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In January 2005, Viktor Yushchenko became Ukraine’s new President, after massive demonstrations helped to overturn the former regime’s electoral fraud, in what has been dubbed the “Orange Revolution,” after Yushchenko’s campaign color. The “Orange Revolution” has sparked a great deal of interest in Congress and elsewhere. This report examines the current political climate in Ukraine and policy issues for the U.S.

This report discusses the franking privilege , which allows Members of Congress to send official mail at government expense, such as letters commenting on legislation and casework, press releases, government reports, town meeting notices, and newsletters.

This report discusses the ongoing debate about whether or not to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Current law forbids energy leasing in the Refuge. This report addresses several legislative options on the issue, as well as policymakers' arguments for and against development, especially in the wake of increasing terrorism since 2000-2001.

This report discusses the Deepwater program, which is a 20- to 25-year acquisition effort to replace or modernize 93 aging Coast Guard ships and 207 aging Coast Guard aircraft. The program’s estimated total acquisition cost is $19 billion to $24 billion. On March 25, 2005 the Coast Guard submitted to Congress a revised implementation plan for the program that alters the planned capabilities and numbers of Deepwater assets and the schedule for acquiring or modernizing them. Some Members of Congress have criticized the revised implementation plan. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2006 budget requests $966 million for the program.

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This report describes cash balance plans, discusses the arguments that cash balance plans do and do not violate the age discrimination prohibitions, provides an overview of the court cases, and addresses the activity by the Treasury Department and Congress.

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This report will provide an overview of the current major federal loan forgiveness programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). It will also briefly summarize some of the other major federal loan forgiveness programs. Finally, it will discuss policy issues and legislation.

This report discusses proposals for international tsunami early warning systems and examines U.S. policy regarding tsunamis.

Mountaintop removal mining involves removing the top of a mountain in order to recover the coal seams contained there. This practice occurs in several Appalachian states. It creates an immense quantity of excess spoil (dirt and rock that previously composed the mountaintop), which is typically placed in valley fills on the sides of the former mountains, burying streams that flow through the valleys. Critics say that, as a result of valley fills, stream water quality and the aquatic and wildlife habitat that streams support are destroyed by tons of rocks and dirt. The mining industry argues that mountaintop mining is essential to conducting surface coal mining in the Appalachian region and that surface coal mining would not be economic or feasible there if producers were restricted from using valleys for the disposal of mining overburden. Mountaintop mining is regulated under several laws, including the Clean Water Act. This report provides background on current controversies, regulatory requirements, and legal challenges to Clean Water Act regulation of mountaintop mining. Congressional attention to these issues also is discussed.

This report provides a brief legislative history of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and an overview of the crimes addressed through VAWA. It concludes with a brief description of the most recent reauthorization of VAWA.

This report includes information regarding the relationship between the United States and Lebanon, as well as Lebanon's demographic and politics, and recent or current foreign presence in Lebanon

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This report provides a basic explanation of how to calculate the federal estate tax for a taxable estate of any given size, using the schedule of marginal tax rates and the applicable credit amount for the year of death.

This report discusses Central Asia's regional developments and gives an overview of U.S policy concerns.

This report discusses the “Constitutional” or “Nuclear” option of changing Senate rules or procedures.

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