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Congressional Investigations of the Department of Justice, 1920-2012: History, Law, and Practice

Description: This report briefly reviews the legal basis for investigative oversight, followed by several prominent examples of congressional oversight that reflect the significant breadth and reach of the legislative investigative prerogative vis-à-vis the Department. The report alos reviews and assess the Department’s contentions, based on policy, common law, and constitutional privilege, that it has asserted to attempt to limit congressional access to agency information.
Date: November 5, 2012
Creator: Dolan, Alissa M. & Garvey, Todd
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Air Quality Issues and Animal Agriculture: EPA’s Air Compliance Agreement

Description: From an environmental quality standpoint, much of the interest in animal agriculture has focused on impacts on water resources, because animal waste, if not properly managed, can harm water quality through surface runoff, direct discharges, spills, and leaching into soil and groundwater. A more recent issue is the contribution of emissions from animal feeding operations (AFO), enterprises where animals are raised in confinement, to air pollution. AFOs can affect air quality through emissions of… more
Date: July 20, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Sanctions on Burma

Description: This report provides a brief history of U.S. policy towards Burma and the development of U.S. sanctions, a topical summary of those sanctions, and an examination of additional sanctions that have been considered, but not enacted, by Congress, or that could be imposed under existing law or executive orders. The report concludes with a discussion of options for Congress.
Date: October 19, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act Section 401: Background and Issues

Description: Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), an applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct any activity that may result in a discharge to waters of the United States must provide the federal agency with a Section 401 certification. This report discusses the certification, which provides states with two distinct powers: one, the power indirectly to deny federal permits or licenses by withholding certification; and two, the power to impose conditions upon federal permits by placing limitations on … more
Date: December 12, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Burma’s Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions

Description: This report discusses the current issues in Burma (Myanmar) in regards to political prisoners and the resulting U.S. sanctions against the nation. It includes an introduction and definitions; information about current estimates of prisoners and prisoner releases; the relation of political prisoners, parliamentary elections and national reconciliation; and U.S. sanctions and U.S. efforts regarding political prisoners, as well as relevant issues for Congress to consider.
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Support Enforcement: $25 Annual User Fee

Description: This report discusses the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program, which was enacted in 1975 as a federal-state program to help strengthen families by securing financial support for children from their noncustodial parent on a consistent and continuing basis and by helping some families to remain self-sufficient and off public assistance by providing the requisite CSE services.
Date: November 6, 2012
Creator: Solomon-Fears, Carmen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Taxes: A Description of Current Law

Description: This report contains an explanation of the major provisions of the federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. The discussion divides the federal estate tax into three components: the gross estate, deductions from the gross estate, and computation of the tax, including allowable tax credits. The federal estate tax is computed through a series of adjustments and modifications of a tax base known as the "gross estate." Certain allowable deductions reduce the gross estate to the … more
Date: May 4, 2012
Creator: Luckey, John R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Implementation of the Basel Capital Regulatory Framework

Description: This report discusses the implementation of the Basel III international regulatory framework, which is the latest in a series of evolving agreements among central banks and bank supervisory authorities to standardize bank capital requirements, among other measures.
Date: November 14, 2012
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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TRICARE and VA Health Care: Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Description: This report addresses key questions concerning the impact of enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the TRICARE and VA health care programs. To provide some context to this discussion, the report begins with a brief overview of the two health systems and eligibility for care under each system.
Date: January 27, 2012
Creator: Panangala, Sidath V. & Jansen, Don J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Article V Convention for Proposing Constitutional Amendments: Historical Perspectives for Congress

Description: This report offers perspectives for Congress on the Article V Convention, opening with an overview of the provisions in Article V that established the convention procedure. The report further examines its origins at the Constitutional Convention of 1787; the history of the convention alternative, focusing on three major 20th century campaigns to convene a constitutional convention; and the role of the states in the Article V Convention process.
Date: October 22, 2012
Creator: Neale, Thomas H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Background and Issues

Description: This report discusses the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) signed November 22, 2006, which has not yet been approved by Congress. It includes an overview of the proposed CFTA and U.S.-Colombia trade, background on Colombia, issues for Congress to consider, Colombia's plan to improve labor rights, and the actions that Colombia has already taken to improve violence, labor, and human rights within the country.
Date: November 9, 2012
Creator: Villarreal, M. Angeles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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