To address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st Century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. This report examines various issues faced by the Intelligence Community and relevant policy in the 109th Congress.

In recent years there has been a growing sense of urgency to develop and deploy effective missile defenses against a range of long and short range ballistic missile threats. Although many might believe this to be relative new to U.S. national security objectives, such interest been ongoing since the 1960s, and current technologies being investigated date to the early 1980s. This effort has been challenging technically and politically controversial. Some $100 billion has been spent since the mid-1980s. This report provides a brief overview of U.S. efforts to date.

This report discusses issues for Congress regarding farm commodities. Farm commodity programs represent the heart of U.S. farm policy. The 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171) establishes farm income support and commodity price support programs for the 2002-2007 crop years.

This report discusses issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations. These issues include the stability of the Jordanian regime, democratic reform under way in Jordan, the role of Jordan in the Arab-Israeli peace process, Jordan’s concerns over the U.S.-led campaign against Iraq in 2003, and its relations with other regional states.

This report compares current United States and European Union (EU) efforts in the area of green payments. Green payments refer to "payments made to agricultural producers as compensation for environmental benefits that accrue at levels beyond what producers might otherwise achieve under existing market and regulatory conditions" (summary). The report gives an overview of policies, programs, financing, and various other aspects of comparison related to the topic.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)1 and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA)2 are two of the most significant federal statutes relating to education. Although both have the goal of improving education — IDEA for children with disabilities and NCLBA for all children — the two statutes take different approaches. IDEA focuses on the individual child, with an emphasis on developing an individualized education program (IEP) and specific services for children with disabilities, while NCLBA takes a more global view, with an emphasis on closing gaps in achievement test scores and raising the aggregate scores of all demographic groups of pupils to specific levels. The relationship of IDEA and NCLBA has become of increasing significance because of the recent reauthorization of IDEA and guidance and regulations from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on NCLBA issues related to the education of children with disabilities. This report will provide a brief overview of IDEA and NCLBA, a discussion of the intersection of selected provisions of IDEA and NCLBA, and a discussion of ED regulations and guidance regarding IDEA and NCLBA. The report concludes with a discussion of possible issues related to the interaction of IDEA and NCLBA.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) are two of the most significant federal statutes relating to education. Although both have the goal of improving education — IDEA for children with disabilities and NCLBA for all children — the two statutes take different approaches. IDEA focuses on the individual child, with an emphasis on developing an individualized education program (IEP) and specific services for children with disabilities, while NCLBA takes a more global view, with an emphasis on closing gaps in achievement test scores and raising the aggregate scores of all demographic groups of pupils to specific levels. The relationship of IDEA and NCLBA has become of increasing significance because of this recent reauthorization of IDEA and guidance and regulations from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on NCLBA issues related to the education of children with disabilities. This report will provide a brief overview of IDEA and NCLBA, a discussion of the intersection of selected provisions of IDEA and NCLBA, and a discussion of ED regulations and guidance regarding IDEA and NCLBA. The report concludes with a discussion of possible issues related to the interaction of IDEA and NCLBA.

Animal protection activists in the United States have long sought legislation to modify or curtail some practices considered by U.S. agriculture to be both acceptable and necessary to animal health. Some Members of Congress over the years have offered various bills that would affect animal care on the farm, during transport, or at slaughter. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees from time to time have held hearings on farm animal welfare issues, but their members generally express a preference for voluntary rather than regulatory approaches to humane methods of care. This report briefly provides an overview of the subject.

Letter to Chairman Principi from D. Lane Guin, Former Chairman Spokane Area Economic Development Council discussing the economic importance of Fairchild Air Force Base to the Spokane, Washingon area.

Base Visit Book Bolling Air Force Base, DC dtd 22 June 05 from Chairman Principi's visit on 22 June 05. Book includes Base summary sheet, installation review, District map and statistical data, District closure history list, press articles and correspondence.

Base Visit Input: Bolling AFB, DC; Facility Overview dtd 22 June 2005. This overview was presented to Chairman Principi by Col. Duane A. Jones, Commander Air Force, DC during the Chairman's visit to Bolling AFB.

Base Visit Input: Bolling AFB, DC; Bolling Field History booklet from Chairman Principi's visit 22 June 05. Booklet provides a short history of Bolling AFB.

Executive Correspondence: Letter from Texas Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz to General David Hague dtd 21JUN05 regarding a meeting about the status of commissioner recusals for NAVSTA Ingleside and NAS Corpus Christi.

Letter from Chairman Anthony Principi to the BRAC Commissioners concerning a review of the current situation regarding recusals and voting requirements.

Minutes from meeting on 24 SEP 03. JPAT members from the Services held a special session meeting on reserve issues

DISREGARD RESTRICTION HEADER AND/OR FOOTER. Subject: AF Briefing (April 8, 2005) to the Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld on its goals and objectives to be achieved through the BRAC process. The SECDEF Weekly BRAC reports provided information on the status of the BRAC process including overviews of candidate recommendations, issues, and financial considerations.

SUBJECT: BRAC 2005 Military Value Principles - Attached: BRAC Principles and Action Memo to Deputy Secretary of Defense from MR. MICHAEL WYNNE, ACTING USD

DISREGARD RESTRICTION HEADER AND FOOTER - SUBJECT: Template and Briefing Schedule for BRAC 2005 Scenarios

DISREGARD RESTRICTION HEADER AND FOOTER - SUBJECT: 20-Year Force Structure Plan and BRAC Recommendations

DISREGARD RESTRICTION HEADER AND FOOTER - SUBJECT: BRAC 2005 Scenario Data Calls and Revised BRAC Timeline

DISREGARD RESTRICTION HEADER AND/OR FOOTER. Subject: Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) Michael Wynn's Weekly Status Report (April 14, 2005) and Additional Information to Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (REDACTED)

Base Input from BRAC Commission Visit (Mr. Cirillo) to Kulis Air National Guard Base, AK dtd 14JUN05. Input includes history of the ANG 176th Wing and individual inputs from the Wing's Operations Group, Maintenance Group, Mission Support Group, and Medical Group.

Base Input from BRAC Commission Visit to Naval Station Norfolk, VA on 24 May 05. Presentation includes mission statement, mission support chart, maps of installation, and summary of BRAC recommended actions.

Base Input from BRAC Commission Visit to Redstone Arsenal, AL dtd June 2005. Input includes demographics, budgets, and facts and statistics of effected commands.