The Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment (open access)

The Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment

This report covers the recent background of the Exon-Florio provision with special regards to issues faced in the 112th Congress. The Exon-Florio provision grants the President the authority to block proposed or pending foreign acquisitions of "persons engaged in interstate commerce in the United States" that threaten to impair the national security.
Date: February 4, 2010
Creator: Jackson, James K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-113th Congresses (open access)

House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-113th Congresses

This report describes the House Committee funding process provides tables for each of the Congresses from the 104th through the 113th containing committee funding requests and authorizations as adopted pursuant to primary expense authorizations.
Date: February 3, 2015
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Boards and Commissions, 112th Congress (open access)

Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Boards and Commissions, 112th Congress

This report identifies all nominations submitted to the Senate for full-time positions on 34 federal regulatory boards and commissions during the 112th Congress.
Date: February 3, 2015
Creator: Greene, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Executive Departments During the 112th Congress (open access)

Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Executive Departments During the 112th Congress

The President is responsible for appointing individuals to positions throughout the federal government. In some instances, the President makes these appointments using authorities granted to the President alone. Other appointments, generally referred to with the abbreviation PAS, are made by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate via the nomination and confirmation process. This report identifies, for the 112th Congress, all nominations submitted to the Senate for executive-level full-time positions in the 15 executive departments for which the Senate provides advice and consent. It excludes appointments to regulatory boards and commissions as well as to independent and other agencies.
Date: January 8, 2015
Creator: Greene, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline (open access)

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
Date: January 22, 2015
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J. & Cook, Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline (open access)

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
Date: February 5, 2015
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J. & Cook, Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 112th Congress (open access)

International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 112th Congress

The 112th Congress, in both its legislative and oversight capacities, faces numerous international trade and finance issues. In addition to the broader congressional oversight of the economic and political context of the current U.S. participation in the global economy, this report highlights major international trade and finance issues Congress may address this year and next.
Date: January 11, 2011
Creator: Ahearn, Raymond J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Cyber Crime Protection Security Act (S. 2111, 112th Congress)— A Legal Analysis (open access)

Cybersecurity: Cyber Crime Protection Security Act (S. 2111, 112th Congress)— A Legal Analysis

This report discusses the Cyber Crime Protection Security Act (S. 2111) that would enhance the criminal penalties for the cyber crimes outlawed in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). Those offenses include espionage, hacking, fraud, destruction, password trafficking, and extortion committed against computers and computer networks. S. 2111 contains some of the enhancements approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee when it reported the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act (S. 1151), S.Rept. 112-91 (2011).
Date: January 28, 2013
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th - 113th Congresses (open access)

First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th - 113th Congresses

This report provides summary data on the number of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives who first entered Congress between the 64th Congress (1915-1917) and the 113th Congress (2013-2014).
Date: January 25, 2013
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E. & Petersen, R. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2012 (74th-112th Congresses) (open access)

Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2012 (74th-112th Congresses)

This report discusses how lame duck sessions occur, and the background of the lame duck sessions between 1940 and 2012. A "lame duck" session of Congress occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the term of the current Congress ends.
Date: September 19, 2014
Creator: Beth, Richard S. & Tollestrup, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 112th Congress (2011-2012) (open access)

How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 112th Congress (2011-2012)

This report provides a statistical snapshot of the forms, origins, and party sponsorship of these measures and of the parliamentary procedures used to bring them to the chamber floor during their initial consideration.
Date: April 15, 2013
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Members' Use of Twitter and Facebook During a Two-Month Period in the 112th Congress (open access)

Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Members' Use of Twitter and Facebook During a Two-Month Period in the 112th Congress

This report examines Member adoption and use of two social networking services: Twitter and Facebook. The report analyzes data on Member use of Twitter and Facebook collected by an academic institution in collaboration with the Congressional Research Service during a two-month period between August and October 2011 and the adoption of both platforms as of January 2012.
Date: March 22, 2013
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E.; Straus, Jacob R. & Shogan, Colleen J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 112th Congress (open access)

The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 112th Congress

Report that provides a brief overview of the authorities established by the Project BioShield Act of 2004, discusses the availability of Project BioShield appropriations, identifies the medical countermeasures obtained through Project BioShield, reviews the relationship between Project BioShield and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), reviews policy issues and options faced by congressional policymakers, and reviews current Project BioShield-related legislation.
Date: October 26, 2012
Creator: Gottron, Frank
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 112th Congress (open access)

International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 112th Congress

Report concerning a variety of issues faced by the 112th Congress. Topics include trade negotiations with South Korea, Panama, Colombia, and China, export controls and sanctions, and international financial institutions.
Date: January 21, 2011
Creator: Ahearn, Raymond J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Clean Air Issues in the 112th Congress (open access)

Clean Air Issues in the 112th Congress

Report providing a brief overview of the climate change, power plant, and air quality standard issues, as well as information on other Clean Air Act issues that the 112th Congress has addressed.
Date: September 4, 2012
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 112th Congress (open access)

Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 112th Congress

Report that describes several policy issues regarding chemical facility security and identifies policy options for congressional consideration.
Date: November 30, 2012
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 112th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 112th Congress: A Profile

Report that presents a profile of the membership of the 112th Congress (2011-2012). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: November 26, 2012
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation Through the 112th Congress (open access)

Biomass: Comparison of Definitions in Legislation Through the 112th Congress

Report discussing the use of biomass, its legislative history, and the proposed redefinition of biomass in legislation.
Date: November 14, 2012
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
System: The UNT Digital Library
Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 112th Congress, and Economic Effects (open access)

Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 112th Congress, and Economic Effects

This report examines the current status, legislative history, and economic effects of the two expensing allowances (Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Allowance) and also discusses initiatives in the 112th Congress to modify them. Expensing is the most accelerated form of depreciation for tax purposes. Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) allows a taxpayer to expense up to $125,000 of the total cost of new and used qualified depreciable assets it buys and places in service in 2012, within certain limits. In addition, Section 168(k) generally allows taxpayers to expense half the cost of qualified assets bought and placed in service in 2012.
Date: August 14, 2012
Creator: Guenther, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 112th Congress, and Economic Effects (open access)

Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 112th Congress, and Economic Effects

This report examines the current status, legislative history, and economic effects of the two expensing allowances (Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Allowance) and also discusses initiatives in the 112th Congress to modify them. Expensing is the most accelerated form of depreciation for tax purposes. Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) allows a taxpayer to expense up to $125,000 of the total cost of new and used qualified depreciable assets it buys and places in service in 2012, within certain limits. In addition, Section 168(k) generally allows taxpayers to expense half the cost of qualified assets bought and placed in service in 2012.
Date: September 10, 2012
Creator: Guenther, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment: Issues in the 112th Congress (open access)

Unemployment: Issues in the 112th Congress

This report briefly reviews the situation in the 2012 labor market, expands on the policy steps taken to date, and analyzes policy issues that typically arise during consideration of stimulus legislation. Three policy issues are examined: whether to take additional measures to increase jobs, what measures might be most effective, and how job creation proposals should be financed.
Date: October 5, 2012
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.; Hungerford, Thomas L. & Levine, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Reform: An Overview of Proposals in the 112th Congress (open access)

Tax Reform: An Overview of Proposals in the 112th Congress

This report gives an overview of tax reform issues. The President and leading members of Congress have stated that fundamental tax reform is a major policy objective for the 112th Congress. Some Members have said that fundamental tax reform is needed in order to raise a large amount of additional revenue, which is necessary to reduce high forecast budget deficits and the sharply rising national debt. Congressional interest has been expressed in both a major overhaul of the U.S. tax system and the feasibility of levying a consumption tax.
Date: October 26, 2012
Creator: Bickley, James M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Appointments, the Senate's Confirmation Process, and Changes Made in the 112th Congress (open access)

Presidential Appointments, the Senate's Confirmation Process, and Changes Made in the 112th Congress

This report provides information on presidential appointments in the executive and judicial branch including a brief background on advice and consent issues, an overview of the appointment process in both the executive and legislative branches, and a brief discussion of recent concerns about the system. Also, the report explores the events in the 112th Congress leading up to the introduction and passage of two measures purported to make the appointment process easier and quicker, and it concludes with an analysis of the two measures.
Date: October 9, 2012
Creator: Carey, Maeve P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 112th Congress (open access)

Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 112th Congress

This report discusses immigration-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional interest in the 112th Congress.
Date: September 11, 2012
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
System: The UNT Digital Library