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Debates over Exchange Rates: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides information on current debates over exchange rates in the global economy. It offers an overview of how exchange rates work; analyzes specific disagreements and debates; and examines existing frameworks for potentially addressing currency disputes. It also lays out some policy options available to Congress.
Date: June 22, 2018
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Economic and Fiscal Conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Description: This report discusses the fiscal and economic challenges facing the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and related issues for Congress, such as: oversight of federal policies that could affect the USVI's long-term fiscal stability; further legislation that would extend or restructure long-range disaster assistance programs to mitigate those challenges and promote greater resiliency of infrastructure and public programs; and how responses to the USVI's fiscal distress could affect municipal debt markets… more
Date: June 20, 2018
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defining Readiness: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses how differing uses of the term "readiness" affect congressional debate, but does not evaluate the current state of the U.S. military or provide a conclusive definition of readiness. It also considers how the different uses of the term readiness relate to certain issues: Is there a readiness crisis? What should the U.S. military be ready for? How should readiness be measured? How does the FY2018 budget request affect the U.S. military's readiness?
Date: June 14, 2017
Creator: Rumbaugh, Russell
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the political and economic situation in Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is divided into three main sections -- political background, current political and economic environment, U.S. relations and policy -- and also includes introductory and outlook information.
Date: June 14, 2017
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Branch: Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations

Description: This report discuses the legislative branch appropriations for fiscal year 2017. It first provides an overview of the consideration of FY2017 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action followed by a section on prior year actions and funding, which contains historical tables. The report then addresses the FY2017 budget requests, requested administrative language, and selected funding issues for individual legislative branch agencies and entities. Finally, Table 5 t… more
Date: June 13, 2017
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives

Description: This report discusses the processes of expulsion and censure in the House of Representatives. The House is expressly authorized within the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 5, clause 2) to discipline or "punish" its own Members. It is designed as a measure to protect the institutional integrity of the House of Representatives, its proceedings and its reputation.
Date: June 27, 2016
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Midnight Rules: Congressional Oversight and Options

Description: This report discusses "midnight rulemaking," referring to the phenomenon during the final months of recent presidential administrations when federal agencies have typically issued a larger number of rules relative to comparable time periods earlier in the administration. It likely occurs because the outgoing presidential administration wants to achieve certain policy goals before the end of its term.
Date: June 27, 2016
Creator: Carey, Maeve P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2016

Description: This report contains information on actions taken that affect the salaries for members of Congress, broken down by year and starting with the establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure (1990). It also provides background on the most recent developments and information on other related floor action.
Date: June 21, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report examines the political and economic situation in Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuelan relations. It is divided into three main sections -- political background, current political and economic environment, U.S. relations and policy -- and also includes introductory and outlook information.
Date: June 20, 2016
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: June 10, 2016
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Legislative Branch: FY2017 Appropriations

Description: The first section of this report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2017 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action. It is followed by a section on prior year actions and funding, which contains historical tables. The report then addresses the FY2017 budget requests, requested administrative language, and selected funding issues for individual legislative branch agencies and entities.
Date: June 2, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: An Economic Analysis

Description: Foreign direct investment in the United States in 2014 dropped by more than half from the amount recorded in 2013, reflecting in part a large stock buyback by a major U.S. communications firm. This report provides an economic analysis of foreign direct investment in the United States.
Date: June 30, 2015
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Appointment and Confirmation of Executive Branch Leadership: An Overview

Description: This report begins by explaining the three distinct stages that comprise the advice and consent process, which is the means through which most of these positions are filled. The report then provides an overview of recess appointments and briefly discusses other options that are available to Presidents for temporarily filling vacant advice and consent positions. Finally, it discusses certain types of statutory provisions that Congress has applied selectively to specific advice and consent positi… more
Date: June 22, 2015
Creator: Hogue, Henry B. & Carey, Maeve P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources

Description: This report is one of a series of reports on legislative process and research; it is intended to serve as a finding aid to sources of information, such as documents, news articles, analysis, contacts and services, used in legislative research.
Date: June 22, 2015
Creator: Cornell, Ada S.; Greene, Michael & Hanson, Laura A.
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 Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) and examines spending patterns over selected years--2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all… more
Date: June 22, 2015
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of H.R. 1560 and H.R. 1731 as Passed by the House

Description: This report compares provisions in two bills in the House of Representatives that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. Both bills focus on information sharing among private entities and between them and the federal government.
Date: June 18, 2015
Creator: Fischer, Eric A. & Logan, Stephanie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress

Description: This report compares two House bills and one Senate bill that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. The report consists of an overview of those and other legislative proposals on information sharing, along with selected associated issues, followed by a side-by-side analysis of the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 (NCPAA), the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (PCNA), and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA).
Date: June 18, 2015
Creator: Fischer, Eric A. & Logan, Stephanie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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