Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions

This report is written in response to frequently asked questions about military funeral honors and military cemeteries. It provides information on the eligibility criteria, required components of the honor detail, and the funeral ceremony. It also cites legislation that mandates that the Department of Defense (DOD) make military funeral honors available to every eligible veteran upon request.
Date: July 29, 2011
Creator: Torreon, Barbara Salazar
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Securing Nuclear Materials: The 2010 Summit and Issues for Congress (open access)

Securing Nuclear Materials: The 2010 Summit and Issues for Congress

Congress will continue to decide on funding for the U.S. domestic and international programs focused on nuclear material security and nuclear terrorism prevention. Congress is also likely to assess implementation of the Administration's goal to secure nuclear materials by the end of 2013. The Obama Administration's FY2011 and FY2012 congressional budget request proposed overall increases in funding for nuclear security-related accounts, with the stated purpose of ramping up programs to meet the President's four-year goal.
Date: July 18, 2011
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress (open access)

Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, began meeting July 14, 2005, and are predicting that the conference will be completed July 25. The Senate passed its version of the bill June 28, and the House passed its version April 21. The Senate and House bills are similar, but major differences exist, including the following areas: ethanol and methyl tertiary-butyl ether, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, electricity restructuring, renewable energy, climate change, tax provisions, outer continental shelf, and the siting of LNG terminals
Date: July 22, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Iraw Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight (open access)

U.S.-Iraw Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight

This report begins by discussing the historical legal framework governing U.S. military operations in Iraq. The report then provides a general background as to the contents of agreements traditionally considered Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs). Finally, the report discusses specific aspects of the SOFA, highlighting issues that may require continued congressional oversight.
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations

This report provides an overview of Lebanese politics, recent events in Lebanon, and current issues in U.S.-Lebanon relations and will be updated to reflect major developments.
Date: July 23, 2009
Creator: Addis, Casey L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress (open access)

Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, began meeting July 14, 2005, and are predicting that the conference will be completed July 25. The Senate passed its version of the bill June 28, and the House passed its version April 21. The Senate and House bills are similar, but major differences exist, including the following areas: ethanol and methyl tertiary-butyl ether, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, electricity restructuring, renewable energy, climate change, tax provisions, outer continental shelf, and the siting of LNG terminals
Date: July 22, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues For Congress (open access)

Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues For Congress

This brief 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 and efficiency of Corps-led IWTF projects.
Date: July 14, 2011
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ocean Acidification (open access)

Ocean Acidification

With increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the extent of effects on the ocean and marine resources is an increasing concern. One aspect of this issue is the ongoing process whereby seawater becomes acidified (i.e., ocean acidification) as more CO2 dissolves in it, causing hydrogen ion concentration in seawater to increase.
Date: July 2, 2009
Creator: Buck, Eugene H. & Folger, Peter
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ocean Acidification (open access)

Ocean Acidification

With increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the extent of effects on the ocean and marine resources is an increasing concern. One aspect of this issue is the ongoing process whereby seawater becomes acidified (i.e., ocean acidification) as more CO2 dissolves in it, causing hydrogen ion concentration in seawater to increase.
Date: July 2, 2009
Creator: Buck, Eugene H. & Folger, Peter
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cruise Ship Pollution: Background, Laws and Regulations, and Key Issues (open access)

Cruise Ship Pollution: Background, Laws and Regulations, and Key Issues

This report describes the several types of waste streams that cruise ships may discharge and emit. It identifies the complex body of international and domestic laws that address pollution from cruise ships. It then describes federal and state legislative activity concerning cruise ships in Alaskan waters and activities in a few other states, as well as current industry initiatives to manage cruise ship pollution.
Date: July 1, 2008
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power (open access)

Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power

This report begins with a look at the motivating factors underlying the resurgent interest in nuclear power, the nuclear power industry's current state of affairs, and the interdependence of the various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. A number of proposals have been offered that are aimed at limiting direct participation in the global nuclear fuel industry by assuring access to nuclear fuel supplies.
Date: July 1, 2009
Creator: Nikitin, M. B.; Andrews, Anthony & Holt, Mark
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. National Science Foundation: An Overview (open access)

U.S. National Science Foundation: An Overview

Report giving an overview of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has a primary responsibility to maintain the health and vitality of the U.S. academic science and engineering enterprise. In addition to ensuring the nation's supply of scientific and engineering personnel, the NSF promotes academic basic research and science and engineering education across many disciplines.
Date: July 3, 2008
Creator: Matthews, Christine M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Greenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Passed by the House of Representatives (open access)

Greenhouse Gas Legislation: Summary and Analysis of H.R. 2454 as Passed by the House of Representatives

This report offers an introduction and overview of legislation regarding greenhouse gases. It also discusses combined efficiency and renewable electricity standard, geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, vehicles and fuels, smart grid, energy efficiency, and major cap-and-trade provisions.
Date: July 27, 2009
Creator: Holt, Mark & Whitney, Gene
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
America Competes 2010: FY2012 Funding and FY2008-FY2011 Funding Summary (open access)

America Competes 2010: FY2012 Funding and FY2008-FY2011 Funding Summary

This report discusses how funding affects the America COMPETES program, and subsequently U.S. interests in R&D in STEM disciplines.
Date: July 8, 2011
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Its Role in U.S. Trade Policy (open access)

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Its Role in U.S. Trade Policy

This report looks at the background of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which was created by Congress. It then discusses how the 112th Congress is considering legislative action to extend the TAA - including two issues: how necessary or appropriate the extension is, and whether or not three proposed bills should be voted upon separately.
Date: July 19, 2011
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F. & Rover, Laine Elise
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Treasury Securities and the U.S. Sovereign Credit Default Swap Market (open access)

Treasury Securities and the U.S. Sovereign Credit Default Swap Market

This report explains how the sovereign credit default swap (CDS) market works and how such CDS price trends may illuminate fiscal stresses facing sovereign governments. Although CDS prices may be imperfect measures of the federal government's fiscal condition, some investors may try to glean information from those price trends. CDS prices have been playing an important role in the European government debt markets and could potentially affect U.S debt markets in the future. European policymakers have debated certain restrictions on types of sovereign CDS trading, and such calls for reform may be of interest to U.S. lawmakers.
Date: July 25, 2011
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Miller, Rena S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
FEMA's Community Disaster Loan Program: History, Analysis, and Issues for Congress (open access)

FEMA's Community Disaster Loan Program: History, Analysis, and Issues for Congress

This report compares and analyzes three different categories of loans issued in different time periods in the program's history: "traditional" loans issued between 1974 and 2005, in 2007, and between 2009 and 2011 (TCDLs); "special" (SCDLs) loans issued in 2005-2006 following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and loans issued under unique provisions in 2008 (2008 CDLs).
Date: July 3, 2012
Creator: Brown, Jared T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources (open access)

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources

This report provides links to selected authoritative resources related to cybersecurity issues, including: legislation, hearings in the 112th Congress, data and statistics, and cybersecurity glossaries.
Date: July 3, 2012
Creator: Tehan, Rita
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations (open access)

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations

This report discusses federal government funding for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
Date: July 5, 2012
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases (open access)

The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: July 1, 2011
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mexico's Free Trade Agreements (open access)

Mexico's Free Trade Agreements

In the 112th Congress, issues of concern related to the trade and economic relationship with Mexico have involved mostly economic conditions in Mexico, issues related to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the effect of NAFTA, and Mexican migration to the United States. This report provides an overview of Mexico's free trade agreements, its motivations for trade liberalization and entering into free trade agreements, and some of the issues Mexico faces in addressing its economic challenges.
Date: July 3, 2012
Creator: Villarreal, M. Angeles
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

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. Congressional readers with questions about an issue discussed in this report should contact the author or authors of the section discussing that issue. The authors are identified by footnote at the start of each section.
Date: July 21, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

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. Congressional readers with questions about an issue discussed in this report should contact the author or authors of the section discussing that issue. The authors are identified by footnote at the start of each section.
Date: July 7, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues (open access)

Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues

Prompt global strike (PGS) would allow the United States to strike targets anywhere on Earth with conventional weapons in as little as an hour. This report looks at some concerns that Congress has shown for the PGS program, including the Department of Defenses' rationale for the mission, the Air Force's ability to set up the system in a timely manner, and how the new START Treaty between the US and Russia will affect the system.
Date: July 6, 2012
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library