Endangered Species: Difficult Choices (open access)

Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

This report discusses issues debated in the 107th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including significant changes to ESA regulations made during the Clinton Administration in the law itself.
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne & Baldwin, Pamela
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Higher Education Act: Reauthorization Status and Issues (open access)

The Higher Education Act: Reauthorization Status and Issues

This report discusses the funding authorizations for programs in the Higher Education Act (HEA). This legislation, administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), authorizes the federal government’s major student aid programs, as well as other significant initiatives.
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Stedman, James B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Environmental Protection Agency's FY2003 Budget (open access)

The Environmental Protection Agency's FY2003 Budget

On April 9, 2001, the President requested $7.3 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for FY2002, $512.0 million (or 7%) less than the FY2001 funding level of $7.8 billion. The request would not have continued funding of about $500 million for activities earmarked for FY2001, and contained provisions shifting more enforcement responsibilities to the states. Popular wastewater infrastructure funding, state roles, and the future of Superfund were some of the predominant topics. On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee recommended $7.545 billion,$229 million more than requested (H.R. 2620, H. Rept. 107-159).
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Lee, Martin R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Property Rights Implementation Act of 1998 (open access)

The Property Rights Implementation Act of 1998

On July 7, 1998, Senator Hatch introduced S. 2271, the "Property Rights Implementation Act of 1998." The bill appears to be the likely replacement on the Senate floor for H.R. 1534 as reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. S. 2271 retains the basic "process" approach of its predecessor, but makes numerous changes. Among these are a restriction of H.R. 1534's takings-ripeness provisions to real property rather than all types of property, a new definition of "futility," different restrictions on district court abstention, and new provisions as to attorneys fees and prior notice applicable to parties suing local governments for takings under 42 U.S.C. sec. 1983.
Date: July 10, 1998
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Senate Leadership Structure: Overview of Party Organization (open access)

Senate Leadership Structure: Overview of Party Organization

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills (open access)

Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills

None
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: O'Sullivan, Jennifer
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drug Control: International Policy and Options (open access)

Drug Control: International Policy and Options

Over the past decade, worldwide production of illicit drugs has risen dramatically: opium and marijuana production has roughly doubled and coca production tripled. Street prices of cocaine and heroin have fallen significantly in the past 20 years, reflecting increased availability. Despite apparent national political resolve to deal with the drug problem, inherent contradictions regularly appear between U.S. anti-drug policy and other national policy goals and concerns. The mix of competing domestic and international pressures and priorities has produced an ongoing series of disputes within and between the legislative and executive branches concerning U.S. international drug policy. One contentious issue has been the Congressionally-mandated certification process, an instrument designed to induce specified drug-exporting countries to prioritize or pay more attention to the fight against narcotics businesses.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Lee, Rensselaer & Perl, Raphael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy (open access)

Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy

None
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Lee, Rensselaer & Perl, Raphael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response (open access)

Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Miko, Francis T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Palestinians and Middle East Peace: Issues for the United States (open access)

Palestinians and Middle East Peace: Issues for the United States

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Mark, Clyde R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Finance: Constitutional and Legal Issues of Soft Money (open access)

Campaign Finance: Constitutional and Legal Issues of Soft Money

Soft money is a major issue in the campaign finance reform debate because these generally unregulated funds are perceived as resulting from a loophole in the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). Generally, soft money is funds that are raised and spent according to applicable state laws, which FECA prohibits from being spent directly on federal elections, but that may have an indirect influence on federal elections. This Issue Brief discusses three major types of soft money: political party soft money, corporate and labor union soft money, and soft money used for issue advocacy communications.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Object Type: Report
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

The Bush Administration issued its plan for a national energy policy on May 16, 2001. The plan was controversial, characterized by some as leaner on conservation and renewables than Democratic proposals, and predisposed to trade off environmental considerations to increase supply. Comprehensive energy legislation was introduced in the Senate by both parties by late March (S. 388, S. 389, S. 596, S. 597). Bills reported by several House committees (H.R. 2436, H.R. 2460, H.R. 2511, and H.R. 2587) were combined in a single bill, H.R. 4, passed by the House, August 1, 2001. The House version of H.R. 4 would require a 5 billion gallon reduction in light-duty truck and SUV fuel consumption and would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to leasing.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Clean Air Act Issues in the 108th Congress (open access)

Clean Air Act Issues in the 108th Congress

Clean air issues were discussed at length in the 107th Congress, but legislation was not enacted, leaving the same issues for possible consideration in the 108th. The most prominent air quality issues discussed in this report are; the controversy over EPA’s proposed changes to the New Source Review (NSR) requirements, Clear Skies / Multi-Pollutant Legislation, gasoline additive MTBE, Conformity of Transportation Plans and SIPs Deadlines for Achieving the Ozone Air Quality Standard.
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Postal Reform (open access)

Postal Reform

None
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Stevens, Nye
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Appropriations for FY2003: Interior and Related Agencies (open access)

Appropriations for FY2003: Interior and Related Agencies

Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, consolidated, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Hardy-Vincent, Carol & Boren, Susan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bankruptcy Reform Legislation in the 107th Congress: A Comparison of H.R. 333 As Passed by the House and the Senate (open access)

Bankruptcy Reform Legislation in the 107th Congress: A Comparison of H.R. 333 As Passed by the House and the Senate

H.R. 333, 107th Congress, 1st Sess. (2001), the “Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2001” and its counterpart in the Senate, S. 220, 107th Congress, 1st Sess. (2001), the “Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2001” were introduced on January 31, 2001. So far, the 107th Congress has demonstrated widespread support for the bills evidenced by the votes. Although President Bush is expected to sign bankruptcy reform into law, the White House has indicated that a bankruptcy bill that contains a federal homestead cap may be unacceptable. This report surveys the bills and the major amendments that have been adopted. It provides a sectional analysis comparing selected provisions, with an emphasis on consumer bankruptcy.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Jeweler, Robin
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Should Banking Powers Expand into Real Estate Brokerage and Management? (open access)

Should Banking Powers Expand into Real Estate Brokerage and Management?

None
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Jackson, William D.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance (open access)

Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Mark, Clyde R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests (open access)

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

The United States recognized the independence of all the former Soviet republics by the end of 1991, including the South Caucasus states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The United States has fostered these states' ties with the West in part to end the dependence of these states on Russia for trade, security, and other relations. The FREEDOM Support Act of 1992 provides authorization for assistance to the Eurasian states for humanitarian needs, democratization, and other purposes. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the Administration appealed for a national security waiver of the prohibition on aid to Azerbaijan, in consideration of Azerbaijan's assistance to the international coalition to combat terrorism. Azerbaijani and Georgian troops participate in stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Armenian personnel serve in Iraq.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Nichol, Jim & Kim, Julie
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Andean Regional Initiative (ARI): FY2002 Supplemental and FY2003 Assistance for Colombia and Neighbors (open access)

Andean Regional Initiative (ARI): FY2002 Supplemental and FY2003 Assistance for Colombia and Neighbors

This report discusses President Bush's 2002 requests for new funding and additional authority to provide assistance to Colombia and six regional neighbors in a continuation of the Andean Regional Initiative (ARI) launched in 2001.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Storrs, K. Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israeli-United States Relations (open access)

Israeli-United States Relations

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Mark, Clyde R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Jordan: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues (open access)

Jordan: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues

None
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Prados, Alfred B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress (open access)

Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress

None
Date: July 10, 2003
Creator: Cronin, Richard P. & Manyin, Mark E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 107th Congress (open access)

Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 107th Congress

This report briefs the Immigration legislation and issues in the 107th Congress.
Date: July 10, 2002
Creator: Bruno, Andorra; Wasem, Ruth Ellen; Seghetti, Lisa M.; Siskin, Alison & Ester, Karma
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library