Congressional Research Service Reports - 108 Matching Results

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Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional and Institutional Implications

Description: Presidential signing statements are official pronouncements issued by the President contemporaneously to the signing of a bill into law that, in addition to commenting on the law generally, have been used to forward the President's interpretation of the statutory language; to assert constitutional objections to the provisions contained therein; and, concordantly, to announce that the provisions of the law will be administered in a manner that comports with the administration's conception of the… more
Date: January 4, 2012
Creator: Garvey, Todd
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables

Description: This report contains information on the pay procedure and recent adjustments. It also contains historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
Date: January 4, 2012
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Economic Development Administration: Reauthorization and Funding Issues in the 112th Congress

Description: This report discusses the re authorization of EDA and its programs that will take place within the context of more prominent policy debates regarding efforts to reduce federal spending to address growing budget deficits and the national debts.
Date: January 9, 2012
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances

Description: Restrictions on travel to Cuba have been a key and often contentious component in U.S. efforts to isolate Cuba's communist government since the early 1960s. In January 2011, the Obama Administration announced policy changes further easing restrictions on travel and remittances. In the first session of the 112th Congress, there were several attempts aimed at rolling back the Obama Administration's actions easing restrictions on travel and remittances. Several initiatives were also introduced tha… more
Date: January 10, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Major Decisions in the House and Senate on Social Security: 1935-2011

Description: This report is intended to respond to the many inquiries that CRS gets for Social Security vote information, which range from requests for general information about legislative action over the years to requests for information about specific floor amendments. Thus, it is intended to be a reference document on the major statutory decisions made by Congress on the Social Security program. A detailed table of contents and a summary table of the legislation discussed are provided to aid the reader.
Date: January 11, 2012
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nigeria: Elections and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the political climate, development challenges and reform in Nigeria. The report also considers the social issues and security concerns of Nigeria. In addition, other issues are mentioned, as Congress provides oversight for over $600 million in U.S. foreign assistance programs to Nigeria.
Date: January 19, 2012
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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President Obama’s January 4, 2012, Recess Appointments: Legal Issues

Description: This report analyzes the legal issues associated with the President's asserted exercise of his Recess Appointments Clause power on January 4, 2012. The report begins with a general legal overview of the Recess Appointment Clause. This is followed by an analysis of two legal principles, standing and the political question doctrine, which may impede a reviewing court from reaching the merits of a potential legal challenge to the appointments.
Date: January 23, 2012
Creator: Carpenter, David H.; Chu, Vivian S.; Dolan, Alissa M. & Garvey, Todd
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance

Description: This report discusses two separate but closely-related issues regarding the introduction of U.S. armed forces abroad that conceivably could lead to their involvement in hostilities. One issue concerns the division of war powers between the President and Congress, whether the use of armed forces falls within the purview of the congressional power to declare war and the War Powers Resolution. The other issue is whether or not Congress concurs in the wisdom of the action. A longer-term issue is wh… more
Date: February 1, 2012
Creator: Grimmett, Richard F.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Egypt in Transition

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the transition underway and information on U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. U.S. policy toward Egypt has long been framed as an investment in regional stability, built primarily on long-running military cooperation and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive U.S. Administrations have viewed Egypt's government as a moderating influence in the Middle East. U.S. policy makers are now grappling with complex questions about the future of… more
Date: February 8, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several upcoming events … more
Date: February 14, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Leland, Anne; Meyer, Peter J.; Ribando Seelke, Clare & Taft-Morales, Maureen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several upcoming events … more
Date: February 14, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Leland, Anne; Seelke, Clare Ribando & Taft-Morales, Maureen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Commissions: Overview, Structure, and Legislative Considerations

Description: This report provides an overview and analysis of congressional advisory commissions, information on the general statutory structure of a congressional commission, and a catalog of congressional commissions created since the 101st Congress.
Date: February 15, 2012
Creator: Glassman, Matthew Eric & Straus, Jacob R.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945

Description: Questions about the characteristics of Members of Congress, including their age, education, previous occupations, and other descriptors, are of ongoing interest to Members, congressional staff, and constituents. Some of these questions may be asked in the context of representation, in efforts to evaluate the extent to which Members of Congress reflect their constituencies and the nation at large. In other instances, questions arise about how the characteristics of Members have changed over time… more
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Rules in the 112th Congress: A Comparison of Key Provisions

Description: This report reviews the requirements contained in Senate rules pertaining to committees; it then explores how each Senate committee addresses 11 specific issues: meeting day, hearing and meeting notice requirements, scheduling of witnesses, hearing quorum, business quorum, amendment filing requirements, proxy voting, polling, nominations, investigations, and subpoenas. In addition, the report looks at the unique provisions some committees have included in their rules in the miscellaneous categ… more
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses

Description: This report describes legislation introduced in the 112th Congress related to violence against Members and congressional staff, provides examples of violence in which Members of Congress were the apparent target, and some actions Congress has taken based in part on those incidents.
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric & Manning, Jennifer E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction

Description: Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities, for example, national defense, education, and homeland security, as well as general government operations. Congress has developed certain rules and practices for the consideration of appropriations measures, referred to as the congressional appropriations process. This report looks at this process as well as the three types of appropriates measures: regular appropriations bills, continuin… more
Date: February 23, 2012
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sovereign Debt in Advanced Economies: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: Sovereign debt, also called public debt or government debt, refers to debt incurred by governments. Since the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, public debt in advanced economies has increased substantially. A number of factors related to the financial crisis have fueled the increase, including fiscal stimulus packages, the nationalization of private-sector debt, and lower tax revenue. Even if economic growth reverses some of these trends, such as by boosting tax receipts and reducing spendi… more
Date: February 29, 2012
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Contracting and Subcontracting with Small Businesses: Issues in the 112th Congress

Description: Congress has generally broad authority to impose requirements upon the federal procurement process, or the process whereby agencies obtain goods and services from the private sector. One of the many ways in which Congress has exercised this authority is by enacting measures intended to promote contracting and subcontracting with "small businesses" by federal agencies. This report describes and analyzes measures that Members of the 112th Congress have enacted or proposed in response to particula… more
Date: March 7, 2012
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Lunder, Erika K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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