Congressional Research Service Reports - 79 Matching Results
Search Results
- The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview
- This report provides a synopsis of key events in the H1N1 pandemic response, followed by information about selected federal emergency management authorities and actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (HHS), and state and local authorities.
- Accounting Problems at Fannie Mae
- This report summarizes the critiques the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Supervision (OFHEO) made of accounting practices at Fannie Mae. The OFHEO's two main issues are under the domains of: amortization of discounts, premiums, fees involved in the purchase of home mortgages, and the other being accounting for financial derivatives contracts. The report emphasizes that these discrepancies created a false image of the company's earnings and in one case was the cause of the company's executives to receive bonuses.
- Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians
- This report collects statistics from a variety of sources on casualties sustained during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), which began on October 7, 2001, and is ongoing. OEF actions take place primarily in Afghanistan; however, OEF casualties also includes American casualties in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Yemen.
- Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa
- In recent years, analysts and U.S. policymakers have noted Africa's growing strategic importance to U.S. interests. On February 6, 2007, the Bush Administration announced the creation of a new unified combatant command, U.S. Africa Command or AFRICOM, to promote U.S. national security objectives in Africa and its surrounding waters. This report provides information on AFRICOM's mission, structure, interagency coordination, and its basing and manpower requirements. The report also gives a broad overview of U.S. strategic interests in Africa and the role of U.S. military efforts on the continent as they pertain to the creation of Africa Command.
- Agriculture in Afghanistan and Neighboring Asian Countries
- Agriculture (as measured by share of gross domestic product and employment) is a significant economic sector in seven Central and South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. All of these countries are net food importers. Some have experienced successive years of drought, which has contributed to noticeable declines in agricultural output and the need to increase commodity imports. The United Nations’ World Food Program reports that both Afghanistan and Tajikistan are currently in need of emergency food assistance to cover sizable food deficits. The food outlook in Afghanistan is made uncertain by ongoing military conflict.
- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
- No Description Available.
- Arsenic in Drinking Water: Recent Regulatory Developments and Issues
- This report discusses issues regarding the arsenic’s health effects and how to reduce the uncertainty in assessing health risks associated with exposure to low levels of arsenic. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the current standard of 50 parts per billion (ppb) in 1975. . This report reviews EPA efforts to develop a new arsenic rule and summarizes key provisions and subsequent events.
- The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology
- Congressional interest in facilitating U.S. technological innovation led to the passage of P.L. 96-517, Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act, commonly referred to as the "Bayh-Dole Act" after its two main sponsors former Senators Robert Dole and Birch Bayh. Under this 1980 law, as amended, title to inventions made with government support is provided to the contractor if that contractor is a small business, a university, or other non-profit institution. This report discusses the rationale behind the passage of P.L. 96-517, its provisions, and implementation of the law.
- Border Searches of Laptop Computers and Other Electronic Storage Devices
- This report discusses about Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), two agencies within the department of homeland security (DHS) that have roles in border securities.
- The Budget for Fiscal Year 2007
- This report consists of the budget for fiscal year 2007.
- Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
- This report mainly focuses on Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests in Central Asia after the collapse of soviet union in 1991.
- Chinese Missile and Nuclear Proliferation: Issues for Congress
- The President has identified proliferation as a primary danger to U.S. security interests. China has contributed to the danger by providing nuclear weapons technology to Pakistan, and other nuclear technology to Iran and Algeria. China has also supplied CSS-2 intermediate range ballistic missiles to Saudi Arabia, Silkworm anti-ship missiles to Iran and Iraq, and ballistic missile technology to Pakistan and perhaps Iran, North Korea and others. China developed the mobile, solid-fuel M-9 and M-11 short range ballistic missiles reportedly with Pakistan, Syria, and Iran as interested buyers.
- Committee Controls of Agency Decisions
- Congress has a long history of subjecting certain types of executive agency decisions to committee control, either by committees or subcommittees. Especially with the beginning of World War II, the executive branch agreed to committee controls as an accommodation that allowed Congress to delegate authority and funds broadly while using committees to monitor the use of that discretionary authority. These committee-agency arrangements took the form of different procedures: simply notifying the committee, obtaining committee approval, "coming into agreement" understandings, and using the congressional distinction between authorization and appropriation to exercise committee controls. This report explains how and why committee vetoes originated, the constitutional objections raised by the executive branch, the Court’s decision in Chadha, and the continuation of committee review procedures since that time.
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments
- This report discusses the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear explosion and was in 1996 adopted by the U.N. General Assembly but rejected by the U.S. Senate in 1997. This report discusses the Obama Administration's stated goal of pursuing U.S. ratification of the CTBT, although the Administration has mainly focused on securing Senate consent to ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). This report also discusses other nuclear weapons-related issues as well as the long history of nuclear testing.
- A Concise History of the Food Stamp Program
- The Food Stamp Program has undergone a number of major changes since its modern version was established in 1961. It is now one of the largest "welfare" programs and provides an income supplement to the food-purchasing power of more than 18 million persons each month, at a cost of nearly $7 billion annually. This report traces the history of the program from 1961 through 1979, with an emphasis on how program rules, philosophy, participation, and costs have changed over the years.
- A Concise History of the Food Stamp Program
- The Food Stamp Program has undergone a number of major changes since its modern version was established in 1961. It is now one of the largest "welfare" programs and provides an income supplement to the food-purchasing power of more than 18 million persons each month, at a cost of nearly $7 billion annually. This report traces the history of the program from 1961 through 1979, with an emphasis on how program rules, philosophy, participation, and costs have changed over the years.
- Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information
- This report discusses the budget resolution that include budget reconciliation directives instructing one or more committees to recommend legislative changes to meet the direct spending and revenue levels included in the budget resolution.
- Consolidation Loan Provisions in the Federal Family Education Loan and Direct Loan Programs
- This report provides comprehensive descriptive information on major provisions of the law pertaining to the consolidation loans available to federal student loan borrowers through the FFEL and DL programs.
- Contracting the Adversary
- This report discusses the training of Navy and Air Force pilots through the use of "adversary" squadrons which fly planes that are either similar or actual versions of those used by enemy countries. The Air Force is considering contracting out this service due to the pilot shortage in the Air Force. Various options and precedent for such contracting services are discussed.
- Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances
- This report examines developments in U.S. policy restricting travel and remittances to Cuba, current permissible travel and remittances, enforcement of the travel restrictions, and debate on lifting the travel restrictions.
- Defense Primer: Defense Appropriations Process
- This report provides an overview of the defense appropriations process. The congressional appropriations process includes various rules and practices that Congress has adopted to distinguish appropriations measures and facilitate their consideration.
- Defense Primer: Department of the Army and Army Command Structure
- This report discusses the senior leadership and operational and institutional missions of the Department of the Army (DA).
- Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA
- This report provides an overview of the structure and organization of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
- Defense Primer: Organization of U.S. Ground Forces
- This report outlines the organization of the Army, the U.S. military's primary ground force, and the Marine Corps, the Navy's land-based fighting force.
- Defense Primer: Special Operations Forces
- This report provides an overview of U.S. military Special Operations Forces (SOF), including personnel selection, command structure, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs).
- Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization: An Overview
- This report provides an overview about the Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization. Dispute resolution in the World Trade Organization is carried out under the WTO dispute settlement understanding whose rules apply to virtually all WTO agreements.
- The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices
- 19 p.
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Legislation in the 110th Congress
- This report reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Most Senate action led to the Senate version of H.R. 6, an omnibus energy bill that the Senate passed on June 21, 2007. Most House action led to the omnibus energy bill H.R. 3221, which the House passed on August 4, 2007. A second area of focus has been on the funding-related bills for energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially H.R. 2641, the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for FY2008.
- European Security, Islamist Terrorism, and Returning Fighters
- This report discusses European security after the terrorist attacks in Paris. French President François Hollande attributed the attacks to the Islamic State terrorist organization (which subsequently claimed responsibility), and asserted that France's response would be "merciless."
- Executive Order 13,438: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq
- No Description Available.
- Expiration and Possible Extension of the 2008 Farm Bill
- No Description Available.
- Federal Court Weighs in on "VisaGate 2015": Part 1, the Visa Bulletin and Recent Revisions to It
- This legal sidebar discusses the incident widely known as "VisaGate 2015" regarding the timeframe for temporary alien guest workers to file applications for lawful permanent resident status. It includes an analysis of the decision from the federal district court in Washington State on the permissibility of certain changes made by the Department of State (DOS) regarding the incident.
- Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
- No Description Available.
- Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2005
- No Description Available.
- Federal Student Loans: Terms and Conditions for Borrowers
- This report discusses major provisions of the law pertaining to federal student loan borrowers who receive loans through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) and William D. Ford Direct Loan (DL) programs. The primary emphasis is placed on discussing provisions related to borrower eligibility, loan terms and conditions, borrower repayment relief, and loan default and its consequences for borrowers.
- Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit
- This report provides an overview of the U.S. balance of payments, an explanation of the broader role of capital flows in the U.S. economy, an explanation of how the country finances its trade deficit or a trade surplus, and the implications for Congress and the country of the large inflows of capital from abroad.
- Food Safety in the 111th Congress: H.R. 2749 and S. 510
- This report discusses whether the current food safety system has the resources, authority, and structural organization to safeguard the health of American consumers, who spend more than $1 trillion on food each year. Also at issue is whether federal food safety laws, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.
- The Foreign Service and a New Worldwide Compensation System
- This report discusses the background leading to a proposal to change the compensation system from both an Administration perspective and labor perspective, the current Foreign Service (FS) System, and the outlines of a new system being proposed.
- Fund for "Gifts to the United States for Reduction of the Public Debt": Current Law and Proposed Legislation
- This report describes current law for the Public Debt Reduction Fund and discusses proposed legislation in order to evaluate four bills which have been introduced in the 112th Congress to add another method of making a contribution to reduce the national debt.
- Government Policy Relating to Wages and Prices, with Particular Reference to Wage-Price Controls: A Selected Bibliography
- This report provides a bibliography of resources related the topic of wage-price controls.
- Hate Crime Legislation
- This report goes into detail the complexities and circumstances surrounding hate crime legislation and is updated accordingly.
- History of Federal Revenue Sharing Proposals and Enactment of the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 (P. L. 92-512)
- This report provides a history of legislative proposals and debate regarding federal revenue sharing with state and local governments.
- Homeland Security: Evolving Roles and Missions for United States Northern Command
- This report provides an overview of the evolving roles and missions for United States Northern command on Homeland Security.
- The Individual Mandate for Health Insurance Coverage: In Brief
- This report provides an overview of the individual mandate, its associated penalty, and the exemptions from the mandate. It discusses the ACA reporting requirements designed, in part, to assist individuals in providing evidence of having met the mandate. The report includes some national- and state-level data on the application of the mandate's penalty in tax year (TY) 2014 and TY2015.
- Information Services for Agriculture: The Role of Technology
- Significant improvements in technology-supported information services have created opportunities for their utilization by the farmers and ranchers of our Nation. This report highlights the development and expanded offering of these systems, describes current operational and experimental systems, and presents salient legislative initiatives which address this priority area.
- Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks
- Iraq's political system, the result of a U.S.-supported election process, is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition rather than violence, but sectarianism and ethnic and factional infighting continue to simmer. This report discusses the current state of Iraq, concentrating primarily on the actions of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, efforts underway to combat sectarian violence, and the projected U.S. troop withdrawal by August 2010.
- Memorandum: Summary of the Substantive Provisions of S. 2010, the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 and H.R. 3989, The USA Liberty Act of 2017
- This report summarizes the substantive provisions of S. 2010, the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017, as reported by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on October 25, 2017, and H.R. 3989, the USA Liberty Act of 2017, as ordered to be reported by the House Judiciary Committee on November 8, 2017. Both bills primarily amend and reauthorize Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA).
- Military Courts-Martial: An Overview
- No Description Available.
- Military Retirement: Major Legislative Issues
- This report includes information regarding the major legislative issues concerning military retirement. TERA, survivor benefit COLAs, and retirement budgeting are among topics discussed in this report.
- Millennium Challenge Corporation
- This report discusses the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which provides economic assistance through a competitive selection process to developing nations that are pursuing political and economic reforms in three areas: ruling justly, investing in people, and fostering economic freedom. This report also discusses several concerns related to MCC implementation, including the level of funding to support MCC programs.