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The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information on the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and it discusses the Army's proposed replacement to the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs).
Date: January 6, 2014
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Women in the United States Congress: Historical Overview, Tables, and Discussion

Description: This report includes a discussion of the impact of women in Congress as well as historical information, including the number and percentage of women in Congress over time, means of entry to Congress, comparisons to international and state legislatures, records for tenure, firsts for women in Congress, women in leadership, and African American and Asian Pacific American women in Congress.
Date: December 16, 2013
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.; Shogan, Colleen J. & Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spectrum Policy: Provisions in the 2012 Spectrum Act

Description: This report discusses the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The act established a process for television broadcasters to release spectrum licensed to them for auction as commercial licenses. The act also included provisions to apply future spectrum license auction revenues toward deficit reduction; to establish a planning and governance structure to deploy public safety broadband networks, using some auction proceeds for that purpose; and to assign additional spectrum resour… more
Date: December 23, 2013
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Length of Time from Nomination to Confirmation for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominees: Overview and Policy Options to Shorten the Process

Description: This report seeks to inform the current debate over the nomination and confirmation for U.S. circuit and district court nominees in three ways: first, by providing an overview of the time taken by the Senate during recent presidencies to confirm U.S. circuit and district court nominees; second, by identifying potential consequences of a protracted confirmation process for such nominees; and third, by identifying policy options the Senate might consider to shorten the length of time from nominat… more
Date: November 20, 2013
Creator: McMillion, Barry J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense: FY2014 Authorization and Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the Department of Defense (DOD) budget plan, both the version of the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House (H.R. 1960) and the version reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee (S. 1197.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Towell, Pat & Belasco, Amy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tribal Jurisdiction over Nonmembers: A Legal Overview

Description: The report provides an overview the Indian tribes, which are quasi-sovereign entities that enjoy all the sovereign powers that are not divested by Congress or inconsistent with the tribes' dependence on the United States. The report discusses tribal jurisdiction over nonmember Indians.
Date: November 26, 2013
Creator: Smith, Jane M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Majority Cloture for Nominations: Implications and the "Nuclear" Proceedings

Description: This report explains the procedural context within which the precedent was set and addresses the precedent's effects on floor consideration of nominations (as well as noting other potential effects on the nominations process). In addition, since the parliamentary circumstances under which the precedent was set fall within proceedings often called the "nuclear option," the report concludes by briefly noting the precedent's relevance for future proposals to alter or reinterpret Senate rules throu… more
Date: December 6, 2013
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reauthorization of SNAP and Other Nutrition Programs in the Next Farm Bill: Issues for the 113th Congress

Description: This report discusses the Nutrition Title (Title IV) of the pending farm bills and elaborates on the most controversial issues and differences between Senate and House proposals. Policies that are not necessarily controversial but are complex are also included in this report.
Date: December 10, 2013
Creator: Aussenberg, Randy Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Interim Agreement on Iran's Nuclear Program

Description: This report discusses the recent development regarding the negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program. The report provides background information on Iranian nuclear program and debates the November 24 Joint Plan of Action Elements.
Date: December 11, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth & Kerr, Paul K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Action on FY2014 Appropriations Measures

Description: This report provides background and analysis with regard to the FY2014 appropriations process. The first section discusses the status of discretionary budget enforcement for FY2014, including the statutory spending limits and allocations under the congressional budget resolution. The second section provides information on the consideration of regular appropriations measures and an overview of their funding levels.
Date: December 18, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bitcoin: Questions, Answers, and Analysis of Legal Issues

Description: This report has three major sections. The first section answers some basic questions about Bitcoin and the operation of the Bitcoin network and its interaction with the current dollar-based monetary system. The second section summarizes likely reasons for and against widespread Bitcoin adoption. The third section discusses legal and regulatory matters that have been raised by Bitcoin and other digital currencies.
Date: December 20, 2013
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.; Murphy, M. M. & Seitzinger, Michael V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Medical Device Excise Tax: Economic Analysis

Description: This report reviews the issues surrounding the medical devices tax within the framework of basic principles surrounding the choice of commodities to tax under excise taxes. The next section describes the tax and its legislative origins. After that, the report analyzes the arguments for retaining and repealing the tax.
Date: December 23, 2013
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G. & Lowry, Sean
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Crisis in South Sudan

Description: This report provides an overview of the recent humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The United States is the largest provider of bilateral foreign assistance to South Sudan and a major financial contributor to international peacekeeping efforts there.
Date: December 27, 2013
Creator: Ploch Blanchard, Lauren
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Implementation of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS): Issues for Congress

Description: This report analyzes data from a variety of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) presentations, testimony, and other sources to present a historical overview of program performance to date. It identifies an ongoing gap between the number of facilities that have received final risk tier assignments and the total number of regulated facilities.
Date: January 6, 2014
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Threats to U.S. National Security Interests in Space: Orbital Debris Mitigation and Removal

Description: This report discusses the National Security Space Strategy. After decades of activities in space, Earth's orbit is littered with man-made objects that no longer serve a useful purpose that potentially threaten U.S. national security interests in space, both governmental (military, intelligence, and civil) and commercial. Congress has broadly supported the full-range of these national security interests and has a vested concern in ensuring a strong and continued U.S. presence in space.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Hildreth, Steven A. & Arnold, Allison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Women in the United States Congress, 1917-2013: Biographical and Committee Assignment Information, and Listings by State and Congress

Description: This report includes biographical information, including the names, committee assignments, dates of service, listings by Congress and state, and (for Representatives) congressional districts of the 297 women who have served in Congress.
Date: December 16, 2013
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E. & Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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