Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process (open access)

Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process

This report reviews the process and procedures that currently apply to congressional consideration of foreign arms sales proposed by the President. This includes consideration of proposals to sell major defense equipment, defense articles and services, or the re-transfer to third party nations of such military items.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Grimmett, Richard F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparative Analysis of Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3962 and Senate-Passed H.R. 3590 (open access)

A Comparative Analysis of Private Health Insurance Provisions of H.R. 3962 and Senate-Passed H.R. 3590

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Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Peterson, Chris L.; Chaikind, Hinda Ripps; Fernandez, Bernadette; Morgan, Paulette C.; Mulvey, Janemarie; Newsom, Mark et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
CRS Issue Statement on Disaster Assistance and Recovery (open access)

CRS Issue Statement on Disaster Assistance and Recovery

This report discusses about specific topics about disaster assistance and recovery that might be explored by both 111th Congress and the administration. The Topics include: FEMA's Temporary Housing, Catastrophic disasters, Community Recovery Policy and FEMA staffing.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: McCarthy, Francis X.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution. January 2010 (open access)

Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution. January 2010

This report reviews the prospects of a two-state solution in the context of possible signs of progress and doubts raised in U.S., Israeli, Palestinian, and international circles.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
System: The UNT Digital Library
Noncitizen Eligibility and Verification Issues in the Health Care Reform Legislation (open access)

Noncitizen Eligibility and Verification Issues in the Health Care Reform Legislation

This report focuses on this nexus of immigration law and health care reform in the major health care reform bills that are receiving action.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
System: The UNT Digital Library
North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues (open access)

North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues

This report summarizes what is known from open sources about the North Korean nuclear weapons program -- including weapons-usable fissile material and warhead estimates -- and assesses current developments in achieving denuclearization.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) (open access)

Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)

This report looks at the background and current status of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which was formed to increase international cooperation in interdicting shipments of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority (open access)

U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority

Since shortly after the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the mid-1990s, the United States has periodically provided assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for civil security and counterterrorism purposes. This report examines this assistance and related obstacles and limitations moving forward.
Date: January 8, 2010
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Investment and National Security: Economic Considerations (open access)

Foreign Investment and National Security: Economic Considerations

This report assesses recent international developments as the leaders from a number of nations work to reach a consensus on an informal set of best practices regarding national restrictions on foreign investment for national security purposes. This report also provides one possible approach for assessing the costs and benefits involved in using national policies to direct or to restrict foreign direct investment for national security reasons.
Date: February 8, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance (open access)

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
FY2011 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability (open access)

FY2011 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability

This report provides brief descriptions of the budget volumes and related documents, together with Internet addresses, Government Printing Office (GPO) stock numbers, and prices to obtain these publications. It also tells how to find locations of government depository libraries, which can provide both printed copies for reference use and Internet access to the text.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Teefy, Jennifer
System: The UNT Digital Library
Haiti Earthquake: Crisis and Response (open access)

Haiti Earthquake: Crisis and Response

The largest earthquake ever recorded in Haiti devastated parts of the country, including the capital, on January 12, 2010. This report discusses the disaster and various responses, ranging from the Haitian government's initial response to foreign humanitarian and financial aid.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Margesson, Rhoda & Taft-Morales, Maureen
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Drug Control Policy (open access)

International Drug Control Policy

This report provides an overview of U.S. international drug control policy. It describes major international counternarcotics initiatives and evaluates the broad array of U.S. drug control policy tools currently in use. The report also considers alternative counterdrug policy approaches to current initiatives and raises several counterdrug policy issues and considerations for policy makers.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Options After Citizens United v. FEC: Constitutional and Legal Issues (open access)

Legislative Options After Citizens United v. FEC: Constitutional and Legal Issues

This report provides a background on legislative options after Citizens United v. FEC. The report discusses increased disclaimer requirements, disclosure of donors to organizations, restrictions on foreign-owned corporations, and taxation of corporate campaign-related expenditures.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige; Lunder, Erika K.; Manuel, Kate M.; Maskell, Jack & Seitzinger, Michael V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions (open access)

The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions

This report frames potential policy questions concerning the U.S. Secret Service's (USSS's) mission and organization through an examination of the USSS history and its statutory authorities, mission, and present activities within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Reese, Shawn
System: The UNT Digital Library
United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues (open access)

United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues

This report tracks the process by which Congress provides the funding for U.S. assessed contributions to the regular budgets of the United Nations, its agencies, and U.N. peacekeeping operation accounts, as well as for U.S. voluntary contributions to U.N. system programs and funds. It includes information on the President's request and the congressional response, as well as congressional initiatives during this legislative process. Basic information is provided to help the reader understand this process.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann & Nakamura, Kennon H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Visa Security Policy: Roles of the Departments of State and Homeland Security (open access)

Visa Security Policy: Roles of the Departments of State and Homeland Security

This report discusses the visa security and visa policy questions debated in Congress. The policy questions center on whether immigration law needs to be strengthened, whether funding should be increased, and which agency should take the lead.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization (WTO): An Overview (open access)

Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization (WTO): An Overview

This report describes the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU), which is the World Trade Organization's (WTO) means of resolving disputes arising under WTO agreements. The report includes criticisms of certain flaws in the DSU, as well as WTO Members' suggestions for improvement. The report also describes the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which represents the United States in WTO disputes. Also discussed are pieces of legislation that dictate procedures for specifically the United States in instances of WTO disputes.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health-Related Revenue Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) (open access)

Health-Related Revenue Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148)

This report details the changes in tax law that will be made as a result of the health-related revenue provisions in PPACA.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Mulvey, Janemarie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice (open access)

Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice

On June 19, 2009, the House voted to impeach U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The impeachment process provides a mechanism for removal of the President, Vice President, and other federal civil officers found to have engaged in "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." This report explains the impeachment process, including its history and the process itself.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Bazan, Elizabeth B. & Henning, Anna C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Key Issues in Derivatives Reform (open access)

Key Issues in Derivatives Reform

This report provides background related to financial derivatives. It also analyzes market structure and regulation, derivatives reform, legislative proposals and exemptions for end users, safeguards for uncleared over-the-counter (OTC) swaps, and hypothetical examples.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Miller, Rena S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel and Freedom of Religious Expression: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

Military Personnel and Freedom of Religious Expression: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides an overview of the requirements of the First Amendment related to military personnel's religious exercise. Specifically, the report examines the limitations placed on servicemembers in uniform in the exercise of their religious beliefs as well as the role of military chaplains and the legal challenges associated with publicly funding religious personnel. The report analyzes efforts by Congress and the Department of Defense to address the constitutional concerns that are raised by these issues.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: Mason, R. C. & Brougher, Cynthia
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 discusses the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program. Under current Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Navy plans, the number of BMD-capable Navy Aegis ships is schedule to grow from 20 at the end of FY2010 to 38 at the end of FY2015. This report discusses the concerns some have over BMD expansion, as well as BMD funding issues.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background for Congress (open access)

Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background for Congress

The Navy's FY2011 budget proposes canceling the CG(X) program as unaffordable and instead building an improved version of the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis destroyer called the Flight III version. This report provides background information on the CG(X) program as it existed prior to its proposed cancellation.
Date: April 8, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library