This report chronicles major developments in U.S. - China relations during the Clinton Administration, and in the 103rd through the 106th Congresses, from late 1992 to 1999.

This report provides an overview of the Bradley Amendment on prohibition against retroactive modification of child support.

This report examines various aspects of the national debt and explains what would happen if the debt were eliminated. The national debt currently held by the public stands at $3.4 trillion, or about 35% of gross domestic product (GDP).

None

This report outlines Supreme Court opinions from the October 1999 term.

This report discusses social security and its place in the federal budget. As a result of a series of laws enacted in 1983, 1985 and 1990, Social Security is considered to be "off budget" for federal budget purposes. While the meaning of this might seem obvious--that Social Security is not to be considered as part of the federal budget--many people are confused by the continued use of aggregate budget figures that include Social Security's receipts and expenditures.

This report discusses China's prospective membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the issues it raises for U.S. workers and organized labor.

None

None

None

This report provides background against which the competing and visions of the market's future can be evaluated.

None

Open conflict broke out between Ethiopia and Eritrea in May 1998 after disagreements over several areas along the common border worsened. The war occurred despite earlier creation of a joint border commission to address complaints by both sides. An estimated 50,000-100,000 people were killed in the conflict and close to a million people have been displaced.

This report provides data on trends in funding for National Guard & Reserve components and end-strength levels for Fiscal Years (FY) 1990-2000 and the budget request for FY2001. The reserve components include the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Air Force Reserve.

None

This report discusses the final rule and the key modifications of the August 1999 proposal. The final rule builds on the current TMDL regulatory program and adds details, specific requirements, and deadlines. It retains the basic elements of the 1999 proposal for more comprehensive identification of impaired waters, schedules and minimum elements for TMDLs, and new public participation requirements. At the same time, dropped from the final rule are several provisions that were most controversial in the proposal, including some potentially affecting agriculture and forestry, one that would have required pollutant discharge offsets in some circumstances, and one that would have required states to identify waters threatened but not yet impaired by pollution

Once considered the nation's most regulated industry, the electric utility industry is evolving into a more competitive environment. Currently, the focus of this development is the generating sector, where the advent of new generating technologies has lowered both entry barriers to competitors of traditional utilities and the marginal costs of those competitors below those of some traditional utilities. This technological advance has combined with legislative initiatives, such as the Energy Policy Act (EPACT), to encourage the introduction of competitive forces into the electric generating sector.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) establishes national environmental policies that apply to the federal government and also prescribes certain procedural requirements for federal agency actions. Except as otherwise provided by Congress, NEPA applies to all federal agency actions, although its requirements may vary depending on the nature of the action involved. This report provides an overview of NEPA's requirements. It is not anticipated that this report will be updated.

Russia is seeking substantial debt forgiveness from its Paris Club debt of some $42 billion. Germany holds about half this official debt; the United States share is 6%. The United States may adopt a policy of no debt relief, of rescheduling payments of principal and interest, or of debt forgiveness. The official position of creditor countries in the Paris Club is for no debt forgiveness. Many in Congress support linkage of any debt relief to an end of the Chechnya conflict and of aid to Serbia, and other foreign and security issues. H.R. 4118, "Russian-American Trust and Cooperation Act of 2000," dealing with a Russian intelligence facility in Cuba, was reported out of the U.S. House of Representatives to be debated starting Wednesday, July 19, 2000. Paris Club negotiations will be discussed at the Okinawa G-8 meeting, July 21-22, 2000. This report will not be updated.

None

The Biosafety Protocol to the 1992 Convention on biological Diversity, adopted in early 2000, addresses the safe handling, transfer, and trade of biological organisms. The Protocol sets forth procedures and rules concerning trade in biological products, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that have engendered controversy, especially when they are used as agricultural crops. These rules are of key importance to U.S. economic interests in agriculture as well as those dealing in other genetically modified organisms. This report provides a brief summary of the key provisions of the Protocol and the major issues associated with them.

The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 created new procurement procedures for federal civilian agencies and established the General Services Administration as a central procurement agent.1 Since that time, this enabling law has evolved through amendments to provide GSA with an integrated system of administrative procedures to carry out its federal procurement and supply activities.

On July 13, 2000, the House passed H.R. 4811, the FY 2001 Foreign Operations bill, containing language prohibiting the use of any funds in the bill for the United Nations World Heritage Fund. This Fund provides technical assistance to countries requesting help in protecting World Heritage sites. On May 20, 1999, the House passed (by voice vote) the American Land Sovereignty Protection Act (H.R. 883), which requires congressional approval to add any additional U.S. national parks and monuments to the World Heritage List, a UNESCO-administered list established by the 1972 World Heritage Convention. This paper describes the operation of the UNESCO Convention and will be updated periodically.

Some Members of Congress have expressed interest in the feasibility of using a value-added tax (VAT) to either replace all or part of the income tax or finance health care reform. A VAT is imposed at all levels of production on the differences between firms' sales and their purchases from all other firms. Policymakers may be interested in the following aspects of a VAT: revenue yield, international comparison of composition of taxes, vertical equity, neutrality, inflation, balance-of-trade, national saving, administrative cost, intergovernmental relations, size of government, and public opinion.