Congressional Research Service Reports - 204 Matching Results

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The FDA FY2009 Budget

Description: This report discusses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) FY2009 budget request of $2.676 billion that would provide a 17.9% increase ($406 million) over FY2008. It includes an overview and breakdowns for specific programs: Foods Program, Human Drugs Program, Biologics program, Animal Drugs and Feed Program, and the Devices and Radiological Health Program.
Date: August 25, 2008
Creator: Johnson, Judith A.; Lister, Sarah A. & Porter, Donna V.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Credit Default Swaps: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: Credit default swaps are contracts that provide protection against default by third parties, similar to insurance. These financial derivatives are used by banks and other financial institutions to manage risk. The rapid growth of the derivatives market, the potential for widespread credit defaults (such as defaults for subprime mortgages), and operational problems in the over-the-counter (OTC) market where credit default swaps are traded, have led some policymakers to inquire if credit default … more
Date: July 30, 2008
Creator: Murphy, Edward Vincent
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview

Description: China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
Date: July 29, 2008
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Price Gouging," the Antitrust Laws, and Vertical Integration in the Petroleum Industry: How They Are Related

Description: This report, which may be updated to further reflect congressional action, attempts to provide the antitrust context for prohibited practices, such as "price gouging"; notes prior congressional action concerning vertical divestiture in the petroleum industry; and provides information on the state "divorcement" statutes.
Date: May 28, 2008
Creator: Rubin, Janice E.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The FDA 2009 Budget Request

Description: The Administration's FY2009 budget request of $2.4 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would provide a 5.7% increase ($130 million) over FY2008. User fees would make up about 26% of the total amount requested and would account for 61% of the proposed increase. Budget documents indicate that the additional funding would provide for expanded activities to ensure the safety of foods and drugs, as well as to accelerate the availability of new medical products. About half of the reque… more
Date: May 19, 2008
Creator: Johnson, Judith A.; Lister, Sarah A.; Porter, Donna V.; Smith, Pamela W.; Thaul, Susan & Williams, Erin D.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview

Description: China is a major source of U.S. imports of consumer products (such as toys) and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year or so have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
Date: May 8, 2008
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Increases in Tricare Costs: Background and Options for Congress

Description: In its FY2007 budget submission, the Department of Defense (DOD) proposed increases in Tricare enrollment fees, deductibles, and pharmacy co-payments for retired beneficiaries not yet eligible for Medicare. The raises were justified by DOD as necessary to constrain the growth of health care spending as a proportion of the overall defense budget in the next decade. Many beneficiaries argued that the proposed hikes were unfair and unnecessary. The FY2007 Defense Authorization Act prohibited incre… more
Date: May 6, 2008
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget for Fiscal Year 2008

Description: This report discusses the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) FY2009 budget request of $2.676 billion that would provide a 17.9% increase ($406 million) over FY2008. It includes an overview and breakdowns for specific programs: Foods Program, Human Drugs Program, Biologics program, Animal Drugs and Feed Program, and the Devices and Radiological Health Program.
Date: January 4, 2008
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Steel: Price and Policy Issues

Description: Steel prices remain at historically elevated levels. The rapid growth of steel production and demand in China is widely considered as a major cause of the increases in both steel prices and the prices of steelmaking inputs. Steel companies have achieved much greater pricing power, in part through an ongoing consolidation of the industry
Date: August 31, 2006
Creator: Cooney, Stephen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spyware: Background and Policy Issues for Congress

Description: The term "spyware" is not well defined. Generally, it is used to refer to any software that is downloaded onto a person's computer without their knowledge. Spyware may collect information about a computer user's activities and transmit their information to someone else. Most spyware is installed surreptitiously, and most users are therefore unaware that spyware exists on their computers. A central point of the spyware debate in Congress is whether new laws are needed, or if industry self-regula… more
Date: July 17, 2006
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spyware: Background and Policy Issues for Congress

Description: The term “spyware” is not well defined. Generally, it is used to refer to any software that is downloaded onto a person’s computer without their knowledge. Spyware may collect information about a computer user’s activities and transmit that information to someone else. It may change computer settings, or cause “pop-up” advertisements to appear (in that context, it is called “adware”). Spyware may redirect a Web browser to a site different from what the user intended to visit or change the user’… more
Date: July 17, 2006
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Data Security: Protecting the Privacy of Phone Records

Description: This report discusses recent legislative and regulatory efforts to protect the privacy of customer telephone records, and efforts to prevent the unauthorized use, disclosure, or sale of such records by data brokers. In addition, it provides a brief overview of the confidentiality protections for customer information established by the Communications Act of 1934.
Date: May 17, 2006
Creator: Stevens, Gina Marie & Rainson, Tara Alexandra
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Data Security: Protecting the Privacy of Phone Records

Description: This report discusses recent legislative and regulatory efforts to protect the privacy of customer telephone records, and efforts to prevent the unauthorized use, disclosure, or sale of such records by data brokers. In addition, it provides a brief overview of the confidentiality protections for customer information established by the Communications Act of 1934.
Date: February 28, 2006
Creator: Stevens, Gina Marie & Rainson, Tara Alexandra
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: An Overview of Implementation for Dual Eligibles

Description: This report provides background information on the early stages of the implementation of the Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug program. This report describes certain policies and implementation issues related to those who are not dually eligible.
Date: February 6, 2006
Creator: O'Sullivan, Jennifer & Tritz, Karen
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internal Revenue Service's Use of Private Debt Collection Agencies: Current Status and Issues for Congress

Description: Under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA, P.L. 108-357), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has acquired for the second time in its history the legal authority to hire private debt collection agencies (PCAs) to assist in the collection of certain individual tax debt. The grant of authority grew out of a proposal made by the Bush Administration in its budget request for the IRS in both FY2004 and FY2005. This report focuses on IRS’s current plan for hiring PCAs to collect delinquent in… more
Date: January 11, 2006
Creator: Guenther, Gary
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Credit Card Minimum Payments

Description: Recently, credit card issuers began adjusting their minimum payment formulas, raising the amount of the required monthly payment. Congress has focused on the need to increase consumer awareness of the financial jeopardy that can result from paying only the required minimum. This report provides an overview of the issues and congressional action. It will be updated as events warrant.
Date: December 21, 2005
Creator: Smale, Pauline
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Product "Check-Off" Programs: A Constitutional Analysis

Description: This report begins with a brief introduction to check-off programs and then describes many of the First Amendment principles that have been discussed in checkoff cases. Next is an analysis of the first two challenges that reached the Supreme Court, as well as a brief discussion of subsequent lower court decisions. This report concludes with a discussion of Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Association and its possible implications for check-off programs.
Date: June 21, 2005
Creator: Vina, Stephen R
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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