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The Debt Limit Since 2011

Description: This report discusses the federal debt increase. The accumulation of federal debt accelerated in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession.
Date: September 11, 2015
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report discusses the current state of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its relationship with the United States, and future initiatives to further develop U.S.-Saudi relations. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by the Al Saud family since its founding in 1932, wields significant global political and economic influence. Close U.S.-Saudi official relations have survived a series of challenges since the 1940s, and, in recent years, shared concerns over Sunni Islamist extremist terrorism and Iraniā€¦ more
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Is Biopower Carbon Neutral?

Description: 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.
Date: September 28, 2015
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables

Description: 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.
Date: September 17, 2015
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syrian Refugee Admissions to the United States

Description: 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.
Date: September 22, 2015
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syrian Refugee Admissions to the United States

Description: This report briefly discusses issues regarding refugees fleeing from Syria. With some European countries pledging to accept increased numbers of Syrian and other asylum seekers in the face of a refugee crisis, attention is focused on the United States and its plans to admit Syrian and other refugees in FY2016 and beyond.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): Commercial Outlook for a New Industry

Description: This report discusses unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)--commonly referred to as drones-- which have become a staple of U.S. military reconnaissance and weapons delivery in overseas war zones such as Afghanistan. Now some new technologies and pending federal regulations are enabling the manufacture and use of UAS in domestic commerce, giving rise to a growing commercial UAS industry.
Date: September 9, 2015
Creator: Canis, Bill
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Green Infrastructure and Issues in Managing Urban Stormwater

Description: Managing stormwater is one of the biggest and most expensive problems facing cities across the United States. This report discusses legislation that has been introduced to support research and implementation of green/innovative stormwater infrastructure. Overall, many in Congress remain concerned about how municipalities will pay for needed investments in water infrastructure projects generallyā€”not limited to green infrastructureā€”and what role the federal government can and should play in thoseā€¦ more
Date: September 15, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

Description: This report is a list of about 200 congressional liaison offices, intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. In each case, the information was supplied by the agency itself and is current as of the date of publication. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Crane-Hirsch, Audrey C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Poverty in the United States in 2014: In Brief

Description: 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.
Date: September 30, 2015
Creator: Dalaker, Joseph
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

Description: This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995's (UMRA) implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirements and procedures, and assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Dilger, Robert J. & Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Zivotofsky v. Kerry: The Jerusalem Passport Case and Its Potential Implications for Congress's Foreign Affairs Powers

Description: This report briefly describes legislative efforts to modify U.S. policy with respect to Jerusalem, in particular multiple enactments of the passport provision. The report then summarizes the Supreme Court decision, including concurrences and dissents. Finally, the report concludes by suggesting possible implications of the decision with respect to Congress's authority to influence foreign affairs.
Date: September 28, 2015
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Description: The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193). This report responds to some frequently asked questions about TANF; it does not describe TANF rules.
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Financing Issues

Description: This report discusses the financing of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. It describes the national funding level, the distribution of funds among the states, and the basis for these funding levels; describes how states may use TANF funds; describes how states have actually used TANF funding; and discusses selected policy issues regarding TANF funding.
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Supreme Court: A Legal Analysis of Young v. United Parcel Service

Description: In 2015, the Supreme Court issued a decision in Young v. United Parcel Service. In the case, a United Parcel Service (UPS) worker named Peggy Young challenged her employerā€™s refusal to grant her a light-duty work assignment while she was pregnant, claiming that UPSā€™s actions violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). This report begins with a discussion of the facts in the Young case, followed by an overview of the PDA. The report then provides an analysis of the Young case, its implicatiā€¦ more
Date: September 25, 2015
Creator: Feder, Jody
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Trade in Services: Trends and Policy Issues

Description: This report provides background information and analysis on U.S. international trade in services. It analyzes policy issues before the United States, especially relating to negotiating international disciplines on trade in services and dealing complexities in measuring trade in services. The report also examines emerging issues and current negotiations.
Date: September 22, 2015
Creator: Fefer, Rachel F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Encryption and Evolving Technology: Implications for U.S. Law Enforcement Investigations

Description: This report provides an overview of the perennial issue involving technology outpacing law enforcement and discusses how policy makers and law enforcement officials have dealt with this issue in the past. It discusses the current debate surrounding smartphone data encryption and how this may impact U.S. law enforcement operations. The report also discusses existing law enforcement capabilities, the debate over whether law enforcement is "going dark" because of rapid technological advances, and ā€¦ more
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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