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Expedited Procedures Governing Senate Consideration of Legislation Waiving a Restriction Related to the Military Service of the Secretary of Defense

Description: This report discusses the Section 179 of the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 114-254), which establishes expedited or "fast track" parliamentary procedures governing Senate consideration of legislation that would waive a legal restriction related to the prior military service of the Secretary of Defense.
Date: December 27, 2016
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: December 5, 2016
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Committee Markup Process in the House of Representatives

Description: This report focuses on the markup stage of the legislative process in committee. It discusses the selection of the text to be marked up, the procedures for proposing and debating amendments to that text, the voting and quorum procedures that govern markups, and the final stages of ordering the marked-up text reported to the House for its consideration.
Date: December 2, 2016
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Women in Congress, 1917-2016: Biographical and Committee Assignment Information, and Listings by State and Congress

Description: This report includes biographical information for the 313 women who have been elected or appointed to Congress including names, committee assignments, dates of service, listings by Congress and state, and (for Representatives) congressional districts.
Date: November 7, 2016
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E. & Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congress's Early Organization Meetings

Description: This report discusses Congress's early organization meetings. The purposes of these meetings are both educational and organizational. Educational sessions range from legislative procedures and staff hiring to current issues.
Date: November 2, 2016
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations

Description: This report identifies, by Senate committee, presidentially-appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation based on referrals as of the date of passage of S. 679, which became P.L. 112-166 on August 10, 2012.
Date: August 23, 2016
Creator: Davis, Christopher M. & Greene, Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report examines the political and economic situation in Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is divided into three main sections -- political background, current political and economic environment, U.S. relations and policy -- and also includes introductory and outlook information.
Date: August 22, 2016
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Evolution of the Meaning of "Waters of the United States" in the Clean Water Act

Description: This report outlines how the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (BCTPAA) regulates the eligibility of covered trade agreements for expedited consideration, describes the operation of the statutory expedited procedures for considering implementing bills, and discusses how Congress may use the procedural mechanisms established by the act, as well as other pertinent rules of each chamber, to retain a substantial measure of control over legislation to implement… more
Date: August 12, 2016
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overview of Funding Mechanisms in the Federal Budget Process, and Selected Examples

Description: This report explains various funding mechanisms used to fund federal programs and activities including timelines for budgetary decisionmaking and processes (e.g., committees); it illustrates the mechanisms with examples of how they have been applied in practice. How a particular funding mechanism is structured requires tradeoffs between the frequency of congressional review and the predictability of funding for the program.
Date: August 4, 2016
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Acquisition Reform in the House and Senate Versions of the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act

Description: This report focuses on the sections of the House and Senate versions of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909 and S. 2943, respectively) that appear closely linked to the respective armed services committees' stated efforts to reform the acquisition system. For purposes of this analysis, CRS selected 31 sections of the House bill and 67 sections of the Senate bill.
Date: July 13, 2016
Creator: Schwartz, Moshe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives

Description: This report discusses the processes of expulsion and censure in the House of Representatives. The House is expressly authorized within the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 5, clause 2) to discipline or "punish" its own Members. It is designed as a measure to protect the institutional integrity of the House of Representatives, its proceedings and its reputation.
Date: June 27, 2016
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Midnight Rules: Congressional Oversight and Options

Description: This report discusses "midnight rulemaking," referring to the phenomenon during the final months of recent presidential administrations when federal agencies have typically issued a larger number of rules relative to comparable time periods earlier in the administration. It likely occurs because the outgoing presidential administration wants to achieve certain policy goals before the end of its term.
Date: June 27, 2016
Creator: Carey, Maeve P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2016

Description: This report contains information on actions taken that affect the salaries for members of Congress, broken down by year and starting with the establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure (1990). It also provides background on the most recent developments and information on other related floor action.
Date: June 21, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report examines the political and economic situation in Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is divided into three main sections -- political background, current political and economic environment, U.S. relations and policy -- and also includes introductory and outlook information.
Date: June 20, 2016
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: June 10, 2016
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Legislative Branch: FY2017 Appropriations

Description: The first section of this report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2017 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action. It is followed by a section on prior year actions and funding, which contains historical tables. The report then addresses the FY2017 budget requests, requested administrative language, and selected funding issues for individual legislative branch agencies and entities.
Date: June 2, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Sense of" Resolutions and Provisions

Description: This report discusses specific kinds of resolutions by which Congress may formally express opinions about subjects of current national interest through freestanding simple or concurrent resolutions (called generically "sense of the House," "sense of the Senate," or "sense of the Congress" resolutions). These opinions expressing the views of one or both chambers may be included in other legislation upon introduction or subsequently added by amendment. This report identifies the various forms the… more
Date: May 16, 2016
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Nunn-McCurdy Act: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress

Description: This report examines the the Nunn-McCurdy Act, which requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress whenever a major defense acquisition program experiences cost overruns that exceed certain thresholds. As a result of the Nunn-McCurdy Act, Congress has increased visibility into the cost performance of the acquisition stage of MDAPs. However, some analysts suggest that Nunn-McCurdy is not a sufficiently comprehensive reporting mechanism.
Date: May 12, 2016
Creator: Schwartz, Moshe & O'Connor, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview

Description: This report discusses the procedure for adjusting the public debt limit. Nearly all of the outstanding debt of the federal government is subject to a statutory limit, which is set forth as a dollar limitation in 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). From time to time, Congress considers and passes legislation to adjust or suspend this limit.
Date: May 6, 2016
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management

Description: This report describes statutory requirements for allocating congressional nominations to service academies. It also identifies the qualifications that must be met by potential nominees, as established by statute and each academy.
Date: April 21, 2016
Creator: Petersen, R. E. & Eckman, Sarah J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Export-Import Bank: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report addresses frequently-asked questions about the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank, grouped in the following categories: congressional interest and the Ex-Im Bank reauthorization debate; market context; international context; organizational structure and management; programs; statutory requirements and policies; risk management; budget and appropriations; implications of a sunset in authority; and historical and current approaches to reauthorization.
Date: April 13, 2016
Creator: Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Carpenter, David H.; Driessen, Grant A. & Taylor, Julia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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