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Membership of the 109th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 109th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, female and minority Members, foreign-born Members, and military service.
Date: November 29, 2006
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations

Description: This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Moreover, both bills reject the termination of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
Date: November 24, 2006
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.; Hanrahan, Charles E.; Chite, Ralph M.; Cowan, Tadlock; Rawson, Jean M.; Zinn, Jeffrey A. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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AIDS in Africa

Description: This report discusses the AIDS issues in Africa and the Bush administration call to double U.S. international funding for AIDS.
Date: November 24, 2006
Creator: Cook, Nicholas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Resolution Enforcement

Description: This report briefly discusses the annual budget resolution, which sets forth Congress's budget plan for a period of at least five fiscal years. It includes total levels of new budget authority, outlays, revenues, the deficit, and the public debt for each of the fiscal years covered. Once a budget resolution is adopted, Congress may enforce its provisions, through points of order, at several levels: the total levels of spending and revenues, the level of resources allocated to committees, and th… more
Date: November 22, 2006
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Administrative Issues Related to a Change in Majority in the House of Representatives

Description: This report briefly describes how a change in majority leadership in the House of Representatives -- such as the incoming new majority that will assume control of House operations at the beginning of the 110th Congress in January 2007 -- could affect House rules, committees, and administrative and legislative operations.
Date: November 20, 2006
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric; Brudnick, Ida A. & Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Commitee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures

Description: Because of the importance of committee work, Senators consider desirable committee assignments a priority. After general elections are over, one of the first orders of business for Senate leaders is setting the sizes and ratios of committees. This report describes the process of creating Senate committees, including the nomination process and rules and regulations specifically pertaining to said process.
Date: November 3, 2006
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Committee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures

Description: This report focuses primarily on how Senators are elected to standing committees. It includes information about how standing committee sizes and ratios are set; the classification of committees for assignment purposes, and the chamber limitations on committee service; procedures that each party uses to recommend Senators and how the full chamber approves these recommendations; and the processes used to appoint Senators to non-standing committees.
Date: November 3, 2006
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Record: Its Production, Distribution, and Accessibility

Description: This report briefly discusses how the Congressional Record is created and distributed. The Congressional Record is the most widely recognized published account of the debates and activities in Congress and it often reflects the intent of Congress in enacting legislation.
Date: October 27, 2006
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Contested Election Cases: 1933 to 2005

Description: This report provides a summary of contested election cases from the 73rd Congress through the 109th Congress, 1933 to 2005. The descriptions primarily provide information concerning the nature of the action and the disposition of the case. The summary is limited to only those cases that were considered by the House of Representatives; cases decided at the state level are beyond the scope of this report.
Date: October 26, 2006
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments

Description: Senate Rule XXV and party conference rules address committee assignments. Senate Rule XXV, paragraphs 2 and 3 establish categories of committees, popularly referred to as "A," "B," and "C," that condition assignment rules. This report outlines the categories of and rules for assigning Senators to Senate committees.
Date: October 26, 2006
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Coast Guard Operations — Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Coast Guard as the lead federal agency for maritime homeland security. For FY2007, the Coast Guard is requesting a total of about $4.5 billion for missions defined in The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L., 107-296) as the Coast Guard's homeland security missions. The Coast Guard's homeland security operations pose several potential issues for Congress.
Date: October 25, 2006
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Issues in the 109th Congress

Description: A number of issues affecting U.S. agriculture have been or are being addressed by the 109th Congress. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), enacted in February 2006, included a net reduction in spending on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mandatory programs of $2.7 billion over five years, and the reauthorization of a dairy income support program. Other issues of importance to agriculture during the second session of the 109th Congress include the consideration of emergency far… more
Date: October 6, 2006
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate

Description: The Senate’s presiding officer typically does not have responsibility for pro-actively ensuring that matters under consideration comply with the rules. Instead, Senators may enforce the Senate’s legislative rules and precedents by making points of order whenever they believe that one of those rules or precedents is, or is about to be, violated. This report briefly discusses the process by which a point of order is raised and ruled upon.
Date: September 29, 2006
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trade Promotion Authority and Fast-Track Negotiating Authority for Trade Agreements: Major Votes

Description: This report profiles significant legislation, from 1974 to the present, concerning presidential trade promotion authority (also referred to as TPA) for trade agreements. TPA was previously known as fast-track trade negotiating authority for the President. This report identifies significant bills and resolutions that had floor votes. Also included is a list of floor votes on implementing legislation for trade agreements, from 1979 to the present; these bills were passed under expedited procedure… more
Date: September 29, 2006
Creator: Smith, Carolyn C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Secret Sessions of Congress: A Brief Historical Overview

Description: "Secret" or "closed door" sessions of the House of Representatives and Seante are held periodically to discuss business, including impeachment deliberations, deemed to require confidentiality and secrecy. Authority for the two chambers to hold these sessions is implied by Article I, Section 5, of the Constitution. National Security is the principal reason for such sessions in recent years. This report provides a historical background of such sessions, as well as relevant regulations and expecta… more
Date: September 27, 2006
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Air Act Issues in the 109th Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of seven prominent air issues of interest in the 109th Congress: revision of the particulate standards; multi-pollutant (or Clear Skies) legislation for electric power plants; mercury from power plants; New Source Review; the gasoline additives MTBE and ethanol; ozone nonattainment area deadlines; and the “conformity” of transportation and clean air planning.
Date: September 26, 2006
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense: FY2007 Authorization and Appropriations

Description: A conference agreement on the FY2007 defense authorization bill, H.R. 5122/S. 2766, is expected soon, and could be voted on in the House as early as September 15. Key issues in the conference have included whether to promote the head of the National Guard to four-star rank and whether to approve multiyear procurement of the F-22 fighter aircraft. On June 22, the Senate passed on its version of the FY2007 defense authorization, S. 2766. The Senate rejected two amendments on Iraq policy, one by S… more
Date: September 14, 2006
Creator: Daggett, Stephen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: Over the past two decades, the Latin America and Caribbean region has made enormous strides in terms of political and economic development. Legislative and oversight attention to Latin America and the Caribbean in the 109th Congress has focused on continued counternarcotics efforts; trade issues; challenges to democracy, especially in Venezuela; efforts to bring political stability and ameliorate poverty in Haiti; efforts to foster political change in Cuba; and cooperation on migration and bord… more
Date: September 13, 2006
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.; Cook, Colleen W.; Hornbeck, J. F.; Ribando, Clare M.; Taft-Morales, Maureen; Veillette, Connie et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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