Congressional Research Service Reports - 462 Matching Results
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- Clean Air Act Issues in the 108th Congress
- Clean air issues were discussed at length in the 107th Congress, but legislation was not enacted, leaving the same issues for possible consideration in the 108th. With new leadership in the Senate, the prospects for such legislation and its content are likely to change. Further, the Senate committee of jurisdiction (Environment and Public Works) will almost certainly focus first on consideration of highway and transit funding (the authorization for which, known as TEA21, expires at the end of FY 2003). Thus, although there is some interest in considering broad changes to the Clean Air Act, the more immediate prospect is for targeted proposals that might be attached to re-authorization of TEA21.
- Transportation Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Multilateral Development Banks: Issues for the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade: Key Issues for the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy
- This report provides background on Free Trade Areas (FTAs) including: definitions of Free Trade Areas, why countries form FTAs, FTAs in the context of U.S. trade policy, Bush Administration policies and recent developments, the economic impact of FTAs, whether FTAs create trade or divert it, FTAs the the WTO, debate points related to FTAs, relevant legislation, and final conclusions and implications for Congress.
- Water Resource Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 108th Congress
- This report discusses the ongoing debate about whether or not to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Current law forbids energy leasing in the Refuge. This report addresses several legislative options on the issue, as well as policymakers' arguments for and against development, especially in the wake of increasing terrorism since 2000-2001.
- Committee System Rules Changes in the House, 108th Congress
- This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contained in H. Res. 5, the rules of the House for the 108th Congress, adopted by the House January 7, 2003. It contains information on the committee organization and structure, committee procedure, and committee staff.
- House Rules Changes Affecting Floor Proceedings in the 108th Congress
- This report briefly discusses each of the nine substantive changes to the standing rules of the House and one standing order that affect the transaction of business on the floor.
- Wildfire Protection: Legislation in the 107th Congress and Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Farm Disaster Bills in the 108th Congress: A Comparison
- No Description Available.
- Clean Water Act Issues in the 108th Congress
- In this report several other Clean Water Act issues are likely to receive congressional attention, through oversight hearings and possibly in legislative proposals. Among the topics of interest is whether and how the Administration will revise the current program for restoration of pollution-impaired waters (the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL program), in view of controversy over regulatory changes made during the Clinton Administration and continuing disagreement among states, cities, industry, and environmental advocates about program effectiveness and efficiency.
- Gun Control Legislation in the 108th Congress
- This report discusses the information related to gun control legislation. The contents include Gun-related statistics, federal regulation of firearms, possible issues in the 108th Congress
- Clean Air Act Issues in the 108th Congress
- Clean air issues were discussed at length in the 107th Congress, but legislation was not enacted, leaving the same issues for possible consideration in the 108th. The most prominent air quality issues discussed in this report are; the controversy over EPA’s proposed changes to the New Source Review (NSR) requirements, Clear Skies / Multi-Pollutant Legislation, gasoline additive MTBE, Conformity of Transportation Plans and SIPs Deadlines for Achieving the Ozone Air Quality Standard.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Estate and Gift Taxes: Economic Issues
- This report discusses how the estate and gift tax works and examines various policy options. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA, P.L. 107-16) repeals the estate tax after 2009. In the 108th Congress, some policymakers have proposed eliminating the sunset provision in the EGTRRA, thus making repeal of the estate tax permanent.
- Transportation Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Major Tax Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Border Security: Immigration Issues in the 108th Congress
- This report provides background information on the main immigration-related border security issues that have been raised as a result of the terrorist attacks and resulting concern for homeland security. It describes enacted legislation in the 107th Congress as well as in previous Congresses that focus on immigration-related border security issues. The report also poses possible immigration-related border security issues the 108th Congress may consider.
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 108th Congress
- This report contains information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal legislation enacted by the 108th Congress
- War on Drugs: Legislation in the 108th Congress and Related Developments
- No Description Available.
- Medicare Prescription Drug Proposals: Estimates of Aged Beneficiaries Who Fall Below Income Criteria, by State
- This report discusses bills related to Medicare benefits, which include additional assistance for low-income beneficiaries. The assistance would have been in the form of reduced, subsidized or eliminated premiums, deductibles and other cost-sharing. Proposals in the 108th Congress will probably also include some of these features for low-income beneficiaries.
- Amtrak Issues in the 108th Congress
- This report discusses a number of issues connected with Amtrak that Congress may consider. Amtrak does not earn enough revenue, or receive enough assistance, to cover its operating costs and capital needs. As a result, Amtrak is regularly on the verge of insolvency.
- Brownfields and Superfund Issues in the 108th Congress
- The Superfund program for cleaning up the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA (P.L. 96-510, as amended). This report discusses recent development and background issues, superfund issues, revenue issues, comprehensive reauthorization, and legislation regarding superfund program.
- Cuba: Issues for the 108th Congress
- Cuba under Fidel Castro remains a hard-line communist state with a poor record on human rights that has deteriorated significantly since 2003. With the cutoff of assistance from the former Soviet Union, Cuba experienced severe economic deterioration from 1989 to 1993. While there has been some improvement since 1994, as Cuba has implemented limited reforms, the economy remains in poor shape. This report discusses the most recent development in Cuba, including political and economic conditions and the U.S. policy towards Cuba. It also considers the issues in U.S.-Cuban Relations.
- Environmental Protection Issues in the 108th Congress
- The 108th Congress has acted on a variety of disparate environmental measures; some of these represent proposals or issues that had been under consideration in the 107th Congress and earlier. Environmental issues considered by Congress tend to fall into several major categories: (1) funding issues — whether funding levels are adequate and focused on appropriate priorities; (2) expanding, renewing, or refocusing specific environment programs; (3) environmental issues that are important “subsets” of other major areas of concern, such as energy, defense, or transportation programs; and more recently, (4) terrorism and infrastructure protection in areas such as wastewater and chemical facilities.
- Transportation Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Child Pornography Produced Without an Actual Child: Constitutionality of 108th Congress Legislation
- This report analyzes S. 151, 108th Congress, as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (S.Rept. 108-2) and passed by the Senate, and considers whether it would violate freedom of speech.
- Multilateral Development Banks: Issues for the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Reauthorization of Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act: Issues for the 108th Congress
- This report provides an overview of the various programs established by Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act (HEA). The report primarily focuses upon the structure of the programs, and includes data on participation and annual funding. It concludes with an analysis of possible issues related to Title III and Title V that may be considered during the HEA reauthorization.
- Fact Sheet on Congressional Tax Proposals in the 108th Congress
- After passing a major multi-year tax cut in Mid-2001 (which was sunsetted after ten years) and a stimulus bill in 2002, Congress is considering energy tax subsidies, tax incentives for charitable giving deductions, pension diversification in the wake of the ENRON problems, and tax shelters. The House has passed several bills that would make the multiyear tax cut permanent as well as a bill to speed up certain provisions.
- House Rules Changes Affecting the Congressional Budget Process in the 108th Congress (H.Res. 5)
- This report provides an explanation of rules changes.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Child Welfare Issues in the 108th Congress
- The purpose of this report is to present a number of generally less broad legislative proposals related to child welfare financing have been introduced in the 108th Congress. Additional child welfare-related proposals designed to improve services, promote timely placement of children across state lines, and for other purposes, are described in this report.
- Clean Air Act Issues in the 108th Congress
- Clean air issues were discussed at length in the 107th Congress, but legislation was not enacted, leaving the same issues for possible consideration in the 108th. The most prominent air quality issues discussed in this report are; the controversy over EPA’s proposed changes to the New Source Review (NSR) requirements, Clear Skies / Multi-Pollutant Legislation, gasoline additive MTBE, Conformity of Transportation Plans and SIPs Deadlines for Achieving the Ozone Air Quality Standard.
- Brownfields and Superfund Issues in the 108th Congress
- The Superfund program for cleaning up the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA (P.L. 96-510, as amended). This report discusses recent development and background issues, superfund issues, revenue issues, comprehensive reauthorization, and legislation regarding superfund program.
- District of Columbia: Issues in the 108th Congress
- This report provides an overview of District of Columbia-related policy and funding issues of interest to Congress. The United States Constitution gives Congress exclusive legislative authority over the affairs of the District of Columbia. As a result, the 108th Congress may debate a number of funding, governance, and constitutional issues affecting the District of Columbia, including approval of the city’s budget, enactment of a general federal payment, budget autonomy for the city, and voting representation in Congress. In addition, Congress will consider whether to continue to include in the District’s appropriations bills for FY2003 and FY2004, a number of controversial general provisions that District officials claim infringe on the principles of home rule.
- Estate Tax Legislation in the 108th Congress
- Under provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA, P.L. 107-16, enacted June 7, 2001), the estate tax is scheduled to be repealed in 2010 but reinstated in 2011. All tax cut provisions of EGTRRA are scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2010. This report tracks actions in the 108th Congress to permanently repeal the estate tax or to retain but alter the tax.
- Trade and the 108th Congress: Major Legislative and Oversight Initiatives
- No Description Available.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 108th Congress
- This report is a brief of the controversies for the 108th Congress regarding the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
- Clean Water Act Issues in the 108th Congress
- In this report several other Clean Water Act issues are likely to receive congressional attention, through oversight hearings and possibly in legislative proposals. Among the topics of interest is whether and how the Administration will revise the current program for restoration of pollution-impaired waters (the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL program), in view of controversy over regulatory changes made during the Clinton Administration and continuing disagreement among states, cities, industry, and environmental advocates about program effectiveness and efficiency.
- Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 108th Congress
- This report addresses budgeting and priority-setting Issues of 108th congress related to federal research and development.
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 108th Congress
- This report discusses policy and legislation regarding fish and marine mammals. These animals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas. Commercial and sport fishing are jointly managed by the federal government and individual states. Many laws and regulations guide the management of these resources by federal agencies.
- Bankruptcy Reform in the 108th Congress
- On February 27, 2003, House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner introduced H.R. 975, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2003. Subcommittee hearings were held on March 4, and the legislation was marked-up and ordered to be reported by the full committee on March 12. This report provides an overview of selected major provisions of the legislation.
- War on Drugs: Legislation in the 108th Congress and Related Developments
- No Description Available.
- Major Tax Issues in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 108th Congress
- This report contains the information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal legislation enacted by the 108th Congress.
- Head Start Issues in the 108th Congress
- This report provides Head Start issues on the 108th congress, a federal program that has provided comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children since 1965.
- Membership of the 108th Congress: A Profile
- No Description Available.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 108th Congress
- This report discusses the ongoing debate about whether or not to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Current law forbids energy leasing in the Refuge. This report addresses several legislative options on the issue, as well as policymakers' arguments for and against development, especially in the wake of increasing terrorism since 2000-2001.