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Evolution of the Senate's Role in the Nomination and Confirmation Process: A Brief History

Description: Over time, the Senate has developed a series of procedures to deal with the concerns of its Members on nominations. First is the custom of senatorial courtesy, whereby Senators from the same party as the President might influence a nomination or kill it by objecting to it. This tradition has not always been absolute, but it has allowed Senators to play a fairly large role, particularly in the selection of nominees within a Senator’s home state, such as for district court judgeships.
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border and Transportation Security: The Complexity of the Challenge

Description: This report uses a series of graphical presentations to form one possible framework that might assist policy makers in understanding the complex nature of border and transportation security. It is the first in a three-part series of CRS reports that make use of analytical frameworks to better understand complex problems in border and transportation security and cast them in terms that facilitate the consideration of alternative policies and practices.
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Lake, Jennifer E.; Robinson, William H. & Seghetti, Lisa M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border and Transportation Security: Selected Programs and Policies

Description: Border and Transportation Security (BTS) is a pivotal function in protecting the American people from terrorists and their instruments of destruction. This report addresses selected programs and policies now in place that seek to attain higher levels of BTS. It is the second in a three-part series of CRS reports that make use of analytical frameworks to better understand complex phenomena and cast them in terms that facilitate consideration of alternative policies and practices.
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa M.; Lake, Jennifer E. & Robinson, William H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border and Transportation Security: Possible New Directions and Policy Options

Description: There is consensus that Border and Transportation Security (BTS) is a pivotal function in protecting the American people from terrorists and their instruments of destruction. The issue for Congress is how to achieve desired levels of security, while not compromising other important values in the process. This report addresses possible new approaches and policy options that might be explored by Congress to attain these goals. It is one of three CRS reports in a series that make use of analytical… more
Date: March 29, 2005
Creator: Robinson, William H.; Lake, Jennifer E. & Seghetti, Lisa M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's Trade with the United States and the World

Description: This report provides a quantitative framework for policy considerations dealing with U.S. trade with China. It provides basic data and analysis of China’s international trade with the United States and other countries. Since Chinese data differ considerably from those of its trading partners (because of how entrepot trade through Hong Kong is counted), data from both PRC sources and those of its trading partners are presented. Charts showing import trends by sector for the United States highlig… more
Date: April 29, 2005
Creator: Lum, Thomas & Nanto, Dick K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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AIDS in Africa

Description: Sub-Saharan Africa has been far more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. The United Nations reports that 24.5 million adults and children are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 10% of the world's population but more than 64% of the worldwide total of infected people. This report discusses this issue in detail, including the cause of the African AIDS epidemic, the social and economic consequences, response and treatment, and U.S. policy.
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Copson, Raymond W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security Department: FY2006 Appropriations

Description: The annual consideration of appropriations bills by Congress is a part of a complex set of budget processes that also encompasses the consideration of budget resolutions, revenue and debt-limit legislation, other spending measures, and reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security.
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Lake, Jennifer E. & Nuñez-Neto, Blas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Chemical Facility Security

Description: Facilities handling large amounts of potentially hazardous chemical (i.e., chemical facilities) might be of interest to terrorists, either as targets for direct attacks meant to release chemicals into the community or as a source of chemicals for use elsewhere. For any individual facility, the risk is very small, but the risks may be increasing -- with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment. Congress might choose to rely on existing efforts in the public and privat… more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress

Description: As part of the 1950s-era Atoms for Peace program, the United States actively promoted nuclear energy cooperation with India from the mid-1950s, building nuclear reactors (Tarapur), providing heavy water for the CIRUS reactor, and allowing Indian scientists to study at U.S. nuclear laboratories. When other nations joined the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968, however, India refused to join the treaty on the basis that it was discriminatory. In 1974, India exploded a “peaceful” nuclea… more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Squassoni, Sharon
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Elections Reform: Overview and Issues

Description: This report discusses several issues as the Congress considers legislation to reform the voting process, a number of issues have emerged as part of the debate: the reliability of different types of voting technologies; voting problems and irregularities in the 2000 election; problems for militaryand overseas voters; the electoral college; and early media projections of election results.
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J. & Fischer, Eric A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6) in the 109th Congress

Description: The House passed H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, on April 21, 2005 (249-183). The legislation includes a “safe harbor” provision to protect methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) refiners from product liability suits, which was retained after a close vote on an amendment to drop the language (213-219). In the 108th Congress, there was opposition to this provision in the Senate. It is unclear how its inclusion may affect Senate passage of an energy bill in the 109th Congress. House Republican… more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy-Marine Corps Amphibious and Maritime Prepositioning Ship Programs: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress

Description: As of the end of FY2004, the Navy operated 35 amphibious ships and the Military Sealift Command operated 16 maritime prepositioning force (MPF) ships for the Marine Corps. The Navy is currently building a new amphibious assault ship called LHD-8 and is also procuring new LPD-17 class amphibious ships. A total of 12 LPD-17s were originally planned, but the FY2006-FY2011 Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) proposes reducing that figure to nine, with the final two to be procured in FY2006 and FY2007.… more
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the non-insured assistance program and emergency disaster loans. In recent years, Congress frequently has made supplemental financial assistance available to farmers and ranchers on an ad-hoc basis, most notably in the form of direct crop disaster payments and emergency livestock assistance. Congress provided an e… more
Date: August 29, 2005
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kuwait: Post-Saddam Issues and U.S. Policy

Description: With the conventional military threat from Iraq reduced, Kuwait has begun breaking the longstanding political deadlock over leadership and political and economic reform. However, Kuwaiti leaders are facing a new set of concerns posed by continuing instability in Iraq. This report will be updated periodically. See also CRS Report RL31533, The Persian Gulf States: Post-War Issues for U.S. Policy, 2004.
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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USA PATRIOT Act Sunset: A Sketch

Description: Several sections of Title II of the USA PATRIOT Act (the act) and one section of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, each relating to enhanced foreign intelligence and law enforcement surveillance authority, expire on December 31, 2005, unless they are extended. Thereafter, the authority remains in effect only as it relates to foreign intelligence investigations began before sunset or to offenses or potential offenses began or occurring before that date. The temporary provisio… more
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Passenger Rail Security: Overview of Issues

Description: The July 2005 bombings of transit trains in London again demonstrated the vulnerability of passenger rail systems to a terrorist attacks. The number of riders and access points makes it impractical to subject all rail passengers to the type of screening airline passengers undergo. Nevertheless, steps can be taken to reduce the risks of an attack.
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Peterman, David Randall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Andean-U.S. Free-Trade Agreement Negotiations

Description: In November 2003, the Bush Administration announced that it intended to begin negotiations on a free-trade agreement (FTA) with these nations, which would reduce and eliminate foreign barriers to trade and investment, support democracy, and fight drug activity. This report briefly discusses this announcement, as well as the major issues and concerns relating to negotiation, and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), the FTA's predecessor.
Date: June 29, 2005
Creator: Sek, Lenore
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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