This report provides basic information on the U.S. aid program and on the general situation in Honduras. It also outlines major issues that have arisen in the aid debate.

This report provides background and analysis on Medicaid and discusses the President's FY88 budget.

This report discusses liability insurance, as the primary method of managing business related risks that has been recognized as one of the foundations of American comnerce.

This report discusses liability insurance crisis, including complaints from businesses, professionals , and municipalities as well threat of lawsuits.

This report discusses the President's FY1988 budget, focusing on the $3 billion set aside for Federal programs to control or prevent the use of narcotics and other dangerous drugs. The report includes various key documents illustrating the positions taken by Congressional critics of the request as well as the Administration's defenses. Finally, for a longer term perspective, there are graphs and a table showing drug budget trends since FY 1981.

The purpose of this manual is to assist users of Federal budget information in understanding how the process works and how data are to be interpreted.

This report discusses liability insurance, as the primary method of managing business related risks that has been recognized as one of the foundations of American commerce.

This report discusses liability insurance crisis, including complaints from businesses, professionals , and municipalities as well threat of lawsuits.

This report discusses the President's FY1988 budget, focusing on the $3 billion set aside for Federal programs to control or prevent the use of narcotics and other dangerous drugs. The report includes various key documents illustrating the positions taken by Congressional critics of the request as well as the Administration's defenses. Finally, for a longer term perspective, there are graphs and a table showing drug budget trends since FY 1981.

The purpose of this manual is to assist users of Federal budget information in understanding how the process works and how data are to be interpreted.

This report provides biographical information on individuals who have been associated in public reports with the controversy surrounding the secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and the channeling of profits to the rebels or Contras in Nicaragua. The information has been compiled from public sources.

This report discusses payments for physicians services under Medicare that are made on the basis of a fee schedule.

This report discusses debate over reform of the Nation's financial structure in the 100th Congress includes re-examination of "the separation of banking and commerce." This separation was mandated by the Glass-Steagall Act (part of the Banking Act of 1933); and was carried forward into the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended in 1970 and thereafter. The resulting isolation of banking from securities was designed to (1) maintain the integrity of the banking system; (2) prevent self-dealing and other financial abuses; and (3) limit stock market speculation. By half a century later, the "wall" it created seemed to be crumbling, as bankers created new financial products resembling securities, and securities firms innovated new financial products resembling loans and deposits. The ongoing process of "financial deregulation" has evoked calls for Congress to give depository institutions new powers, especially in the securities field. Financial deregulation in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan has put additional pressure on Congress to re-examine this Act. Concerns over a seemingly fragile system of depository institutions persist, however, tending to place counter-pressure on Congress to maintain the Act.

This report discusses the reduction of federal budget deficit and the effect on the rise of interest rates.

During the 1980s the U.S. banking industry has experienced a rapidly growing number of failures. Many factors have contributed to this trend including deregulation, technology, individual bank management, and economic conditions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) handles insured bank failures. Congress has been monitoring the recent trend and is concerned with the FDIC’s ability to continue to perform its supervisory and insurance operations. The present situation, information on key factors affecting the banking industry, and the FDIC’s role when a bank fails is discussed in this report. The reference section of this issue brief contains a list of CRS products providing background on the FDIC and legislative issues relevant to the agency.