Index/Organizations/Congress Research Service

Congress Research Service

Fact-Checks

25 results
Dec 5, 2025
Most Viewed

What is the current number of naturalized US citizens who were born abroad?

There are about 26 million naturalized U.S. citizens residing in the United States as of 2024, which Congress Research Service reports as “approximately 26 million naturalized U.S. citizens” and that ...

Nov 17, 2025
Most Viewed

Is viewing CSAM illegal?

Viewing or possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is treated as a crime in U.S. law and by major advocacy groups: federal statutes and state laws make creation, possession, or distribution of C...

Dec 1, 2025
Most Viewed

What political party has done more to increase the national debt

Democratic presidents have added more inflation-adjusted debt overall since 1913, though Democrats have also occupied the White House for more years in that period, and the national debt has risen ste...

Nov 16, 2025

Did Donald Trump lose immunity??

The short answer: not entirely — the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Trump v. United States recognized that a president (and former president) has immunity for some “official” acts but not for “unoff...

Dec 10, 2025

What amendment is where the president is to protect our country

The U.S. Constitution does not include a blanket amendment that says “the president is to protect our country”; instead, multiple provisions and statutes define presidential duties for national defens...

Dec 7, 2025

Can people above 400% of FPL qualify for 2025 premium tax credits and under what circumstances?

Congress temporarily removed the 400%‑of‑FPL cap for premium tax credit (PTC) eligibility for tax years 2021–2025, so people with incomes above 400% FPL can qualify for 2025 credits if other rules are...

Nov 22, 2025

What were Donald Trump's deportation totals and policies 2017-2021?

Donald Trump’s first term (2017–2021) oversaw roughly 1.4–1.5 million deportations/removals and many more expulsions/returns at the border, though exact totals depend on whether you include Title 42 e...

Dec 3, 2025

Which alternative coverage options exist if ACA subsidies fall for my income bracket in 2026?

If enhanced ACA premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025, millions will face much higher premiums in 2026 — KFF estimates average marketplace premium payments would more than double and a 60‑year...

Nov 26, 2025

What happens to ACA tax credits after 2025 if no extensions are passed?

If Congress does nothing, the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits enacted in 2021 and extended through 2025 will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, returning subsidy rules to pre‑enhancement ...

Nov 17, 2025

Is just viewing CSAM illegal?

Viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is treated seriously under U.S. law: federal and state statutes criminalize the creation, possession, and distribution of CSAM and treat it as evidence of ch...

Dec 15, 2025

What defenses exist against federal CSAM charges when content was only passively viewed?

Defenses to federal CSAM charges where the accused “only passively viewed” material hinge on the government’s burden to prove possession or knowledge and procedural limits on evidence and searches; co...

Nov 18, 2025

What evidence is required to prove possession of CSAM in court?

Proving possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in court typically requires showing the material is a prohibited “visual depiction” of a minor and that the defendant knowingly possessed or ac...

Dec 9, 2025

Examples of court rulings on viewing CSAM online as accessing

Several federal courts of appeals have held that private internet companies that scan user content for CSAM are not government actors subject to the Fourth Amendment when they voluntarily search their...

Jan 11, 2026

How many jurors must agree to return an indictment in federal versus state grand juries?

Federal grand juries require a quorum of 16–23 members and, under Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, at least 12 jurors must concur to return an indictment (a “true bill”) . State prac...

Jan 5, 2026

Which current US senators have accepted trips funded by Venezuelan government or state-owned companies since 2015?

A search of the provided reporting turned up no verified evidence that any current U.S. senator accepted trips paid for by the Venezuelan government or state-owned companies since 2015; claims circula...

Jan 3, 2026

How has U.S. sanctions policy since 2019 affected the practical enforcement of ICSID and ICC awards against Venezuela?

Since 2019 U.S. sanctions have reshaped the terrain for enforcing ICSID and ICC awards against Venezuela by both constraining Venezuela’s liquidity and financial channels and by creating legal and pol...

Dec 19, 2025

What changes to premium tax credit eligibility did the ARP make for people with incomes above 400% FPL in 2021 and were these made permanent by later legislation?

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) removed the Affordable Care Act’s 400% federal poverty level (FPL) eligibility cliff for premium tax credits for the 2021 and 2022 tax/coverage years and ca...

Dec 16, 2025

What is the history of Hamas and its role in the Middle East conflict?

Hamas emerged in the late 1980s as an Islamist offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and quickly combined social services with an armed wing that has fought Israel and governed Gaza since 2007; it carrie...

Dec 16, 2025

How do illegals affect health care

Undocumented immigrants generally cannot access federal programs like Medicaid, Medicare, or ACA subsidies, and use less health care and incur lower per-capita health expenditures than U.S.-born resid...

Dec 15, 2025

Are cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) available in 2026 and who qualifies?

Cost‑sharing reductions (CSRs) remain available for 2026 to people who buy a Silver Marketplace plan and meet income and eligibility rules: broadly, individuals and families with household incomes up ...