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Commonly Used Motions and Requests in the House of Representatives

Description: This report identifies the most commonly used motions and requests available to Members during proceedings in the House of Representatives. The report divides the motions and requests into seven broad categories, based on when the motion or request is in order and who can make the motion or request. Daily Business is the category that includes items that are routine to the conduct of business in the House each day, such as the motion to adjourn. Decorum and Privilege covers issues of the rights… more
Date: November 30, 2004
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Capitol Visitor Center: An Overview

Description: This report presents the cost of the center, the most extensive addition to the Capitol since the Civil War, and the largest in the structure’s more than 200-year history, is now estimated to be at least $555 million. The project is being financed with appropriated funds, and a total of $65 million from private donations and revenue generated by the sale of commemorative coins.
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Stathis, Stephen W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Access to Executive Branch Information: Legislative Tools

Description: This report begins by reviewing the precedents established during the Washington Administration for withholding documents from Congress. Close examination reveals that the scope of presidential privilege is often exaggerated. Congress had access to more documentation than is commonly believed and might have had more had it pressed for it. Subsequent sections focus on various forms of congressional leverage: the power of the purse, the power to impeach, issuing congressional subpoenas, holding e… more
Date: May 17, 2001
Creator: Fisher, Louis
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate's "Byrd" Rule

Description: Reconciliation is a procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by which Congress implements budget resolution policies affecting mainly permanent spending and revenue programs. The principal focus in the reconciliation process has been deficit reduction, but in recent years reconciliation has encompassed revenue reduction generally and spending increases in selected program areas. The Byrd rule provides six definitions of what constitutes extraneous matter for purposes of the rule (an… more
Date: April 7, 2005
Creator: Keith, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate's "Byrd" Rule

Description: Reconciliation is a procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by which Congress implements budget resolution policies affecting mainly permanent spending and revenue programs. The principal focus in the reconciliation process has been deficit reduction, but in recent years reconciliation has encompassed revenue reduction generally and spending increases in selected program areas. The Byrd rule provides six definitions of what constitutes extraneous matter for purposes of the rule (an… more
Date: February 19, 2004
Creator: Keith, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action

Description: Reconciliation is a procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by which Congress implements budget resolution policies affecting mainly permanent spending and revenue programs. The principal focus in the reconciliation process has been deficit reduction, but in recent years reconciliation has encompassed revenue reduction generally and spending increases in selected program areas.
Date: April 7, 2005
Creator: Keith, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Points of Order in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, as amended) created a process that Congress uses each year to establish and enforce the parameters for budgetary legislation. Enforcement is accomplished through the use of points of order, and through the reconciliation process. Points of order are prohibitions against certain types of legislation or congressional actions. These prohibitions are enforced when a Member raises a point of order against legislation that may violate … more
Date: May 19, 2005
Creator: Saturno, James V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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USA PATRIOT Act Sunset: A Sketch

Description: Several sections of Title II of the USA PATRIOT Act (the act) and one section of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, each relating to enhanced foreign intelligence and law enforcement surveillance authority, expire on December 31, 2005, unless they are extended. Thereafter, the authority remains in effect only as it relates to foreign intelligence investigations began before sunset or to offenses or potential offenses began or occurring before that date. The temporary provisio… more
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Coast Guard Operations - Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The Administration's proposal, announced June 6, 2002, to create a new Department of Homeland Security would, if implemented, transfer the Coast Guard from the Department of Transportation (DoT) to DHLS.
Date: June 7, 2002
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Climate Change Legislation in the 109th Congress

Description: Climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a continuing issue in the 109th Congress. Bills directly addressing climate change issues range from those focused primarily on climate change research to comprehensive emissions cap-and-trade programs. Additional bills focus on GHG reporting and registries, or on power plant emissions of carbon dioxide, as part of wider controls on pollutant emissions. The bills vary in their approaches to climate change issues. This report briefly discusse… more
Date: July 18, 2005
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Budget Actions in 2005

Description: During the first session of the 109th Congress, the House and Senate will consider many different budgetary measures. Most of them will pertain to fiscal year (FY) 2006 and beyond, but some will make adjustments to the budget for FY2005. As the session progresses, this report will describe House and Senate actions on major budgetary legislation within the framework of the congressional budget process and other procedural requirements.
Date: May 12, 2005
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: two decades in terms of political and economic development. While the region overall experienced an economic setback in 2002-2003, by the end of 2004, it had rebounded with an estimated growth rate of 5.5% for the year, surpassing even the most optimistic predictions. Nevertheless, several nations face considerable challenges that could threaten political stability, including persistent poverty, violent guerrilla conflicts, autocratic leaders, drug trafficking, and increasing crime.
Date: May 26, 2005
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.; Hornbeck, J. F.; Ribando, Clare; Sek, Lenore; Storrs, K. Larry; Taft-Morales, Maureen et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: The United States and Mexico have a special relationship as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The friendly relationship has been strengthened by President Bush’s meetings with President Fox. This report, covering trade, migration/border, drug trafficking, and political issues, will be updated on a regular basis.
Date: June 2, 2005
Creator: Storrs, K. Larry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Evolution of the Senate's Role in the Nomination and Confirmation Process: A Brief History

Description: Over time, the Senate has developed a series of procedures to deal with the concerns of its Members on nominations. First is the custom of senatorial courtesy, whereby Senators from the same party as the President might influence a nomination or kill it by objecting to it. This tradition has not always been absolute, but it has allowed Senators to play a fairly large role, particularly in the selection of nominees within a Senator’s home state, such as for district court judgeships.
Date: June 5, 2003
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Black Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2005

Description: Forty three black or African-American Members serve in the 109th Congress; 42 in the House of Representatives, one in the Senate. There have been 117 black Members of Congress: 112 elected to the House and five to the Senate. The majority of the black Members (90) have been Democrats; the rest (27) have been Republicans. This report includes alphabetical listing of black members, selected biographical information, and committee assignments during their tenure in office.
Date: August 4, 2005
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege: History, Law, Practice and Recent Developments

Description: Presidential claims of a right to preserve the confidentiality of information and documents in the face of legislative demands have figured prominently, though intermittently, in executive-congressional relations since at least 1792, when the president Washington discussed with his cabinet how to respond to a congressional inquiry into the military debacle that befell General St. Clair's expedition. Few such interbranch disputes over access to information have reached the courts for substantive… more
Date: September 21, 1999
Creator: Rosenberg, Morton
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Selected Statistics and Information Guide

Description: This report provides current and historical information on the budget resolution. It provides a list of the budget resolutions adopted and rejected by Congress since implementation of the CBA, including the U.S. Statutes-at-Large citations and committee report numbers, and describes their formulation and content. The report provides a table of selected optional components, a list of reconciliation measures, and information on the number of years covered by budget resolutions. It also provides i… more
Date: August 19, 2004
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2005

Description: This report identifies the names, committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) districts of the 228 women Members of Congress.
Date: June 21, 2005
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Oversight Manual

Description: Throughout its history, Congress has engaged in oversight of the executive branch — the review, monitoring, and supervision of the implementation of public policy. The first several Congresses inaugurated such important oversight techniques as special investigations, reporting requirements, resolutions of inquiry, and use of the appropriations process to review executive activity. Contemporary developments, moreover, have increased the legislature’s capacity and capabilities to check on and che… more
Date: October 21, 2004
Creator: Fisher, Louis; Kaiser, Frederick M.; Oleszek, Walter J. & Rosenberg, Morton
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6) in the 109th Congress

Description: The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republican… more
Date: May 13, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Description: The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republican… more
Date: June 28, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Description: The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republican… more
Date: June 20, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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