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The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction

Description: Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities, for example, national defense, education, and homeland security, as well as general government operations. Congress has developed certain rules and practices for the consideration of appropriations measures, referred to as the congressional appropriations process. This report looks at this process as well as the three types of appropriates measures: regular appropriations bills, continuin… more
Date: February 23, 2012
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense: FY2012 Budget Request, Authorization and Appropriations

Description: This report discusses legislative action that applied the Budget Control Act (BCA)-mandated spending reduction to FY2012 defense funding legislation was taken by the Senate Appropriations Committee on September 7, 2011, when it adopted discretionary spending ceilings for each of its 12 subcommittees that required the Defense Subcommittee to cut $25.9 billion from the President's request for programs funded by the DOD Appropriations bill. On September 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee repo… more
Date: February 13, 2012
Creator: Towell, Pat
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Building Civilian Interagency Capacity for Missions Abroad: Key Proposals and Issues for Congress

Description: Within the past two decades, prominent foreign policy organizations and foreign policy experts have perceived serious deficiencies in the authorities, organizations, and personnel used to conduct interagency missions that prevent the United States from exercising its power to full advantage. For the 112th Congress, proposals to address these problems may be of interest for their perceived potential not only to enhance performance, but also to save money by streamlining processes, encouraging in… more
Date: February 2, 2012
Creator: Serafino, Nina M.; Dale, Catherine & Towell, Pat
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Budget: Issues for FY2013 and Beyond

Description: The federal budget is central to Congress's ability to exercise its “power of the purse.” Over the last several fiscal years the imbalance between spending and revenues has grown as a result of the economic downturn and policies enacted in response to financial turmoil. This report looks at ways in which Congress and the Obama Administration have acted in order to reduce US budgetary issues.
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview

Description: President Obama's FY2013 budget submission was released on February 13, 2012. This report provides a graphical overview of historical trends in discretionary budget authority (BA) from FY1976 through FY2011, enacted levels for FY2012 spending, and the levels consistent with the President's proposals for FY2013 through FY2017. Spending caps and budget enforcement mechanisms established in the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 will probably strongly affect the FY2013 budget cycle. This report may … more
Date: February 14, 2012
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reducing the Budget Deficit: Policy Issues

Description: This report discusses why the federal government's fiscal path is unsustainable and provides an overview of proposals of selected groups that have published detailed recommendations on how to return the federal budget to a sustainable course.
Date: February 15, 2012
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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An Examination of Federal Disaster Relief Under the Budget Control Act

Description: This report addresses traditional funding for major disaster declarations, workings of the President's Disaster Relief Fund, a basic overview of how disaster assistance is appropriated, what factors affect how much the federal government spends on disasters, how disaster relief is impacted by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and what the policy implications are for disaster assistance under the constraints of the BCA, and the increasing number of disaster declarations and both the possible… more
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.; Painter, William L. & McCarthy, Francis X.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. Decisions that Congress makes concerning these programs could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: February 3, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program

Description: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), also called the Lighting II, is a new strike fighter being procured in different versions by the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. The F-35 program is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) largest weapon procurement program in terms of total estimated acquisition cost. This report details the Obama Administration's proposed FY2010 defense budget requests for F-35 program funding and outlines the issues that Congress must consider when deciding whether to appr… more
Date: February 16, 2012
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Base Closures: Socioeconomic Impacts

Description: The most recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission submitted its final report to the Administration on September 8, 2005. Implementation of the BRAC round was officially completed on September 15, 2011. In the report, the commission rejected 13 of the initial Department of Defense recommendations, significantly modified the recommendations for 13 other installations, and approved 22 major closures. Early planning and decisive leadership from officials are important factors in addre… more
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years. A June 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on the cost of the Navy's FY2012 30- year (FY2012-FY2041) shipbuilding plan estimates that the plan would cost an average of $18.0 billion per year in constant FY2011 dollars to implement, or about 16% more than the… more
Date: February 7, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's proposal to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) at Mayport, FL. Transferring a CVN from Norfolk, VA, to Mayport would shift from Norfolk to Mayport the local economic activity associated with homeporting a CVN, which some sources estimate as being worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Date: February 9, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and oversight issues for Congress on the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) program. The two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2013 are the final two in a group of eight covered by a multiyear procurement (MYP) arrangement for the period FY2009-FY2013. Issues for Congress include whether or not to approve the MYP arrangement request, whether to restore procurement of a second Virginia-class boat in FY2014, and the … more
Date: February 9, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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