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Clean Power Plan: Legal Background and Pending Litigation in West Virginia v. EPA

Description: This report provides legal background on the Clean Power Plan rule (CPP) to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), its Clean Air Act (CAA) framework under Section 111, and climate-related lawsuits that have preceded the present litigation over the CPP. It then gives an overview of the participants in the current litigation, including two groups of Members of Congress, who have offered briefs in support of the petitioners and the respondents, respectively. This report explains the major … more
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Wyatt, Alexandra M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues

Description: This report begins with a brief discussion of relevant portions of the U.S. corporate income tax system before examining how inversions were commonly structured. It then looks at how Congress and the Department of the Treasury have reduced the benefits of inversions, and concludes with an examination of methods that remain to invert and policy options available to prevent or limit these inversions.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Marples, Donald J. & Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dominican Republic: Update on Citizenship and Humanitarian Issues

Description: This report briefly examines social issues in the Dominican Republic regarding the treatment of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare & Margesson, Rhoda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Judge Merrick Garland: His Jurisprudence and Potential Impact on the Supreme Court

Description: This report provides an overview of Judge Garland's jurisprudence and discusses what the impact on the Court might be if he, or a judge of a similar judicial approach, were to be confirmed to succeed Justice Scalia. The report begins with his views on two overarching issues -- the role of the judiciary and statutory interpretation -- it then addresses 14 separate areas of law, which are arranged in alphabetical order from "administrative law" to "takings."
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Nolan, Andrew; Manuel, Kate M. & Murrill, Brandon J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Options for Financing Water Infrastructure

Description: This report discusses several options considered by Congress to address the financing needs of local communities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects and to decrease or close the gap between available funds and projected needs. It provides an overview of six options that are reflected in recent legislative proposals, including their budgetary implications.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Copeland, Claudia; Maguire, Steven & Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on maritime territorial and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) disputes in the East China (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS) involving China, with a focus on how these disputes may affect U.S. strategic and policy interests.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Congress

Description: The first section of this report provides an overview of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced "Reggie") cap-and-trade program and the participating RGGI states. The subsequent sections discuss selected issues raised by RGGI that may be of interest to Congress. The final section provides some final observations that may be instructive to policymakers.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): A Primer

Description: This report describes the primary features of two common retirement savings accounts that are available to individuals: traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). In response to concerns over the adequacy of retirement savings, Congress has created incentives to encourage individuals to save more for retirement through a variety of retirement plans. Some retirement plans are employer-sponsored, such as 401(k) plans, and others are established by individual employees, such as I… more
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Topoleski, John J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy

Description: This report provides an overview of the situation in Ukraine. Following the February 2014 collapse of the Kremlin-supported government of President Viktor Yanukovych, there was an emergence of a pro-Western, pro-reform government and an energized public generally anxious to lessen Moscow's influence, committed to addressing the need for serious reform and determined to draw closer to Europe and the United States.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Morelli, Vincent L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy

Description: This report provides an overview of the situation in Ukraine. In February 2014, the Kremlin-supported government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych collapsed. What followed the turmoil of early 2014 was the emergence of a pro-Western, pro-reform government and an energized public generally anxious to lessen Moscow's influence, committed to addressing the need for serious reform, and determined to draw closer to Europe and the United States.
Date: April 27, 2016
Creator: Morelli, Vincent L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The First Responder Network (FirstNet) and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), which is a federal agency that includes private sector and other non-federal representation on its board of directors. It examines the challenges for public safety leaders and policymakers in establishing the framework for a nationwide network that meets state, local, tribal and territorial needs for robust, interoperable emergency communications.
Date: April 28, 2016
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Zika Response Funding: In Brief

Description: This report presents the Administration's request for supplemental appropriations for the Zika response. It includes sections outlining Congressional actions, the emergency supplemental appropriations request for Zika response efforts -- by both U.S. health and human services agencies and international assistance programs -- and information about unobligated Ebola response funds.
Date: April 28, 2016
Creator: Epstein, Susan B. & Lister, Sarah A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Pay: Key Questions and Answers

Description: This report uses a question and answer format to highlight key aspects of the military compensation system and to address topics of recurring congressional interest, including the following: compensation elements and rates, statutory formulas for increasing compensation elements, historical increases in basic pay, comparability with civilian pay, and additional compensation for those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Torreon, Barbara Salazar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Trump Administration's March 2017 Defense Budget Proposals: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report answers seven frequently asked questions about President Trump's defense budget proposal for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 which was made on March 16, 2017. Additional funding for overseas contingency operations and a higher defense budget are major sections of the proposal discussed.
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Towell, Pat & Williams, Lynn M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues

Description: This report provides a brief history of U.S. climate change regulation, reviews the different types of regulation and legal actions that have been pursued in the national debate over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, examines selected legal issues and next steps in related litigation, and addresses what these legal and regulatory developments mean for Congress. President Trump's Executive Order of March 28, 2017 requiring agencies to reconsider their policies related to climate change is also dis… more
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Tsang, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

Description: This report provides roll call vote data on Keystone XL Pipeline legislation identified by CRS using CQ.com's Roll Call Vote Report database as well as the Congress.gov legislative database. Roll call votes listed in the tables are broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation--substantive votes (i.e., votes on amendments or passage of bills) versus procedural votes (e.g., votes to recommit the bill to a committee or to provide for the consideration of a bill). Votes are also listed… more
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Transportation (DOT): Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations

Description: This report outlines the Department of Transportation's (DOT) appropriations for fiscal year 2017 and highlights selected areas of funding such as intercity passenger rail, Highway trust funding solvency, TIGER grants, and Essential Air Service (EAS).
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Peterman, David Randall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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FirstNet's Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network Moves Forward

Description: This report discusses FirstNet's announcement of a partnership with AT&T to build a dedicated wireless broadband network for use by public safety agencies which will allow first responders during an emergency to share information with other public safety departments and have a dedicated internet connection for emergency communication.
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Update to "Smith v. Obama": A Servicemember's Legal Challenge to the Campaign Against the Islamic State

Description: This report discusses a case which was brought by Army Captain Nathan Smith against President Barack Obama in 2016, arguing that President Obama had no authority to be conducting the campaign against the Islamic State because no Congressional approval had been given. The case was dismissed in Nov. 2016 but he has appealed the dismissal of the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD): Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the fiscal year 2017 appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and related agencies. Comparisons between previous and current funding levels and cuts proposed by the Trump Administration are also discussed.
Date: April 5, 2017
Creator: McCarty, Maggie & Peterman, David Randall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Disaster Assistance: The National Flood Insurance Program and Other Federal Disaster Assistance Programs Available to Individuals and Households After a Flood

Description: This report provides an overview of the government assistance available to individuals and households following a flood and provides links to more comprehensive guidance on both flood insurance and disaster assistance.
Date: April 6, 2017
Creator: Horn, Diane P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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