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Commemorative Coins: Background, Legislative Process, and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the commemorative coin program that allows coins to be created for special events such as centennials and sold at or above face value to raise money for the sponsoring organization. Topics discussed are the history of the program, Congressional procedures for approval of a coin, design processes, and policy issues and implications for Congress to consider.
Date: August 15, 2017
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

Description: This report consists of a list of about 200 congressional liaison offices intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.
Date: August 10, 2017
Creator: Crane-Hirsch, Audrey Celeste
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Branch Appropriations: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report responds to frequently asked questions about legislative branch appropriations. Frequently asked questions include the items that are funded within this bill; development, presentation, and consideration of the legislative branch budget requests; the legislative branch budget in historical perspective; and recent actions.
Date: August 8, 2017
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Rules in the 115th Congress: Key Provisions

Description: This report first provides a brief overview of Senate rules as they pertain to committee actions. The report then provides tables that summarize selected, key features of each committee's rules in regard to 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 selected unique provisions some committees have i… more
Date: July 24, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defining Readiness: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses how differing uses of the term "readiness" affect congressional debate, but does not evaluate the current state of the U.S. military or provide a conclusive definition of readiness. It also considers how the different uses of the term readiness relate to certain issues: Is there a readiness crisis? What should the U.S. military be ready for? How should readiness be measured? How does the FY2018 budget request affect the U.S. military's readiness?
Date: June 14, 2017
Creator: Rumbaugh, Russell
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the political and economic situation in Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is divided into three main sections -- political background, current political and economic environment, U.S. relations and policy -- and also includes introductory and outlook information.
Date: June 14, 2017
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Branch: Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations

Description: This report discuses the legislative branch appropriations for fiscal year 2017. It first provides an overview of the consideration of FY2017 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action followed by a section on prior year actions and funding, which contains historical tables. The report then addresses the FY2017 budget requests, requested administrative language, and selected funding issues for individual legislative branch agencies and entities. Finally, Table 5 t… more
Date: June 13, 2017
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congress's Contempt Power and the Enforcement of Congressional Subpoenas: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure

Description: This report examines the source of the contempt power, reviews the historical development of the early case law, outlines the statutory and common law basis for Congress's contempt power, and analyzes the procedures associated with inherent contempt, criminal contempt, and the civil enforcement of subpoenas. The report also includes a detailed discussion of two recent information access disputes that led to the approval of contempt citations in the House against then-White House Chief of Staff … more
Date: May 12, 2017
Creator: Garvey, Todd
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 115th Congress

Description: This report outlines an array of homeland security issues that may come before the 115th Congress. After a brief discussion of the definitions of homeland security, the homeland security budget, and the role of homeland security actors in the intelligence community, the report divides the specific issues into five broad categories: Counterterrorism and Security Management; Border Security and Trade; Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery; Cybersecurity; and DHS Management Issues. Each of… more
Date: May 11, 2017
Creator: Painter, William L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report briefly poses and answers several "frequently asked questions" in relation to the floor proceedings used to elect a Speaker of the House. Current practice for electing a Speaker, either at the start of a Congress or in the event of a vacancy (e.g., death or resignation), is by roll-call vote, during which Members state aloud the name of their preferred candidate. Members may vote for any individual. If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, balloting continues; in subsequen… more
Date: April 24, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress

Description: This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process--from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential consideration. However, the process by which a bill can become law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In fact, for many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of congressional stages that are often understood to make up the legislative process.This re… more
Date: April 7, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 115th Congress (2017-2018) as of March 13, 2017. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: March 13, 2017
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Resolutions of Inquiry in the House

Description: This report examines the use of resolutions of inquiry in the House of Representatives from 1947 to 2011. A resolution of inquiry is a measure that formally calls on the executive branch to provide specified factual information to Congress.
Date: March 6, 2017
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members

Description: This report describes the power of the Congress over the armed forces, including the power to "to raise and support Armies," "to provide and maintain a Navy," "to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces" and "to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States...", as well as references to other reports on related topics.
Date: March 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Dear Colleague" Letters in the House of Representatives: Past Practices and Issues for Congress

Description: This report report provides a comparative analysis of how the use of the e-"Dear Colleague" system in the House of Representatives has changed between the 111th Congress (2009-2010) and the 113th Congress (2013-2014). This report provides an overview of the data and methodology used to evaluate "Dear Colleague" letter usage, discusses the characteristics and purpose of "Dear Colleague" letters, and discusses questions for Congress and observations on the use of "Dear Colleague" letters as a for… more
Date: February 22, 2017
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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