994-2015). The Law Library website for the collection is//www.loc.gov/collections/federal-register/.

The Federal Register is published every business day and contains executive orders and proclamations as well as federal agency public notices, proposed rules, and regulations. The final rules are codifiedin the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which is published annually..."
Federal Register

Physical Activity for Older Adults

"Are you an older adult looking for ways to exercise in a safe environment? Participating in group exercise programs can help older adults remain physically active.

For adults over 65 years old, exercise helps maintain healthy and longer lives and can prevent many health problems that come with age such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Issues such as traffic, adequate lighting and weather can get in the way of being active and, therefore, indoor exercise classes are one way to be active. It's suggested that adults over 65 should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate level activity per week , such as brisk walking..."
Older Adults

Sifting Domestic Terrorism from Hate Crime and Homegrown Violent Extremism

"Domestic terrorism, hate crime, and homegrown violent extremism are three fairly distinct concepts that federal law enforcement agencies use to categorize key types of criminals whose illegal activities are at least partly ideologically motivated.
Domestic Terrorism
Domestic terrorism cases differ from ordinary criminal activity in key ways. Most importantly, unlike ordinary criminals—who are often driven by self-centered motives such as profit and tend to opportunistically seek easy prey— domestic terrorists are driven by a cause or ideology. If the motives involved eventually align with the definition laid out in 18 U.S.C. §2331(5), presumably the case becomes a domestic terrorist investigation.

•  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines domestic terrorism as "acts of violence that [violate] the criminal laws of the United States or any state, committed by individuals or groups without any foreign direction, and appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers a similar definition..."
  Domestic Terrorism & Violent Extremism

Trends in Child Care Spending from the CCDF and TANF

"The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the main source of federal funding dedicated primarily to child care subsidies for low-income working families. The term “CCDF” was coined in regulation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to encompass multiple child care funding streams, including
 federal discretionary child care funds authorized by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act,
 federal mandatory child care funds authorized by Section 418 of the Social Security Act (sometimes referred to as the “Child Care Entitlement to States”),
 state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) and matching funds associated with the Child Care Entitlement to States, and
 federal funds transferred to the CCDF from states’ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants..."
Child care spending

U.S. Circuit Court Vacancies: Overview and Comparative Analysis

"This Insight provides comparative historical data related to U.S. circuit court vacancies that existed at the beginning of the three most recent presidencies (Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton), as well as the number of vacancies that existed on June 1 of each President's eighth year in office. Data is also provided for the last day of the George W. Bush and Clinton presidencies (and the percentage change in the number of vacancies from the beginning to the end of each presidency).

This Insight also provides a geographic overview of the location of circuit court vacancies that existed on June 1 of President Obama's eighth year in office, as well the location of vacancies deemed "judicial emergencies" by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts..."
Court vacancies

Growing the Economy through Innovation: New Rules for the Commercial and Scientific Use of Drones

"America’s capacity for creativity, innovation, and invention is the envy of the world. Over the past seven years, the Obama Administration has strengthened our foundation for innovation through investments and reforms to drive technological breakthroughs that will power the American economy and inspire the world for generations to come. Today, we’re building on that track record by finalizing new ground rules to govern the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems, more commonly known as “drones.” These rules will open up the National Airspace System to a major new technology and create new jobs while ensuring that we protect privacy and safety..."
Drones

Take control of your auto loan

"Whether you’re a first time borrower or a pro, getting an auto loan can be complicated. Learn how to prepare so you can save money, reduce stress, and get the auto loan that’s right for you.

 *Featured tool

Auto loan worksheet

Experts know to focus on total cost, not just the monthly payment. Our shopping sheet helps you compare offers, see the total cost, and negotiate the best deal.

• Download worksheet ..." 

Auto loans

EEOC Issues New Resource Documents for White House United State of Women Summit

"Today, leaders from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will participate in the White House United State of Women Summit. The Summit gathers experts, advocates, and grassroots and business leaders who work in both domestic and international arenas to highlight key issues affecting women and girls and best practices to carry on into the future. The Summit's plenary and breakout sessions will address topics including economic empowerment, health and wellness, educational opportunity, violence against women, entrepreneurship and innovation, and leadership and civic engagement. The Summit will be livestreamed at www.theunitedstateofwomen.org.

To coincide with the Summit, EEOC released the following new resource documents that address the equal employment opportunity rights of women in the workplace:

• Equal Pay and the EEOC's Proposal to Collect Pay Data
• Legal Rights for Pregnant Workers under Federal Law
• Helping Patients Deal with Pregnancy-Related Conditions and Restrictions at Work..."

EEOC

Putting the Brakes on Diabetes Complications

"Encouraging news: People with diabetes are living longer, healthier lives with fewer complications. What’s the driving force? Greater awareness and better control of risk factors are moving the needle.

We've come a long way in reducing the impact of diabetes on people's lives. In the last 20 years, rates of several major complications have decreased among US adults with diabetes. The greatest declines were for two leading causes of death: heart attack and stroke. (People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, and they may get it more severely and at a younger age than people who don't have diabetes.) This is meaningful progress..."

Diabetes

Solve Foodborne Outbreaks

"Foodborne illnesses, or "food poisoning," are enteric (gastrointestinal) infections caused by food that contain harmful germs, like Salmonella,Escherichia coli, and Listeria. Most illnesses happen suddenly and last a short time, and most people get better without treatment. Foodborne illnesses can be more serious, especially for people at higher risk for complications.

Foods that are commonly linked to outbreaks of illnesses are meat and poultry, eggs, dairy, produce, and processed foods. Also, some types of animals or pets can carry these germs and can make people sick..."
Foodborne disease

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2015

"Results: Results from the 2015 national YRBS indicated that many high school students are engaged in priority health-risk behaviors associated with the leading causes of death among persons aged 10–24 years in the United States. During the 30 days before the survey, 41.5% of high school students nationwide among the 61.3% who drove a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey had texted or e-mailed while driving, 32.8% had drunk alcohol, and 21.7% had used marijuana. During the 12 months before the survey, 15.5% had been electronically bullied, 20.2% had been bullied on school property, and 8.6% had attempted suicide. Many high school students are engaged in sexual risk behaviors related to unintended pregnancies and STIs, including HIV infection. Nationwide, 41.2% of students had ever had sexual intercourse, 30.1% had had sexual intercourse during the 3 months before the survey (i.e., currently sexually active), and 11.5% had had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life. Among currently sexually active students, 56.9% had used a condom during their last sexual intercourse. Results from the 2015 national YRBS also indicated many high school students are engaged in behaviors associated with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes..."
Youth risks

Cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students at an all-time low, but e-cigarette use a concern

"Cigarette smoking among high school students dropped to the lowest levels since the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) began in 1991, but the use of electronic vapor products, including e-cigarettes, among students poses new challenges according to the 2015 survey results released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although current cigarette use decreased significantly from 28 percent in 1991 to 11 percent in 2015, new data from the 2015 survey found that 24 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes during the past 30 days..."
Cigarette smoking

How One Woman Helped End Lunch Counter Segregation in the Nation’s Capital

"Tompson’s restaurant once served up fast, cheap meals—everything from smoked boiled tongue to cold salmon sandwiches. Today, there’s nothing in downtown D.C. to show that the then-popular restaurant chain even had a location at 725 14th Street Northwest in the 1950s. The space is now filled by a CVS drug store. Across the street, there’s an upscale barbershop, and on the corner at the intersection of 14th and New York Avenue, a Starbucks is currently under construction.
 

Just as the establishment quietly faded into history, so did the little-remembered Supreme Court case that began there. The case, 63 years ago this week, forced an end to lunch counter segregation in Washington, one year before Plessy v. Ferguson was repealed.

On February 28, 1950, 86-year-old Mary Church Terrell invited her friends Reverend Arthur F. Elmes, Essie Thompson and David Scull to lunch with her at Thompson’s. Only Scull was white, and when the four entered the establishment, took their trays and proceeded down the counter line, the manager told the group that Thompson’s policy forbid him from serving African Americans. The group asked again and again why they could not have lunch in the cafeteria, and the manager responded that it was not his personal policy, but Thompson Co.’s, and refused to serve them..."
Mary Church Terrell

A Macroeconomic Analysis of the President’s 2017 Budget

"Each year, after the President releases the Administration’s budget request, the Congressional Budget Office analyzes the proposals in that request. Using its own economic projections and estimating procedures, CBO projects what the federal budget would look like over the next 10 years if the President’s proposals were adopted. CBO provides that information in two reports. In general, the first report examines the proposals’ direct effects on the budget; the second, which takes more time to prepare, shows the effects that the proposals would have on the economy and how those macroeconomic effects would, in turn, feed back into the budget..."
Federal budget

Combined Federal/State Disclosure and Election Directory 2016

"This Directory has been prepared as a guidebook to locate and identify organizations and individuals at the state and national level who have a responsibility to disclose information on money in politics.

The term “money in politics” has been given a broad definition to include federal and state campaign finance reports, lobby reports, personal financial statements, public financing, state initiative/referendum spending, and a wide range of other financial filings..."
Disclosure and election directory

Sexual Violence Prevention

"Sexual violence is not inevitable; it is a public health problem that can be prevented.

Sexual violence can result in physical injuries and psychological impacts that can be severe, long lasting, and costly. But sexual violence is not inevitable; it is a public health problem that can be prevented. CDC created a technical package for states and communities to apply the best available evidence in preventing sexual violence. Learn more about CDC's technical package to prevent sexual violence..."
Sexual violence

Headgear Fit for a Champion: What Muhammad Ali Left Behind

"He dipped. He swooped. He punched. To remember Muhammad Ali is to pay tribute to a man who, at the height of his boundary-breaking career, was a study in perpetual motion. Luckily for history, the boxer left behind plenty of immobile objects when he died—and one of them, an Everlast head protector from 1964, is in the collection of the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture opening this fall.

Ali wore the headgear while practicing for his first fight with Sonny Liston. It accompanied him during long hours of training at Miami’s iconic 5th Street Gym, also known as “the university of boxing.” There, Cassius Clay, who famously introduced himself to trainer Angelo Dundee as the future heavyweight champion of the world, sparred, ducked and did fancy footwork while honing himself into a formidable boxing force..."
Muhammand Ali

The 29 Can't-Miss Summer Festivals of 2016

"What would summer be without a fantastic festival? Whether it’s chowing down on hot dogs or haggling with a vendor selling Victorian furniture at an antique show, there’s a plethora of summer festivals you won’t want to miss. We’ve taken care of the guesswork, rounding up the top 29 festivals of the season..."
Summer festivals

Scanning and Imaging Shipping Containers Overseas: Costs and Alternatives

"Each year, about 12 million shipping containers enter U.S. ports. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, concern arose that terrorists might use containers to smuggle weapons of mass destruction—particularly nuclear weapons—into the country. To reduce that threat, the federal government implemented several security measures. Among them, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), scans every container entering the United States by sea or land to detect radiation.1 CBP also identifies about 5 percent of all incoming seaborne containers as high risk, and it inspects those containers with X-ray or gamma-ray imaging systems. The agency opens and examines containers if the images suggest that the cargo is potentially dangerous or does not match the manifest..."
Shipping containers

Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts.

"50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts Report
Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts presents analyses of the impact of the safety net on poverty rates and a close look at populations experiencing high risks of poverty during the 50 years since the War on Poverty began.

The report highlights the increasing role of safety net programs in lifting families and children out of poverty between 1967 and 2012 by providing estimates of what poverty rates would have looked like had resources from government policies and programs not been available (See Figure 7)..."
Poverty

CitizenScience.gov

"Citizenscience.gov is an official government website designed to accelerate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science across the U.S. government. The site provides a portal to three key assets for federal practitioners: a searchable catalog of federally supported citizen science projects, a toolkit to assist with designing and maintaining projects, and a gateway to a federal community of practice to share best practices..."
CitizenScience

Intellectual Property Rights Violations: Federal Civil Remedies and Criminal Penalties Related to Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets

"This report summarizes the federal civil remedies and criminal penalties that may be available for violations of the rights granted by the federal intellectual property laws: the Copyright Act of 1976, the Patent Act of 1952, the Trademark Act of 1946 (conventionally known as the Lanham Act), and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.

Introduction
Intellectual property (IP) law has four major branches, applicable to different types of subject matter: copyright (original artistic and literary works of authorship), patent (inventions of processes, machines, manufactures, and compositions of matter that are useful, new, and nonobvious), trademark (commercial symbols), and trade secret (confidential, commercially valuable business information). The source of federal copyright and patent law originates with the Copyright and Patent Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes Congress “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”2 By contrast, the Commerce Clause provides the constitutional basis for federal trademark law3 and trade secret law..."
Intellectual property

Annual Characteristics of New Houisng: 2015

Find the latest housing statistics from the Census Bureau's Annual Characteristics of New Housing.
Housing -statistics

Radiation in Medicine: Medical Imaging Procedures

"Medical imaging tests are non-invasive procedures that allow doctors to diagnose diseases and injuries without being intrusive. Some of these tests involve exposure to ionizing radiation, which can present risks to patients. However, if patients understand the benefits and risks, they can make the best decisions about choosing a particular medical imaging procedure.

Most people have had one or more medical imaging tests. Imaging procedures are medical tests that allow doctors to see inside the body in order to diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions. Doctors often use medical imaging procedures to determine the best treatment options for patients. The type of imaging procedure that your doctor may suggest will depend on your health concern and the part of the body that is being examined. Some common examples of imaging tests include:

• X-rays (including dental x-rays, chest x-rays, spine x-rays)
• CT or CAT (computed tomography) scans
• Fluoroscopy..."

Medical imaging

Who Is a “Veteran”?—Basic Eligibility for Veterans’ Benefits

"The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a broad range of benefits to U.S. Armed Forces veterans and certain members of their families. Among these benefits are various types of financial assistance, including monthly cash payments to disabled veterans, health care, education, and housing. Basic criteria must be met to be eligible to receive any of the benefits administered by the VA.

This report examines the basic eligibility criteria for VA administered veterans’ benefits, including the issue of eligibility of members of the National Guard and reserve components..:
Veteran benefits