House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction (open access)

House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction

This report briefly outlines the background of ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives, including the creation of both the Select Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The report also focuses on various jurisdictional and procedural changes that the committee has experienced since 1967 and discusses the committee's current jurisdiction and procedures.
Date: August 2, 2010
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies (open access)

Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

This list of about 150 congressional liaison offices is 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: August 19, 2010
Creator: Crane-Hirsch, Audrey Celeste
System: The UNT Digital Library
The EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and Its Implications for the United States (open access)

The EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and Its Implications for the United States

This report is designed to shed some light on the KOREU FTA for Congress.4 It briefly reviews EU-South Korean economic ties and the respective EU and South Korean objectives regarding the KOREU FTA. It then discusses the KOREU FTA in general and examines some of its major provisions in more detail, with special focus on autos and some other manufacturing sectors, agriculture, services, and labor-areas of particular interest to U.S. policymakers and the U.S. business community. The report does not attempt to determine if one FTA is better than the other. Finally, the report analyzes the prospects for the KOREU FTA and the agreement's potential implications for the United States.
Date: August 16, 2011
Creator: Cooper, William H.; Jurenas, Remy; Platzer, Michaela D. & Manyin, Mark E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2012 Budget and Appropriations (open access)

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2012 Budget and Appropriations

This report focuses on the $59.65 billion requested for programs and activities funded through the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill, which excludes some portions of the International Affairs request such as certain commissions and foreign food aid requested as part of other budget functions.
Date: August 4, 2011
Creator: Epstein, Susan B. & Lawson, Marian Leonardo
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Medical Care: FY2012 Appropriations (open access)

Veterans' Medical Care: FY2012 Appropriations

This report focuses on the VHA. The VHA is primarily a direct service provider of primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services to veterans through the nation's largest integrated health care system. Veterans generally must enroll in the VA health care system to receive medical care. Eligibility for enrollment is based primarily on previous military service, disability, and income. VA provides free inpatient and outpatient medical care to veterans for service-connected conditions and to low-income veterans for nonservice-connected conditions.
Date: August 1, 2011
Creator: Panangala, Sidath Viranga
System: The UNT Digital Library
MEMORANDUM: Preliminary assessment of efficiency initiatives announced by Secretary of Defense Gates on August 9, 2010 (open access)

MEMORANDUM: Preliminary assessment of efficiency initiatives announced by Secretary of Defense Gates on August 9, 2010

On August 9, 2010, Secretary of Defense Gates announced a number of efficiency initiatives intended to contribute to a Defense Department effort to achieve about $100 billion of savings over the next five years. The Defense Department's intent is not to reduce the defense "top line" budget, but, rather, to apply any savings to finance currently planned programs. This report contains an order-of-magnitude analysis of amounts of money currently spent in each of the major areas Secretary Gates identified for savings.
Date: August 12, 2010
Creator: Daggett, Stephen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pages of the United States Congress: History, Background Information, and Program Administration (open access)

Pages of the United States Congress: History, Background Information, and Program Administration

For more than 180 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States Congress. Several incumbent and former Members of Congress as well as other prominent Americans have served as congressional pages. This report takes a look at the history and current status of Congressional pages. It also details how a student can apply to be a page, and what factors lead to a successful application.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues (open access)

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues

As global economic competition heightens, many firms and workers face difficult adjustment problems. Congress has responded to these adjustment costs by authorizing four trade adjustment assistance (TAA) programs to assist trade-impacted workers, firms, farmers, and communities. This report discusses the TAA program for firms (TAAF). The TAAF program provides technical assistance to trade-affected firms to help them develop strategies and make other adjustments to remain competitive in the changing international economy.
Date: August 19, 2011
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Background and Congressional Options (open access)

A Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Background and Congressional Options

This report provides an overview of the issues and options that have been raised during prior consideration of proposals for an amendment to the constitution regarding the balancing of the U.S. government.
Date: August 3, 2011
Creator: Saturno, James V. & Lynch, Megan Suzanne
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: August 11, 2011
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F. & Rover, Laine Elise
System: The UNT Digital Library
Standard & Poor's Downgrade of U.S. Government Long-Term Debt (open access)

Standard & Poor's Downgrade of U.S. Government Long-Term Debt

This report discusses the lowering of the U.S. government debt credit rating by Standard & Poor's (S&P) on August 5, 2011. It discusses the reasons behind the lowered credit rating and implications for the U.S. economy, other debt markets, and banking regulations.
Date: August 9, 2011
Creator: Jickling, Mark
System: The UNT Digital Library
The National Guard State Partnership Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress (open access)

The National Guard State Partnership Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

This report traces the origin and development of the State Partnership Program (SPP), which is a Department of Defense (DOD) security cooperation program run by the National Guard; summarizes its unique aspects; and outlines its statutory basis, funding mechanisms, organization, and activities. It details recent legislative and executive branch actions. It also explores issues that may merit congressional attention and provides options for policymakers who may be interested in modifying the program.
Date: August 15, 2011
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Serafino, Nina M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Corps Fiscal Challenges: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Army Corps Fiscal Challenges: Frequently Asked Questions

This report looks at issues in funding all of the Army Corps requests for the fiscal year. The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for much of the federal water resources infrastructure in the United States. The Corps is faced with more demands for building and maintaining its projects than available federal funding allows. At issue for Congress is deciding how to tackle Corps fiscal challenges during a tight fiscal climate and under earmark moratoriums.
Date: August 18, 2011
Creator: Carter, Nicole T. & Stern, Charles V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Primer on Major Disasters and Emergencies (open access)

Congressional Primer on Major Disasters and Emergencies

This report covers the role of the government in disaster management. While the disaster response and recovery process is fundamentally a relationship between the federal government and the requesting state government, there are roles for congressional offices to play in providing information to the federal/state response and recovery teams in their respective states and districts. Congressional offices also serve as a valuable source of accurate and timely information to their constituents.
Date: August 31, 2011
Creator: McCarthy, Francis X. & Brown, Jared T.
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: August 3, 2011
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
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: August 8, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Corps of Engineers Water Resource Projects: Authorization and Appropriations (open access)

Army Corps of Engineers Water Resource Projects: Authorization and Appropriations

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attracts congressional attention because its projects can have significant local and regional economic benefits and environmental effects, in addition to their water resource development purposes. This report provides an overview of the Corps civil works program. It covers the congressional authorization and appropriation process, the standard project development process, and other Corps activities and authorities. It also includes an Appendix on the evolution of Corps civil works missions and authorities and a description of the limits on the Corps' role in levee accreditation and improvements for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Date: August 19, 2011
Creator: Carter, Nicole T. & Stern, Charles V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation: The Mérida Initiative and Beyond (open access)

U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation: The Mérida Initiative and Beyond

Increasing violence perpetrated by drug trafficking organizations and other criminal groups is threatening citizen security and governance in Mexico. Escalating violence has increased U.S. concerns about stability in Mexico, a key political and economic ally, and about the possibility of violence spilling over into the United States. In recent years, U.S.-Mexican security cooperation has increased significantly, largely as a result of the development and implementation of the Mérida Initiative, a counterdrug and anticrime assistance package for Mexico and Central America that was first proposed in October 2007. This report looks at the funding and Congressional oversight for this Initiative.
Date: August 15, 2011
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare & Finklea, Kristin M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Central America Regional Security Initiative: Background and Policy Issues for Congress (open access)

Central America Regional Security Initiative: Background and Policy Issues for Congress

This report examines the extent of the security problems in Central America, the current efforts being undertaken by Central American governments to address them, and U.S. support for Central American efforts through the Central America Regional Security Initiative. It also raises potential policy issues for congressional consideration such as funding levels, human rights concerns, and how CARSI relates to other U.S. government policies.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Meyer, Peter J. & Ribando Seelke, Clare
System: The UNT Digital Library
Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent Practices (open access)

Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent Practices

This report discusses Omnibus appropriations acts, which have become a significant feature of the legislative process in recent years as Congress and the President have used them more frequently to bring action on the regular appropriations cycle to a close. Following a discussion of pertinent background information, this report reviews the recent enactment of such measures and briefly addresses several issues raised by their use.
Date: August 25, 2010
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
Egypt in Transition (open access)

Egypt in Transition

This report provides a brief overview of the transition underway after the resignation of Egyption president, Hosni Mubarak, as well as information on U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. U.S. policy toward Egypt has long been framed as an investment in regional stability, however, U.S. policy makers are now grappling with complex questions about the future of U.S.-Egypt relations.
Date: August 23, 2011
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress

This report focuses on the implications that certain elements of China's military modernization may have for future required U.S. Navy capabilities. The issue for Congress addressed in this report is: How should China's military modernization be factored into decisions about U.S. Navy programs? Congress's decisions on this issue could significantly affect future U.S. Navy capabilities, U.S. Navy funding requirements, and the U.S. defense industrial base, including the shipbuilding industry.
Date: August 26, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal (open access)

Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal

This report looks at the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), Yucca Mountain, and the Obama Administration's de-funding of Yucca Mountain. Federal policy is based on the premise that nuclear waste can be disposed of safely, but proposed storage and disposal facilities have frequently been challenged on safety, health, and environmental grounds. Most of the current debate surrounding civilian radioactive waste focuses on highly radioactive spent fuel from nuclear power plants.
Date: August 30, 2011
Creator: Holt, Mark
System: The UNT Digital Library
China-U.S. Trade Issues (open access)

China-U.S. Trade Issues

This report discusses the U.S.-China economic relationship and China's rapid expansion as a global economic market, both with respect to the current global economic crisis. It also examines major U.S.-China trade issues and related legislation.
Date: August 29, 2011
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
System: The UNT Digital Library