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The 2008 Farm Bill: Major Provisions and Legislative Action
This report provides a summary of 2008 farm bill implementation, discusses provisions, and includes a farm bill debate timeline.
The 2009 U.N. Durban Review Conference: Follow-Up to the 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Racism
This report provides information on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism and the circumstances of U.S. withdrawal. It discusses preparations for the Durban Review Conference, including U.S. policy and reaction from other governments. It highlights possible issues for the 111th Congress, including the Review Conference preparatory process, U.S. funding of the Conference, and the political and diplomatic impact of U.S. engagement.
The Advanced Spectroscopic Portal Program: Background and Issues for Congress
This report summarizes the Domestic Nuclear Detention Office's (DNDO) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program centered on advanced spectroscopic portals (ASPs). Moreover, the report covers the cost and history of the program while outlining ways in which Congress may move forward such as weighing the potential economic and security benefits against financial cost.
Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance
This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.
Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
This report considers the debate on the efficacy of U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. Moreover, the report discusses how the Bush Administration's review of the progress resulted as inadequate, and thus ways of changing progress are being considered. The report also discusses the NATO led troops in the region.
Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
This report discusses Afghanistan's political transition, which was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005. Since then, insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated to the point that some experts are questioning the future of U.S. stabilization efforts.
Afro-Latinos in Latin America and Considerations for U.S. Policy
This report reviews and analyzes the situation, concerns, and activities of Afro-descendants in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations of Latin America. It then discusses current U.S. foreign aid programs, as well as multilateral initiatives, that have directly or indirectly assisted Afro-Latinos. The report concludes with a discussion of potential policy options that have been proposed should the United States elect to provide further support for Afro-Latinos.
Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2009 Appropriations
This report considers FY2009 appropriations in regards to agricultural agencies. Moreover, the report examines the budget for these agencies and different versions of appropriations bills on the matter.
Air Quality Issues and Animal Agriculture: A Primer
This report reviews the types of air emissions from livestock and poultry operations and their human health and environmental impacts. It then discusses provisions of several federal laws concerned with environmental impacts, beginning with the Clean Water Act, because protecting water resources has been the primary regulatory focus regarding livestock and animal operations.
Allocation of Wastewater Treatment Assistance: Formula and Other Changes
This report consists of Allocation of Wastewater treatment assistance: Formula and Other Changes.
Amber Alert Program Technology
This report describes Amber Alert Program Technology.
Animal Waste and Water Quality: EPA Regulation of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
This report provides background on the 2003 environmental rules, the previous Clean Water Act rules and the Clinton Administration proposal, and perspectives of key interest groups on the proposal and final regulations.
Animal Waste and Water Quality: EPA’s Response to the Waterkeeper Alliance Court Decision on Regulation of CAFOs
On June 30th, 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed regulations that would revise a 2003 Clean Water Act rule governing waste discharges from large confined animal feeding operations. This report details the 2003 rule and the Waterkeeper Alliance Decision and the EPA's response, including agricultural stormwater discharges, duties to apply for a permit, nutrient management plans, and aspects of the effluent limitation guidelines for confined animal feeding operations.
The Animal Welfare Act: Background and Selected Legislation
The Animal Welfare Act was first passed in 1966 to prevent pets from being stolen for sale to research laboratories, and to improve the treatment and wellbeing of animals intended for research. The passage in 2007 of legislation on animal fighting marked the sixth time Congress has amended the act to strengthen enforcement, expand coverage to more animals and activities, or curtail practices viewed as cruel, among other things. The Animal Welfare Act amendments in the 2008 farm bill band the importation of puppies under six months of age for resale, tighten prohibitions of dog and other animal fighting activities, and increase penalties for violation of the act.
Appropriations Bills: What Is Report Language?
No Description Available.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Votes and Legislative Actions, 95th Congress through 110th Congress
This report provides a summary of legislative attempts to address issues of energy development and preservation in the Refuge from the 95th Congress through the 110th Congress, with emphasis on the 108th through 110th Congresses. The analysis below covers, first, the economic and geological factors that have triggered new interest in development, followed by the philosophical, biological, and environmental quality factors that have triggered opposition to it. That analysis is followed by a history of congressional actions on this issue, with a focus on those in the 107th Congress through the 109th Congress.
Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations
This report summarizes political and economic conditions in Argentina and issues in Argentine-U.S. relations. Argentina returned to elected civilian democracy in 1983 after seven years of harsh military rule. In 2001-2002, the democratic political system experienced considerable stress as the country experienced a severe economic crisis, but ultimately weathered the storm.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
No Description Available.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide Permits Program: Issues and Regulatory Developments
No Description Available.
Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Activities: Authorization and Appropriations
This report provides an overview of the Corps civil works program. It covers the congressional authorization and appropriation process, the standard project development process, and other Corps activities and authorities.
The Army’s Future Combat System (FCS): Background and Issues for Congress
This report contains background and issues for congress on the army's Future Combat System (FCS). It further discusses about FCS Program timeline and FCS Program Budget Issues.
Arsenic in Drinking Water: Regulatory Developments and Issues
This report describes the history of laws related to arsenic in drinking water.
Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process
This report is on Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process.
Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology
This report provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind is Used
This report provides background information regarding the bill and joint resolution, which must be passed by both houses in identical form, then presented to the President for his approval or disapproval.
Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties: Characteristics, Requirements, and Uses
This report gives information about characteristics, requirements, and uses of Bills, Resolutions, Nominations, and Treaties.
Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States
This report includes background information on Bolivia's political unrest, particularly regarding instability in shifting leaderships, economic situation, and relations with the United States.
Border Searches of Laptop Computers and Other Electronic Storage Devices
This report discusses a developing issue in the law of search and seizure: whether the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution permits warrantless searches of the content of laptop computers and other electronic storage devices at U.S. borders. The federal courts that have addressed this issue have held that the border search exception to the Fourth Amendment applies to these searches, making warrantless searches permissible.
Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol
This report includes some issues for Congress to consider which include the slow rate of integration between the United States Border Patrol's (USBP) biometric database of illegal aliens and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) biometric database of criminals and terrorists; the number of unauthorized aliens who die attempting to enter the country each year; the organized human smuggling rings that have proliferated as entering the country has become more difficult; and the threat posed by terrorists along the sparsely defended Northern border as well as the more porous Southwest border.
Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs
This report discusses Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs.
Broadband Internet Regulation and Access: Background and Issues
This report discusses broadband internet regulations to ensure that broadband deployment is timely and contributes to nations to economic growth.
Broadband Loan and Grant Programs in the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) houses the only two federal assistance programs exclusively dedicated to financing deployment of broadband Internet access in rural America. This report provides detailed background information on the RUS broadband loan and grant programs, outlines criticisms of how the RUS broadband program has been implemented thus far, and discusses issues that Congress considered during the reauthorization process.
The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action
This report consists of the budget reconciliation process with timing of legislative action.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Aging Infrastructure
This report describes Reclamation's approach to managing aging infrastructure as well as that of two other agencies--- the army corps of engineers and the natural resources conservation service--involved with significant portfolios of dams and related infrastructure.
Bush Administration Policy Regarding Congressionally Originated Earmarks: an Overview
This report provides an analysis of Bush Administration policy regarding congressionally originated earmarks, focusing primarily on the veto threat and E.O., and related issues for Congress.
The Capitol Visitors’ Center: An Overview
This report discusses the Rationale for the center, Planning for the center, Impetus for Final Approval and pre-construction phase.
Cellulosic Biofuels: Analysis of Policy Issues for Congress
This report consists of cellulosic biofuels with analysis of policy issues for congress.
Cellulosic Biofuels: Analysis of Policy Issues for Congress
This report discusses Cellulosic biofuels, which are produced from cellulose derived from renewable biomass. They are thought by many to hold the key to increased benefits from renewable biofuels because they are made from low-cost, diverse, non-food feedstocks, and could also potentially decrease the fossil energy required to produce ethanol, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
This report mainly focuses on Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests in Central Asia.
Children in Poverty: Profile, Trends, and Issues
This report highlights the concerns over child poverty which is the social and economic concern in the United States. It discusses in detail about Child poverty in 2007, trends, and Government "Safety Net" policy.
China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
This report presents the Implications for the United States related to China and the Global Financial Crisis.
China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
Over the past several years, China has enjoyed one of the world's fastest growing economies and has been a major contributor to world economic growth. However, the current global financial crisis threatens to slow China's economy. China is a major economic power and holds huge amounts of foreign exchange reserves, and thus it could play a major role in responding to the current crisis. For example, in an effort to help stabilize the U.S. economy, China might boost its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities, which would help fund the Federal Government's purchases of troubled U.S. assets. However, this could raise a number of issues and concerns for U.S. policymakers.
China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
Over the past several years, China has enjoyed one of the world's fastest growing economies and has been a major contributor to world economic growth. However, the current global financial crisis threatens to slow China's economy. China is a major economic power and holds huge amounts of foreign exchange reserves, and thus it could play a major role in responding to the current crisis. For example, in an effort to help stabilize the U.S. economy, China might boost its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities, which would help fund the Federal Government's purchases of troubled U.S. assets. However, this could raise a number of issues and concerns for U.S. policymakers.
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress
This report provides information about the Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities and Issues for Congress on China Naval Modernization since Concern has grown in congress about the china military modernization.
China's Currency: A Summary of the Economic Issues
Many Members of Congress charge that China's policy of accumulating foreign reserves (especially U.S. dollars) to influence the value of its currency constitutes a form of currency manipulation intended to make its exports cheaper and imports into China more expensive than they would be under free market conditions. Although China made modest reforms to its currency policy in 2005, Members contend the forms have not gone far enough and have warned of potential legislative action. This report summarizes the main findings CRS Report RL32165, China's Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy.
China’s Economic Conditions
This report discusses China’s Economic Conditions.
China's Economic Conditions
This report provides an overview of China's economic development, challenges China faces to maintain growth, and the implications of China's rise as a major economic power for the United States.
China’s Holdings of U.S. Securities: Implications for the U.S. Economy
This report examines the importance to the U.S. economy of China’s investment in U.S. securities, as well as U.S. concerns over the possibility that China might unload a large share of those holdings, the likelihood that this would occur, and the potential implications such action could have for the U.S. economy. The report concludes that a large sell-off of Chinese Treasury securities holdings could negatively affect the U.S. economy, at least in the short-run. As a result, such a move could diminish U.S. demand for Chinese products and thus could lower China’s economic growth as well. The issue of China’s large holdings of U.S. securities is part of a broader question that has been raised by many economists: What are the implications of the heavy U.S. reliance on foreign investment to maintain healthy economic growth and to finance the budget deficit?
Clean Air Act: A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements
This report describes the Act's major provisions and provides tables listing all major amendments, with the year of enactment and Public Law number, and cross-referencing sections of the Act with the major U.S. code sections of the codified statute.
Clean Air Act Issues in the 110th Congress: Climate Change, Air Quality Standards, and Oversight
This report provides a brief overview of the climate change issue as well as other Clean Air Act that were of interest in the 110th Congress.
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