Congressional Research Service Reports - 50 Matching Results
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- Alaska Natural Gas Pipelines: Interaction of the Natural Gas and Steel Markets
- In 1976, Congress approved legislation to establish the regulatory framework for building a pipeline to bring natural gas from the Alaska North Slope to the lower 48 states. This report focuses on two major issues or uncertainties that may serve as economic constraints on a capital investment undertaking of this major scale.
- "Amazon Laws" and Taxation of Internet Sales: Constitutional Analysis
- As more purchases are made over the Internet, states are looking for new ways to collect taxes on online sales. There is a common misperception that the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from taxing Internet sales. This report discusses "Amazon laws", which try to capture uncollected taxes on Internet sales and yet still comply with the Constitution's requirements.
- The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 and Related Developments
- The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, enacted December 2, 1997, authorized appropriations to Amtrak through FY2002. This CRS report summarizes the provisions of the Act and discusses related developments.
- An Analysis of the “Buffett Rule”
- This report is an Analysis of the “Buffett Rule”.
- Appropriations for FY2005: VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
- This report discusses the Veterans Affairs (VA), Housing and Urban Development(HUD), and Independent Agencies Appropriations for FY2005.
- Business and Labor Spending in U.S. Elections
- Federal election law has long prohibited corporate and union spending in federal elections, but distinctions in statutes and judicial rulings have opened avenues by which these groups have been able to spend money in the electoral process. Business groups make particular use of political action committee (PAC) donations to candidates and soft money donations to parties. Unions made prominent use of issue advocacy in 1996, but labor’s political strength lies in exempt activity communications with members. This report explains these tools and their use in today’s elections.
- Business and Labor Spending in U.S. Elections
- Federal election law has long prohibited corporate and union spending in federal elections, but distinctions in statutes and judicial rulings have opened avenues by which these groups have been able to spend money in the electoral process. Business groups make particular use of political action committee (PAC) donations to candidates and soft money donations to parties. Unions made prominent use of issue advocacy in 1996, but labor’s political strength lies in exempt activity communications with members. This report explains these tools and their use in today’s elections.
- Business Tax Provisions That Expired in 2016 ("Tax Extenders")
- This report briefly summarizes and discusses the economic impact of selected business-related tax provisions that expired at the end of 2016. Types of business provisions covered are special business investment (cost recovery), economic development, and other miscellaneous business-related matters.
- Community mental health centers
- This report provides information about community health centers which treat mentally ill persons in their own community.
- Dairy Policy Issues
- Several dairy issues that were debated during the 108th Congress are expected to continue as issues of interest in the 109th Congress. Separate bills were introduced in the 108th Congress to extend authority for both the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Program and the dairy forward pricing pilot program, and to address dairy producer concerns about the importation of milk protein concentrates.
- Data Security: Protecting the Privacy of Phone Records
- This report provides a brief discussion of efforts to protect the privacy of customer telephone records
- Debarment and Suspension of Government Contractors: An Overview of the Law Including Recently Enacted and Proposed Amendments
- This report examines the statues that permit the disbarring and suspension of government contractors, exclusions to those statutes, and the rights of the contractors.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- 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.
- DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
- The Department of Defense (DOD) in recent years has leased some foreign-built cargo ships for total periods, including options and renewals, of almost 10 years -- a length of time that some observers argue effectively circumvents a legal requirement that U.S. military ships be built in U.S. shipyards. These observers, particularly the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), have proposed reducing the current five-year legal limit on ship leases to two years for foreign-built ships. DOD has opposed the idea, arguing that its ship leases are the most cost-effective way to meet its needs for the ships in question. This report briefly discusses this issue, as well as related legislation.
- DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
- This report briefly discusses the Department of Defense leases of foreign-built ships, the opponents of this practice, and related legislation.
- Economic Downturns and Crime
- This report examines the relationships between selected variables of economic strength and crime. It begins with an overview of crime rates during times of economic recession in the United States. It then reviews the existing literature in the field analyzing various data sets that examine whether the unemployment rate and foreclosures can be related to increases in the national crime rate.
- Economic Factors Affecting Small Business Lending and Loan Guarantees
- This report lists some sources of information about the condition of the small business loan market.
- Energy Efficiency: Budget, Oil Conservation, and Electricity Conservation Issues
- This report includes information related to energy efficiency, including history, various bills and budgets, and conservation. Climate change and energy security related to energy efficiency are also discussed in this report.
- Energy Tax Policy: An Economic Analysis
- The report provides background on the theory and application of tax policy as it relates to the energy sector, particularly with respect to the theory of market failure in the energy sector and the suggested policy remedies. This background provides a context for understanding how current or proposed energy tax policy may affect other policy objectives or be affected by such objectives.
- FDA Tobacco Regulation: The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009
- This report focuses on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. It includes a brief discussion of the contrasting views of FDA tobacco regulation held by the public health community and the industry, and provides some analysis of a number of key regulatory issues that the bill raises.
- The Federal Government's Role in Electric Transmission Facility Siting
- This report looks at the history of transmission siting and the reason behind the movement toward an increased federal role in siting decisions, explains the new federal role in transmission siting pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and discusses legal issues related to this and any potential future expansions of the federal role.
- Financial Risk: An Overview of Market and Policy Considerations
- This report sets out a framework for considering the issue of financial risk and its regulation. First, basic concepts and the state of the art in private risk management are discussed. Then, scenarios for financial crises that may require government intervention are explored. The next section deals with the development and the shortcomings of tools available to regulators to prevent or cope with crises. The report ends with an analysis of current trends in financial markets and their implications for risk oversight.
- The Foreign Tax Credit's Interest Allocation Rules
- This report discusses the "worldwide" allocation of interest rule, which was a provision of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-357; the Jobs Act). The provision relates to the taxation of multi-national corporations and allows more generous rules for multinationals to use in allocating interest expense for purposes of the U.S. foreign tax credit.
- Immigration: The Effects on Native-Born Workers
- This report provides a discussions of how to analyze the impact of immigrants on the pay and job opportunities of native-born workers. It then uses this framework to examine and interpret the empirical literature on the subject. The report concludes with a discussion of policy implications.
- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
- This report summarizes the debate on the government policy regarding industrial competitiveness and technological advancement and its influence on the U.S. economy. It discusses the most recent developments, dives into the background and analysis of the topic, and talks about congress' plans and a new approach.
- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy, December 28, 2000
- This report discusses contribution of technological advancement to economic growth and productivity increases. Because technology can contribute to economic growth and productivity increases, congressional interest has focused on how to augment private-sector technological development.
- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy, July 28, 2003
- This report discusses congressional interest in the pace of U.S. technological advancement due to its influence on U.S. economic growth, productivity, and international competitiveness. The proper role of the federal government in technology development and the competitiveness of U.S. industry continues to be a topic of congressional debate.
- Insurance Regulation and Competition: Background and Issues
- No Description Available.
- Insurance Regulation and Competition: Background and Issues
- No Description Available.
- Insurance Regulation: International Developments
- This report provides an overview of the international developments of the insurance regulation.
- Intercarrier Compensation: One Component of Telecom Reform
- No Description Available.
- Japan: Resale Price Maintenance
- Resale price maintenance occurs when manufacturers control the prices charged by wholesalers or retailers of their products. In Japan, such activities are prohibited, although certain exemptions are allowed. The U.S. concern over the practice is that it could allow Japanese firms to generate a secure profit base in their home market in order to finance aggressive price competition abroad.
- Job Creation in the Manufacturing Revival
- This report examines the current status of the manufacturing sector in the U.S., which is a subject of ongoing interest in Congress. After rebounding from the 2007-09 recession, U.S. manufacturing output has grown little since the second half of 2014. Over the same period, employment in the U.S. manufacturing sector has been flat. These trends defy expectations that forces such as higher labor costs in the emerging economies of Asia, heightened concern about the risk of disruptions to long, complex supply chains, and the development of inexpensive domestic supplies of natural gas would increase the relative attractiveness of the United States as a location for factory production.
- Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program: An Overview
- This report provides a brief overview of The Hollings Manufacturing Partnership (MEP), which is a program of regional centers set up to assist small and medium-sized manufacturing companies use knowledge and technologies developed under the auspices of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
- Market Dynamics and Public Policy Issues in the Video Programming Industry
- This report is to describe the market dynamics driving vertical and horizontal consolidation in the video programming industry, to show the potential benefits and harm to consumers from such consolidation, and to identify potential public policy issues that may be raised by the consolidation.
- Mining on Federal Lands
- This report includes background, analysis, and legislative activity regarding mining on federal lands. The claim-patent system, fair market value, and reform proposals are among topics discussed in this report.
- Monopoly and Monopolization - Fundamental But Separate Concepts in U.S. Antitrust Law
- This report illustrates the difference between the concepts of “monopoly” and “monopolization” by touching on the monopoly/monopolization thinking in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as illustrated in (1) statements on merger enforcement made by recent antitrust enforcement officials (generally indicative of the agencies’ concerns about competitive conditions and the effect of various market transactions), (2) the 1992 Horizontal Merger Guidelines 2 and (3) some observations on the Government actions against the Microsoft and Intel Corporations.
- Online Privacy Protection: Issues and Developments
- It is routinely acknowledged that the success of the Internet and electronic commerce depends upon the resolution of issues related to the privacy of online personal information. This paper discusses some potential threats to the privacy of online personal information, and efforts by businesses, governments, and citizens to respond to them. The paper also provides an overview of the legal framework for the protection of personal information. Individuals and businesses increasingly rely upon computers to transact business and to access the Internet. Online users may voluntarily disclose personal information, such information is often collected by Web sites for commercial purposes. The proliferation of online personal information has focused the attention of citizens, businesses, and governments on the issue.
- The Power to Regulate Commerce: Limits on Congressional Power
- This report discusses the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which provides that the Congress shall have the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
- "Price Gouging," the Antitrust Laws, and Vertical Integration in the Petroleum Industry: How They Are Related
- This report, which may be updated to further reflect congressional action, attempts to provide the antitrust context for prohibited practices, such as "price gouging"; notes prior congressional action concerning vertical divestiture in the petroleum industry; and provides information on the state "divorcement" statutes.
- Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information
- No Description Available.
- Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues
- This report details information such as history and analyses of renewable energy tax credit, budget, and electricity production issues.
- Should Banking Powers Expand into Real Estate Brokerage and Management?
- No Description Available.
- Small Business Administration Microloan Program
- The Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Microloan program provides direct loans to qualified nonprofit intermediary lenders who, in turn, provide “microloans” of up to $50,000 to small businesses and nonprofit child care centers. It also provides marketing, management, and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and potential borrowers. This report opens with a discussion of the rationale provided for having a Microloan program, describes the program’s eligibility standards and operating requirements for lenders and borrowers, and examines the arguments presented by the program’s critics and advocates. It then discusses P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which increased the Microloan program’s loan limit for borrowers from $35,000 to $50,000, and the aggregate loan limit for intermediaries after their first year of participation in the program from $3.5 million to $5 million.
- Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues
- This report provides a historical examination of the SBA's size standards and assesses competing views concerning how to define a small business. It also discusses P.L. 112-239, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which requires the SBA to make available a justification when establishing or approving a size standard that the size standard is appropriate for each individual industry classification. It addresses the SBA's recent practice of combining size standards within industrial groups as a means to reduce the complexity of its size standards and to provide greater consistency for industrial classifications that have similar economic characteristics; P.L. 114-328, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which authorizes the SBA to establish different size standards for agricultural enterprises using existing methods and appeal processes.
- Stealing Trade Secrets and Economic Espionage: An Overview of 18 U.S.C. 1831 and 1832
- Report that gives an overview of 18 U.S.C. 1832 (theft of trade secrets) and 18 U.S.C. 1831 (economic espionage). It also describes what constitutes as a stolen trade secret, and how such crimes are prosecuted.
- Stealing Trade Secrets and Economic Espionage: An Overview of 18 U.S.C. 1831 and 1832
- This report gives an overview of two federal crimes: theft of trade secrets and economic espionage. The report explains both types of offenses and their consequences.
- Steel Industry and Trade Issues
- No Description Available.
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve
- This report includes information regarding strategic petroleum reserve. Background, purchases of crude oil, and drawdown capability are among topics discussed in this report.
- Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues
- This report discusses the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program, which provides technical assistance to trade affected firms to help them develop strategies to remain competitive in a dynamic international economy.