Congressional Research Service Reports - 156 Matching Results

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The Overseas Private Investment Corporation: Background and Legislative Issues

Description: This report outlines challenges faced by Tajikistan since its five-year civil war ended in 1997. It discusses U.S. policy and assistance. Basic facts and biographical information are provided. This report may be updated. Related products include CRS Report RL33458, Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests, updated regularly.
Date: May 22, 2008
Creator: Langton, Danielle
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Overseas Private Investment Corporation: Background and Legislative Issues

Description: The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)1 was established in 1969 and began operations in 1971 to promote and assist U.S. business investment in developing nations. OPIC is a U.S. government agency that provides project financing, investment insurance, and other services for U.S. businesses in 154 developing nations and emerging economies. OPIC is currently authorized through March 9, 2009 under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (P… more
Date: October 20, 2008
Creator: Langton, Danielle
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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GAO: Government Accountability Office and General Accounting Office

Description: This report discusses the General Accounting Office (GAO), established in 1921 by the Budget and Accounting Act as an independent auditor of government agencies and activities.
Date: July 3, 2008
Creator: Kaiser, Frederick M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reforming the Regulation of Government-Sponsored Enterprises in the 110th Congress

Description: This report provides background on the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), discusses reform issues, and summarizes the provisions of House- and Senate-passed versions of H.R. 3221.
Date: August 4, 2008
Creator: Jickling, Mark; Murphy, Edward Vincent & Weiss, N. E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dollar Crisis: Prospect and Implications

Description: This report describes the anatomy of dollar crisis, and possible reasons why a dollar crisis won't occur. The report discusses the macroeconomics effects of a dollar crisis, and the response of economic policy.
Date: May 6, 2008
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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HUD Proposes Administrative Modifications to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act

Description: This report focuses on borrower disclosure, particularly with respect to making all pertinent information about loan terms and settlement costs transparent, so that consumers can make well-informed financial decisions when choosing mortgage products.
Date: April 10, 2008
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reporting Issues Under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

Description: This report describes current issues and recent changes to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) of 1975. The report also provides a brief explanation of how recent reporting revisions may affect the reporting of loans covered by the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 and the Federal Housing Administration.
Date: October 24, 2008
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Trust Fund Investment Practices

Description: This report explains current Social Security trust fund investment practices and briefly describes the issues involved in changing how the trust funds are invested.
Date: May 29, 2008
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Averting Financial Crisis

Description: This report is about Averting a Financial crisis.
Date: March 10, 2008
Creator: Jickling, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's "Hot Money" Problems

Description: China has experienced a sharp rise in the inflow of so-called "hot money," foreign capital entering the country supposedly seeking short-term profits, especially in 2008. Chinese estimates of the amount of "hot money" in China vary from $500 billion to $1.75 trillion. The influx of "hot money" is contributing to China's already existing problems with inflation. Efforts to reduce the inflationary effects of "hot money" may accelerate the inflow, while actions to reduce the inflow of "hot money" … more
Date: July 21, 2008
Creator: Martin, Michael F. & Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's Financial Problems: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: Recent turmoil in the housing and financial markets have caused concern over the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are chartered by Congress as government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and are widely believed to have an implicit guarantee from the federal government. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) -- the GSEs safety and soundness regulator -- has repeated assurances that Fannie and Freddie have adequate capital, but as highly leveraged financial intermediari… more
Date: July 15, 2008
Creator: Weiss, N. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Currency Manipulation: The IMF and WTO

Description: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) approach the issue of "currency manipulation" differently. The IMF Articles of Agreement prohibit countries from manipulating their currency for the purpose of gaining unfair trade advantage, but the IMF cannot force a country to change its exchange rate policies. The WTO has rules against subsidies, but these are very narrow and specific and do not seem to encompass currency manipulation. Several options might be consider… more
Date: May 8, 2008
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the global ramifications of the financial crisis, which exposed fundamental weaknesses in financial systems worldwide, and despite coordinated easing of monetary policy by governments and trillions of dollars in intervention by governments and the International Monetary Fund, the crisis continues.
Date: November 18, 2008
Creator: Nanto, Dick K.; Weiss, Martin A.; Jackson, James K.; Dolven, Ben; Morrison, Wayne M.; Cooper, William H. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Description: This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
Date: October 27, 2008
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Description: This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
Date: October 30, 2008
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY1998-2009

Description: This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration requested and how much Congress appropriated during the past 11 years for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs). It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations. It will be updated periodically. Three companion reports provide further information on the MDBs. See CRS Report RS20793, Multilateral Development Banks: Basic Background, CRS Report RS20791, Multilateral Developm… more
Date: August 8, 2008
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iceland's Financial Crisis

Description: On November 19, 2008, Iceland and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finalized an agreement on a $6 billion economic stabilization program supported by a $2.1 billion loan from the IMF. Iceland's banking system had collapsed as a culmination of a series of decisions the banks made that left them highly exposed to disruptions in financial markets. The collapse of the banks also raises questions for U.S. leaders and others about supervising banks that operate across national borders, especiall… more
Date: November 20, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Trends and Current Issues

Description: The United States is the largest investor abroad and the largest recipient of direct investment in the world. Some observers believe U.S. firms invest abroad to avoid U.S. labor unions or high U.S. wages, however, 70% of U.S. foreign direct investment is concentrated in high income developed countries. Even more striking is the fact that the share of investment going to developing countries has fallen in recent years. Most economists conclude that direct investment abroad does not lead to fewer… more
Date: August 15, 2008
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Airport Improvement Program: Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Airport Improvement Program and its complement, the passenger facility charge (PFC), within the broader context of airport capital development finance. After a brief history of federal support for airport construction and improvement, the report describes AIP funding, its source of revenues, funding distribution, and the types of projects the program funds
Date: April 25, 2008
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islamic Finance: Overview and Policy Concerns

Description: The international market for Islamic finance has grown between 10% to 15% annually in recent years. Islamic finance historically has been concentrated in the Persian Gulf countries, but has expanded globally to both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. There is a small but growing market for Islamic finance in the United States. Through international and domestic regulatory bodies, there has been effort to standardize regulations in Islamic finance across different countries and financial instituti… more
Date: July 29, 2008
Creator: Ilias, Shayerah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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