UNT Libraries Government Documents Department - 18,354 Matching Results

Search Results

open access

Agricultural Trade in a U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

Description: As part of its overall trade strategy, the Bush Administration over the last year began negotiating bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreements with four regional blocs or countries. Negotiations on a U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) involving Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua began in late January 2003 and are currently scheduled to conclude this December. While negotiators have reportedly made progress in a number of areas, efforts to formulate a fra… more
Date: October 31, 2003
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
open access

Farm "Counter-Cyclical Assistance"

Description: This report discusses recently approved legislation reauthorizing major farm income and commodity price support programs through crop year 2007. This legislation includes new “counter-cyclical assistance” programs for grains, cotton, oilseeds, peanuts, and milk. The intent of counter-cyclical assistance is to provide more government support when farm prices and/or incomes decline, and less support when they improve. In fact, farmers have, for many years, been eligible for various forms of coun… more
Date: May 31, 2002
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S. & Womach, Jasper
open access

Global Climate Change Treaty: The Kyoto Protocol

Description: Negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were completed December 11, 1997, committing the industrialized nations to specified, legally binding reductions in emissions of six "greenhouse gases." This report discusses the major provisions of the Kyoto Protocol.
Date: July 31, 1998
Creator: Fletcher, Susan R.
open access

Norwegian Commercial Whaling: Issues for Congress

Description: On May 16, 1996, 23 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Clinton expressing their concern over Norway's announcement that it intended to permit its whalers to kill as many as 425 minke whales that year. The co-signers urged the President "to take decisive action to prevent Norway from resuming its illicit whale harvesting," including the possible use of economic sanctions. For its 1997 hunt, Norway has increased its quota to 580 animals.
Date: December 31, 1996
Creator: Ek, Carl
open access

Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses issues debated in the 107th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including signi… more
Date: July 31, 2003
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne & Baldwin, Pamela
open access

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 105-178): An Overview of Environmental Protection Provisions

Description: On June 9, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21, P.L. 105-178). The law authorizes a total of $218 billion for federal highway and mass transit programs from FY1998 to FY2003 and sets aside roughly $12.4 billion for several environmental programs. It authorizes a total of $8.1 billion from FY1998 to FY2003
Date: July 31, 1998
Creator: Bearden, David M.
open access

The National Debt: Who Bears Its Burden?

Description: This report discusses the burden of a national debt, the view among economists, the federal budget deficits, and the financial burden that future generations will inherit, a larger privately owned capital stock and a higher level of income.
Date: January 31, 2002
Creator: Labonte, Marc & Makinen, Gail
open access

The Tobacco Settlement: An Overview

Description: On June 20, a group of state attorneys general, plaintiffs' lawyers, public health advocates, and lawyers representing cigarette manufacturers announced an historic settlement that would restructure the tobacco industry and revolutionize the nation's tobacco control efforts. The proposed settlement is currently under congressional consideration, and would require legislation and the President's approval before taking effect
Date: July 31, 1997
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen
open access

Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes

Description: State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (33.6%) of their total tax revenue - or approximately $179 billion in FY2002 .' Local governments derived 12.4% of their tax revenue or $44 .1 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY20012 Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product's retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by the vendor if the vendor does not have ne… more
Date: March 31, 2004
Creator: Maguire, Steven
open access

Association Health Plans, Health Marts and the Small Group Market for Health Insurance

Description: An estimated 41.2 million people were without health insurance in 2001. Legislation under consideration by the 108th and earlier Congresses is intended to assist small employers in offering health insurance as a benefit to their workers. A new bill, H.R. 4281, introduced on May 5, 2004, The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 (H.R. 6601s. 545), and a number of bills from the earlier Congresses include provisions creating new groups for small firms to join or encouraging the growth of exi… more
Date: July 31, 2003
Creator: Hearne, Jean P.
open access

Child Pornography Produced Without an Actual Child: Constitutionality of 108th Congress Legislation

Description: This report analyzes the First Amendment issues raised by S. 151, 108th Congress, in the versions passed by the Senate and the House. The Senate passed the version reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (S.Rept. 108-2). The House version began as H.R. 1161, which, except for its section 10, was adopted as an amendment (Title V) to H.R. 1104, which the House passed as S. 151, the Child Abduction Prevention Act.
Date: March 31, 2003
Creator: Cohen, Henry
open access

Critical Infrastructure Information Disclosure and Homeland Security

Description: This report discusses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that was passed to ensure by statute citizen access to government information. Nine categories of information may be exempted from disclosure. Three of the nine exemptions provide possible protection against the release of critical infrastructure information: exemption 1 (national security information); exemption 3 (information exempted by statute); and exemption 4 (confidential business information). Congress has considered several pr… more
Date: August 31, 2002
Creator: Moteff, John D. & Stevens, Gina Marie
open access

Detention of American Citizens as Enemy Combatants

Description: This report provides background information regarding the cases of two U.S. citizens deemed “enemy combatants,” Yaser Esam Hamdi, who has been returned to Saudi Arabia, and Jose Padilla, who remains in military custody. A brief introduction to the law of war pertinent to the detention of different categories of individuals is offered, followed by brief analyses of the main legal precedents invoked to support the President’s actions, as well as Ex parte Milligan, which some argue supports the op… more
Date: March 31, 2005
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
open access

Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress

Description: This report provides information on the 33 Asian Pacific Americans who have served in the United States Congress from 1903 to the present, including 13 Resident Commissioners from the Philippine Islands. These Resident Commissioners served from 1907-1946 while the Philippines were a U.S. territory and commonwealth (all were Philippine born). Information on Members and territorial delegates includes party affiliations, length and dates of service, and committee assignments.
Date: July 31, 2003
Creator: Tong, Lorraine H.
open access

Fast Track for Trade Agreements: Procedural Controls for Congress and Proposed Alternatives

Description: This report discusses the fast track trade procedures in the Trade Act of 1974 operate as procedural rules of the House and Senate, and the statute itself declares them to be enacted as an exercise of the constitutional authority of each house to determine its own rules. These procedures prevent Congress from altering an implementing bill or declining to act, but permit it to enact or reject the bill. By these means Congress retains authority to legislate in the areas covered, yet affords the P… more
Date: October 31, 1997
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
open access

Congressional Budget Actions in 2002

Description: During the second session of the 107th Congress, the House and Senate will consider many different budgetary measures. Most of these measures will pertain to FY2003 (which will begin on October 1, 2002) and beyond, but some may make adjustments to the budget for FY2002. As the congressional session progresses, this issue brief will describe House and Senate action on major budgetary legislation within the framework of the congressional budget process and other procedural requirements.
Date: December 31, 2002
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Back to Top of Screen