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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: 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.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Intermediate-Level Blends of Ethanol in Gasoline, and the Ethanol "Blend Wall"

Description: This report discusses the growing interest in the potential for ethanol to displace petroleum as a transportation fuel, as well as related issues, including the current Clean Air Act (CAA) limitation on ethanol content in gasoline; the requests of ethanol producers for an increase of this limitation; and the effects the limitation has upon vehicle and engine warranties and the infrastructures of the automobile and fuel industries.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Description: This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements

Description: This report reviews unilateral preference programs for the Caribbean, discusses how they have been affected by Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the region, and considers trade policy options for dealing with countries still relying on trade preferences and that may be considering whether to negotiate an FTA with the United States.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues

Description: This report tracks the process by which Congress provides the funding for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of the United Nations, its agencies, and U.N. peacekeeping operation accounts, as well as for U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and funds. It includes information on the President's request and the congressional response, as well as congressional initiatives during this legislative process. Basic information is provided to help the reader understand thi… more
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann & Nakamura, Kennon H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Veterans Health Administration: Community- Based Outpatient Clinics

Description: This report provides an overview of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rationale in establishing Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), describes how they are managed and administered, discusses medical services provided at CBOCs, and summarizes what is known about the quality and cost of providing care in CBOCs compared to primary care clinics at VA Medical Centers. Lastly, it describes the process for developing a new CBOC.
Date: January 28, 2010
Creator: Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Description: This report has two sections. The first provides an overview of the current USDA disaster assistance programs: federal crop insurance, NAP payments, emergency disaster loans, the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE), and four other smaller disaster programs authorized in the 2008 farm bill. The second section reviews the recent history of emergency supplemental farm disaster assistance.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Shields, Dennis A. & Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Argentina's Defaulted Sovereign Debt: Dealing with the "Holdouts"

Description: This report reviews Argentina's financial crisis, the bond exchanges of 2005 and 2010, ongoing litigation, prospects for a final solution, related U.S. legislation, and broader policy issues. These include lessons on the effectiveness and cost of Argentina's default strategy, the ability to force sovereigns to meet their debt obligations, and ways to avoid future defaults like Argentina's.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress

Description: This report examines logistical support contracts for troop support services (also known as service contracts) in Iraq and Afghanistan, primarily administered through a smaller program, the United States Air Force Contract Augmentation Program (AFCAP) and a larger program, the United States Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP). It focuses on contracts involving Department of Defense (DOD) appropriated funds, although some projects involve a blending of funds from other agencies.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks

Description: This report provides an overview of Iraq's political transition from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to a plural polity that encompasses varying sects and ideological and political factions. This report also addresses ongoing governmental instabilities and their causes, as well as U.S. concerns about possible Iranian influence in Iraq as U.S. forces depart the country.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

TRICARE and VA Health Care: Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

Description: The 111th Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and hereafter referred to as PPACA. This report addresses key questions concerning how PPACA affects the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care.
Date: April 28, 2010
Creator: Panangala, Sidath Viranga & Jansen, Don J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

Description: This report discusses the current status of Central Asian states and U.S. policy, which has been aimed at facilitating their cooperation with U.S. and NATO stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and their efforts to combat terrorism, proliferation, and trafficking in arms, drugs, and persons. Congress will be considering an increase in support for the programs in Central Asia.
Date: May 28, 2010
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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