Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance (open access)

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.
Date: May 23, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship, in both the short and long term, and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.
Date: October 23, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agricultural Guest Workers: Legislative Activity in the 113th Congress (open access)

Agricultural Guest Workers: Legislative Activity in the 113th Congress

This report discusses the foreign temporary workers, also known as guest workers, that have long performed legal agricultural labor in the United States through different temporary worker programs.
Date: July 23, 2013
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
System: The UNT Digital Library
Air Quality: EPA's 2013 Changes to the Particulate Matter (PM) Standard (open access)

Air Quality: EPA's 2013 Changes to the Particulate Matter (PM) Standard

This report summarizes Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) January 15, 2013, final and June 2012 proposed changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and includes comparisons with previous (1997 and 2006) promulgated and proposed standards. Key actions leading up to the agency's determination, and potential issues and concerns associated with changing the Particulate Matter annual standard, are also highlighted.
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Esworthy, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions (open access)

Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions

This report discusses the opportunities for Representatives to offer floor amendments to a bill or resolution procedures by which the House considers the measure.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Schneider, Judy
System: The UNT Digital Library
America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables (open access)

America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables

This report has been updated to reflect FY2013 funding levels contained in P.L. 113-6 (Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013) and the explanatory statement published in the March 11, 2013. This report also provides selected FY2013 current or operational plan funding levels, which have been adjusted to account for the effects of sequestration and other currently known legal determinations made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that may affect the final appropriations levels.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat (open access)

American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat

This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 9/11. For this report, "homegrown" describes terrorist activity or plots perpetrated within the United States or abroad by American citizens, legal permanent residents, or visitors radicalized largely within the United States. The term "jihadist" describes radicalized individuals using Islam as an ideological and/or religious justification for their belief in the establishment of a global caliphate, or jurisdiction governed by a Muslim civil and religious leader known as a caliph. The term "violent jihadist" characterizes jihadists who have made the jump to illegally supporting, plotting, or directly engaging in violent terrorist activity.
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Bjelopera, Jerome P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Background on the Scheduled Reduction to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits (open access)

Background on the Scheduled Reduction to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits

This report discusses Background on the Scheduled Reduction to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits.
Date: October 23, 2013
Creator: Aussenberg, Randy Alison & Falk, Gene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bangladesh Apparel Factory Collapse: Background in Brief (open access)

Bangladesh Apparel Factory Collapse: Background in Brief

This report provides an overview of the recent tragedy in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh economic environment and culture. It also notes the responses to the tragedy, to date, from Congress, the Administration, the ILO, the Bangladesh government, and the private sector. Finally, it raises some possible issues for Congress.
Date: May 23, 2013
Creator: Bolle, Mary Jane
System: The UNT Digital Library
Brief History of NIH Funding: Fact Sheet (open access)

Brief History of NIH Funding: Fact Sheet

This report provides a brief history of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and figures on NIH appropriations for FY1994-FY2014.
Date: December 23, 2013
Creator: Johnson, Judith A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chemical Regulation in the European Union (EU): Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (open access)

Chemical Regulation in the European Union (EU): Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals

On June 1, 200, the European Union (EU) began to implement a new law governing chemicals in EU commerce: Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). It is intended to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals while at the same time protecting the competitiveness of European industry. This report contains information on the background, how each part of the REACH law are implemented, and related materials.
Date: October 23, 2013
Creator: Yen, Jerry H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States (open access)

China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States

Report that provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
Date: July 23, 2013
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Compounded Drugs (open access)

Compounded Drugs

This report provides background information on compounded drugs (CDs) and nontraditional compounding pharmacies relevant to policy discussions. This includes an overview of the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak; recent recalls of compounded drugs; definitions of traditional compounding and nontraditional compounding; information on the CDs produced and by whom; information on the demand for nontraditional compounding, including the role of shortages of sterile injectable drugs, hospital outsourcing, and patient and provider demand; and information on adverse events involving compounded drugs.
Date: May 23, 2013
Creator: Glassgold, Judith M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Defense Implementation of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management (open access)

Department of Defense Implementation of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management

None
Date: April 23, 2013
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney; Andrews, Anthony & Fischer, Eric A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Education Final Rules for Postsecondary Education Programs That Prepare Students for Gainful Employment in a Recognized Occupation (open access)

Department of Education Final Rules for Postsecondary Education Programs That Prepare Students for Gainful Employment in a Recognized Occupation

This report provides an overview of the Department of Education's rules on gainful employment and their current status.
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Smole, David P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Endangered Species Act and “Sound Science” (open access)

The Endangered Species Act and “Sound Science”

This report approaches the complex issues surrounding "sound science" by discussing recent controversies, the role of science in general, what science is and what it can and cannot do - as the background for assessing the adequacy of science in ESA implementation; the role of science in legal and policy ESA context; legislation to address concerns relating to ESA science
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne; Alexander, Kristina & Buck, Eugene H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview

This report provides background information on funding gaps since FY 1977, and it discusses the general practice of the federal government when a funding gap occurs.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview

This report provides background information regarding the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341 1342, 1511-1519) that generally bars the obligation of funds in the absence of appropriations. The report discusses the interval during the fiscal year when appropriations for a particular project or activity are not enacted into law, either in the form of a regular appropriations act or a continuing resolution (CR), which are referred to as a funding gap.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

None
Date: April 23, 2013
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2014 (open access)

Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2014

This report provides government-wide, multi-agency, and individual agency analyses of the President's FY2014 request as it relates to R&D and related activities.
Date: May 23, 2013
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power (open access)

Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power

This report discusses state and federal legislative power generally and focuses on a number of these "federalism" cases. The report discusses state and federal legislative power generally, and focuses on a number of these "federalism" cases.1 Issues addressed include congressional power under the Commerce Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment; limits on congressional powers, such as the Tenth Amendment; state sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment; and grant condition imposed under the Spending Clause.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Thomas, Kenneth R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation (open access)

Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation

This report begins with a discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system (which supports both federal highway and public transportation programs) and then explores possible options for financing surface transportation infrastructure.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Kirk, Robert S. & Mallett, William J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Disaster Relief: Summary and Considerations for Congress (open access)

FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Disaster Relief: Summary and Considerations for Congress

This report analyzes the Administration's request, the House-passed legislation, and the Senate position as reflected in Senate-amended H.R. 1 from the 112th Congress. (The newly constituted Senate has not taken up legislation establishing its position on the supplemental request as of the date of publication.) It includes information on legislative provisions as well as funding levels.
Date: January 23, 2013
Creator: Painter, William L. & Brown, Jared T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress (open access)

The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress

This report discusses the background of the G-20 (an international forum for discussing and coordinating economic policies) and some of the issues that it has addressed. It includes historic background on the work of the G-20, information about how the group operates, overviews of G-20 summits, major issues that the group is likely to address and the likely effectiveness of the G-20 in the near future. The members of the G-20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Date: October 23, 2013
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
System: The UNT Digital Library