Volkswagen, Defeat Devices, and the Clean Air Act: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Volkswagen, Defeat Devices, and the Clean Air Act: Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides answers to a series of frequently asked questions focusing on a description of modern diesel technologies, their market and emissions profiles, and some potential reasons that could underlie the use of defeat devices. It summarizes the specific allegations filed against VW under the Clean Air Act, the current status of federal and state investigations, and the potential civil and criminal penalties. Further, the report introduces several outstanding issues currently under debate regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) resources and activities, and issues surrounding VW's defeat device.
Date: February 10, 2016
Creator: Canis, Bill; Lattanzio, Richard K.; Vann, Adam & Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management (open access)

Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management

This report describes statutory requirements for allocating congressional nominations to service academies. It also identifies the qualifications that must be met by potential nominees, as established by statute and each academy. Finally, sample documents that could be used by congressional offices at various stages of the nomination selection process are included.
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: Petersen, R. E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing: Policy Options (open access)

Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing: Policy Options

This report begins by explaining Buy America restrictions in more detail; how Buy America comports with international trade agreements that generally forbid procurement restrictions favoring domestic products; and how a relatively new Buy America-like provision may require imports of materials on federally funded transportation projects to be carried on U.S. -flag ships.
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: Platzer, Michaela D. & Mallett, William J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Expedited Removal Authority for VA Senior Executives (38 U.S.C. § 713): Selected Legal Issues (open access)

Expedited Removal Authority for VA Senior Executives (38 U.S.C. § 713): Selected Legal Issues

This report discusses selected legal issues relating to the authority for summary removal of individuals in senior executive positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: Nicola, Thomas J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2016 (open access)

Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2016

This report begins with a discussion of the overall level of the President's FY2016 R&D request, followed by analyses of the R&D funding request from a variety of perspectives. The report concludes with discussion and analysis of the R&D budget requests of selected federal departments and agencies.
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program. 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: November 10, 2015
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Temporarily Filling Presidentially Appointed, Senate-Confirmed Positions (open access)

Temporarily Filling Presidentially Appointed, Senate-Confirmed Positions

This report examines several authorities by which a vacant presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position can be filled temporarily without going through the Senate confirmation process..
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments (open access)

U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments

None
Date: November 10, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies (open access)

Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

This report is a list of about 200 congressional liaison offices, intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. In each case, the information was supplied by the agency itself and is current as of the date of publication. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Crane-Hirsch, Audrey C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive (open access)

Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive

This report provides a brief overview of the history of the negotiations between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, a review of the negotiations since 2008, and a description of some of the issues involved in the talks.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Morelli, Vincent L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices (open access)

Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices

This report is intended to provide an overview of on-farm irrigation and does not cover storage and conveyance prior to the farm or how irrigation adoption may alter other farm practices, such as the use of fertilizers and pesticides or impacts off-farm (e.g., groundwater and surface water quality concerns).
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Stubbs, Megan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations

This report provides an overview of Jordanian politics and current issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations. It provides a brief discussion of Jordan's government and economy and of its cooperation with U.S. policy objectives in the Middle East, including the promotion of Arab-Israeli peace.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Office of Surface Mining’s Proposed Stream Protection Rule: An Overview (open access)

The Office of Surface Mining’s Proposed Stream Protection Rule: An Overview

None
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Syrian Refugee Admissions to the United States (open access)

Syrian Refugee Admissions to the United States

This report briefly discusses issues regarding refugees fleeing from Syria. With some European countries pledging to accept increased numbers of Syrian and other asylum seekers in the face of a refugee crisis, attention is focused on the United States and its plans to admit Syrian and other refugees in FY2016 and beyond.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues (open access)

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995's (UMRA) implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirements and procedures, and assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities.
Date: September 10, 2015
Creator: Dilger, Robert J. & Beth, Richard S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
H.R. 6: The 21st Century Cures Act (open access)

H.R. 6: The 21st Century Cures Act

This report provides a brief summary of each provision of H.R. 6 as passed by the House on July 10, 2015
Date: August 10, 2015
Creator: Johnson, Judith A.; Thaul, Susan & Bagalman, Erin
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Hearings: Witness Testimony (open access)

House Committee Hearings: Witness Testimony

This report briefly discusses the witness testimony process in House of Representatives committee hearings. Witnesses before House committees must generally file advance copies of their written testimony with the committee and then limit their oral testimony to brief summaries (Rule XI, clause 2(g)(5)). A question-and-answer period usually follows a witness's opening statement. Following hearings, committees usually publish the transcripts of witness testimony and questioning.
Date: August 10, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Financial Status: In Brief (open access)

Medicare Financial Status: In Brief

This report provides an overview on Medicare, discussing its various components and sources of funding. The report also examines projections for spending within the program.
Date: August 10, 2015
Creator: Davis, Patricia A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and presents potential issues for Congress concerning the Navy's ship force-structure goals and shipbuilding plans. The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years.
Date: August 10, 2015
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Types of Committee Hearings (open access)

Types of Committee Hearings

This report describes the four types of congressional committee hearings: legislative, oversight, investigative, and confirmation. Hearings may be held on Capitol Hill or elsewhere (e.g., a committee member's district or state, or a site related to the subject of the hearing). These latter hearings are often referred to as field hearings.
Date: August 10, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries (open access)

Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries

This report discusses policies regarding the display of the Confederate Flag at national cemeteries. If a state observes a Confederate Memorial Day, NPS cemeteries in the state may permit a sponsoring group to decorate the graves of Confederate veterans with small Confederate flags. Additionally, according to the National Park Service (NPS) reference manual, such flags may also be displayed on the nationally observed Memorial Day, to accompany the U.S. flag on the graves of Confederate veterans.
Date: July 10, 2015
Creator: Comay, Laura B. & Torreon, Barbara Salazar
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations with Cuba (open access)

Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations with Cuba

This report discusses the decision to reestablish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and to reopen embassies in their respective capitals (announced July 1, 2015). It briefly describes the U.S.'s new policy approach towards Cuba and the congressional response to the changes.
Date: July 10, 2015
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P. & Tiersky, Alex
System: The UNT Digital Library
State and Local "Sanctuary" Policies Limiting Participation in Immigration Enforcement (open access)

State and Local "Sanctuary" Policies Limiting Participation in Immigration Enforcement

This report discusses legal issues related to state and local measures that limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The report begins by providing a brief overview of the constitutional principles informing the relationship between federal immigration authorities and state and local jurisdictions, including the federal government's power to preempt state and local activities under the Supremacy Clause, and the Tenth Amendment's proscription against Congress directly "commandeering" the states to administer a federally enacted regulatory scheme.
Date: July 10, 2015
Creator: Garcia, Michael J. & Manuel, Kate M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Use of the Annual Appropriations Process to Block Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (FY2011-FY2016) (open access)

Use of the Annual Appropriations Process to Block Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (FY2011-FY2016)

Congress remains deeply divided over implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health reform law enacted in March 2010. Since the ACA's enactment, lawmakers opposed to specific provisions in the ACA or the entire law have repeatedly debated its implementation and considered bills to repeal, defund, delay, or otherwise amend the law. This report summarizes the ACA-related language added to annual appropriations legislation by congressional appropriators since the ACA was signed into law.
Date: July 10, 2015
Creator: Redhead, C. S. & Cornell, Ada S.
System: The UNT Digital Library