Congressional Research Service Reports - 434 Matching Results
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- The Advisory Panel's Tax Reform Proposals
- In early 2005, the President appointed a tax reform advisory panel to formulate tax reform proposals. The report of the President’s Advisory Panel on Tax Reform, issued in November 2005, recommended two reform plans to consider: 1) a revised income tax, referred to as the simplified income tax (SIT); and 2) a consumption tax coupled with a tax on financial income, referred to as the growth and investment tax (GIT). This report discusses the provisions and implications of these two taxes in detail.
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- No Description Available.
- Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional and Institutional Implications
- No Description Available.
- Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications
- This report provides historical background on the enactment of declarations of war and authorizations for the use of force and analyzes their legal effects under international and domestic law. It also sets forth their texts in two appendices. Because the statutes that confer standby authority on the President and the executive branch potentially play such a large role in an armed conflict to which the United States is a party, the report includes an extensive listing and summary of the statutes that are triggered by a declaration of war, a declaration of national emergency, and/or the existence of a state of war. The report concludes with a summary of the Congressional procedures applicable to the enactment of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of force and to measures under the War Powers Resolution.
- The Electoral College: Reform Proposals in the 108th Congress
- American voters elect the President and Vice President of the United States under a complex arrangement of constitutional provisions, federal and state laws, and political party practices known as the electoral college system. Despite occasional close elections, this system has delivered uncontested results in 46 of 50 elections since adoption of the 12th Amendment, effective in 1804. Throughout this period, nevertheless, it has been the subject of persistent criticism and many reform proposals. Related measures fall into two basic categories: those that would eliminate the electoral college and substitute direct popular election of the President and Vice President, and those that would retain the existing system in some form and correct perceived defects.
- Line Item Veto: A Constitutional Analysis of Recent Proposals
- This report discusses the Legislative Line Item Veto and its constitutional issues and the President’s rescission proposals must be enacted by both Houses and signed into law.
- Direct Assaults Against Presidents, Presidents-Elect, and Candidates
- Direct assaults against Presidents, Presidents-elect, and candidates have occurred on 15 separate occasions, with five resulting in death. Ten incumbents (about 24% of the 42 individuals to serve in the office), including four of the past six Presidents, have been victims or targets. Four of the ten (and one candidate) died as a result of the attacks. This report identifies these incidents and provides information about what happened, when, where, and, if known, why.
- Delegate Totals and Dates for Presidential Primaries and Caucuses, 1988
- This report provides the 1988 Democratic and Republican delegate totals and the calendar of Presidential primaries and caucuses, by State. The information is presented in four separate calendars: alphabetically by State; chronologically by primary or caucus date; and separately for each party, arranged i n State order.
- Candidates for Presidential Nomination in 1988: Major Declared Contestants and Campaign Organizations
- This report lists the candidates that have withdrawn from the 1988 Presidential race.
- Former Presidents: Pensions, Facilities, and Services
- The Former Presidents Act (72 Stat. 838) of 1958 provides financial and practical means to those who have served as President of the United States and still retain certain implicit public duties. In 1958, the cost of former Presidents to the public was an estimated $64,000. In FY84, approximately $27 million will be spent on benefits to former Presidents and their widows. Operation and maintenance of Presidential Libraries was approximately $14.9 million in FY83. This report discusses increasing concerns regarding the amounts and the types of expenditures that have been made.
- Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding
- This report discusses the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act), which authorizes the President to issue major disaster or emergency declarations in response to catastrophes that overwhelm state and local governments.
- Authorization for Use of Military Force in Response to the 9/11 Attacks (P.L. 107-40): Legislative History
- This report provides a legislative history of the legislation, S.J.Res. 23 , the “Authorization for Use of Military Force” (AUMF), which, as Congress stated in its text, constitutes the legislative authorization for the use of U.S. military force contemplated by the War Powers Resolution. It also is the statute which the President and his attorneys have subsequently cited as an authority for him to engage in electronic surveillance against possible terrorists without obtaining authorization of the special Court created by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, as amended.
- National Emergency Powers
- This report the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601-1651) that eliminated or modified some statutory grants of emergency authority, required the President to declare formally the existence of a national emergency and to specify what statutory authority, activated by the declaration, would be used, and provided Congress a means to countermand the President's declaration and the activated authority being sought.
- National Emergency Powers
- This report the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601-1651) that eliminated or modified some statutory grants of emergency authority, required the President to declare formally the existence of a national emergency and to specify what statutory authority, activated by the declaration, would be used, and provided Congress a means to countermand the President's declaration and the activated authority being sought.
- Social Security Financing
- The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) program, the largest of the social security programs, will not have sufficient resources to meet its benefit payments on time in July 1983. Even if the program were permitted to continue to borrow from the other social security programs, the financial the shortfall would re-emerge in 1984.
- Ocean Commissions: Ocean Policy Review and Outlook
- No Description Available.
- Electoral Votes by State: Changes Resulting from the 1980 Census
- This report presents a chart and a U.S. map describing the electoral votes by state and the changes resulted from the 1980 census.
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- Two separate but closely related issues confront Congress each time the President introduces armed forces into a situation 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. This issue brief does not deal with the substantive merits of using armed forces in specific cases, but rather with the congressional authorization for the action and the application and effectiveness of the War Powers Resolution. The purpose of the War Powers Resolution (P.L. 93-148, passed over President Nixon’s veto on November 7, 1973) is to ensure that Congress and the President share in making decisions that may get the U.S. involved in hostilities.
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- No Description Available.
- Item Veto and Expanded Impoundment Proposals
- In recent years conflicting budget priorities and divided political control have accentuated the institutional tensions between the executive and legislative branches inherent in the federal budget process. President Bush, like his recent predecessors, has called for an item veto, or possibly expanded impoundment authority, to provide him with greater control over federal spending. This report provides a brief history of impoundment and discusses the debate surrounding the line item veto.
- National Emergency Powers
- This report the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601-1651) that eliminated or modified some statutory grants of emergency authority, required the President to declare formally the existence of a national emergency and to specify what statutory authority, activated by the declaration, would be used, and provided Congress a means to countermand the President's declaration and the activated authority being sought.
- Persian Gulf and the War Powers Debate: Issue Summary and Review of Events
- "This issue brief tracks chronologically the events in the Gulf with particular reference to major U.S. policy statements and actions relevant to the War Powers Resolution" (p. iii).
- Kissinger Commission Implementation: Actions by the Congress Through 1986 on the Recommendations of the National Bipartisan Commission of Central America
- "This report summarizes the implementation by the Congress of the policy recommendations made in January 1984 by the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America, the so-called 'Kissinger Commission'" (p. iii).
- The Peace Corps: USA Freedom Corps Initiative
- Report on the Peace Corps and the proposal to double its size, including funding concerns, safety concerns, aid priorities, and more.
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- Report on the War Powers Resolution and an examination of its use, including recent developments, background issues, United Nations actions, and more.
- The Unfolding of the Reagan Energy Program: The First Year
- No Description Available.
- Votes Other than Favorably on Judicial Nominations, 1939-2003
- Judicial nominations are submitted to the Senate by the President. Once a nomination is submitted, the Senate refers it to the Judiciary Committee. Either the Senate or the Senate Judiciary Committee may choose not to act when considering the nomination. If the Judiciary Committee does act and schedules a vote on a nominee, any of four motions can be made.
- Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications
- This report provides historical background on the enactment of declarations of war and authorizations for the use of force and analyzes their legal effects under international and domestic law. It also sets forth their texts in two appendices. Because the statutes that confer standby authority on the President and the executive branch potentially play such a large role in an armed conflict to which the United States is a party, the report includes an extensive listing and summary of the statutes that are triggered by a declaration of war, a declaration of national emergency, and/or the existence of a state of war. The report concludes with a summary of the Congressional procedures applicable to the enactment of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of force and to measures under the War Powers Resolution.
- Proposals to Reform Our Presidential Electoral System: A Survey of the Historical Background and Development of the Electoral College, and a Compilation of Proposals to Reform It, With Pro and Con Analyses
- "This report discusses the present method of electing the President by the Electoral College . . . [and] the various state laws relating to the nomination and election of Presidential electors" (p. iii).
- The Presidential Inauguration of 2005: Basic Facts and Information on Inaugural Festivities
- No Description Available.
- Supreme Court Nominations, 1789-2005: Actions by the Senate, Judiciary Committee, and the President
- Report on the process of appointing Supreme Court Justices, including tables of Senate actions, Senate Judiciary Committee Actions, presidential actions, and more.
- War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance
- No Description Available.
- The War Powers Resolution: A Decade of Experience
- "This report analyzes the provisions of the [War Powers] Resolution and a decade of experience with it" (p. ii).
- Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act: Legal Requirements for Federal and State Roles in Declarations of an Emergency or a Major Disaster
- No Description Available.
- Proper Scope of Questioning of Supreme Court Nominees: The Current Debate
- No Description Available.
- The American Electoral College: Origins, Development, Proposals for Reform or Abolition
- This report is a comprehensive annotated bibliography of substantive books, monographs, articles, and documents treating the origins, evolution, and current operational characteristics of the U.S. electoral college system, as well as proposals for its reform or abolition. An explanatory introduction is provided for readers unfamiliar with the issue.
- Social Security Reform: Effect on Benefits and the Federal Budget of Plans Proposed by the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security
- In 2001, President Bush established the President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security to make recommendations on ways to “modernize and restore fiscal soundness to the Social Security system” in accordance with six principles, one of which mandated the creation of voluntary personal retirement accounts. The Commission proposed three alternative reform models. Under all three proposals, workers could choose to invest in personal accounts and have their traditional Social Security benefits reduced by some amount. Model 1 would make no other changes to the program.
- The Intersection Between the Former Presidents Act and the Impeachment Process
- This report is on The Intersection Between the Former Presidents Act and the Impeachment Process.
- Speed of Presidential and Senate Actions on Supreme Court Nominations, 1900-2005
- No Description Available.
- Prevailing Wage Requirements and the Emergency Suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act
- No Description Available.
- The Davis-Bacon Act: Suspension
- The Davis-Bacon Act is one of several statutes that deals with federal government procurement. Enacted in 1931, Davis-Bacon requires, inter alia, that not less than the locally prevailing wage be paid to workers engaged in federal contract construction. This report reviews the several cases during which the Davis-Bacon Act was suspended and will likely be updated as developments make necessary.
- Item Veto: Budgetary Savings
- Congressional interest in an item veto for the President may resurface during the 109th Congress. At a news conference on November 4, 2004, President George W. Bush expressed an interest in receiving item-veto authority “to maintain budget discipline.”
- Presidential and Vice Presidential Succession: Overview and Current Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Davis-Bacon Suspension and Its Legislative Aftermath
- During the last week of August 2005, Hurricane Katrina gathered strength in the Atlantic and moved against the gulf states. On September 8, 2005, amid the devastation left in Katrina’s wake, President George W. Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon Act as it applies to certain jurisdictions in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Although the President has the authority, under Section 6 of the Act, to render such suspensions during a national emergency, that authority has rarely been utilized.1 This report analyzes the legislative aftermath of the suspension.
- Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding
- This report provides information about the Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding on Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance. Congress appropriates money to DRF for disaster assistance authorized by the Stafford Act, which is administered by FEMA.
- Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding
- This report provides information about the Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding on Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance. Congress appropriates money to DRF for disaster assistance authorized by the Stafford Act, which is administered by FEMA.
- Informing Congress: The Role of the Executive in Times of War and Military Conflict, 1941-2001
- No Description Available.
- Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional Committees: An Overview
- No Description Available.
- A Presidential Item Veto
- During a news conference on November 4, 2004, President George W. Bush stated that he “would like to see the President have a line-item veto again, one that passed constitutional muster. I think it would help the executive branch work with the legislative branch to make sure that we’re able to maintain budget discipline.” The Supreme Court struck down an earlier version of item-veto authority (the Line Item Veto Act of 1996) in Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998), but several statutory alternatives are available. Options to the Line Item Veto Act have been proposed over the years, including an amendment to the Constitution to grant the President item-veto authority. The line-item veto is listed among several budget reform proposals included in the FY2005 budget, but a more specific recommendation is expected to be developed by the Administration and submitted to Congress at the start of the 109th Congress. This report analyzes the statutory and constitutional alternatives that are likely to be considered and will be updated as necessary.
- The Mid-Session Review of the President’s Budget: Timing Issues
- The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 established for the first time the requirement that the President annually submit a budget to Congress. Under current law (31 U.S.C. 1105(a)), the President is required to submit his annual budget on or after the first Monday in January, but no later than the first Monday in February.