Congressional Research Service Reports - 63 Matching Results

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GAO: Government Accountability Office and General Accounting Office

Description: This report discusses the General Accounting Office (GAO), established in 1921 by the Budget and Accounting Act as an independent auditor of government agencies and activities.
Date: July 3, 2008
Creator: Kaiser, Frederick M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Monetary Fund: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report evaluates the purpose, membership, financing, and focus of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) activities. It also discusses the role of Congress in shaping U.S. policy at the IMF and concludes by addressing key issues, both legislative and oversight-related, that Congress may wish to consider, including: the role of the IMF as a lender of last resort; the adequacy of IMF resources; and the effectiveness of IMF surveillance.
Date: July 17, 2014
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Currency Manipulation: The IMF and WTO

Description: This report describes how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO) deal with the issue of currency manipulation. It also discusses apparent discrepancies in their charters and ways those differences might be addressed.
Date: July 21, 2010
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Regulation of Debit Interchange Fees

Description: This report provides a description of the debit payments process and network pricing, as well as an overview of the effects of the Durbin Amendement implemented by the Federal Reserve which includes a cap on the interchange fee for large issuers. In particular, the Durbin Amendment is discussed in light of comments by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Date: July 12, 2011
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Trends and Current Issues

Description: The United States is the largest investor abroad and the largest recipient of direct investment in the world. This report discusses pertinent issues regarding foreign investments and their effects on the U.S.'s economy.
Date: July 28, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The United States as a Net Debtor Nation: Overview of the International Investment Position

Description: The international investment position of the United States is an annual measure of the assets Americans own abroad and the assets foreigners own in the United States. The net position, or the difference between the two, sometimes is referred to as a measure of U.S. international indebtedness. This report looks at international investing patterns and impacts, and ends with considerations on this topic for Congress.
Date: July 28, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Capital Markets, Securities Offerings, and Related Policy Issues

Description: This report analyzes legislative proposals that would generally affect the terms and amounts of capital provided to companies by investors. It analyzes a number of current legislative proposals and agency actions to expand both public and private securities offerings through amendments to program design, investor access, and disclosure requirements, among other provisions.
Date: July 26, 2018
Creator: Su, Eva
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Treasury Securities and the U.S. Sovereign Credit Default Swap Market

Description: This report explains how the sovereign credit default swap (CDS) market works and how such CDS price trends may illuminate fiscal stresses facing sovereign governments. Although CDS prices may be imperfect measures of the federal government's fiscal condition, some investors may try to glean information from those price trends. CDS prices have been playing an important role in the European government debt markets and could potentially affect U.S debt markets in the future. European policymakers… more
Date: July 25, 2011
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Miller, Rena S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Risk Management and Critical Infrastructure Protection: Assessing, Integrating, and Managing Threats, Vulnerabilities and Consequences

Description: This report is meant to support congressional oversight by discussing, in more detail, what this task entails and issues that need to be addressed. In particular, the report defines terms (e.g., threat, vulnerability, and risk), discusses how they fit together in a systematic analysis, describes processes and techniques that have been used to assess them, and discusses how the results of that analysis can inform resource allocation and policy.
Date: July 17, 2007
Creator: Moteff, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Services and General Government (FSGG): FY2008 Appropriations

Description: This report is a guide to a new appropriations bill that Congress is considering for the first time this year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government. It summarizes the status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity.
Date: July 20, 2007
Creator: Hatch, Garrett L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Trust Fund

Description: This report covers how the Social Security program is financed and how the Social Security trust fund works.
Date: July 31, 2014
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn & Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Depreciating Dollar: Economic Effects and Policy Response

Description: This report addresses the concern about the health of the U.S. economy regarding the depreciation of the dollar and examines the likely reasons for the dollar's fall, the effects the depreciating currency could have on the economy, and possible policy responses that could be considered to attempt to alter the dollar's path if needed.
Date: July 17, 2008
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public-Private Partnerships in Highway and Transit Infrastructure Provision

Description: This report begins with a brief discussion of the surface transportation system and its financing needs as background to the debate on public-private partnerships (PPPs). That is followed by sections describing the different types of PPPs, with details of a few prominent examples, and the development of federal legislation with respect to PPPs. The report then discusses the main issues of contention with the construction and longterm leasing of highways by the private sector, particularly as th… more
Date: July 9, 2008
Creator: Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The U.S. Trade Deficit: An Overview

Description: This report provides an overview of the U.S. trade deficit, which is the numerical difference between a country's exports and imports of goods and services. Topics include the source of the trade deficit, trade agreements, unemployment, and issues for Congress.
Date: July 18, 2018
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DRIVE Act Would Increase Highway Funding Faster than Projected Inflation

Description: This report briefly discusses the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act (DRIVE Act; S. 1647). The DRIVE Act would authorize $278 billion for a six-year federal highway program.
Date: July 13, 2015
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The SBA Disaster Loan Program: Overview and Possible Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of the Disaster Loan Program, discusses how disaster declarations trigger the SBA loan process, explains the different types of loans potentially available to disaster victims, and discusses terms and restrictions related to each type of loan. The report also explains the SBA disaster loan application process and provides national data on SBA loans from 2000 to 2009, including data related to the Gulf Coast hurricanes since 2005.
Date: July 29, 2010
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Export-Import Bank: Reauthorization

Description: This report discusses the ongoing debate regarding the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a federal government corporation which is the the official export credit agency (ECA) of the U.S. Government.
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Flood Insurance Program Borrowing Authority

Description: This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, particularly in the context of major floods, and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP.
Date: July 31, 2018
Creator: Horn, Diane P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues

Description: The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the Social Security program (Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, and provides administrative support to Medicare and several other federal programs. Total SSA spending in FY2006 was about $597 billion, 98% of which was mandatory spending on benefit payments. This report focuses on SSA’s spending for administrative expenses, which is discretionary and amounts to 2% of SSA’s… more
Date: July 17, 2007
Creator: Romig, Kathleen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and highlights major issues for Congress. The first section discusses how the MDBs operate, and the second section discusses the role of Congress in the MDBs.
Date: July 6, 2018
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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