Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports (open access)

Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports

This report various sides of the debate related to domestic launch services, such as satellite export issues, the development of new launch vehicles by the private sector, and whether tax incentives or loan guarantees should be created for companies attempting to develop lower-cost launch vehicles.
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: Behrens, Carl E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals (open access)

Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals

This report discusses policy options for Congress regarding gas prices. The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on major energy legislation, which ended August 8 as the President signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6 (P.L. 109-58). However, prices continued to surge, spiking at the end of August when Hurricane Katrina shut down refining operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The continuing crisis renewed attention to some issues that were dropped or compromised in the debate over P.L. 109-58. A large number of factors combined to put pressure on gasoline prices, including increased world demand for crude oil and U.S. refinery capacity inadequate to supply gasoline to a recovering national economy. The war and continued violence in Iraq added uncertainty and a threat of supply disruption that added pressure particularly to the commodity futures markets.
Date: March 3, 2006
Creator: Behrens, Carl E. & Glover, Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals (open access)

Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals

This report discusses policy options for Congress regarding gas prices. The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on major energy legislation, which ended August 8 as the President signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6 (P.L. 109-58). However, prices continued to surge, spiking at the end of August when Hurricane Katrina shut down refining operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The continuing crisis renewed attention to some issues that were dropped or compromised in the debate over P.L. 109-58. A large number of factors combined to put pressure on gasoline prices, including increased world demand for crude oil and U.S. refinery capacity inadequate to supply gasoline to a recovering national economy. The war and continued violence in Iraq added uncertainty and a threat of supply disruption that added pressure particularly to the commodity futures markets.
Date: January 10, 2006
Creator: Behrens, Carl E. & Glover, Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals (open access)

Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals

This report discusses policy options for Congress regarding gas prices. The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on major energy legislation, which ended August 8 as the President signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6 (P.L. 109-58). However, prices continued to surge, spiking at the end of August when Hurricane Katrina shut down refining operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The continuing crisis renewed attention to some issues that were dropped or compromised in the debate over P.L. 109-58. A large number of factors combined to put pressure on gasoline prices, including increased world demand for crude oil and U.S. refinery capacity inadequate to supply gasoline to a recovering national economy. The war and continued violence in Iraq added uncertainty and a threat of supply disruption that added pressure particularly to the commodity futures markets.
Date: April 21, 2006
Creator: Behrens, Carl E. & Glover, Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

This report discusses legislative initiatives to address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century.
Date: February 17, 2006
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

This report discusses legislative initiatives to address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century.
Date: May 9, 2006
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

This report discusses legislative initiatives to address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century.
Date: April 10, 2006
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy (open access)

The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy

This report provides background and analysis and discusses the most recent regarding the law of the sea convention.
Date: May 12, 2006
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy (open access)

The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy

This report provides background and analysis and discusses the most recent regarding the law of the sea convention.
Date: June 16, 2006
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy (open access)

The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy

This report provides background and analysis and discusses the most recent regarding the law of the sea convention.
Date: March 28, 2006
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 109th Congress (open access)

Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 109th Congress

Fish and marine mammals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas; many federal laws and regulations guide their management. This report discusses a variety of laws and legislation pertaining to this issue.
Date: April 13, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices (open access)

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices

This report discusses various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; P.L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1543). Major issues include changing the role of science in decision-making, modifying critical habitat (CH) procedures, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection and incentives for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others.
Date: April 12, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Baldwin, Pamela & Meltz, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library
Recreation on Federal Lands (open access)

Recreation on Federal Lands

This report discuses the 109th Congress's considering legislation and conducting oversight on issues involving recreation on federal lands, including traditional recreational pursuits and newer forms of motorized recreation. The Administration is addressing these issues through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions.
Date: April 25, 2006
Creator: Calvert, Kori & Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Finance (open access)

Campaign Finance

Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, long centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed campaign funds. This report contains a summary of campaign finance, recent developments, the evolution of the current system, campaign finance practices and related issues, perceived loopholes in current law, policy options, legislative actions of the 108th and 109th Congresses, and related materials.
Date: March 31, 2006
Creator: Cantor, Joseph E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): Army Corps of Engineers Authorization Issues in the 109th Congress (open access)

Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): Army Corps of Engineers Authorization Issues in the 109th Congress

The Corps is a federal agency in the Department of Defense with military and civilian responsibilities. At the direction of Congress, the Corps plans, builds, operates, and maintains a wide range of water resources facilities in U.S. states and territories.
Date: March 13, 2006
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dairy Policy Issues (open access)

Dairy Policy Issues

This report discusses several dairy issues that have been or are being considered by the 109th Congress, some of which affect the three major federal dairy policy tools -- the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, federal milk marketing orders, and the dairy price support program.
Date: May 24, 2006
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadband Internet Regulation and Access: Background and Issues (open access)

Broadband Internet Regulation and Access: Background and Issues

This report discusses broadband Internet, examining what it is and the various technologies that allow for its transmission. Broadband or high-speed Internet access is provided by technologies that give users the ability to send and receive data at volumes and speeds far greater than access over traditional telephone lines; it also provides a continuous, "always on" connection (no need to dial-up) and a "twoway" capability, that is, the ability to both receive (download) and transmit (upload) data at high speeds.
Date: June 14, 2006
Creator: Gilroy, Angele A. & Kruger, Lennard G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Issues and Events (open access)

Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Issues and Events

This report provides a concise historical account of the dispute over softwood lumber imports from Canada, summarizes the subsidy and injury evidence, and discusses current issues and events.
Date: March 22, 2006
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests (open access)

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests

This brief focuses on several issues affecting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (FS) lands that are of interest to the 109th Congress, and does not comprehensively cover issues primarily affecting other federal lands.
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agricultural Export and Food Aid Programs (open access)

Agricultural Export and Food Aid Programs

This report discusses projected agricultural imports and exports for FY2006, as well as legislation that deals with federal programs in support of agricultural exports and federal aid dedicated to farms and agricultural reform.
Date: January 23, 2006
Creator: Hanrahan, Charles E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Climate Change (open access)

Global Climate Change

This report briefly reviews the status of climate science, international negotiations, and congressional activity focused specifically on climate change.
Date: May 12, 2006
Creator: Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Climate Change (open access)

Global Climate Change

This report briefly reviews the status of climate science, international negotiations, and congressional activity focused specifically on climate change.
Date: March 21, 2006
Creator: Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 109th Congress (open access)

Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 109th Congress

None
Date: April 10, 2006
Creator: Knezo, Genevieve J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Benefits for Health Insurance: Current Legislation (open access)

Tax Benefits for Health Insurance: Current Legislation

This report discusses a variety of potential proposals to change the tax benefits for health insurance and medical expenses, including measures that would expand the availability and attractiveness of health savings accounts (HSAs), or employer tax credits.
Date: February 6, 2006
Creator: Lyke, Bob
System: The UNT Digital Library