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This report includes background, issues, and legislation regarding safe drinking water.

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This report gives an overview of international policy and Approaches related to Drug Control.

The 109th congress is considering the issues related to the public lands managed by the Bureau of the Land Management (BLM) and the national forest managed by the Forest Service,

This report includes background and analysis of energy policy. Points of discussion include the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, nuclear energy, and renewable energy and fuels.

This report includes information related to energy efficiency, including history, various bills and budgets, and conservation. Climate change and energy security related to energy efficiency are also discussed in this report.

This report includes discussion of congressional issues regarding tactical aircraft modernization. Major tactical aircraft programs, affordability, and service roles are among topics discussed in this report.

This report includes information regarding strategic petroleum reserve. Background, purchases of crude oil, and drawdown capability are among topics discussed in this report.

This report brief discusses the history, current posture, and outlook for federal energy tax policy.

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This report provides an overview of key environmental issues that are receiving or may receive attention in the 109th Congress.

This report includes information regarding congressional issues of United Nations system funding. Topics of discussion include United Nations assessed budgets, voluntary programs, and peacekeeping operations.

This report contains the political developments and implications for U.S. interests with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

This report contains information regarding the Safe Drinking Water Act. Amendments to the act, drinking water infrastructure funding, and drinking water security are among topics discussed in this report.

This report includes information regarding various agriculture issues surrounding mad cow disease. Topics of discussion include risk analysis, previous and current safeguards, as well as trade implications.

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This report includes information involving major legislative issues regarding military retirement. Key elements and issues, budgeting and costs, and concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation are among topics discussed in this report.

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This report is on Are High-Interest Rates a Threat to Sustained Economic Recovery?

The growing U.S. trade imbalance with China, and alleged Chinese unfair trade practices, have become of major concern to many U.S. policymakers. Over the past few years, the U.S. trade deficit with China has grown at a faster rate than that of any other major U.S. trading partner. In 1993, the U.S. trade deficit with China totalled $22.8 billion, the second largest U.S. bilateral trade imbalance after Japan. Many trade analysts have attributed the growing U.S.-China trade deficit to a variety of Chinese restrictive trade practices. Other areas of concern to the United States have included China's alleged violation of U.S. intellectual property rights, transshipments of textiles to the United States in violation of U.S. textile quotas, and China's alleged use of forced labor for products exported to the United States.

Some Members of Congress have expressed interest in the feasibility of using a value-added tax (VAT) to either replace all or part of the income tax or finance health care reform. A VAT is imposed at all levels of production on the differences between firms' sales and their purchases from all other firms. Policymakers may be interested in the following aspects of a VAT: revenue yield, international comparison of composition of taxes, vertical equity, neutrality, inflation, balance-of-trade, national saving, administrative cost, intergovernmental relations, size of government, and public opinion.

Energy security, a major driver of federal energy efficiency programs in the past, came back into play as oil and gas prices rose late in the year 2000. Also, the electricity shortages in California have brought a new emphasis to the role that energy efficiency and energy conservation may play in dampening electricity demand.

Growing populations and changing values continue to place increasing demands on water supplies and river systems, resulting in water use and management conflicts throughout the country. Recent conflicts are particularly evident in the West, where the population is expected to increase 30% in the next 20-25 years and where agricultural needs are often in direct conflict with urban needs, as well as with water demand for threatened and endangered species, recreation, and scenic enjoyment.