Congressional Research Service Reports - 190 Matching Results
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- Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight
- No Description Available.
- Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and Status of the North-South Peace Agreement
- This report discusses the history of Sudan's civil unrest and the subsequent crisis in Darfur, as well as United Nations and United States aid and peacekeeping efforts, and current related policy under the Obama Administration.
- Supreme Court Appellate Jurisdiction Over Military Court Cases
- This report surveys military courts' jurisdiction, the structure of appellate review for military cases, interactions between military and civilian courts, and legislative proposals.
- Supreme Court Nominations Not Confirmed, 1789-2008
- No Description Available.
- Syria: Background and U.S. Relations
- This report analyzes an array of bilateral issues that continue to affect relations between the United States and Syria. It includes descriptions of recent developments, issues for Congress, U.S.-Syrian relations, U.S. Sanctions, and future prospects related to the role of Congress.
- Tax-Advantaged Accounts for Health Care Expenses: Side-by-Side Comparison
- This report provides brief summaries and background information for four types of tax-advantaged accounts for healthcare; it compares them with respect to eligibility, contribution limits, use of funds, and other characteristics for tax year 2009. It also includes a discussion of various healthcare-related issues including equity and options for reform.
- Tax Benefits for Health Insurance and Expenses: Overview of Current Law and Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Tax Reform: An Overview of Proposals in the 111th Congress
- This report examines three main categories of tax reform: fundamental tax reform, tax reform based on the elimination of the individual alternative minimum tax (AMT), and proposals for reforming the corporate income tax in the 111th Congress.
- The Technology Innovation Program
- This report discusses the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is designed "to support, promote, and accelerate innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need," according to the authorizing legislation. Grants are provided to small and medium-sized firms for individual projects or joint ventures with other research organizations.
- Technology Transfer: Use of Federally Funded Research and Development
- This report discusses the federal use of technology transfer, a process by which technology developed in one organization, in one area, or for one purpose is applied in another organization, in another area, or for another purpose.
- Text and Multimedia Messaging: Emerging Issues for Congress
- This report covers issues for Congress regarding text and multimedia messaging. The increasing use of text and multimedia messaging has raised several policy issue, such as distracted driving, SMS spam, the inability of consumers to disable text messaging, text messaging price fixing, carrier blocking of common short code messages, deceptive and misleading common short code programs, protecting children from inappropriate content on wireless devices.
- The Tibetan Policy Act of 2002: Background and Implementation
- This report discusses the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (TPA), which established a number of U.S. principles with respect to human rights, religious freedom, political prisoners, and economic development projects in Tibet. Since the TPA's enactment, opinions on the effectiveness of the Act have varied. These views include assessments on the nature of the objectives the TPA sets forth for U.S. policy; the attainability of those objectives; the achievements of the Special Coordinators; and the manner of the Act's implementation.
- Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues
- This report discusses the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) for Firms program, which provides technical assistance to trade-affected firms to help them develop strategies to remain competitive in the changing international economy.
- Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: A Possible Role for Congress
- This report focuses on the creation of the Transatlantic Economic Council; the role of legislatures in the regulatory process; and the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue and its new role as an advisor to transatlantic regulatory efforts.
- Treatment of Seller-Funded Downpayment Assistance in FHA-Insured Home Loans
- This report discusses the seller-funded down-payment assistance that qualify for FHA-insured home loans.
- The U.N. Population Fund: Background and the U.S. Funding Debate
- No Description Available.
- U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses policy issues regarding military-to-military (mil-to-mil) contacts with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts and crises since 1993. The United States suspended military contacts with China and imposed sanctions on arms sales in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989.
- U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: Senate Rejections and Committee Votes Other Than to Report Favorably, 1939-2009
- This report lists the votes cast by the Judiciary Committee and the Senate on each of the 19 nominations and identifies senatorial courtesy, ideological disagreement, and concern over nominees' qualifications as among the circumstances that led to committee consideration of actions other than a favorable report.
- U.S. Energy: Overview and Selected Facts and Numbers
- This report offers an overview of energy markets, supplies and prices. It also provides figures regarding the energy consumption in United States since 1950s.
- The U.S.-EU Beef Hormone Dispute
- No Description Available.
- U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions
- This report discusses the four major principles underlie current U.S. policy on permanent immigration: the reunification of families, the admission of immigrants with needed skills, the protection of refugees, and the diversity of admissions by country of origin.
- U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts
- This report provides an overview of the current status, trends, and forecasts for U.S. import and export flows as well as certain balances. The purpose of this report is to provide current data and brief explanations for the various types of trade flows along with a brief discussion of trends that may require attention or point to the need for policy changes.
- U.S. National Science Foundation: An Overview
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) was created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (P.L. 81-507). The NSF has the broad mission of supporting science and engineering in general and funding basic research across many disciplines. The agency provides support for investigator-initiated, merit-reviewed, competitively selected awards, state-of-the-art tools, and instrumentation and facilities.
- The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions
- This report frames potential policy questions concerning the Service's mission and organization through an examination of the USSS history and its statutory authorities, missions, and present activities within DHS.
- Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy
- This report offers background information on Ukraine's current political and economic situation. The report covers the country's "intensified dialogue" with NATO regarding membership and also discusses U.S. policy, U.S. aid to Ukraine, the congressional response, and related legislation.
- Unauthorized Employment in the United States: Issues, Options, and Legislation
- As immigration reform and the illegal alien population have gained congressional and public attention in the past several years, the issue of unauthorized employment has come to the fore. It is widely accepted that most unauthorized aliens enter and remain in the United States in order to work. This report discusses options for addressing the issue of unauthorized employment in the United States.
- Unemployment and Health Insurance: Current Legislation and Issues
- No Description Available.
- Unemployment Insurance Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- No Description Available.
- The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and Proposed U.S. Nuclear Cooperation
- This report provides background information on the UAE nuclear program, reviews developments to date, analyzes proposed nuclear cooperation with the United States, and discusses relevant legislative proposals and options.
- The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress
- This report provides historical background of the Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structure, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions.
- The United States and Europe: Current Issues
- This report examines the current state of the transatlantic relationship and discusses the key issues outlined above, which are likely to have implications for U.S. interests during the 111th Congress.
- United States Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
- This report presents difficult-to-find statistics regarding U.S. military casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, Afghanistan), including those concerning medical evacuations, amputations, and the demographics of casualties.
- Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 111th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Veterans' Benefits: Pension Benefit Programs
- This report describes several pension benefit programs for veterans and their families, including the eligibility criteria and current benefit levels.
- Veterans' Benefits: The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program
- This report describes Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Service (VR&E) program services available to veterans with service-connected disabilities and to their families. It provides information about eligibility and entitlement, the application process, and resources available through other agencies. A brief history of the program is also provided.
- VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program
- This report discusses VH-71 presidential helicopter, which has experienced noteworthy cost increases and schedule delays, which have generated controversy and scrutiny. The VH-71 is intended to replace the President's current operational fleet of helicopters, consisting of 11 VH-3D Sea Kings and 8 VH-60N Night Hawks.
- Water Infrastructure Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- This report identifies funding for water infrastructure programs and projects contained in the legislation, including amounts in the House- and Senate-passed versions that preceded the conference agreement. Among the purposes identified in the legislation are preservation and creation of jobs and promotion of U.S. economic recovery, and investment in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.
- Water Quality Issues in the 111th Congress: Oversight and Implementation
- This report discusses the water quality issues. Although much progress has been made in achieving the ambitious goals that Congress established more than 35 years ago to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters, long-standing problems persist, and new problems have emerged.
- What's the Difference?--Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data
- This report provides a comparison of U.S. and Chinese trade data. U.S. trade with the People's Republic of China (China) is becoming increasingly contentious as the U.S. bilateral trade deficit rises. Debate over this trade deficit is hampered because of disagreement between the two countries on how large the deficit actually is. According to official U.S. figures, China has surpassed Canada as the largest supplier of U.S. imports.
- Zimbabwe: The Power Sharing Agreement and Implications for U.S. Policy
- No Description Available.