This report provides an overview of the Recess Appointments Clause, exploring its historical application and legal interpretation by the executive branch, the courts, and the Comptroller General. Furthermore, congressional legislation designed to prevent the President's overuse or misuse of the Clause is also explored.

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This report describes the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU), which is the World Trade Organization's (WTO) means of resolving disputes arising under WTO agreements. The report includes criticisms of certain flaws in the DSU, as well as WTO Members' suggestions for improvement. The report also describes the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which represents the United States in WTO disputes. Also discussed are pieces of legislation that dictate procedures for specifically the United States in instances of WTO disputes.

The goal of this study was to examine two different software tools designed to account for the environmental impacts of remediation projects. Three case studies from the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, SC were used to exercise SiteWise (SW) and Sustainable Remediation Tool (SRT) by including both traditional and novel remediation techniques, contaminants, and contaminated media. This study combined retrospective analysis of implemented projects with prospective analysis of options that were not implemented. Input data were derived from engineering plans, project reports, and planning documents with a few factors supplied from calculations based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Conclusions drawn from software output were generally consistent within a tool; both tools identified the same remediation options as the 'best' for a given site. Magnitudes of impacts varied between the two tools, and it was not always possible to identify the source of the disagreement. The tools differed in their quantitative approaches: SRT based impacts on specific contaminants, media, and site geometry and modeled contaminant removal. SW based impacts on processes and equipment instead of chemical modeling. While SW was able to handle greater variety in remediation scenarios, it did not include a measure of the effectiveness of the scenario.

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This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. Decisions that Congress makes concerning these programs could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.

This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular "plug-and-fight" mission packages. The Navy's proposed FY2012 budget requests funding for the procurement of four LCSs.

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's proposal to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) at Mayport, FL. Transferring a CVN from Norfolk, VA, to Mayport would shift from Norfolk to Mayport the local economic activity associated with homeporting a CVN, which some sources estimate as being worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere.

This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. anti drug assistance programs in the region.

This study investigates the performance of the YALINA Booster subcritical assembly, located in Belarus, during operation with high (90%), medium (36%), and low (21%) enriched uranium fuels in the assembly's fast zone. The YALINA Booster is a zero-power, subcritical assembly driven by a conventional neutron generator. It was constructed for the purpose of investigating the static and dynamic neutronics properties of accelerator driven subcritical systems, and to serve as a fast neutron source for investigating the properties of nuclear reactions, in particular transmutation reactions involving minor-actinides. The first part of this study analyzes the assembly's performance with several fuel types. The MCNPX and MONK Monte Carlo codes were used to determine effective and source neutron multiplication factors, effective delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron lifetime, neutron flux profiles and spectra, and neutron reaction rates produced from the use of three neutron sources: californium, deuterium-deuterium, and deuterium-tritium. In the latter two cases, the external neutron source operates in pulsed mode. The results discussed in the first part of this report show that the use of low enriched fuel in the fast zone of the assembly diminishes neutron multiplication. Therefore, the discussion in the second part of the report focuses on finding alternative …

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 81 as the Corporal David Slaton Memorial Highway.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the designation of State Highway 121 in Tarrant and Johnson Counties as the Chisholm Trail Parkway.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to membership of the state continuing advisory committee for special education services.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the designation of a segment of State Highway 243 in Van Zandt County as the Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the regulation of manufactured housing.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate in memory of Jean Glaze of Gilmer.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate congratulating Dr. Kitty Harris Wilkes on her selection as a 2011 YWCA of Lubbock Woman of Excellence.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate congratulating Beth Lawson on her selection as a 2011 YWCA of Lubbock Woman of Excellence.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to congratulating Aimee Doane on being named a 2011 Lubbock YWCA Woman of Excellence.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate congratulating Dr. Kamlesh Varma on her selection as a 2011 YWCA of Lubbock Woman of Excellence.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate congratulating Dr. Kelly Overley on her selection as a 2011 Woman of Excellence by the YWCA of Lubbock.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate congratulating Yvonne Racz Key on her selection as a 2011 YWCA of Lubbock Woman of Excellence.