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Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular "plug-and-fight" mission packages for countering mines, small boats, and diesel-electric submarines, particularly in littoral (i.e., near-shore) waters.
Date: August 6, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, which is carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy, and gives Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers a capability for conducting BMD operations. Congress's decisions on the Aegis BMD program could significantly affect U.S. BMD capabilities and funding requirements, and the BMD-related industrial base.
Date: August 6, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's Holdings of U.S. Securities: Implications for the U.S. Economy

Description: This report examines the importance to the U.S. economy of China's investment in U.S. securities, as well as the policy implications of its holdings for both the United States and China.
Date: August 19, 2013
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M. & Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses

Description: The report provides background information on drug cultivation, drug trafficking and the consequences of drug trade. This report discusses challenges created by the global illegal drug trade, including: undermining political and regional stability, bolstering the role and capabilities of transnational criminal organizations in the drug trade, and the burden caused by drug use an addition on local communities and economic development. In addition, this report discusses U.S. policy efforts to thw… more
Date: August 13, 2013
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal: Background Information

Description: This report discusses the Department of Defense (DOD) policy via the Defense Utilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for disposing of government equipment and supplies considered surplus or deemed unnecessary to the agency's currently designated mission. The report focuses on DRMS background, as well as the most recent DRMS policy modifications.
Date: August 22, 2013
Creator: Bailey Grasso, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carrier program. Congress's decisions on the CVN-78 program could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: August 6, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance

Description: This report has four sections. The first describes recent developments in weather and policy. The second provides an overview of the current USDA disaster assistance programs: federal crop insurance, NAP payments, and emergency disaster loans. The third section discusses the now expired disaster programs under the 2008 farm bill, specifically Supplemental Revenue, Assistance Payments Program (SURE), and four other smaller disaster programs. The fourth section briefly reviews the potential reaut… more
Date: August 29, 2013
Creator: Shields, Dennis A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Uzbekistan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests

Description: This report discusses the U.S. policy toward the Central Asia. It provides background information and most recent developments in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. U.S. objectives have included promoting free markets, democratization, human rights, energy development, and the forging of East-West and Central Asia-South Asia trade links.
Date: August 21, 2013
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy

Description: This report describes the open economy and society of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as U.S. concern over proliferation of advanced technology due to the open economy and the UAE's lax export controls. It discusses these issues in relation to a recently-signed U.S.-UAE civilian nuclear agreement and also provides a general description of the UAE's government and political structure, as well as the effects of the recent global economic downturn on the UAE in general and on the city of D… more
Date: August 20, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Europe's Energy Security: Options and Challenges to Natural Gas Supply Diversification

Description: This report focuses on potential approaches that Europe might employ to diversify its sources of natural gas supply, Russia's role in Europe's natural gas policies, and key factors that could hinder efforts to develop alternative suppliers of natural gas. The report assesses the potential suppliers of natural gas to Europe and the short- to medium-term hurdles needed to be overcome for those suppliers to be credible, long-term providers of natural gas to Europe. The report looks at North Africa… more
Date: August 20, 2013
Creator: Ratner, Michael; Belkin, Paul; Nichol, Jim & Woehrel, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration Provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Description: This report describes how the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) immigration provisions work in practice. It discusses legislation passed in the 113th Congress that expanded protections under VAWA, including the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 11/S. 47) and the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). The report then discusses selected related policy issues and how they were addressed by legislation in the 113th Congress. The rep… more
Date: August 9, 2013
Creator: Kandel, William A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources

Description: This report provides links to cybersecurity hearings and legislation under consideration in the 113th Congress and those considered in the 112th Congress, as well as executive orders and presidential directives, data and statistics, glossaries, and authoritative reports.
Date: August 16, 2013
Creator: Tehan, Rita
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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SEC Climate Change Disclosure Guidance: An Overview and Congressional Concerns

Description: This report briefly describes the Guidance; provides opposing views on the Guidance, including past congressional legislation; summarizes a study on potential corporate costs and benefits of implementing the Guidance; and examines the impact of the Guidance from the perspectives of investors, corporations, and finance professionals.
Date: August 26, 2013
Creator: Shorter, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Japan Joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership: What Are the Implications?

Description: This report provides an overview of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and discusses Japans negotiations of becoming a member of this organization. The report discusses U.S.-Japan economic ties, overall U.S. objectives, Japan's objectives, Japanese politics and the TPP, possible outcomes and consequences.
Date: August 13, 2013
Creator: Cooper, William H. & Manyin, Mark E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): An Overview

Description: This report discusses the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), as amended, is intended to help employees balance work and family life. The act provides eligible employees with two types of job-protected leave: regular leave and military family leave. In turn, military family leave consists of qualifying exigency leave and military caregiver leave.
Date: August 5, 2013
Creator: Mayer, Gerald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress

Description: Report that presents policy and oversight issues for Congress arising from maritime territorial disputes involving China in the South China Sea (SCS), East China Sea (ECS), and an additional dispute over whether China has a right under international law to regulate U.S. and other foreign military activities in its maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Date: August 9, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syria's Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress

Description: Report that discusses the use or loss of control of chemical weapons stocks in Syria. It provides a brief history of the chemical weapons program in Syria and reports on the current situation of the chemical weapons program.
Date: August 7, 2013
Creator: Nikitin, M. B. D.; Kerr, Paul K. & Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syria's Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides brief history of the chemical weapons program in Syria, and discusses current chemical weapons program, policy issues and cooperative threat reduction programs.
Date: August 30, 2013
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth D.; Kerr, Paul K. & Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of Arctic-related issues for Congress, and refers readers to more in-depth CRS reports on specific Arctic-related issues.
Date: August 8, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the major issues for Congress which include whether to increase inland waterway funding in the future (and by what amount); the appropriate type of revenue stream (e.g., fuel taxes or lockage fees) for the user-required portion of these projects; division of the cost-share responsibilities between the federal government and commercial users (e.g., 50/50 or some other division); and whether to initiate process-based recommendations that some argue will improve the delivery … more
Date: August 5, 2013
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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