Resource Type

Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate (open access)

Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate

This report discusses filibusters and the use of cloture to end them in the Senate. In regards to cloture it concentrates on the operation of cloture under the general provisions of Senate Rule XXII, paragraph 2, though it also identifies key modifications to its application in recent years.
Date: April 7, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie & Beth, Richard S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress (open access)

Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress

This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process--from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential consideration. However, the process by which a bill can become law is rarely predictable and can vary significantly from bill to bill. In fact, for many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of congressional stages that are often understood to make up the legislative process.This report presents a look at each of the common stages through which a bill may move, but complications and variations abound in practice.
Date: April 7, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate (open access)

Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate

This report describes the process of enforcing a rule of order in the Senate.
Date: April 7, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations (open access)

Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations

This report provides a brief overview of Iran's nuclear program and describes the legal basis for the actions taken by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board and the Security Council.
Date: April 7, 2016
Creator: Kerr, Paul K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2015 (open access)

Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2015

This report to Congress is pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 containing in both classified and unclassified form, information on the military and security developments involving the People's Republic of China. The report addresses the current and probable future course of military-technological development of the People's Liberation Army and the tenants and probable development of Chinese security strategy and military strategy, and of the military organizations and operational concepts supporting such developments.
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: United States. Office of the Secretary of Defense
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2016 Appropriations (open access)

Army Corps of Engineers: FY2016 Appropriations

This is a report is about the Army Corps of Engineers foor thhe fiscal Year 2016 appropriations.
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Reclamation: FY2016 Appropriations (open access)

Bureau of Reclamation: FY2016 Appropriations

This report presents the Appropriations for FY2016 for Bureau of Reclamation.
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: Stern, Charles V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA and the Army Corps’ Proposed Rule to Define “Waters of the United States" (open access)

EPA and the Army Corps’ Proposed Rule to Define “Waters of the United States"

This report describes the proposed rule--which the agencies refer to as the Clean Water Rule-- and includes a table comparing the existing regulatory language that defines "waters of the United States" with the proposed revisions.
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Overview of Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas: Resources and Federal Actions (open access)

An Overview of Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas: Resources and Federal Actions

This report focuses on the growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production driven primarily by tight oil formations and shale gas formations. It also reviews selected federal environmental regulatory and research initiatives related to unconventional oil and gas extraction, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hydraulic fracturing rule (finalized in March 2015) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions.
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: Ratner, Michael & Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (open access)

Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership

None
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Murabitoun (open access)

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Murabitoun

None
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Science and Technology Issues in the 114th Congress (open access)

Science and Technology Issues in the 114th Congress

None
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: Gottron, Frank
System: The UNT Digital Library
Seafood Fraud (open access)

Seafood Fraud

None
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues (open access)

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues

None
Date: April 7, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis of S. 2198: Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014 (open access)

Analysis of S. 2198: Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014

This report discusses S. 2198, which would address drought impacts in California and other states, and assist with drought response.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Carter, Nicole T. & Sheikh, Pervaze A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Contribution Limits: Selected Questions About McCutcheon and Policy Issues for Congress (open access)

Campaign Contribution Limits: Selected Questions About McCutcheon and Policy Issues for Congress

This report offers a preliminary analysis of major policy issues and potential implications of McCutcheon v. FEC regarding individual contributions to federal campaigns.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Garrett, R. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Expired and Expiring Temporary Tax Provisions ("Tax Extenders") (open access)

Expired and Expiring Temporary Tax Provisions ("Tax Extenders")

This report discusses dozens of temporary tax provisions that expired at the end of 2013, and several other temporary tax provisions that are scheduled to expire at the end of 2014.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act (open access)

Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act

This report summarizes legislative actions taken to repeal, defund, delay, or otherwise amend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since the law's enactment.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Redhead, C. S. & Kinzer, Janet
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and presents potential issues for Congress concerning the Navy's ship force-structure goals and shipbuilding plans, including the planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and prospective affordability. Congressional decisions on Navy shipbuilding programs can substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit: In Brief (open access)

The Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit: In Brief

This report provides a brief overview of the renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC). The first section of the report describes the credit. The second section provides a legislative history. The third section presents data on PTC claims and discusses the revenue consequences of the credit. The fourth section briefly considers some of the economic and policy considerations related to the credit. The report concludes by briefly noting policy options related to the PTC.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Retirement and Survivor Annuities for Former Spouses of Federal Employees (open access)

Retirement and Survivor Annuities for Former Spouses of Federal Employees

This report discusses the retirement benefits for federal employees that are governed by chapters 83 (CSRS) and 84 (FERS) of Title 5 of the United States Code.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Selected Legislative Proposals to Reform the Housing Finance System (open access)

Selected Legislative Proposals to Reform the Housing Finance System

This report briefly explains the different approaches to housing finance reform offered by several legislative proposals, focusing on efforts to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and to reform the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M.; Weiss, N. E. & Jones, Katie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of the Wind Down of the Capital Purchase Program (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of the Wind Down of the Capital Purchase Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Treasury (Treasury) continues to make progress in winding down the Capital Purchase Program (CPP). As of January 31, 2014, Treasury's data showed that 624 of the original 707 institutions, or about 88 percent, had exited CPP. Treasury had received about $225 billion from its CPP investments, exceeding the approximately $205 billion it had disbursed. Most institutions exited by repurchasing their preferred shares in full or by refinancing their investments through other federal programs. Treasury also continues to sell its investments in the institutions through auctions; a strategy first implemented in March 2012 to expedite the exit of a number of CPP participants. As of January 31, 2014, Treasury has sold all or part of its CPP investment in 162 institutions through auctions, receiving a total of about 80 percent of the principal amount. A relatively small number of the remaining 83 institutions accounted for most of the outstanding investments. Specifically, 10 institutions accounted for $1.5 billion or about 73 percent of the $2.1 billion in outstanding investments. Treasury estimated a lifetime gain of $16.1 billion for CPP as of November 30, 2013."
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
What Is the Farm Bill? (open access)

What Is the Farm Bill?

This report discusses the farm bill, which is an omnibus, multi-year piece of authorizing legislation that governs an array of agricultural and food programs.
Date: April 7, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée & Monke, Jim
System: The UNT Digital Library