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Electric Reliability: Options for Electric Transmission Infrastructure Improvements
The electric utility industry is inherently capital intensive. At the same time, the industry must operate under a changing and sometimes unpredictable regulatory system at both the federal and state level. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 has set in place government activities intended to relieve congestion on the transmission system. Several factors have contributed to the lack of new transmission capacity; these are outlined within this report. This report also discusses earlier pieces of energy legislation.
Electric Reliability: Options for Electric Transmission Infrastructure Improvements
The electric utility industry is inherently capital intensive. At the same time, the industry must operate under a changing and sometimes unpredictable regulatory system at both the federal and state level. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 has set in place government activities intended to relieve congestion on the transmission system. Several factors have contributed to the lack of new transmission capacity; these are outlined within this report. This report also discusses earlier pieces of energy legislation.
Electric Reliability: Options for Electric Transmission Infrastructure Improvements
The electric utility industry is inherently capital intensive. At the same time, the industry must operate under a changing and sometimes unpredictable regulatory system at both the federal and state level. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 has set in place government activities intended to relieve congestion on the transmission system. Several factors have contributed to the lack of new transmission capacity; these are outlined within this report. This report also discusses earlier pieces of energy legislation.
Government Activities to Protect the Electric Grid
This report provides a description of initiatives within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Defense to protect the physical transmission infrastructure.
Government Activities to Protect the Electric Grid
This report provides a description of initiatives within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Defense to protect the physical transmission infrastructure.
Education Vouchers: Constitutional Issues and Cases
This report details the constitutional standards that currently apply to indirect school aid programs and summarizes all of the pertinent Supreme Court decisions, with particular attention to Zelman. It also summarizes the pending case of Davey v. Locke and other recent and ongoing state and lower federal court cases concerning vouchers.
The Law of Church and State: The Proposed Religious Freedom Amendment, H.J. Res. 78
This report summarizes legislative developments on the proposal and briefly analyzes its likely legal effect if added to the Constitution.
Public Aid and Faith-Based Organizations (Charitable Choice): Background and Selected Legal Issues
No Description Available.
U.S. Security Assistance to Lebanon
This report discusses the variety of current U.S. security assistance programs to Lebanon including objectives, vetting processes, end-use monitoring, and issues for Congress. The last section of this report discusses the upcoming elections and the future of U.S. security assistance to Lebanon.
U.S. Security Assistance to Lebanon
This report discusses key issues facing U.S. policy makers and Members of Congress when considering U.S. security assistance in the context of U.S. policy toward Lebanon. These key issues include assessing the effectiveness of U.S. assistance programs, assessing overall U.S. policy toward Lebanon, and managing relations with other external actors.
U.S. Security Assistance to Lebanon
This report discusses key issues facing U.S. policy makers and Members of Congress when considering U.S. security assistance in the context of U.S. policy toward Lebanon. These key issues include assessing the effectiveness of U.S. assistance programs, assessing overall U.S. policy toward Lebanon, and managing relations with other external actors.
Globalization, Worker Insecurity, and Policy Approaches
This report discusses the trends driving global economic integration, sources of worker insecurity and policy approaches. There appears to be a range of views on the merits of each of these policy approaches and the extent to which they can be designed and implemented in a way that would reduce worker insecurity without undermining the benefits of globalization.
Trade and the Americas
No Description Available.
Trade and the Americas
No Description Available.
U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges
This report examines the economic partnership between the United States and the European Union. Not only is the U.S.-EU trade and investment relationship the largest in the world, but it is also arguably the most important. Agreement between the two partners in the past has been critical to making the world trading system more open and efficient.
U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges
No Description Available.
U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
Report on the trade agreements between the United States and Thailand, including commercial relations, intellectual property rights, and more.
Pay Equity - The Comparable Worth Issue: Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value; By What Standards and By What Means?
This report discusses the term comparable worth issue, a "theory that jobs dominated by women may be valued less not because of skills required or job content, but because they are "women's jobs (page 1)." The report analyzes historical events and lawsuits that relate to the issue of comparable worth in the workforce.
U.S.-EU Trade and Economic Issues
This report discusses U.S.-EU trade and economic relations, which currently face heightened tension, particularly due to the Trump Administration's trade policy, which is focusing on unilateral tariff measures under U.S. trade law and taking a critical view of the U.S. role in international economic cooperation. Given U.S.-EU historical joint leadership on global trade and economic issues, these developments could have implications for the rules-based international trading system, a foundation of the global economic order that has contributed to global economic growth and stability in the post-World War II era.
U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Ties: Magnitude and Scope
This report provides background information and analysis on the trade and investment relationship between the United States and the European Union. It also discusses the EU economy and issues for Congress.
Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): Distinct Population Segments and Experimental Populations
This report looks at the distinct population segments (DPSs) process as it is applied to the gray wolf. It also reviews experimental populations of wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and their protections.
Average Years of Service for Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, First - 110th Congresses
The average tenure of Members of the Senate and House of Representatives at the beginning of each Congress has varied substantially since 1789. The purpose of this report is to provide a Congress-by-Congress summary of the average years of service for Senators and Representatives for the First through the 110th Congresses.
Freshmen in the House of Representatives and Senate by Political Party: 1913-2008
This report presents the data sources and analysis of data regarding Freshmen in the House of Representatives and Senate by Political Party from 1913 through 2008.
Guide to Individuals Seated on the Senate Dais
This report briefly discusses where various individuals are seated in the Senate chamber.
Members Who Have Served in the U.S. Congress 30 Years or More
This report identifies those 224 Members of Congress whose service in the House or Senate, or both, has been 30 years or more. The information provided is current through January 3, 2006.
House and Senate Chaplains
The official clergy of Congress are the two chaplains — one in the House, the other in the Senate. They are among the elected officers of their respective houses. At the beginning of each Congress, the House chaplain is elected for a two-year term. The Senate chaplain does not have to be reelected at the beginning of a new Congress. This fact sheet is one of a series on the legislative process. For more information on the legislative process.
Membership of the 109th Congress: A Profile
No Description Available.
Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2001
This report identifies the committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) districts of the 209 women Members of Congress.
Coming to Washington, D.C.? Sources of Information on Temporary Housing
This report will introduce a newcomer to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to sources of general interest, neighborhoods, housing, and public transportation. The intended audience is congressional staff needing short-term or summer housing, although many of the sources given may also be helpful for those needing more than a three- to six-month lease. Sources suggested are often accessible by their Internet addresses.
Department of Defense Fuel Spending, Supply, Acquisition, and Policy
This report discusses various aspects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) fuel consumption and any resulting policy considerations for Congress.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Identification and Misidentification of Children with Disabilities
This report discusses issues related to the identification and misidentification of children with disabilities.
European Views and Policies Toward the Middle East
No Description Available.
The U.S. Congress and the European Parliament: Evolving Transatlantic Legislative Cooperation
This report provides background on the Congress-EP relationship and the role of the TLD. It also explores potential future options should an effort to strengthen ties between the two bodies gain momentum.
Morocco: Current Issues
This report discusses the current political and foreign policy status of Morocco, especially with regard to its relationship with the United States and its struggles combating terrorism.
Morocco: Current Issues
This report discusses the current political and foreign policy status of Morocco, especially with regard to its relationship with the United States and its struggles combating terrorism.
Senegal: Background and U.S. Relations
Some concerns regarding Senegal include the running of the current Senegalese President for a third term and U.S. financial assistance. The United States has viewed Senegal as an anchor of regional stability and a potential partner in combating transnational security threats, such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and maritime piracy. Senegal is a significant contributor of troops to international peacekeeping missions, and thousands of Senegalese peacekeepers have received U.S. training through the State Department's Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program. Congress plays a role in guiding U.S. policy toward Senegal through its authorization, appropriation, and oversight of foreign assistance and executive branch policies.
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa: The FY2012 Request
Sub-Saharan Africa, the world's poorest region, receives over a quarter of all U.S. bilateral foreign assistance. Aid to Africa more than quadrupled over the past decade, primarily due to sizable increases in global health spending during the Bush Administration and more measured increases in development, economic, and security assistance. The Obama Administration's FY2012 bilateral Africa aid budget request, at $7.8 billion, represents an increase of roughly 10% compared to FY2010, albeit at a more restrained growth rate than in previous years (see "The FY2012 Request by the Numbers"). FY2011 enacted levels are not yet available by region. The proposed increases are concentrated in the areas of health, governance, and agriculture.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
This report focuses on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and the form and function of benefits. SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, is designed primarily to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low-income households to help them buy a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet.
Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls
This report discusses how deficit finance can help governments manage their economies and how large and persistent deficits can lead to severe economic problems.
Economic and Fiscal Conditions in the U.S. Virgin Islands
This report discusses the fiscal and economic challenges facing the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and related issues for Congress, such as: oversight of federal policies that could affect the USVI's long-term fiscal stability; further legislation that would extend or restructure long-range disaster assistance programs to mitigate those challenges and promote greater resiliency of infrastructure and public programs; and how responses to the USVI's fiscal distress could affect municipal debt markets more broadly.
The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
This report contains the history and increases on the debt limit.
The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
This report gives an overview of the federal debt limit, its history, and recent increases
The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an 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.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76: Implications for the Future
This report examines the issues surrounding the Walter Reed public-private competition conducted under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A- 76 and its potential impact on future Department of Defense (DOD) competitions.
Food Power: The use of U.S. Agriculture Exports as a tool in international affairs. 1976
This report is about the importance of U.S agriculture productivity to the global community.
Federal Grazing Regulations: Public Lands Council v. Babbitt
No Description Available.
Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards
This report discusses the CAFE Standards of Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives and Issues
This reports discusses the history and establishment of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), acquisition of crude oil for the SPR. It talks about the debate over the years regarding when should the SPR be used.
Energy Policy: Setting the Stage for the Current Debate
The Bush Administration issued its plan for a national energy policy on May 16, 2001. The plan was controversial, characterized by some as leaner on conservation and renewables than Democratic proposals, and predisposed to trade off environmental considerations to increase supply. Comprehensive energy legislation was introduced in the Senate by both parties by late March (S. 388, S. 389, S. 596, S. 597). Bills reported by several House committees (H.R. 2436, H.R. 2460, H.R. 2511, and H.R. 2587) were combined in a single bill, H.R. 4, passed by the House, August 1, 2001. The House version of H.R. 4 would require a 5 billion gallon reduction in light-duty truck and SUV fuel consumption and would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to leasing.
Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress
The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republicans have indicated that a compromise will be sought to satisfy the other body. Language in the House-passed bill would also authorize opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to exploration and development. An amendment to delete the ANWR provisions from H.R. 6 was defeated (200-231).
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