Congressional Research Service Reports - 42 Matching Results
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- Internet and E-Commerce Statistics: What They Mean and Where to Find Them on the Web
- Statistics indicating Internet usage are imprecise. It is difficult to measure the scale of the Internet (or the World Wide Web), calculate the number and types of users (age, sex, race, gender, location, etc.), or forecast future growth. This report discusses the inherent complexities of estimating Internet and electronic commerce growth and describes various types of Internet statistics, discussing how to evaluate them and providing Web addresses for locating them. In addressing these topics, it is important to understand how the statistics are compiled, how they are used, and what their limitations are.
- Steel: Key Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information
- No Description Available.
- Electricity: The Road Toward Restructuring
- The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA) and the Federal Power Act (FPA) were enacted to eliminate unfair practices and other abuses by electricity and gas holding companies by requiring federal control and regulation of interstate public utility holding companies. Comprehensive energy legislation has passed the House and Senate. The House passed H.R. 6 on April 11, 2003. On July 31, 2003, the Senate suspended debate on S. 14, inserted the text of H.R. 4 (107th Congress) as a substitute, and passed H.R. 6. A conference agreement was reached November 17, 2003, and passed by the House the next day. H.R. 6 includes an electricity title that would, in part, repeal PUHCA, would prospectively repeal the mandatory purchase requirement under PURPA, and would create an electric reliability organization. On June 15, 2004, H.R. 4503, a comprehensive energy policy bill, passed the House.
- Gasoline Prices: Policies and Proposals
- This report details the information related to gasoline prices and discusses on policies and proposals.
- FY2004 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terrorism: Military Operations
- This report mainly discusses about the FY2004 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terrorism: Military Operations. Bill Young has recently said that he hopes to have conference report on supplemental appropriations.
- Postal Reform
- No Description Available.
- Influenza Vaccine Shortages and Implications
- No Description Available.
- Government-Sposored Enterprises (GSEs): Regulatory Reform Legislation
- This report summarizes legislative proposals in the 109th Congress that aim to strengthen the regulation of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), and will be updated as warranted.
- U.S. Agriculture After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Status and Issues
- No Description Available.
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Fishing and Aquaculture Industries - Damage and Recovery
- This report summarizes damage assessments and recovery efforts, and will be updated as warranted to incorporate new information.
- Chemical Facility Security
- Facilities handling large amounts of potentially hazardous chemical (i.e., chemical facilities) might be of interest to terrorists, either as targets for direct attacks meant to release chemicals into the community or as a source of chemicals for use elsewhere. For any individual facility, the risk is very small, but the risks may be increasing -- with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment. Congress might choose to rely on existing efforts in the public and private sectors to improve chemical site security over time. Alternatively, Congress could expand existing environmental planning requirements for chemical facilities to require consideration of terrorism. Congress might also enact legislation to reduce risks, either by "hardening" defenses against terrorists or by requiring industries to consider use of safer chemicals, procedures, or processes.
- Chemical Facility Security
- Facilities handling large amounts of potentially hazardous chemical (i.e., chemical facilities) might be of interest to terrorists, either as targets for direct attacks meant to release chemicals into the community or as a source of chemicals for use elsewhere. For any individual facility, the risk is very small, but the risks may be increasing -- with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment. Congress might choose to rely on existing efforts in the public and private sectors to improve chemical site security over time. Alternatively, Congress could expand existing environmental planning requirements for chemical facilities to require consideration of terrorism. Congress might also enact legislation to reduce risks, either by "hardening" defenses against terrorists or by requiring industries to consider use of safer chemicals, procedures, or processes.
- DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
- The Department of Defense (DOD) in recent years has leased some foreign-built cargo ships for total periods, including options and renewals, of almost 10 years - a length of time that some observers argue effectively circumvents a legal requirement that U.S. military ships be built in U.S. shipyards. These observers, particularly the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), have proposed reducing the current five-year legal limit on ship leases to two years for foreign-built ships. DOD has opposed the idea, arguing that its ship leases are the most cost-effective way to meet its needs for the ships in question.
- DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
- The Department of Defense (DOD) in recent years has leased some foreign-built cargo ships for total periods, including options and renewals, of almost 10 years - a length of time that some observers argue effectively circumvents a legal requirement that U.S. military ships be built in U.S. shipyards. These observers, particularly the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), have proposed reducing the current five-year legal limit on ship leases to two years for foreign-built ships. DOD has opposed the idea, arguing that its ship leases are the most cost-effective way to meet its needs for the ships in question.
- The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
- The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments lending to emerging market and less-developed countries and (2) increased surveillance of the global economy through better coordination with the international financial regulatory agencies.
- The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and Current Financial Turmoil: Issues and Analysis
- This report briefly introduces aspects of the current financial instability. Following this, it outlines the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) legislation and the steps that Treasury has taken to implement EESA. Finally, the report concludes with a more in-depth analysis of the current financial instability, including potential causes of financial instability in general, some sources of the current instability, and how financial instability may spill over into the broader economy.
- U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts
- This report provides an overview of the current status, trends, and forecasts for U.S. international trade. The purpose of this report is to provide current data and brief explanations for the various types of trade flows, particularly U.S. exports, along with a short discussion of particular trends and points of contention related to trade policy.
- Job Loss and Infrastructure Job Creation Spending During the Recession
- This report takes an in-depth look at job creation estimates, including the limitations of the methodology often used to derive them and the difficulties associated with developing job estimates for green infrastructure in particular. The report views these topics in the context of the 2007-2008 recession and its aftermath.
- Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report provides an overview of actions taken by Congress to provide FY2011 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). It also provides an overview of FY2010 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded under the CJS bill.
- The Global Economic Crisis: Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Policy Responses
- This report analyzes Africa's vulnerability to the global crisis and potential implications for economic growth, poverty alleviation, fiscal balances, and political stability. The report describes channels through which the crisis is affecting Africa, and provides information on international efforts to address the impact, including U.S. policies and those of multilateral institutions in which the United States plays a major role.
- Corporate Tax Reform: Issues for Congress
- This report provides an overview of corporate tax issues and discusses potential reforms in the context of these issues, with particular attention to some of the recent research concerning large behavioral responses and their implications for revenue and distribution.
- Inequality in the Distribution of Income: Trends and International Comparisons
- This report examines the distribution of income in the United States, including factors that may help explain it, how it has changed over time, and how it compares with those of other countries.
- Firms That Incorporate Abroad for Tax Purposes: Corporate “Inversions” and “Expatriation”
- This report provides information about the Corporate "Inversions" and "Expatriation" on Firms That Incorporate Abroad for Tax Purposes where increasing number of U.S firms have altered their structure by substituting a foreign parent corporation for a domestic one.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, a historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
- Automatic Enrollment in Section 401(k) Plans
- This is a report on Automatic Enrollment in section 401(k) plans.
- Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Developments, and U.S. Policy Approaches
- This report examines Latin America's current political environment and its apparent effect on energy production in the region. It also examines regional integration efforts, including Venezuela's oil programs offering oil to many Latin American and Caribbean countries on a preferential basis, the Mexico-led Meso-American Energy Integration Program, and the proposed South American natural gas pipeline. The report also examines policy approaches that have been proposed for increased hemispheric energy cooperation, congressional interest: in the topic of hemispheric energy security, and related legislative initiatives in the 109th Congress.
- Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals
- This report discusses the information related to new legislation and proposals of Gasoline Prices.
- Hedge Funds: Should They Be Regulated?
- This report discusses various causes and effects in regards to the economy if hedge funds were regulated.
- Appropriations for FY2004: Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
- This report discusses the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations for FY2004.
- Discriminatory Pricing and the Robinson-Patman Act: Brief Overview, Including Some Exceptions
- No Description Available.
- Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals
- This report discusses legislation and proposals regarding prices of gasoline. Policy options, ANWR, and price gouging are among topics covered in this report.
- Defining Small Business: An Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues
- This report examines the competing views that have been presented concerning how to define a small business and how various proposals for changing the SBA's size standards would effect program eligibility.
- Health Care Reform and Small Business
- This report provides a brief discussion of the need for mandates in comprehensive health care reform and why employer mandates might be useful. It also discusses the potential impact of employer mandates and credits on small businesses.
- Federal Advertising Law: An Overview
- This report provides a brief overview of federal law with respect to six selected advertising issues: alcohol advertising, tobacco advertising, the federal trade commission act, advertising by mail, advertising by telephone, and commercial e-mail.
- California Wildfires: The Role of Disaster Insurance
- This report discusses the tragic consequences of the wildfires that struck Southern California in October 2007, which have given renewed attention to the partnership between private providers of disaster insurance and the federal government. It also discusses the role of disaster insurance in that incident.
- Energy Policy: The Continuing Debate
- This report includes background and analysis of the debate on energy policy. Non-tax energy production initiatives, nuclear energy, and energy restructuring are also among topics discussed in this report.
- Medicaid and Outpatient Hospital Services
- This report provides an overview of the medicaid and outpatient hospital services.
- The United States as a Net Debtor Nation: Overview of the International Investment Position
- This report provides an overview of the international investment position and the United states as a net debtor nation.
- Industry Trade Effects Related to NAFTA
- This report will look at the broad effect of NAFTA on the U.S. economy and the trade-related effects at the industry level.
- Wool and Mohair Price Support
- This report provides an overview of the wool and mohair price support.