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Congressional Lawmaking: A Perspective On Secrecy and Transparency

Description: The objectives of this report are four-fold: first, to outline briefly the historical and inherent tension between secrecy and transparency in the congressional process; second, to review several common and recurring secrecy/transparency issues that emerged again with the 2011 formation of the Joint Select Deficit Reduction Committee; third, to identify various lawmaking stages typically imbued with closed door activities; and fourth, to close with several summary observations.
Date: November 30, 2011
Creator: Oleszek, Walter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pages of the United States Congress: History, Background Information, and Program Administration

Description: For more than 180 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States Congress. Several incumbent and former Members of Congress as well as other prominent Americans have served as congressional pages. This report takes a look at the history and current status of Congressional pages. It also details how a student can apply to be a page, and what factors lead to a successful application.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2010 (74th-111th Congresses)

Description: This report discusses how lame duck sessions occur, and the background of the lame duck sessions between 1940 and 2010. A “lame duck” session of Congress occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the term of the current Congress ends.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Beth, Richard S. & Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Health Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: Report that covers health benefits made available to Members of Congress through federal government employment, including Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, long-term care insurance, services at the Office of the Attending Physician and military hospitals, and Medicare. It also offers a comparison of FEHBP to health benefits offered by the private sector and state and local governments and a discussion of the effect of the… more
Date: November 30, 2012
Creator: Cornell, Ada S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources

Description: Report that discusses House and Senate rules and guidelines, laws, and regulations affecting congressional casework, as well as the role of caseworkers. It also provides sample outlines and document templates for implementing and managing congressional casework.
Date: November 30, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview

Description: This report provides a legal overview of Section 2 of the VRA, a key provision affecting congressional redistricting, and selected Supreme Court case law. It discusses Sections 4 and 5, and the recent Supreme Court decision holding Section 4(b) unconstitutional, Shelby County v. Holder. Section 4 contained a coverage formula that identified states and jurisdictions that were required to gain federal approval or "preclearance" to proposed redistricting plans under Section 5. The report also prov… more
Date: August 30, 2013
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
Date: July 30, 2010
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency

Description: This report discusses secret, or closed, sessions of the House and Senate, which exclude the press and the public. They may be held for matters deemed to require confidentiality and secrecy--such as national security, sensitive communications received from the President, and Senate deliberations during impeachment trials. Although Members usually seek advance agreement for going into secret session, any Member of Congress may request a secret session without notice.
Date: December 30, 2014
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief

Description: This report provides basic information on congressional salaries and allowances and recent developments. First, the report briefly summarizes the current salary of Members of Congress; limits or prohibitions on their outside earned income, honoraria, and tax deductions; options for life and health insurance; and retirement benefits. Second, the report provides information on allowances available to Representatives and Senators to support them in their official and representational duties.
Date: December 30, 2014
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2015

Description: This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical data, including service dates, party affiliation, and other information for each.
Date: October 30, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Apportioning Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives Using the 2013 Estimated Citizen Population

Description: This report examines the impact on the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives if such a change were to occur, using an estimate of the 2013 citizen population in place of the 2010 apportionment population to determine the potential distribution of seats in the House of Representatives for the 114th Congress.
Date: October 30, 2015
Creator: Crocker, Royce
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Veterans Benefits: Current Life Insurance Programs

Description: This report is structured in three major areas. The first area of the report includes sections providing an overview of the VA's different life insurance programs. The second area includes sections describing the VA's management and administrative structure as well as how policy proceeds to beneficiaries are currently paid for SGLI, VGLI, and S-DVI. The third area of the report discusses major areas of congressional interest and policy issues as they pertain to SGLI, VGLI, and S-DVI.
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: Miles, Glenn L. II & Morman, Armaad R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congress’s Power to Restore Copyright Protection to Works That Have Entered the Public Domain: Golan v. Holder

Description: This report discusses Golan v. Holder case. It also discusses a group of orchestra conductors, educators, performers, film archivists, and motion picture distributors, who had relied on the free and unrestricted availability of these artistic works in the public domain for their livelihood.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Yeh, Brian T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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