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Social Security: What Would Happen if the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: September 12, 2017
Creator: Morton, William R. & Liou, Wayne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Financial CHOICE Act in the 115th Congress: Selected Policy Issues

Description: This report highlights major proposals included in the Financial CHOICE Act (FCA) but is not a comprehensive summary. In general, the bill proposes changes that can be divided into two categories: (1) changes to financial policies and regulations and (2) changes to the regulatory structure and rulemaking process. Major policy-related changes proposed by the FCA include the following: Leverage Ratio, Regulatory Relief, To Big To Fail, Funding, Rulemaking, Judicial Review, Enforcement, the Consum… more
Date: September 8, 2017
Creator: Labonte, Marc; Carpenter, David H.; Davis, Christopher M.; Perkins, David W.; Shorter, Gary & Webel, Baird
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues

Description: This report discusses corporate inversions and mergers; these actions change the parent company to one based in another country with a low tax rate to avoid paying U.S. corporate taxes. It discusses past attempts and legislation outlawing varying forms of inversion, the most recent regulations issued by the Treasury Department to decrease inversions, and policy options that would remove the incentive for companies to invert.
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Marples, Donald J. & Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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For First Time, FinCEN Imposes Penalty on Foreign-Based Virtual Currency Exchange for Violations of Anti-Money Laundering Laws

Description: This report discusses the first case of enforcement by the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) against a foreign-based virtual currency exchange. The action was taken agains BTC-e for violations of anti-money laundering regulations in the U.S. and potential money laundering activities.
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of the U.S. Financial Regulatory Framework

Description: This report attempts to set out the basic frameworks and principles underlying U.S. financial regulation and to give some historical context for the development of that system. The first section briefly discusses the various modes of financial regulation and the next section identifies the major federal regulators and the types of institutions they supervise (see Table 1). It then provides a brief overview of each federal financial regulatory agency. Finally, the report discusses other entities… more
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

Description: This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act's (UMRA) implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that CBO issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in rules. It als… more
Date: August 7, 2017
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Primer

Description: This report provides a general overview of the Medicare program including descriptions of the program's history, eligibility criteria, covered services, provider payment systems, and program administration and financing. A list of commonly used acronyms, as well as information on beneficiary cost sharing, may be found in the appendixes.
Date: August 2, 2017
Creator: Davis, Patricia A.; Binder, Cliff; Hahn, Jim; Kirchhoff, Suzanne M.; Morgan, Paulette C. & Villagrana, Marco A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions

Description: This report provides an overview of monetary policy and recent developments. It discusses issues for Congress, including transparency and proposals to change the Federal Reserve's (Fed's) mandate, and ends with a brief overview of the Fed's regulatory responsibilities.
Date: June 21, 2017
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)

Description: This report discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) comprising nine members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President representing major departments and agencies within the federal executive branch. While the group generally has operated in relative obscurity, the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed the group's operations under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress… more
Date: June 13, 2017
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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When an Agency's Budget Request Does Not Match the President's Request: The Fiscal Year 2018 CFTC Request and "Budget Bypass"

Description: This report discuses two competing 2018 fiscal year budget requests for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from President Trump and from the CFTC themselves. The Presidential request is $250 million, which is the same amount the CFTC had the past year, while CFTC is requesting an additional $31.5 million in funding for a total request of $ 281.5 million. The process of submitting budgets to the President and Congress is discussed as well as ways to reconcile the two conflicting bud… more
Date: June 7, 2017
Creator: Monke, Jim; Miller, Rena S. & Brass, Clinton T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Banking Policy Issues in the 115th Congress

Description: This report provides a broad overview of selected banking-related issues, including prudential regulation, consumer protection, "too big to fail" (TBTF) banks, community banking, regulatory agency structures and independence, and recent market and economic trends. It is not an exhaustive look at all bank policy issues, nor is it a detailed examination of any one issue. Rather, it provides concise background and analyses of certain prominent issues that have been the subject of recent discussion… more
Date: May 26, 2017
Creator: Perkins, David W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Systemically Important or "Too Big to Fail" Financial Institution.

Description: This report discusses the "To Big To Fail" (TBTF) system of the government intervening and bailing out certain companies whose collapse is deemed too disruptive to the American financial market to let occur. This report discusses the economic issues raised by TBTF, broad policy options, and policy changes made by the relevant Dodd-Frank provisions.
Date: May 26, 2017
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Housing: Guaranteed Loans, Direct Loans, and Specially Adapted Housing Grants

Description: This report discusses the three types of housing assistance offered by the Veterans Administration (VA): the loan guaranty program, direct loan programs, and Specially Adapted Housing program. Each ones origins, operations, and funding methods are included. The report also has a section that discusses the default and foreclosure of VA-guaranteed loans.
Date: May 26, 2017
Creator: Perl, Libby
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Loan Limits for Government-Backed Mortgages

Description: This report contains brief program descriptions for each of the government-backed housing loan programs and discusses the maximum guarantee amounts for each. The government or quasi-government entities that insure or guarantee mortgages and are discussed in this report are the following: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service (RHS).
Date: April 27, 2017
Creator: Weiss, N. Eric; Jones, Katie; Perl, Libby & Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Background and Summary

Description: This report reviews issues related to financial regulation and provides brief descriptions of major provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, along with links to CRS products going in to greater depth on specific issues. It does not attempt to track the legislative debate in the 115th Congress.
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Webel, Baird
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Description: This report provides background information regarding the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The Bank's stated purpose is to provide financing for infrastructure needs throughout Asia, as well as in neighboring regions. As of January 2017, the AIIB has approved nine projects, investing a total of $1.7 billion.
Date: February 3, 2017
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Description: This report discusses China's proposal of creating a new multilateral development bank (MDB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with the purpose to provide financing for infrastructure needs throughout Asia, as well as in neighboring regions.
Date: February 3, 2017
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation

Description: This report begins with a discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system (which supports both federal highway and public transportation programs) and then explores possible options for financing surface transportation infrastructure.
Date: November 1, 2016
Creator: Kirk, Robert S. & Mallett, William J.
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: November 1, 2016
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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