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Medicare: Beneficiary Cost-Sharing Under Prescription Drug Legislation

Description: This report provides an analysis of how the cost-sharing and premium provisions under the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 (S. 1) and the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 (H bill would affect the amount that a beneficiary would pay annually for prescription drugs.
Date: July 25, 2003
Creator: Peterson, Chris L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sustainable Agriculture

Description: The term "sustainable agriculture" is used to designate both a reduced-chemical approach to farming and an alternative political viewpoint on the distribution of economic and social benefits in the farm sector. In practice, sustainable agriculture is characterized by the substitution of more intensive farm resource management--generally involving more labor--for purchased inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. It comprises a range of practices that include integrated pest management (which may i… more
Date: October 25, 1995
Creator: Rawson, Jean M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Trade Issues in the 107th Congress

Description: The 107th Congress will consider and seek to influence trade issues with implications for the U.S. agricultural sector. Trade in agricultural commodities and food products affects farm income and rural employment, and it also generates economic activity beyond the farm gate. With agricultural export sales accounting for one-quarter of farm income, policymakers view U.S. efforts to develop market opportunities overseas as vital to the sector's financial health. Decisions taken by the Bush Admini… more
Date: May 25, 2001
Creator: Hanrahan, Charles E.; Jurenas, Remy & Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nitrogen Oxides and Electric Utilities: Revising the NSPS

Description: Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from utility boilers, combustion turbines, and combined-cycle units. The current NOx NSPS, set in 1979, does not reflect subsequent advancements in Nox control technology. As a part of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments,
Date: July 25, 1997
Creator: Parker, Larry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Global Climate Change

Description: This report discusses the effect of human activities on global climate change. Human activities, particularly burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other trace gases, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide.
Date: February 25, 2003
Creator: Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Air Quality and Electricity: Initiatives to Increase Pollution Controls

Description: This report discusses air quality initiatives (such as the Ozone Transport Rule) that primarily focus on reducing and enforcing emissions from coal-fired electric generating utilities in the Midwest and South. The report also addresses various legislative activity that focuses on multi-pollutant strategies as an alternative to these piecemeal initiatives.
Date: October 25, 2002
Creator: Parker, Larry & Blodgett, John E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses issues debated in the 108th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including signi… more
Date: June 25, 2003
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne & Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Fiscal Year

Description: This report discusses the federal fiscal year which is the accounting period of the federal government.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

Description: In its most elemental form, the federal budget is a comprehensive accounting of the government’s spending, revenues, and borrowing. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consideration of the Budget Resolution

Description: Consideration of a concurrent budget resolution is governed by special procedures in the House and Senate. Although the procedures of each chamber differ, they serve generally to expedite consideration of the budget resolution.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt-Limit Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The gross federal debt consists of the debt held by the public plus the debt held by government accounts. Almost all of the gross federal debt is subject to a public debt limit, as set forth in statute (31 U.S.C. 3101).This report considers legislation needed to change the public debt limit.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Formulation and Content of the Budget Resolution

Description: The Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344), as amended, established the concurrent budget resolution as the centerpiece of the congressional budget process. This report discusses the budget resolution, which provides the framework for subsequent legislative action on the annual appropriations bills, revenue measures, debt-limit legislation, reconciliation legislation (if required), and any other budgetary legislation.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process

Description: Baselines and scorekeeping are an integral part of the federal budget process, providing Congress and the President with a framework for making and enforcing budgetary decisions. A baseline serves as a benchmark for federal budget decisions. While the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) create different baselines, their baselines project federal spending, revenue, and budget surplus or deficit amounts that would occur if existing budget policies were … more
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Resolution Enforcement

Description: The annual budget resolution sets forth Congress's budget plan for a period of at least five fiscal years. It includes total levels of spending, revenues, and the debt limit for each of the fiscal years covered.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Environmental Protection Agency's FY2003 Budget

Description: On April 9, 2001, the President requested $7.3 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY2002, $512.0 million (or 7%) less than the FY2001 funding level of $7.8 billion. The request would not have continued funding of about $500 million for activities earmarked for FY2001, and contained provisions shifting more enforcement responsibilities to the states. Popular wastewater infrastructure funding, state roles, and the future of Superfund were s… more
Date: April 25, 2002
Creator: Lee, Martin R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Continuing Appropriations Acts: Brief Overview of Recent Practices

Description: This report provides information on the history of continuing resolutions; the nature, scope, and duration of CRs during the last 30 years; the various types of CRs that have been enacted; and an overview of those instances when budget authority has lapsed and a funding gap has resulted.
Date: October 25, 2002
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Continuing Appropriations Acts: Brief Overview of Recent Practices

Description: This report provides information on the history of continuing resolutions; the nature, scope, and duration of CRs during the last 30 years; the various types of CRs that have been enacted; and an overview of those instances when budget authority has lapsed and a funding gap has resulted.
Date: February 25, 2003
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The 0.38 Percent Across-the-Board Cut in FY2000 Appropriations

Description: This report outlines cuts made in the federal budget for FY2000. The 0.38% cut was expected to yield savings of $2.4 billion in budget authority and $1.4 billion in outlays for the fiscal year. Departments with cuts in excess of $100 million included the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Education.
Date: February 25, 2000
Creator: Keith, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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What if the National Debt Were Eliminated? Some Economic Consequences

Description: Asthe budget has moved from a position of large deficitsto large surpluses, then back to deficit again, a debate has emerged about the desirability of retiring the national debt. Although the national debt would not be retired under current baseline forecasts, it remains an important element of the budget surplus debate. By the end of the baseline window, the national debt is forecast to reach its lowest level in the post-war period as a percentage of GDP despite the dramatic deterioration in t… more
Date: February 25, 2002
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Budget for Fiscal Year 2004

Description: In March, CBO released its report analyzing the President’s policies. CBO’s estimates of the President’s budget, a recasting of the policies using CBO assumptions and budget estimating methods, raise the expected deficit for FY2004 to $338 billion from the OMB estimated $307 billion. The report also included an update to CBO’s January baseline that pushed the deficit for FY2004 to $200 billion from $145 billion. The revisions delay the return-to-a-surplus from FY2007 to FY2008 and reduce the cu… more
Date: April 25, 2003
Creator: Winters, Philip D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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