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Budget Enforcement Procedures: Senate Pay- As-You-Go (PAYGO) Rule

Description: This report discusses the Senate pay-as-you-go, or PAYGO, rule which generally requires that any legislation projected to increase direct spending or reduce revenues must also include equivalent amounts of direct spending cuts, revenue increases, or a combination of the two, so that the legislation does not increase the on-budget deficit over a six-year period and an 11-year period.
Date: January 12, 2010
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables

Description: This report contains information on the pay procedure and recent adjustments. It also contains historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
Date: January 12, 2010
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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NATO Enlargement: Senate Advice and Consent

Description: This report describes the provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty and of the original Senate debate in 1949 pertinent to enlargement and the procedures that have been followed for each subsequent enlargement proposal. It also discusses what the Senate did with respect to the reunification of Germany in 1990 and the implications of that event for Germany's membership in NATO.
Date: January 15, 2010
Creator: Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation and Climate Change

Description: This report provides background on aviation emissions and the factors affecting them; it discusses the tools available to control emissions, including existing authority under the Clean Air Act and proposed economy-wide cap-and-trade legislation; and it examines international regulatory developments that may affect U.S. commercial airlines.
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Protection of Classified Information by Congress: Practices and Proposals

Description: This report discusses safeguards in place to protect controlled information and proposals for change of some of the mechanisms in place. Congress uses classified national security and other controlled information to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities, particularly overseeing the executive, appropriating funds, and legislating public policy.
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: Kaiser, Frederick M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress

Description: Asian Pacific Americans have served in both houses of Congress representing California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Oregon, Virginia, American Samoa, and Guam. They have served in leadership positions, including committee and subcommittee chairmanships. This report presents information on Senators, Representatives, and Delegates, including party affiliations, length and dates of service, and committee assignments.
Date: February 1, 2010
Creator: Tong, Lorraine H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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African American Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2009

Description: This report discusses the history and current status of African Americans in Congress. There are 42 African American Members serving in the 111th Congress, 41 in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. There have been 125 African American Members of Congress: 119 have been elected to the House; five have been elected to the Senate; and one has been appointed to the Senate. There have been 98 Democrats: 95 in the House, three in the Senate; and 27 Republicans: 24 in the House, three … more
Date: February 2, 2010
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E. & Shogan, Colleen J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Defense "Section 1207" Security and Stabilization Assistance: Background and Congressional Concerns

Description: This report discusses the section 1207 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2006 that provides authority for the Department of Defense (DOD) to transfer to the State Department up to $100 million per fiscal year in defense articles, services, training, or other support for reconstruction, stabilization, and security activities in foreign countries. The 111th Congress must decide whether to extend Section 1207, which expires on September 30, 2009. This report discusse… more
Date: February 4, 2010
Creator: Serafino, Nina M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 111th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: February 4, 2010
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
Date: February 4, 2010
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 111th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: February 12, 2010
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Navy's plans regarding the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The LCS is a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular "plug-and-fight" mission packages. The Navy wants to field a force of 55 LCSs.
Date: February 18, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Oversight: An Overview

Description: This report highlights several reasons for the expansion of the federal government; discuss a few definitions of oversight; spotlight three essential purposes of oversight; comment upon a few oversight laws and rules; review several important oversight techniques; and identify several incentives and disincentives to the conduct of congressional oversight. The report concludes with summary observations.
Date: February 22, 2010
Creator: Oleszek, Walter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2010

Description: The U.S. Constitution, in Article I, Section 6, authorizes compensation for Members of Congress "ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States." Throughout American history, Congress has relied on three different methods in adjusting salaries for Members. Standalone legislation was last used to provide increases in 1990 and 1991. It was the only method used by Congress for many years. The second method, under which annual adjustments took effect automatically unless disa… more
Date: February 22, 2010
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Agency Travel Card Programs

Description: This report begins by discussing the structure of agency travel card programs, and then discusses weaknesses in agency controls that have contributed to waste, fraud, and abuse. It then examines relevant legislation introduced or enacted in the 111th Congress, including the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 2189 and S. 942), and concludes with observations on the information available to Congress for oversight of agency travel card programs.
Date: March 15, 2010
Creator: Hatch, Garrett
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Recall of Legislators and the Removal of Members of Congress from Office

Description: Under the United States Constitution and congressional practice, Members of Congress may have their services ended prior to the normal expiration of their constitutionally established terms of office by their resignation or death, or by action of the house of Congress in which they are a Member by way of an "expulsion," or by a finding that in accepting a subsequent "incompatible" public office, the Member would be deemed to have vacated his congressional seat. This report discusses the manner … more
Date: March 26, 2010
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives

Description: This report describes the Select Committees on Intelligence and then the former Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, often cited as a model for a counterpart on intelligence. The study also sets forth proposed characteristics for a joint committee on intelligence, differences among these, and their pros and cons.
Date: March 29, 2010
Creator: Kaiser, Frederick M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The Navy has begun a multi-billion dollar program to modernize its 84 existing Aegis cruisers and destroyers over a period of more than 20 years. This report explores this program in detail, including the reasons for the program and the oversight issues it poses for Congress.
Date: March 31, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Military Commissions Act of 2009: Overview and Legal Issues

Description: This report provides a background and analysis comparing military commissions as envisioned under the revised Military Commissions Act (MCA) to those established in 2006. After reviewing the history of the implementation of military commissions in the "global war on terrorism," the report provides an overview of the procedural safeguards provided in the MCA. Finally, the report provides two tables comparing the MCA as amended by the MCA 2009 to the original MCA enacted in 2006 and to general co… more
Date: April 6, 2010
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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