Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables (open access)

Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables

The report contains information on congressional pay procedure and recent adjustments. It includes historical information on pay rates since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's programs for procuring 8 National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), and 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs).
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action (open access)

The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action

This report discusses the budget reconciliation process that has been one of the chief tools used by Congress during the period covering from 1980 to the present to implement major changes in budget policy. Following a brief overview of the budget reconciliation process, this report provides information on the timing of House and Senate action on reconciliation measures.
Date: October 24, 2013
Creator: Lynch, Megan S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers (open access)

Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers

This report answers several frequently asked questions about military health care, including: how the system is structured, a TRICARE summary, TRICARE eligibility and plan options, cost of military health care to beneficiaries, relationship of TRICARE to MEDICARE, how the Affordable Care Act affects TRICARE, long-term trends of defense health care costs, and a summary of the fund which funds TRICARE.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Jansen, Don J. & Blakeley, Katherine
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Response Mechanisms (open access)

International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Response Mechanisms

Report that examines U.S. humanitarian assistance in international crises and disaster situations. It considers the sources and types of U.S. government aid, the response mechanisms of key U.S. agencies and departments, and possible issues for Congress--including competing aid and budget priorities, burden sharing and donor-fatigue, the transparency and efficacy of U.S. humanitarian assistance, consequences of such assistance, and potential links to broader U.S. foreign policy goals.
Date: May 24, 2013
Creator: Margesson, Rhoda
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Honduras-U.S. Relations (open access)

Honduras-U.S. Relations

Report that examines current political and economic conditions in Honduras as well as issues in Honduran-U.S. relations.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Report that is written in response to the Coast Guard's budget request for a new polar ice breaker, of which the Coast Guard currently has none in operation. Polar icebreakers perform a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions. Issues for Congress include what to do with decommissioned ice breakers, the impact of having no ice breakers, how to budget for new ice breakers, and how future ice breakers should be obtained.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (open access)

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

This report provides a background of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) financial crisis and the issues for Congress.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trafficking in Persons: International Dimensions and Foreign Policy Issues for Congress (open access)

Trafficking in Persons: International Dimensions and Foreign Policy Issues for Congress

Report that explores current foreign policy issues regarding U.S. efforts to combat human trafficking, the interrelationship among existing polices, and the historical and current role of Congress in such efforts.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
Object Type: Report
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

This report discusses the statutory prohibitions that may be implicated, including the Espionage Act; the extraterritorial application of such statutes; and the First Amendment implications related to such prosecutions against domestic or foreign media organizations and associated individuals. The report provides a summary of previous legislative efforts to criminalize the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
Date: June 24, 2013
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under the Oil Pollution Act (open access)

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under the Oil Pollution Act

Report that examines the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) process under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) in the context of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Vann, Adam & Meltz, Robert
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

U.S.-Cambodia Relations: Issues for the 113th Congress

Report that starts out by describing the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Cambodia. This includes U.S. concerns about Cambodia's human rights record and how that affects the bilateral relationship.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Lum, Thomas
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Postal Service's Financial Condition: A Primer (open access)

The U.S. Postal Service's Financial Condition: A Primer

Report that discusses the USPS financial challenges, agency's revenues, and recent financial difficulties.
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: Kosar, Kevin R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information on the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and it discusses the Army's proposed replacement to the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs).
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Monuments and Memorials in the District of Columbia: Analysis and Options for Proposed Exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act (open access)

Monuments and Memorials in the District of Columbia: Analysis and Options for Proposed Exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act

This report focuses on options for Congress for three types of exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act (CWA, 40 U.S.C. §§8901-8909): siting works, donor recognition, and the placement and status of museums, which are generally not considered commemorative works.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Member Organizations: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation (open access)

Congressional Member Organizations: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation

This report examines the purpose and activities of Committee on House Administration as congressional Member organizations (CMO) and the reasons Members form them. It also identifies and describes seven CMO types, and it provides an overview of the historical development of informal Member organizations since the first Congress, focusing on their regulation in the House by the Committee on House Oversight/Committee on House Administration, the rise and fall of legislative service organizations (LSOs), and the House's decision in 1995 to issue regulations for establishing CMOs and governing their behavior. It concludes with a step-by-step guide for House Members and staff who might be interested in forming a CMO.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Gerrity, Jessica C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

This report describes the relationship between the United States and the Sultanate of Oman, especially with respect to Oman's support of U.S. efforts toward peace in the Middle East, the U.S. free trade agreement with Oman, and Oman's relatively close relations with Iran, the last of which seems incongruous with the other positive aspects of Oman's relationship with the U.S.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives (open access)

Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives

This report examines the timing of certain stages of the reconciliation process and the extent to which the submission due date included in a reconciliation instruction is a predictor for the timing of committee response.
Date: October 24, 2013
Creator: Lynch, Megan S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action (open access)

The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action

This report discusses the budget reconciliation process, which is an optional procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that operates as an adjunct to the annual budget resolution process. Reconciliation is a two-stage process in which reconciliation instructions are included in the budget resolution, directing the appropriate committees to develop legislation achieving the desired budgetary outcomes, and the resultant legislation (usually incorporated into an omnibus bill) is considered under expedited procedures in the House and Senate.
Date: October 24, 2013
Creator: Lynch, Megan S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nigeria: Current Issues and U.S. Policy (open access)

Nigeria: Current Issues and U.S. Policy

This report covers the recent economical and political development in Nigeria; elections, development challenges, reform initiatives, social issues, security concerns, and international relations in Nigeria. The report ends with some concerns for Congress, including U.S.-Nigerian trade issues, Nigerian counter-terrorism efforts, and U.S. assistance to Nigeria.
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spectrum Management: Preliminary Findings on Federal Relocation Costs and Auction Revenues (open access)

Spectrum Management: Preliminary Findings on Federal Relocation Costs and Auction Revenues

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Actual costs to relocate federal users from the 1710-1755 megahertz (MHz) band have exceeded the original $1 billion estimate by about $474 million as of March 2013, although auction revenues appear to exceed relocation costs by over $5 billion. Actual relocation costs exceed estimated costs for various reasons, including unforeseen challenges and some agencies not following the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) guidance for preparing the cost estimate. In contrast, the Department of Defense (DOD) expects to complete relocation for about $275 million or approximately $80 million less than its $355 million estimate. According to DOD officials, the relocation of systems from this band has been less expensive than originally estimated because many systems were simply re-tuned to operate in the adjacent 1755-1850 MHz band. The auction of the 1710-1755 MHz band raised almost $6.9 billion in gross winning bids. NTIA expects agencies to complete the relocation effort between 2013 and 2017; therefore, final net auction revenue (auction revenue less relocation costs) may change."
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Action Needed to Address Higher Use of Anatomic Pathology Services by Providers Who Self-Refer (open access)

Medicare: Action Needed to Address Higher Use of Anatomic Pathology Services by Providers Who Self-Refer

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Self-referred anatomic pathology services increased at a faster rate than non-self-referred services from 2004 to 2010. During this period, the number of self-referred anatomic pathology services more than doubled, growing from 1.06 million services to about 2.26 million services, while non-self-referred services grew about 38 percent, from about 5.64 million services to about 7.77 million services. Similarly, the growth rate of expenditures for self-referred anatomic pathology services was higher than for non-self-referred services. Three provider specialties--dermatology, gastroenterology, and urology--accounted for 90 percent of referrals for self-referred anatomic pathology services in 2010."
Date: June 24, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Alerting: Capabilities Have Improved, but Additional Guidance and Testing Are Needed (open access)

Emergency Alerting: Capabilities Have Improved, but Additional Guidance and Testing Are Needed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Energy: Observations on DOE's Management Challenges and Steps Taken to Address Them (open access)

Department of Energy: Observations on DOE's Management Challenges and Steps Taken to Address Them

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As GAO has reported over the last decade, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) management of major projects and programs, security and safety at DOE sites, and reliable enterprise-wide management information, including budget and cost data, are among the most persistent management challenges the department faces."
Date: July 24, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library