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Federal Employees’ Retirement System: Budget and Trust Fund Issues

Description: Retirement annuities for civilian federal employees are provided mainly through two programs: the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). These annuities are financed through a combination of employee contributions and payments made by the federal government to the civil service retirement trust fund. This report discusses the two programs, how they work, and how they are financed.
Date: September 27, 2012
Creator: Purcell, Patrick J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Background and Federal Programs

Description: This report provides background on young people in and exiting from foster care, and the federal support that is available to these youth as they transition to adulthood. It begins with a discussion of the characteristics of youth who have had contact with the child welfare system, including those who entered care, as well as those who exited care via emancipation. The report then provides an overview of the federal foster care system, including the Chafee Foster Care Independence program (CFCI… more
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the appropriations bill, FY2013 Appropriations, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
Date: December 14, 2012
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis

Description: This report discusses the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), P.L. 111-148, as amended, Congress enacted a “minimum coverage provision,” which compels certain individuals to have a minimum level of health insurance. This report provides an analysis of the constitutionality of this provision requiring individuals to obtain health insurance.
Date: April 6, 2012
Creator: Staman, Jennifer; Brougher, Cynthia; Liu, Edward C.; Lunder, Erika K. & Thomas, Kenneth R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)

Description: This report discusses the windfall elimination provision (WEP) reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who also have pension benefits from employment not covered by Social Security. Its purpose is to remove an advantage or “windfall” these workers would otherwise receive as a result of the interaction between the Social Security benefit formula and the workers’ relatively short careers in Social Security-covered employment. Opponents contend that the provision is basically imprecise and… more
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Shelton, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxes and the Economy: An Economic Analysis of the Top Tax Rates Since 1945 (Updated)

Description: Income tax rates are at the center of many recent policy debates over taxes. Some policymakers argue that raising tax rates, especially on higher income taxpayers, to increase tax revenues is part of the solution for long-term debt reduction. This report examines the top tax rates since 1945 and analyzes the ways in which tax rates affect economic growth.
Date: December 12, 2012
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health Benefits for Members of Congress

Description: This report covers health benefits made available to Members of Congress through federal government employment, including FEHBP, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, long-term care insurance, and Medicare.
Date: May 3, 2012
Creator: Cornell, Ada S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Primer

Description: This report provides an overview of Medicare, the nation's federal insurance program, which pays for covered health care services of qualified beneficiaries.
Date: April 24, 2012
Creator: Davis, Patricia A.; Binder, Cliff; Hahn, Jim; Morgan, Paulette C.; Mulvey, Janemarie; Talaga, Scott R. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses selected litigation to demonstrate how those events have changed the campaign finance landscape and affected the policy issues that may confront Congress, but it is not a constitutional or legal analysis. Campaign finance data appears throughout the report.
Date: January 4, 2012
Creator: Garrett, R. S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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President Obama’s January 4, 2012, Recess Appointments: Legal Issues

Description: This report analyzes the legal issues associated with the President's asserted exercise of his Recess Appointments Clause power on January 4, 2012. The report begins with a general legal overview of the Recess Appointment Clause. This is followed by an analysis of two legal principles, standing and the political question doctrine, which may impede a reviewing court from reaching the merits of a potential legal challenge to the appointments.
Date: January 23, 2012
Creator: Carpenter, David H.; Chu, Vivian S.; Dolan, Alissa M. & Garvey, Todd
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Major Decisions in the House and Senate on Social Security: 1935-2011

Description: This report is intended to respond to the many inquiries that CRS gets for Social Security vote information, which range from requests for general information about legislative action over the years to requests for information about specific floor amendments. Thus, it is intended to be a reference document on the major statutory decisions made by Congress on the Social Security program. A detailed table of contents and a summary table of the legislation discussed are provided to aid the reader.
Date: January 11, 2012
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Description: This report discusses the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, enacted in 1974, which is a needs-based program that provides cash benefits designed to ensure a minimum income to aged, blind, or disabled persons with limited income and assets.
Date: September 14, 2012
Creator: Moulta-Ali, Umar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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