Resource Type

Procedures for Contested Election Cases in the House of Representatives (open access)

Procedures for Contested Election Cases in the House of Representatives

Under the U.S. Constitution, each House of Congress has the express authority to be the judge of the "elections and returns" of its own Members. Although initial challenges and recounts for the House are conducted at the state level, under the state's authority to administer federal elections, continuing contests may be presented to the House, which, as the final arbiter, may make a conclusive determination of a claim to the seat. This report describes these procedures.
Date: November 4, 2010
Creator: Maskell, Jack & Whitaker, L. Paige
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program. Under current Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Navy plans, the number of BMD-capable Navy Aegis ships is schedule to grow from 20 at the end of FY2010 to 38 at the end of FY2015. This report discusses the concerns some have over BMD expansion, as well as BMD funding issues.
Date: September 28, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Specialty Metal Provision and the Berry Amendment: Issues for Congress (open access)

The Specialty Metal Provision and the Berry Amendment: Issues for Congress

In order to protect the U.S. industrial base during periods of adversity and war, Congress passed a set of domestic source restrictions which became known as the Berry Amendment. Specialty metal represented one of fourteen items previously covered under the Berry Amendment. Congress took action in the FY2007 National Defense Authorization Act to move the specialty metal provision from the Berry Amendmgent into a separate section of Title 10. This report examines the specialty metal provision, potential oversight issues for Congress, and options that Congress may choose to consider.
Date: October 5, 2010
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors (open access)

Veterans' Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers directly, or in conjunction with other federal agencies, several benefits for surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents of deceased veterans to provide them with financial, educational, and emotional support. Among these various programs, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly tax-free cash payment for eligible surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents. This report outlines the eligibility requirements and benefit levels for DIC, the policy issues associated with DIC, and legislation in the 111th Congress related to DIC.
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Scott, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": The Law and Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior (open access)

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": The Law and Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior

This report describes the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, which holds that the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in same-sex acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability. Under this policy, but not the law, service members are not to be asked about nor allowed to discuss their "same-sex orientation." This report also describes recent efforts by certain Members of Congress to amending this policy.
Date: October 14, 2010
Creator: Burrelli, David F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis (open access)

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis

In recent years, several Members of Congress have expressed interest in amending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," (DADT) a legislation that requires those of homosexual orientation in the military to keep quiet about their orientation in order to maintain "morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion." At least two bills that would repeal the law and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation - H.R. 1283 and S. 3065 - have been introduced in the 111th Congress. This report provides a legal analysis of the various constitutional challenges that have been brought against DADT; for a policy analysis, see CRS Report R40782, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": Military Policy and the Law on
Date: November 2, 2010
Creator: Feder, Jody
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis (open access)

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis

In recent years, several Members of Congress have expressed interest in amending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," (DADT) a legislation that requires those of homosexual orientation in the military to keep quiet about their orientation in order to maintain "morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion." At least two bills that would repeal the law and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation - H.R. 1283 and S. 3065 - have been introduced in the 111th Congress. This report provides a legal analysis of the various constitutional challenges that have been brought against DADT; for a policy analysis, see CRS Report R40782, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": Military Policy and the Law on Same-Sex Behavior, by David F. Burrelli.
Date: October 21, 2010
Creator: Feder, Jody
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy (open access)

The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy

The George W. Bush Administration enacted a series of tax cuts through the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This report examines these tax cuts within the context of the current and long-term economic environment.
Date: October 27, 2010
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
General Motors' Initial Public Offering: Review of Issues and Implications for TARP (open access)

General Motors' Initial Public Offering: Review of Issues and Implications for TARP

This report analyzes the progress General Motors Company has made since it was created from the sale of the bankrupt Old GM in July 2009 and the major issues related to its anticipated 2010 initial public offering (IPO).
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Canis, Bill; Webel, Baird & Shorter, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Criminal Prohibitions on the Publication of Classified Defense Information (open access)

Criminal Prohibitions on the Publication of Classified Defense Information

The recent online publication of classified defense documents by the organization WikiLeaks and subsequent reporting by the New York Times and other news media have focused attention on whether such publication violates U.S. criminal law. The Justice Department and Department of Defense are investigating the circumstances to determine whether any prosecutions will be undertaken in connection with the disclosure. This report identifies some criminal statutes that may apply and also discusses the statutory prohibitions that may be implicated, such as the Espionage Act.
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Millennium Development Goals: The September 2010 U.N. High-level Meeting (open access)

The Millennium Development Goals: The September 2010 U.N. High-level Meeting

This report discusses overarching trends in Millennium Development Goals (MDG) progress and lessons learned from previous and ongoing efforts to achieve them. The MDGs are a group of measurable development targets agreed to by 189 U.N. member states - including the United States - as part of the 2000 Millennium Declaration. The MDGs cover a number of issues, such as eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, combating HIV/AIDS, and promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. This report examines U.S. policy toward the MDGs and how, if at all, the Goals fit into U.S. development and foreign assistance policy. It also examines different schools of thought regarding the effectiveness of the Goals, their role in international development, and their long-term sustainability. This report addresses the MDGs as a whole; it does not assess or analyze issues pertaining to the individual Goals.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa & Lawson, Marian Leonardo
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Safety in the 111th Congress: H.R. 2749 and S. 510 (open access)

Food Safety in the 111th Congress: H.R. 2749 and S. 510

This report discusses whether the current food safety system has the resources, authority, and structural organization to safeguard the health of American consumers, who spend more than $1 trillion on food each year. Also at issue is whether federal food safety laws, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.
Date: November 16, 2010
Creator: Johnson, Renรฉe; Lister, Sarah A.; Williams, Erin D. & Burrows, Vanessa K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Safety in the 111th Congress: H.R. 2749 and S. 510 (open access)

Food Safety in the 111th Congress: H.R. 2749 and S. 510

This report discusses whether the current food safety system has the resources, authority, and structural organization to safeguard the health of American consumers, who spend more than $1 trillion on food each year. Also at issue is whether federal food safety laws, first enacted in the early 1900s, have kept pace with the significant changes that have occurred in the food production, processing, and marketing sectors since then.
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Johnson, Renรฉe
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intermediate-Level Blends of Ethanol in Gasoline, and the Ethanol "Blend Wall" (open access)

Intermediate-Level Blends of Ethanol in Gasoline, and the Ethanol "Blend Wall"

This report discusses the growing interest in the potential for ethanol to displace petroleum as a transportation fuel, as well as related issues, including current Clean Air Act (CAA) limitation on ethanol content in gasoline; the requests of ethanol producers for an increase of this limitation; and the effects the limitation has upon vehicle and engine warranties and the infrastructures of the automobile and fuel industries.
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legal Protections for Subcontractors on Federal Prime Contracts (open access)

Legal Protections for Subcontractors on Federal Prime Contracts

This report provides an overview of the payment and other protections for subcontractors on certain federal prime contracts under the Miller Act, the 1988 amendments to the Prompt Payment Act, and the Small Business Act. Congress enacted these statutes to give subcontractors rights and remedies they would not otherwise have because of legal doctrines relating to sovereign immunity, privity of contract, and freedom to contract. The report also discusses legislation introduced in the 111th Congress that would provide additional protections for subcontractors.
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Business Administration HUBZone Program (open access)

Small Business Administration HUBZone Program

The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including the Historically Underutilized Business Zone Empowerment Contracting (HUBZone) program. The HUBZone program is a small business federal contracting assistance program "whose primary objective is job creation and increasing capital investment in distressed communities." This report examines the arguments presented both for and against targeting assistance to geographic areas with specified characteristics, such as low income, high poverty, or high unemployment, as opposed to providing assistance to people or businesses with specified characteristics. It then assesses the arguments presented both for and against the creation and continuation of the HUBZone program.
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agriculture-Based Biofuels: Overview and Emerging Issues (open access)

Agriculture-Based Biofuels: Overview and Emerging Issues

This report reviews the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector and the role that federal policy has played in shaping its development. In addition, it highlights emerging issues that are critical to the biofuels sector and of relevance to Congress.
Date: October 14, 2010
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of the Current World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the World Trade Center Health Program Proposed by Title I of H.R. 847 (open access)

Comparison of the Current World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program and the World Trade Center Health Program Proposed by Title I of H.R. 847

This report compares the current federally supported medical screening and treatment program offered to various persons affected by the terrorist attack on New York City on September 11, 2001, with the federal program proposed to be established by Title I of H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, as amended and passed by the House of Representatives. The World Trade Center (WTC) Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program (MMTP) and the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) are the specific programs compared in this report.
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Szymendera, Scott & Lister, Sarah A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations (open access)

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations

This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
Date: October 1, 2010
Creator: Else, Daniel H.; Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath Viranga
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Benefits: Burial Benefits and National Cemeteries (open access)

Veterans' Benefits: Burial Benefits and National Cemeteries

This report provides a descriptive analysis of both nonmonetary and monetary burial veterans' benefits and national cemeteries. It addresses congressional and constituent issues, such as who is eligible to receive burial benefits; who can be buried in a national cemetery; what plans does the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have to build new or expand existing national cemeteries; and what benefits does the VA provide, among others.
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Scott, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy (open access)

The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy

The George W. Bush Administration enacted a series of tax cuts through the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This report examines these tax cuts within the context of the current and long-term economic environment.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oil Spill Legislation in the 111th Congress (open access)

Oil Spill Legislation in the 111th Congress

This report summarizes provisions of selected legislation - enacted and proposed - that address oil spill policy issues raised after the April 20, 2010, explosion and resulting oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This report focuses primarily on oil spill policy matters that concern prevention, preparedness, response, and the liability and compensation framework.
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legal Issues Related to Proving "Service Connection" for VA Disability Compensation: Statutory Presumptions (open access)

Legal Issues Related to Proving "Service Connection" for VA Disability Compensation: Statutory Presumptions

This report focuses on several statutory presumptions that relate to the second element of a service-connected claim for disability compensation, and synthesizes the legal principles that guide the Department of Veterans Affairs' application of the statutory presumptions during the claims adjudication process. Specifically, this report will discuss the "presumption of soundness," the presumption of aggravation of a pre-existing injury or disease, the "line of duty" presumption, and finally, the "combat veteran" presumption, all of which are codified at Title 38 of the United States Code.
Date: October 18, 2010
Creator: Nichols, James E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Piracy: A Legal Definition (open access)

Piracy: A Legal Definition

Pirate attacks in the waters off the Horn of Africa, including those on U.S.-flagged vessels, have brought continued U.S. and international attention to the long-standing problem of piracy in the region. A recent development in one of the piracy trials in Norfolk, VA, has highlighted a potential limitation in the definition of piracy under the United States Code. This report first examines the historical development of the offense of piracy, as defined by Congress and codified in the United States Code. The focus then turns to how contemporary international agreements define piracy. Finally, the report highlights a recent federal district court ruling that the offense of piracy under 18 U.S.C. ยง 1651 requires a robbery at sea.
Date: October 19, 2010
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
System: The UNT Digital Library