Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Issues and Events (open access)

Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Issues and Events

This report provides a concise historical account of the dispute over softwood lumber imports from Canada, summarizes the subsidy and injury evidence, and discusses current issues and events.
Date: March 22, 2006
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Tax Policy (open access)

Energy Tax Policy

None
Date: July 20, 2004
Creator: Lazzari, Salvatore
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mad Cow Disease: Agricultural Issues for Congress (open access)

Mad Cow Disease: Agricultural Issues for Congress

This report discusses the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also know as mad cow disease, which is a degenerative, fatal disease affecting the nervous system in cattle. Worldwide, BSE has been found in 187,000 animals, 183,000 of them in Great Britain, where it was first detected in 1986.
Date: April 21, 2005
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Value-Added Tax as a New Revenue Source (open access)

Value-Added Tax as a New Revenue Source

This report discusses the valueadded tax (VAT), which has been frequently discussed as a full or partial replacement for the U.S. income tax system.
Date: December 22, 2005
Creator: Bickley, James M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues (open access)

Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues

Renewable energy is derived from resources that are generally not depleted by human use, such as the sun, wind, and water movement. This report discusses various aspects of policy regarding renewable energy including tax credits and budget legislation.
Date: June 16, 2005
Creator: Sissine, Fred
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges (open access)

U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges

This report examines the economic partnership between the United States and the European Union. Not only is the U.S.-EU trade and investment relationship the largest in the world, but it is also arguably the most important. Agreement between the two partners in the past has been critical to making the world trading system more open and efficient.
Date: May 20, 2005
Creator: Ahearn, Raymond J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Caribbean Basin Interim Trade Program: CBI/NAFTA Parity (open access)

Caribbean Basin Interim Trade Program: CBI/NAFTA Parity

To provide an idea of the nature and scope of changes in trade competitiveness between the CBERA countries and Mexico that have resulted from the implementation of the NAFTA, this report describes the relevant preferential or special tariff treatments, as applicable. The aspects of trade policy that apply generally to all (or most) U.S. trading partners (e.g., most-favored-nation/normal-trade-relations status, or production-sharing provisions) are not included in any detail.
Date: January 12, 2005
Creator: Pregelj, Vladimir N.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

This report discusses legislative initiatives to address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century. Growing concerns about transnational threats, especially terrorism, are leading to increasingly close cooperation between intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Date: February 17, 2005
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Policy: Setting the Stage for the Current Debate (open access)

Energy Policy: Setting the Stage for the Current Debate

This report discusses the energy policy. Comprehensive energy legislation was introduced in the Senate by both parties by late March (S. 388, S. 389, S. 596, S. 597).
Date: January 14, 2003
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests (open access)

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests

The 109th Congress is considering issues related to the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the national forests managed by the Forest Service (FS). The Administration is addressing issues through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions. This report discusses several key issues of congressional and administrative interest.
Date: October 26, 2005
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Financing (open access)

Campaign Financing

Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system. This report discusses the debate regarding campaign finance regulation.
Date: October 16, 1998
Creator: Cantor, Joseph E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance (open access)

War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance

This report gives a summary of the usage of the War Powers Resolution (WPR) and various issues related to proposals to modify or repeal the resolution. The report summarizes most recent developments and background, and gives an overview of United Nations actions, and WPR activities in former Yugoslavia/Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq (post-1991), Haiti, and Somalia. It also includes commentary on the instances formally reported under the WPR, consultation with Congress, and the current issues which Congress is considering.
Date: March 6, 2003
Creator: Grimmett, Richard F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (open access)

Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

This report outlines the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and related legislation. The report discusses a comprehensive test ban treaty, which is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda.
Date: March 6, 2001
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Park Management (open access)

National Park Management

This report discusses issues in National Park management. The 109th Congress is considering legislation and conducting oversight on National Park Service (NPS) related topics. The Administration is addressing park issues through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions.
Date: March 15, 2006
Creator: Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Recreation on Federal Lands (open access)

Recreation on Federal Lands

This report discuses the 109th Congress's considering legislation and conducting oversight on issues involving recreation on federal lands, including traditional recreational pursuits and newer forms of motorized recreation. The Administration is addressing these issues through budgetary, regulatory, and other actions.
Date: April 25, 2006
Creator: Calvert, Kori & Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices (open access)

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices

This report discusses various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; P.L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1543). Major issues include changing the role of science in decision-making, modifying critical habitat (CH) procedures, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection and incentives for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others.
Date: April 12, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Baldwin, Pamela & Meltz, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library
Clean Air Act Issues in the 109th Congress (open access)

Clean Air Act Issues in the 109th Congress

This report discusses major decisions on clean air issues facing the courts and the executive branch in 2006. One focus will be EPA's recent proposal to strengthen air quality standards for fine particles. Other issues of continuing interest are EPA's 2005 decisions limiting interstate transport of air pollution and establishing cap-and-trade systems for emissions from coal fired power plants, and the agency's proposed changes to New Source Review.
Date: March 21, 2006
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests (open access)

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands and National Forests

This brief focuses on several issues affecting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (FS) lands that are of interest to the 109th Congress, and does not comprehensively cover issues primarily affecting other federal lands.
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: Gorte, Ross W. & Vincent, Carol H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 109th Congress (open access)

Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 109th Congress

Fish and marine mammals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas; many federal laws and regulations guide their management. This report discusses a variety of laws and legislation pertaining to this issue.
Date: April 13, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): Army Corps of Engineers Authorization Issues in the 109th Congress (open access)

Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): Army Corps of Engineers Authorization Issues in the 109th Congress

The Corps is a federal agency in the Department of Defense with military and civilian responsibilities. At the direction of Congress, the Corps plans, builds, operates, and maintains a wide range of water resources facilities in U.S. states and territories.
Date: March 13, 2006
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Policy: The Continuing Debate and Omnibus Energy Legislation (open access)

Energy Policy: The Continuing Debate and Omnibus Energy Legislation

This report discusses a variety of issues pertaining to energy policy. It includes information about most recent developments, background and analysis broken down into major categories, and relevant legislation.
Date: November 24, 2004
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Negotiations During the 109th Congress (open access)

Trade Negotiations During the 109th Congress

This report discusses trade issues in the 109th Congress. For over 50 years, U.S. trade officials have negotiated multilateral trade agreements to achieve lower trade barriers and rules to cover international trade. During the 108th Congress, U.S. officials negotiated and Congress approved four bilateral free-trade agreements with Australia, Chile, Morocco, and Singapore.
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Fergusson, Ian F. & Sek, Lenore M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Reform (open access)

Social Security Reform

This report examines the debate over the future of the Social Security system. It includes discussion of recent developments; background and analysis with information about the basic debate, specific area of contention, reform initiatives; and relevant legislation.
Date: December 9, 2004
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
System: The UNT Digital Library
Safe Drinking Water Act: Implementation and Issues (open access)

Safe Drinking Water Act: Implementation and Issues

This report discusses key drinking water issues in the 108th Congress involving water infrastructure funding and problems caused by specific contaminants, such as the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), perchlorate, and lead in drinking water. Congress last reauthorized the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1996, and although funding authority for most SDWA programs expired in FY2003, broad reauthorization efforts were not pursued as EPA, states, and water utilities continued implementing the 1996 amendments.
Date: December 8, 2004
Creator: Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library