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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: December 31, 2008
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Members’ Representational Allowance: History and Usage

Description: This report provides a history and overview of the the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) and examines spending patterns in the 109th Congress (2005 and 2006), the two most recent years for which all billing is complete and spending amounts have been finalized, since late-arriving bills may be paid for up to two years following the end of the MRA year.
Date: December 1, 2009
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
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) 2010 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: December 10, 2009
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations

Description: This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It summarizes the status of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity.
Date: December 1, 2006
Creator: Vincent, Carol H.; Bearden, David M.; Corn, M. L.; Gorte, Ross W.; Humphries, Marc; Sheikh, Pervaze A. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Transportation Security: Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: The nation’s air, land, and marine transportation systems are designed for accessibility and efficiency, two characteristics that make them highly vulnerable to a terrorist attacks. While hardening the transportation sector from terrorist attacks is difficult, reasonable measures can be taken to deter terrorists. The focus of this issue brief is how best to construct and finance a system of deterrence, protection, and response that effectively reduces the possibility and consequences of another… more
Date: December 21, 2004
Creator: Elias, Bartholomew; Frittelli, John F. & Peterman, David Randall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Obtaining a Record Vote on the House Floor

Description: The House of Representatives uses two kinds of votes in which the names and positions of individual Members are recorded: (1) the recorded vote, used chiefly in Committee of the Whole, though also in order in the House, and (2) the yea and nay vote, in order only in the House proper. Both kinds together are referred to as record votes or, more informally, as “roll call votes,” and both are normally taken by electronic device. This report illustrates forms commonly used for obtaining each kind o… more
Date: December 8, 2006
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Job Loss and Infrastructure Job Creation During the Recession

Description: The report examines trends in employment and job loss since the start of the latest recession then focuses on job creation estimates associated with increased spending on infrastructure, placing a heavy emphasis on explaining the limitations with the methodology that is often utilized to develop the estimates.
Date: December 23, 2008
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used

Description: This report briefly describes the process by which Congress seeks to pass a law. During this process Congress uses a bill or joint resolution, which must be passed by both houses in identical form, that is then presented to the President for his approval or disapproval.
Date: December 7, 2004
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Finance: Potential Legislative and Policy Issues for the 111th Congress

Description: This report discusses selected campaign finance policy issues that may receive attention during the 111th Congress such as the electronic filing of senate campaign finance reports, bundling, hybrid advertising, joint fundraising committees, 527 Organizations and more.
Date: December 31, 2008
Creator: Garret, R. S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Review Act: Rules Not Submitted to GAO and Congress

Description: This report discusses the Congressional Review Act (CRA; 5 U.S.C. §801-808), which was enacted to improve congressional authority over agency rulemaking, and requires federal agencies to submit all of their final rules to both houses of Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) before they can take effect.
Date: December 29, 2009
Creator: Copeland, Curtis W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act Issues in the 108th Congress

Description: This report discusses issues regarding the Clean Water Act. Prospects for legislative initiatives to comprehensively amend the Clean Water Act (CWA) have stalled for some time over whether and exactly how to change the law, and Congress has recently focused legislative attention on narrow bills to extend or modify selected CWA programs, rather than taking up comprehensive proposals. For example, the 108th Congress enacted one bill amending the CWA, legislation to reauthorize the National Estuar… more
Date: December 6, 2004
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Budget: Current and Upcoming Issues

Description: This report examines changes to the Federal Budget for Fiscal Years 2008-2010. The report considers the factors that have an effect on various budgetary functions and decisions. The report specifically focuses on the effect of the 2007-2008 financial recession on the budget, but also considers more long-term fiscal issues such as health care for retiring Baby-Boomers.
Date: December 31, 2009
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Major Leadership Election Contests in the House of Representatives, 94th-111th Congresses

Description: This report contains data on votes for Speaker of the House for the 94th through 110th Congresses and elections in party conferences or caucuses for major leaders within each party for the 94th through 111th Congresses. It reflects actual balloting on the House floor for Speaker and in the Democratic Caucus and Republican Conference for other positions.
Date: December 31, 2008
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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How Special Rules Regulate Calling up Measures for Consideration in the House

Description: This fact sheet describes how a special rule -- a House resolution that regulates consideration of a specific legislative measure named in the resolution -- may set terms for consideration by Representatives. It includes information about the system of privilege, forms of consideration, and how the rules are used to manage the agenda.
Date: December 5, 2005
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The House's Corrections Calendar

Description: This report discusses the establishment of the "Corrections Day," a concept credited to Michigan Governor John Englerwhich, which is a procedure for repealing "the dumbest things the federal government is currently doing."
Date: December 4, 2003
Creator: Oleszek, Walter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Amendments Between the Houses

Description: This report briefly summarizes the process of amendments between the House of Representatives and the Senate, which occurs if the House and Senate approve differing versions of a measure. An exchange of amendments between the houses resolves these differences.
Date: December 9, 2004
Creator: Saturno, James V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Lobbying the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change

Description: This report outlines the development of registration requirements for lobbyists engaging executive branch officials since 1995. It also summarizes steps taken by the Obama Administration to limit and monitor lobbying of the executive branch; discusses the development and implementation of restrictions placed on lobbying for Recovery Act and Emergency Economic Stabilization Act funds; examines the Obama Administration's decision to stop appointing lobbyists to federal advisory bodies and committ… more
Date: December 1, 2009
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nonforeign Cost-of-Living Allowances and Possible Transition to Locality Pay

Description: This report provides an overview of the history of the nonforeign COLA and locality pay programs; identifies and describes potential changes to the existing nonforeign COLA system, including the possibility of instituting locality pay; and analyzes the potential effects of keeping the existing system or adopting a nonforeign COLA phase-out plan.
Date: December 1, 2008
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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