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Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities

Description: This report discusses the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and its Office of Financial Research (OFR) which were established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111203) to address several potential sources of systemic risk. It provides an overview of the FSOC's structure and analyzes FSOC policy-related issues and legislation.
Date: February 12, 2018
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Small Business Administration Microloan Program

Description: This report discusses the Small Business Administration's (SBA) microloan program. It describes the Microloan program's eligibility standards and operating requirements for lenders and borrowers and examines the arguments presented by the program's critics and advocates. It also examines changes to the program authorized by P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and several bills introduced during the 114th and 115th Congresses.
Date: January 12, 2018
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Trust Funds

Description: This report covers how the Social Security program is financed and how the Social Security trust funds work. It will be updated annually to reflect current projections of the financial status of the Social Security trust funds.
Date: September 12, 2017
Creator: Morton, William R. & Liou, Wayne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen if the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: September 12, 2017
Creator: Morton, William R. & Liou, Wayne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)

Description: This report discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) comprising nine members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President representing major departments and agencies within the federal executive branch. While the group generally has operated in relative obscurity, the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed the group's operations under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress… more
Date: August 12, 2016
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Financial Services Regulatory Consolidation: Structural Response to the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis

Description: This report provides a brief history and overview of the U.S. federal financial services regulatory structure and examines the regulatory structural changes the three major federal government proposals would make to remedy the causes of the financial crisis. It concludes with a discussion of some possible implications of reform.
Date: April 12, 2010
Creator: Eubanks, Walter W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions

Description: This report provides an overview of the Federal Reserve and issues for Congress. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) defines monetary policy as the actions it undertakes to influence the availability and cost of money and credit. Because the expectations of market participants play an important role in determining prices and growth, monetary policy can also be defined to include the directives, policies, statements, and actions of the Fed that influence how the future is perceived. In addition, the F… more
Date: February 12, 2013
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The STOCK Act, Insider Trading, and Public Financial Reporting by Federal Officials

Description: This report gives an overview of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 (STOCK), which affirms and makes explicit the fact that there is no exemption from the "insider trading" laws and regulations for Members of Congress, congressional employees, or any federal officials.
Date: April 12, 2013
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)

Description: This report gives a brief overview of P.L. 110-49, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007. Although both the President and Congress are directly involved in formulating the scope and direction of U.S. foreign investment policy, this law broadens Congress' oversight role; it also explicitly includes the areas of homeland security and critical infrastructure as separately-identifiable components of national security that the President must consider when evaluating the national s… more
Date: June 12, 2013
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI): Budget Authority and Request, FY2010-FY2014

Description: This report discusses the financial assistance for global climate change initiatives in developing countries. The Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI) -- one of the three main pillars to the 2010 directive -- aims to integrate climate change considerations into relevant foreign assistance, from FY2008 enacted funding request for FY2010 through the FY2014.
Date: September 12, 2013
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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IMF Reforms: Issues for Congress

Description: Report that provides information about the reforms made by the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December 2010, Congress's role in the reform process, and how the reforms could affect U.S. interests at the IMF.
Date: December 12, 2012
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M. & Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Changing the Federal Reserve's Mandate: An Economic Analysis

Description: This report discusses a number of implementation issues surrounding an inflation target. These include what rate of inflation to target, what inflation measure to use, whether to set a point target or range, and what penalties to impose if a target is missed.
Date: August 12, 2013
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Regulation of Debit Interchange Fees

Description: This report provides a description of the debit payments process and network pricing, as well as an overview of the effects of the Durbin Amendement implemented by the Federal Reserve which includes a cap on the interchange fee for large issuers. In particular, the Durbin Amendment is discussed in light of comments by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Date: July 12, 2011
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reduce, Refinance, and Rent? The Economic Incentives, Risks, and Ramifications of Housing Market Policy Options

Description: This report discusses the background of financial panic in September 2008, precipitated by the housing bubble of 2006. In particular, the report looks at options that the 112th Congress has regarding the housing market: (1) reducing mortgage principal for borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth, (2) refinancing mortgages for borrowers shut out of traditional financing methods, and (3) renting out foreclosed homes.
Date: June 12, 2012
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Monetary Fund: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report evaluates the purpose, membership, financing, and focus of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) activities. It also discusses the role of Congress in shaping U.S. policy at the IMF and concludes by addressing key issues, both legislative and oversight-related, that Congress may wish to consider, including: the role of the IMF as a lender of last resort; the adequacy of IMF resources; and the effectiveness of IMF surveillance.
Date: June 12, 2012
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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