Resource Type

Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out? (open access)

Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: October 21, 2013
Creator: Scott, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers (open access)

Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers

This report answers several frequently asked questions about military health care, including: how the system is structured, a TRICARE summary, TRICARE eligibility and plan options, cost of military health care to beneficiaries, relationship of TRICARE to MEDICARE, how the Affordable Care Act affects TRICARE, long-term trends of defense health care costs, and a summary of the fund which funds TRICARE.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Jansen, Don J. & Blakeley, Katherine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers (open access)

Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers

Report that answers several frequently asked questions about military health care, including: how the system is structured, a TRICARE summary, TRICARE eligibility and plan options, cost of military health care to beneficiaries, relationship of TRICARE to MEDICARE, how the Affordable Care Act affects TRICARE, long-term trends of defense health care costs, and a summary of the fund which funds TRICARE.
Date: June 19, 2013
Creator: Jansen, Don J. & Blakeley, Katherine
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

This report discusses the federal government's role in the country's information technology (IT) research and development (R&D) activities. The government's support of IT R&D began because it had an important interest in creating computers and software that would be capable of addressing the problems and issues the government needed to solve and study.
Date: October 22, 2013
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues (open access)

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues

Report that reviews the ongoing programs that will affect the expected size and shape of the U.S. strategic nuclear force structure.
Date: June 14, 2013
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues (open access)

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues

This report reviews the ongoing programs that will affect the expected size and shape of the U.S. strategic nuclear force structure. It begins with an overview of this force structure during the Cold War, and summarizes the reductions and changes that have occurred since 1991. It then offers details about each category of delivery vehicle--land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers--focusing on their current deployments and ongoing and planned modernization programs. The report concludes with a discussion of issues related to decisions about the future size and shape of the U.S. strategic nuclear force.
Date: October 22, 2013
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

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
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

Report that provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
Date: July 2, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

Report that provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
Date: July 22, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

Report that provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
Date: July 26, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

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: September 3, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

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

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: September 27, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
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, 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
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, 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: September 11, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Response Mechanisms (open access)

International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Response Mechanisms

Report that examines U.S. humanitarian assistance in international crises and disaster situations. It considers the sources and types of U.S. government aid, the response mechanisms of key U.S. agencies and departments, and possible issues for Congress--including competing aid and budget priorities, burden sharing and donor-fatigue, the transparency and efficacy of U.S. humanitarian assistance, consequences of such assistance, and potential links to broader U.S. foreign policy goals.
Date: May 24, 2013
Creator: Margesson, Rhoda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Generalized System of Preferences: Background and Renewal Debate (open access)

Generalized System of Preferences: Background and Renewal Debate

Report that presents the background of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), discusses its implementation in the U.S., and analyzes the program's effectiveness.
Date: January 9, 2013
Creator: Jones, Vivian C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Broadband Loan and Grant Programs in the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (open access)

Broadband Loan and Grant Programs in the USDA's Rural Utilities Service

Report that discusses the broadband loan and grant programs at Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that is intended to accelerate the deployment of broadband services in rural America.
Date: June 13, 2013
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research (open access)

Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research

Report that discusses: earthquake hazards and risk in the United States, federal programs that support earthquake monitoring, the U.S. capability to detect earthquakes and issue notifications and warnings, and federally supported research to improve the fundamental scientific understanding of earthquakes with a goal of reducing U.S. vulnerability.
Date: July 18, 2013
Creator: Folger, Peter
System: The UNT Digital Library
Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism (open access)

Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism

Report that provides background information regarding the prison population in the United States that has been growing steadily for more than 30 years. The report presents correctional system statistics and discusses the federal government's involvement in offender reentry programs and the Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) that was enacted on April 9, 2008.
Date: June 3, 2013
Creator: James, Nathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lobbying Registration and Disclosure: The Role of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate (open access)

Lobbying Registration and Disclosure: The Role of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate

Report that describes the role of clerk of the house and secretary of the senate. It discusses lobbying disclosure guidance document and semi-annual report of certain contributions
Date: June 20, 2013
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Report that is written in response to the Coast Guard's budget request for a new polar ice breaker, of which the Coast Guard currently has none in operation. Polar icebreakers perform a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions. Issues for Congress include what to do with decommissioned ice breakers, the impact of having no ice breakers, how to budget for new ice breakers, and how future ice breakers should be obtained.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Report that provides background information and issues for Congress on the sustainment and modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet, which performs a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions.
Date: June 6, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy (open access)

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy

Report that focuses on the international trade in terrestrial fauna, largely excluding trade in illegal plants, including timber, and fish.
Date: July 23, 2013
Creator: Wyler, L. S. & Sheikh, Pervaze A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues (open access)

The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues

This report provides an overview of nanotechnology, the National Nanotechnology Initiative, possible reauthorization of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-153), and appropriations issues.
Date: August 9, 2013
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library