Congressional Research Service Reports - 113 Matching Results

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The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program: Selected Issues

Description: This report begins with a brief legislative and regulatory history of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, with a brief description of how the program works. It also describes several selected program issues that have received recent congressional and stakeholder attention, issues identified in reviews of the program, and issues that have been raised by researchers, analysts, and other entities outside of the government.
Date: October 29, 2018
Creator: Hegji, Alexandra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Raising or Eliminating the Taxable Earnings Base

Description: This report discusses the Social Security taxes that are levied on covered earnings up to a maximum level (base) set each year. It includes information about how the base has been determined demographically and how it has changed over time, as well as possible future implications and impacts of either raising or eliminating the base, with arguments for and against.
Date: October 26, 2018
Creator: Zhe, Li.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Housing: Guaranteed Loans, Direct Loans, and Specially Adapted Housing Grants

Description: This report discusses three types of housing assistance--the loan guaranty program, direct loan programs, and Specially Adapted Housing program-- includingg their origins, how they operate, and how they are funded. It also briefly describes a home rehabilitation pilot program designed to help veterans who have low incomes or disabilities repair or modify their homes, and has a section that discusses the default and foreclosure of VA-guaranteed loans.
Date: October 15, 2018
Creator: Perl, Libby
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Labor Market Patterns Since 2007

Description: This report uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to outline how various factors have affected the U.S. labor market from 2007-2018. It includes background and sections related to impacts of cyclical and structural change, full employment, the changing composition of employment -- both industry and occupation as well as demographics, and what to expect going forward.
Date: October 3, 2018
Creator: Donovan, Sarah A. & Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Treasury Proposes Rule that Could Deliver a 'Death Sentence" to Chinese Bank

Description: This report discusses the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) proposal to invoke the "Fifth Special Measure" on the Chinese Bank of Dandong for its alleged role in funding and and processing transactions for North Korea's weapons programs.
Date: October 30, 2017
Creator: Carpenter, David H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Small Business Lending Fund

Description: This report discusses on the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF). It begins with a discussion of the supply and demand for small business loans. The SBLF's advocates argued that the fund was an important part of a larger effort to enhance the supply of small business loans. After describing the program's structure, the report then examines other arguments that were presented both for and against the program's enactment. Advocates claimed the SBLF would increase lending to small businesses and, i… more
Date: October 27, 2017
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Cost-of-Living Adjustments

Description: This report discusses the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security and the upcoming COLA set to begin in January 2018. Calculations used to determine COLA amounts and a brief history of their use is also included.
Date: October 26, 2017
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Payments for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Cost-Sharing Reductions

Description: This report discusses President Trump's announcement that the federal government would stop issuing cost-sharing reductions(CSRs) to insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and potential implications for the insurance market and consumers.
Date: October 25, 2017
Creator: Fernandez, Bernadette
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Advisory Committees: An Introduction and Overview

Description: This report offers a history of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), examines its current requirements, and provides data on federal advisory committees' operations and costs.
Date: October 27, 2016
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy & Burga, Casey
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits

Description: This report discusses the calculations that go into taxing Social Security benefits, which prior to 1984 were exempt from taxation but have since been taxed at gradually increasing levels.
Date: October 27, 2016
Creator: Liou, Wayne & Whittaker, Julie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Designation of Global 'Too Big To Fail' Firms

Description: This report provides background on the the Financial Stability Board's (FSB) designation process for systemically significant financial institutions, but takes no position on any potential benefits or shortcomings of that process.
Date: October 29, 2015
Creator: Miller, Rena S. & Jackson, James K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's Recent Stock Market Volatility: What Are the Implications?

Description: China's two main stock markets, the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), experienced rapid price increases from about mid-2014 to mid-2015. However, from June 12 to July 7, 2015, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Composite Indices fell by 32% and 40%, respectively. This report briefly examines this volatility and the Chinese government's response.
Date: October 21, 2015
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M. & Nelson, Gabriel M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Regulatory Relief" for Banking: Selected Legislation in the 114th Congress

Description: This report discusses regulatory relief legislation for banks in the 114th Congress that, at the time this report was published, has seen floor action or has been ordered to be reported by a committee. Many, but not all, of the bills would make changes to the Dodd-Frank Act (P.L. 111-203), wide ranging financial reform enacted in response to the financial crisis.
Date: October 15, 2015
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M.; Gnanarajah, Raj; Labonte, Marc; Murphy, Edward V. & Shorter, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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How Treasury Issues Debt

Description: This report examines Treasury's debt management practices, focusing on the auction process, how prices and interest rates of securities are determined, and the role of market participants in the process. It also addresses the role of debt plays in influencing present and future budget outcomes.
Date: October 1, 2015
Creator: Driessen, Grant A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Leverage Ratios in Bank Capital Requirements

Description: This report provides a summary of leverage ratios used in bank capital requirements. It also explains the concept of leverage and the rationale behind a leverage ratio.
Date: October 31, 2014
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Palestinian Authority: U.S. Payments to Creditors as Alternative to Direct Budgetary Assistance?

Description: A September 24, 2014, congressional notification (CN) from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may reflect a new executive branch approach in assisting the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay off some of the debts it incurs in providing various benefits and services to West Bank and Gaza residents. The CN indicates that USAID plans to obligate a total of $100 million in FY2014 bilateral economic assistance for the Palestinians toward direct U.S. payments to PA creditors. This re… more
Date: October 20, 2014
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Small Business Credit Initiative: Implementation and Funding Issues

Description: This report examines the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and its implementation, including Treasury's response to initial program audits conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury's Office of Inspector General (OIG). The SSBCI provides funding, allocated by formula and distributed in one-third increments, to states, territories, and eligible municipalities (hereinafter referred to as states) to expand existing or create new state small business inve… more
Date: October 16, 2014
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Palestinian Authority: U.S. Payments to Creditors as Alternative to Direct Budgetary Assistance?

Description: A September 24, 2014, congressional notification (CN) from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may reflect a new executive branch approach in assisting the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay off some of the debts it incurs in providing various benefits and services to West Bank and Gaza residents. The CN indicates that USAID plans to obligate a total of $100 million in FY2014 bilateral economic assistance for the Palestinians toward direct U.S. payments to PA creditors. This re… more
Date: October 6, 2014
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sovereign Debt in Advanced Economies: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses sovereign debt, which is also called public debt or government debt, and refers to debt incurred by governments. The first section provides background information on sovereign debt, including why governments borrow, how sovereign debt differs from private debt, why governments repay their debt (or not), and how sovereign debt is measured. The second section examines the shift of concerns over sovereign debt sustainability from emerging markets in the 1990s and 2000s to adv… more
Date: October 28, 2013
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: October 21, 2013
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAHP): An Overview

Description: This report looks at how the Federal-Aid Highway Program (FAHP) works, including its funding and administration by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Date: October 26, 2012
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts

Description: This report provides an overview of the current status, trends, and forecasts for U.S. import and export flows as well as certain trade balances. The purpose of this report is to provide current data and brief explanations for the various types of trade flows, along with a brief discussion of trends that help inform the discussion of the various policy issues mentioned above.
Date: October 19, 2012
Creator: Williams, Brock R. & Donnelly, J. Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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