Direct Overt U.S. Aid Appropriations for and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2015 (open access)

Direct Overt U.S. Aid Appropriations for and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2015

This report provides data regarding the direct overt U.S. aid appropriations and military reimbursements to Pakistan.
Date: March 6, 2014
Creator: Kronstadt, K. A. & Epstein, Susan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Government Assistance for GMAC/Ally Financial: Unwinding the Government Stake (open access)

Government Assistance for GMAC/Ally Financial: Unwinding the Government Stake

This report discusses the auto financing industry, particularly Ally Financial, formerly known as General Motors Acceptance Corporation or GMAC.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Webel, Baird & Canis, Bill
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Affordable Care Act and Small Business: Economic Issues (open access)

The Affordable Care Act and Small Business: Economic Issues

This report explains how employer-sponsored insurance can be used to address concerns about health insurance coverage and cost. Then, it summarizes the three ACA provisions most relevant to small businesses. Also, it analyzes these provisions for their potential effects on small businesses. Last, this report presents several approaches that could address some concerns associated with these provisions (particularly the employer penalty).
Date: February 25, 2014
Creator: Lowry, Sean & Gravelle, Jane G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy (open access)

Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy

This report looks at how free trade areas (FTAs) affect U.S. trade policy, specifically tariffs. It looks closely at the Bush Administration's Trade Promotion Policy, and pending FTAs leftover from this administration. Additionally, it looks at the Obama Administration's work in the prospective Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP).
Date: February 26, 2014
Creator: Cooper, William H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Early Release for Federal Inmates: Fact Sheet (open access)

Early Release for Federal Inmates: Fact Sheet

This report discusses ways to reduce the size of the federal prison population by reducing the amount of time inmates serve, though such measures as allowing inmates to earn credit toward their sentences for participating in rehabilitative programs.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: James, Nathan
Object Type: Report
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

This report 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: February 25, 2014
Creator: James, Nathan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Navy's irregular warfare (IW) and counterterrorism (CT) operations. The Navy's IW and CT activities pose a number of potential oversight issues for Congress, including the definition of Navy IW activities and how much emphasis to place on IW and CT activities in future Navy budgets.
Date: February 7, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Issues for Congress (open access)

The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Issues for Congress

This report provides an overview of the history of science and technology (S&T) advice to the President and discusses selected issues and options for Congress regarding the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director, OSTP management and operations, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Date: January 13, 2014
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr. & Shea, Dana A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of STEM Education Funding at the NSF: Trends and Policy Discussion (open access)

An Analysis of STEM Education Funding at the NSF: Trends and Policy Discussion

This report analyzes National Science Foundation funding trends and selected closely-related STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education policy issues to provide fiscal and policy context. It concludes with an analysis of potential policy options.
Date: January 31, 2014
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2013 (open access)

Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2013

The report contains information on the pay procedure for members of Congress and recent adjustments. It provides information on previous actions and votes by year, from 1990-2010.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Independence of Federal Financial Regulators (open access)

Independence of Federal Financial Regulators

This report discusses institutional features that make federal financial regulators (as well as other independent agencies) relatively independent from the President and Congress.
Date: February 24, 2014
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.; Labonte, Marc & Webel, Baird
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service (open access)

Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service

This report discusses unemployment compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX), which provides income support while former active duty military personnel or reservists released from active duty search for work. The report addresses funding for this service, who is entitled to UCX benefits, and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and the Extended Benefits (EB) payments, which a servicemember receives when regular unemployment benefits are exhausted.
Date: February 6, 2014
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Berry Amendment: Requiring Defense Procurement to Come from Domestic Sources (open access)

The Berry Amendment: Requiring Defense Procurement to Come from Domestic Sources

This report examines the original intent and purpose of the Berry Amendment, legislative proposals to amend the application of domestic source restrictions, and potential options for Congress.
Date: February 24, 2014
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Individual Mandate Under ACA (open access)

Individual Mandate Under ACA

This report describes the individual mandate as established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended). The report also discusses the ACA reporting requirements designed, in part, to assist individuals in providing evidence of having met the mandate.
Date: March 6, 2014
Creator: Mach, Annie L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy (open access)

Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy

This report aims to provide a snapshot of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) program, including its current funding levels and the budget request for FY2014, together with some discussion of the program's achievements and prospects for success in meeting its stated goals.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Folger, Peter
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Social Security Number: Legal Developments Affecting Its Collection, Disclosure, and Confidentiality (open access)

The Social Security Number: Legal Developments Affecting Its Collection, Disclosure, and Confidentiality

This report provides a comprehensive list of federal developments affecting use of the social security number, from 1935 to the present. This list includes federal statutes regulating the collection and disclosure of SSNs, as well as specific authorizations for the use of SSNs, confidentiality provisions, and criminal provisions relating to SSN misuse.
Date: February 4, 2014
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Lanza, Emily M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective (open access)

U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective

This report contains a series of charts and tables that depict the position of manufacturing in the United States relative to other countries according to various metrics.
Date: February 20, 2014
Creator: Levinson, Marc
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Employment for Veterans: Trends and Programs (open access)

Employment for Veterans: Trends and Programs

This report discusses veterans' employment trends and programs. The first section presents data on veterans' employment outcomes, identifying recent trends, and discussing issues to consider when interpreting veterans' employment data. The following sections present brief discussions of existing programs that provide employment-related services to veterans. These services are divided into (1) general programs that are broadly available to veterans, (2) programs that target veterans with service-connected disabilities, and (3) competitive grant programs that provide additional employment-related services to veterans but may be limited in scope or availability.
Date: February 20, 2014
Creator: Collins, Benjamin; Dilger, Robert Jay; Dortch, Cassandria; Kapp, Lawrence; Lowry, Sean & Perl, Libby
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Terrorism Risk Insurance: Issue Analysis and Overview of Current Program (open access)

Terrorism Risk Insurance: Issue Analysis and Overview of Current Program

This report looks at the background and current Congressional status of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002.
Date: March 4, 2014
Creator: Webel, Baird
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress (open access)

The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress

This report provides historical background of the United Nations Human Rights Council, including the role of the previous Commission. It discusses the Council's current mandate and structure, as well as U.S. policy and congressional actions. Finally, it highlights possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including the overall effectiveness of the Council in addressing human rights, implications for U.S. membership, and U.S. financial contributions to the Council.
Date: February 4, 2014
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drought in the United States: Causes and Current Understanding (open access)

Drought in the United States: Causes and Current Understanding

This report discusses how drought is defined (e.g., why drought in one region of the country is different from drought in another region) and why drought occurs in the United States. It briefly describes periods of drought in the country's past that equaled or exceeded drought conditions experienced during the 20th century. This is followed by a discussion of the nature and extent of recent droughts that affected Texas and the U.S. midcontinent, and the current drought in California. Lastly, the report discusses future prospects for a climate in the western United States that might be drier than the average 20th-century climate and the possible influence of human-induced climate change.
Date: February 26, 2014
Creator: Folger, Peter & Cody, Betsy A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) Negotiations (open access)

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) Negotiations

This report provides: (1) context for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations; (2) analysis of possible trade and investment issues in the negotiations; and (3) discussion of issues for Congress. The U.S.-EU negotiations on TTIP are not public, however, the information and analysis in this report on issues in the negotiations are based on publicly-available information.
Date: February 4, 2014
Creator: Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias & Jones, Vivian C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides answers to frequently asked questions about military funeral honors and military cemeteries, including 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: January 13, 2014
Creator: Torreon, Barbara Salazar
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities (open access)

Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities

This report discusses the Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are based on the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). All CSRS retirees and survivors receive COLAs. Under FERS, however, non-disabled retirees under age 62 do not receive COLAs. This report discusses cost-of-living adjustments for government retirees, as well as related legislation.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library