Congressional Research Service Reports - 17,135 Matching Results
Search Results
- Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's programs for procuring 8 National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), and 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs).
- Argentina's 2015 Presidential Election
- This report briefly discusses the Argentinian Presidential election, held on October 25, 2015. The close results set up a second round on November 22, 2015, between Daniel Scioli and Mauricio Macri.
- Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls
- This report discusses how deficit finance can help governments manage their economies and how large and persistent deficits can lead to severe economic problems.
- DOT's Federal Pipeline Safety Program: Background and Key Issues for Congress
- This report reviews the history of federal programs for pipeline safety, significant safety issues, and recent developments focusing on key issues for Congress.
- Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations
- This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense. For both defense authorization and appropriations, this report summarizes the status of the bills, their scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity.
- The International Labor Organization (ILO): Background in Brief
- This report discusses the International Labor Organization (ILO), and describes the ILO's mission, structure, and functions; presents case studies on how the ILO offers assistance to countries in promoting worker rights; and identifies issues for Congress.
- U.S. Postal Service Workforce Size and Employment Categories, FY1995-FY2014
- This report provides data from the past 20 years on the size and composition of the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS's) workforce. Reforms to the size and composition of the workforce have been an integral part of USPS's strategy to reduce costs and regain financial solvency, particularly between FY2007 and FY2014.
- Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents
- This report provides links to cybersecurity-related committee hearings in the 112th, 113th, and 114th Congresses. It also provides a list of executive orders and presidential directives pertaining to information and computer security.
- Individual Retirement Accounts: A Fact Sheet
- This report discusses general information about individual retirement accounts (IRAs), established by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-406) to promote retirement saving; the accounts were limited at first to workers (and spouses) who lacked employer pension coverage.
- Finding Quotes for Speeches: Fact Sheet
- This report provides sources for finding quotes. The resources are divided into three categories: (1) General Quotations, (2) Americana, and (3) Religion.
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2009 Appropriations
- This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It summarizes the status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity, and is updated as events warrant. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products.
- "Political" Activities of Private Recipients of Federal Grants or Contracts
- This report discusses the permissible "political activities" in which organizations, associations, or businesses may engage if such entities receive federal funds through a grant or a federal contract.
- Potential Offset Supply in a Cap-and-Trade Program
- This report discusses the enactment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction program, such as a cap-and-trade system. An estimate of the quantity and type of offset projects that might be available would provide for a more informed debate over the design elements of a cap-and-trade program.
- Financial Services and General Government (FSGG): FY2015 Appropriations
- This report discusses the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the judiciary, the District of Columbia, and more than two dozen independent agencies.
- A Federal Chief Technology Officer in the Obama Administration: Options and Issues for Consideration
- This report addresses issues related to the potential scope of duties and authorities of a CTO, as well as other issues Congress may choose to consider if it opts to exert oversight or to develop legislation to create the position and/or office of a CTO.
- The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information on the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and it discusses the Army's proposed replacement to the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs).
- The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act
- This report discusses the HOPE Act as it relates to the Haitian economy and U.S. trade policy. In providing preferential access to Haitian apparel imports, the HOPE Act, as amended, gives Haitian firms a competitive (price) advantage over other foreign producers who must pay U.S. duties on apparel exports made from yarns and fabrics supplied by non-regional (e.g., Asian) producers.
- Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2015
- This report discusses the process through which members of Congress are compensated. Members of Congress only receive salaries during the terms for which they are elected. Former Members may be eligible for retirement benefits. This report contains information on actions taken affecting each pay year since the establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure, as well as information on other relevant floor action.
- School Locker Rooms Become the New Battleground in the Gender (Identity) Wars
- This legal sidebar discusses the decision of the Department of Education (ED) to side with a transgender female student in Illinois who alleged that her public high school had discriminated against her when it denied her access to the girls' locker rooms.
- Emergency Relief for Disaster-Damaged Roads and Transit Systems: In Brief
- This report describes Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) assistance for the repair and reconstruction of highways and bridges damaged by disasters (such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012) or catastrophic failures (such as the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge in Washington State in 2013).
- Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
- This report provides historical tables on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; details on enacted legislation with language prohibiting the automatic annual pay adjustment since the most recent adjustment; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared with actual adjustments in Member pay; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
- Midnight Rulemaking: Considerations for Congress and a New Administration
- This report discusses the phenomenon known as "midnight rulemaking," which refers to the uptick in activity from federal agencies at the end of a presidential administration.
- Poverty in the United States in 2014: In Brief
- This report discusses poverty in United States that varies widely across the population according to age, education, family living arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. The report elaborates on the poverty among selected groups, the geography of poverty, and the research supplemental poverty measure.
- Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carrier program. Congress's decisions on the CVN-78 program could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding industrial base.
- Big Deal? U.S. Changes Stance on Cruelty Prohibition
- This legal sidebar outlines a change in the U.S. interpretation regarding aspects of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT); these comments were presented as part of the U.S. periodic report to the U.N. Committee Against Torture.
- Poland and Its Relations with the United States: In Brief
- This report provides an overview and assessment of some of the main dimensions of the topic of developments in Poland and its relations with the United States, which are of continuing interest to the U.S. Congress.
- House and Senate Vacancies: How Are They Filled?
- This report discusses how vacancies in Congress are filled when a Senator or Representative dies, resigns, declines to serve, or is expelled or excluded from either house. The Constitution requires that vacancies in both houses be filled by special election, but in the case of the Senate, it empowers state legislatures to provide for temporary appointments by the state governor until special elections can be scheduled.
- Agriculture, Nutrition, and Rural Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
- This report analyzes the agriculture, nutrition, and rural provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5). The ARRA boosts government spending on various infrastructure programs and government benefits programs, and offers individual and business tax benefits.
- Public Health Service Agencies: Overview and Funding (FY2010-FY2016)
- This report gives a brief overview of the eight agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which are designated components of the U.S. Public Health Services (PHS), and summarizes its funding for FY2010 through FY2016.
- Energy Policy Act of 2005: Summary and Analysis of Enacted Provisions
- This report provides a section-by-section summary of the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Discussions of legislative background and policy implications are provided for bill titles and subtitles that address unified programs or policy areas.
- Sentence Reform Acts: S.2123 and H.R. 3713
- This report discusses the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, S. 2123, and the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, H.R. 3713, use virtually identical language to reduce the impact of the mandatory minimum sentences which federal courts must now impose for certain drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
- Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights and State Sovereign Immunity
- This report discusses the Eleventh Amendment and the concept of state sovereign immunity. Although the amendment appears to be focused on preventing suits against a state by non-residents in federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court has expanded the concept of state sovereign immunity to reach much further than the literal text of the amendment, to include immunity from suits by the states' own citizens and immunity from suits under federal law within a state's own court system.
- Federal Deductibility of State and Local Taxes
- This report provides a brief history of deductible state and local taxes, and discusses deduction for real estate property taxes, deductions for income, sales, and use taxes. The report also discusses policy alternatives and current legislation.
- South Africa: Current Issues and U.S. Relations
- This report looks at the relationship between the United States and South Africa. Topics include: foreign policy issues; health (in particular HIV/AIDS) reform; economics and electricity shortages; and corruption in South African politics.
- Department of Veterans Affairs FY2016 Appropriations: In Brief
- This report discusses budget issues for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides a range of benefits and services to veterans who meet certain eligibility rules.
- Intellectual Property Rights Violations: Federal Civil Remedies and Criminal Penalties Related to Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents
- This report provides information describing the federal civil remedies and criminal penalties that may be available as a consequence of violations of the federal intellectual property laws: the Copyright Act of 1976, the Patent Act of 1952, and the Trademark Act of 1946 (conventionally known as the Lanham Act).
- Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA): Background and Funding
- This report provides an overview of the federal response to domestic violence--defined broadly to include acts of physical and nonphysical violence against spouses and other intimate partners--through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA).
- Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami: Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Operations
- This report summarizes the extent of the disaster and relief effort and includes descriptions of the U.S. and international assistance efforts. It also examines protection mechanisms for children and separated orphans. A section is devoted to the situation in each of the affected countries followed by an analysis of selected issues for Congress.
- Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Ohio replacement program (ORP), a program to design and build a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy's current force of 14 Ohio-class SSBNs.
- Pension Issues: Lump-Sum Distributions and Retirement Income Security
- This report covers several issues regarding pensions. Forty-seven percent of all workers aged 21 and older participated in employer-sponsored retirement plans in 2006, but not all of these workers will receive a pension or other income from these plans when they retire.
- Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program. Congress's decisions on the Aegis BMD program could significantly affect U.S. BMD capabilities and funding requirements, and the BMD-related industrial base.
- Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security
- This report discusses the current political and social climate of Iraq, specifically in regards to the influence of the U.S. military presence over recent years. It addresses planned and possible future efforts under the Obama Administration. This report also discusses the continued tensions between various Iraqi sociocultural groups.
- Is Biopower Carbon Neutral?
- This report discusses Biomass energy, or bioenergy, which may receive more attention from stakeholders as an alternative to fossil fuels because of its potential to minimize the environmental impacts of energy production, provide energy security, and promote economic development.
- Boumediene v. Bush: Guantanamo Detainees' Right to Habeas Corpus
- This report summarizes the Boumediene decision and analyzes several of its major implications for the U.S. detention of alien enemy combatants and legislation that limits detainees' access to judicial review.
- Medicaid and Graduate Medical Education
- This report discusses Medicaid coverage of graduate medical education (GME) costs. GME costs are difficult to determine because teaching occurs in the context of patient care and research. There are direct GME (DGME) costs, which include residents' stipends, payments to supervising physicians, and direct program administration costs.
- National Aviation Security Policy, Strategy, and Mode-Specific Plans: Background and Considerations for Congress
- This report examines the current National Aviation Security Policy, the National Strategy for Aviation Security, and formal mode-specific plans developed for implementing this strategic approach. This report also identifies and discusses some overarching considerations for congressional oversight and possible legislative action regarding the U.S. policy and strategy for securing the aviation domain.
- Impeachment and Removal
- This report discusses the impeachment process, which provides a mechanism for removal of the President, Vice President, and other "civil Officers of the United States" found to have engaged in "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
- Federal Court Weighs in on "VisaGate 2015": Part 1, the Visa Bulletin and Recent Revisions to It
- This legal sidebar discusses the incident widely known as "VisaGate 2015" regarding the timeframe for temporary alien guest workers to file applications for lawful permanent resident status. It includes an analysis of the decision from the federal district court in Washington State on the permissibility of certain changes made by the Department of State (DOS) regarding the incident.
- Syrian Refugee Admissions to the United States
- This report discusses the U.S.'s plans to admit Syrian and other refugees in FY2016 and beyond. The Obama Administration initially proposed an overall refugee ceiling of 75,000 for FY2016 and held consultations with Congress on that proposal, as required by law.
- Tying Up Loose Ends... Supreme Court To Evaluate Federal Firearm Provision Again
- This legal sidebar discusses certiorari to hear Voisine v. United States, a decision examining the federal provision that makes it unlawful for an individual to possess a firearm or ammunition if he or she has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV).