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| Date March 24, 2015 |
Report No. R43751 |
Title
Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Fact Sheet on Legislation, FY1995-FY2015 Susan B. Epstein Specialist in Foreign Policy March 24, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43751 Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Fact Sheet Introduction Congress currently appropriates foreign affairs funding through annual Department of State, ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. IN10250 |
Title
CRS Insights Terrorist Attack in Tunis: Implications Alexis Arieff, Analyst in African Affairs (aarieff@crs.loc.gov, 7-2459) Carla E. Humud, Analyst in Middle Eastern and African Affairs (chumud@crs.loc.gov, 7-7314) March 23, 2015 (IN10250) The March 18 terrorist attack in Tunis has focused global attention on Tunisia and its struggle to pursue democracy amid security threats and economic ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. IF10159 |
Title
March 23, 2015 Cybersecurity attack with high impact can pose a larger risk than a common successful attack with low impact. Overview Information and communications technology (ICT) has evolved greatly over the last half-century. ICT devices and components now form a highly interdependent system of networks, infrastructure, and resident data known as cyberspace that has become ubiquitous and ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. IF10160 |
Title
March 23, 2015 The Rule of Law in Mexico and the M rida Initiative Background Mexico s Rule of Law Reforms Mexico, a top U.S. trade partner and political ally, has struggled to address violence and human rights abuses perpetrated by criminal groups and corrupt officials. Mexico s problems have been exacerbated by the weakness of many of its criminal justice institutions. Homicides have decreased ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. IF10157 |
Title
March 23, 2015 Educational Accountability and Reauthorization of the ESEA Federal policies aiming to improve the effectiveness of schools have historically focused on inputs, such as supporting class-size reduction and compensatory programs or services for disadvantaged students. Over the last two decades, however, interest in developing federal policies that focus on student outcomes has ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. PRESINF |
Title
Legal Sidebar Separating Power Series: Presidential Influence v. Control Over Independent Agencies 3/23/2015 Congressional committees have launched probes to determine whether the White House exerted improper influence on the development of the Federal Communication Commission s (FCC) recently approved net neutrality rule. The FCC is an independent agency headed by five commissioners, one of whom ...
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| Date March 23, 2015 |
Report No. LS_2015-03-23_01 |
Title
Legal Sidebar Separating Power Series: Presidential Influence v. Control Over Independent Agencies 3/23/2015 Congressional committees have launched probes to determine whether the White House exerted improper influence on the development of the Federal Communication Commission s (FCC) recently approved net neutrality rule. The FCC is an independent agency headed by five commissioners, one of whom ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. R42694 |
Title
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations and Issues for Congress Ian F. Fergusson, Coordinator Specialist in International Trade and Finance Mark A. McMinimy Analyst in Agricultural Policy Brock R. Williams Analyst in International Trade and Finance March 20, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42694 The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations and Issues for ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. R43961 |
Title
Social Security and Same-Sex Marriage: Frequently Asked Questions Emily M. Lanza Legislative Attorney Dawn Nuschler Specialist in Income Security William R. Morton Analyst in Income Security March 20, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43961 Social Security and Same-Sex Marriage: Frequently Asked Questions Summary In United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Supreme Court held that ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. R43951 |
Title
Proposals to Reduce Premium Subsidies for Federal Crop Insurance Dennis A. Shields Specialist in Agricultural Policy March 20, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43951 Proposals to Reduce Premium Subsidies for Federal Crop Insurance Summary Many farm policymakers generally consider the federal crop insurance program as the principal tool to help farmers cope with the variable ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. R43864 |
Title
China s Mineral Industry and U.S. Access to Strategic and Critical Minerals: Issues for Congress Marc Humphries Specialist in Energy Policy March 20, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43864 China s Mineral Industry and U.S. Access to Strategic and Critical Minerals Summary China is the world s leading producer and consumer of many minerals and metals that are in high demand ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. IN10141 |
Title
CRS Insights Designating Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs) Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy (mlabonte@crs.loc.gov, 7-0640) March 20, 2015 (IN10141) The 2008 financial crisis resulted in government assistance to rescue several financial firms that were considered "too big to fail" (TBTF) because their failure would cause unacceptable disruptions to the overall ...
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| Date March 20, 2015 |
Report No. IN10248 |
Title
CRS Insights The Quadrennial Energy Review Michael Ratner, Specialist in Energy Policy (mratner@crs.loc.gov, 7-9529) March 20, 2015 (IN10248) The first ever installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) was due to the President January 31, 2015, according to the Presidential Memorandum Establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review. President Obama established the QER process, which is fashioned on ...
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| Date March 19, 2015 |
Report No. R41953 |
Title
Energy Tax Incentives: Measuring Value Across Different Types of Energy Resources Molly F. Sherlock Coordinator of Division Research and Specialist Jeffrey M. Stupak Research Assistant March 19, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R41953 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Energy Tax Incentives: Measuring Value Across Different Types of Energy ...
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| Date March 19, 2015 |
Report No. RL34543 |
Title
International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses Updated March 19, 2015 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL34543 International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses Summary The global illegal drug trade represents a multi-dimensional challenge that has implications for U.S. national interests as well as the international community. Common ...
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| Date March 19, 2015 |
Report No. CMOH |
Title
This fact sheet lists names of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor, awarded during the 113 th Congress. Previous congressional use of the information contained in this fact sheet has included examinations of legislative measures that have waived or accelerated timeline reviews for potential Medal of Honor recipients. The material has been used in speeches, ...
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| Date March 19, 2015 |
Report No. R43445 |
Title
. The Tip Credit Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): In Brief David H. Bradley Specialist in Labor Economics March 19, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43445 The Tip Credit Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): In Brief . Summary The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), enacted in 1938 (P.L. 75-718), is the federal legislation that establishes the ...
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| Date March 18, 2015 |
Report No. R43945 |
Title
Health Insurance Premium Credits in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2015 Bernadette Fernandez Specialist in Health Care Financing March 18, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43945 Health Insurance Premium Credits in the ACA in 2015 Summary New federal tax credits, authorized under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as ...
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| Date March 18, 2015 |
Report No. RL33074 |
Title
Mandatory Spending Since 1962 Mindy R. Levit Specialist in Public Finance D. Andrew Austin Analyst in Economic Policy Jeffrey M. Stupak Research Assistant March 18, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33074 Mandatory Spending Since 1962 Summary Federal spending is divided into three broad categories: discretionary spending, mandatory spending, and net interest. Mandatory ...
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| Date March 18, 2015 |
Report No. R43807 |
Title
. FY2015 Funding to Counter Ebola and the Islamic State (IS) Susan B. Epstein, Coordinator Specialist in Foreign Policy Sarah A. Lister Specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology Amy Belasco Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget Don J. Jansen Specialist in Defense Health Care Policy March 18, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43807 FY2015 Funding to Counter Ebola and ...
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| Date March 18, 2015 |
Report No. IF10153 |
Title
March 18, 2015 Major Entitlement Spending The federal government faces long-term budget challenges. Some measures of fiscal solvency indicate that, under current policy, the United States faces a persistent future budgetary imbalance. Projections show that this is largely due to rising health care costs and the related increase in government-financed health care spending. Federal spending is ...
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| Date March 18, 2015 |
Report No. IF10152 |
Title
March 18, 2015 Federal Conservation of the Delaware River Background The Delaware River Basin drains the lands surrounding the Delaware River and its tributaries, which stretch from the Catskill Mountains in New York to the Delaware Estuary and eventually flow into the Atlantic Ocean (see Figure 1). The river is fed by 216 tributaries and drains 13,539 square miles of land within four states: ...
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| Date March 17, 2015 |
Report No. R43942 |
Title
EPA s Proposed Clean Power Plan: Conversion to Mass-Based Emission Targets Jonathan L. Ramseur Specialist in Environmental Policy March 17, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43942 EPA s Proposed Clean Power Plan: Conversion to Mass-Based Emission Targets Summary The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule in June 2014 that would require states to address carbon ...
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| Date March 17, 2015 |
Report No. R43825 |
Title
Increased Campaign Contribution Limits in the FY2015 Omnibus Appropriations Law: Frequently Asked Questions Updated March 17, 2015 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R43825 Increased Campaign Contribution Limits Proposed in the FY2015 Omnibus Appropriations Summary This report provides brief answers to frequently asked questions about increased campaign contribution ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R43532 |
Title
Offices and Officials in the Senate: Roles and Duties Ida A. Brudnick, Coordinator Specialist on the Congress March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43532 Offices and Officials in the Senate: Roles and Duties Contents Officers Elected by the Senate ......................................................................................................... 2 Serving the ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R43941 |
Title
Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Legal Challenges and Solutions Andrew Nolan Legislative Attorney March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43941 Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Legal Challenges and Solutions Summary Over the course of the last year, a host of cyberattacks has been perpetrated on a number of high profile American companies. The high profile ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R43884 |
Title
Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2015 Action in the 114th Congress William L. Painter Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43884 Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2015 Action in the 114th Congress Summary This report provides a brief outline of the FY2015 annual appropriations measure for the Department ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R43940 |
Title
. Freight Infrastructure Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization John Frittelli Specialist in Transportation Policy William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43940 Freight Infrastructure Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization . Summary Goods movement has increased substantially over the past few ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R43430 |
Title
. The Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and Medicare Physician Payments: Frequently Asked Questions Jim Hahn Specialist in Health Care Financing March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43430 Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR): Frequently Asked Questions . Summary This report responds to frequently asked questions about the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) system for updating Medicare ...
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| Date March 16, 2015 |
Report No. R42602 |
Title
. Firearms at Army Corps Water Resource Projects: Proposed Legislation and Issues in the 113th Congress Nicole T. Carter Specialist in Natural Resources Policy March 16, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42602 Firearms at Army Corps Water Resources Projects: Legislation and Issues . Summary As part of its civil works mission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages water ...
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| Date March 13, 2015 |
Report No. R41482 |
Title
. Dominican Republic: Background and U.S. Relations Clare Ribando Seelke Specialist in Latin American Affairs March 13, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R41482 Dominican Republic: Background and U.S. Relations . Summary The Dominican Republic, a country of roughly 10.3 million people that shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti, is a close U.S. trade partner and ...
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| Date March 13, 2015 |
Report No. R43939 |
Title
Medal of Honor Recipients in the 113 th Congress: A Fact Sheet March 13, 2015 (R43939) Heidi M. Peters, Information Research Specialist (hpeters@crs.loc.gov, 7-0702) View Acknowledgments Related Author Heidi M. Peters This fact sheet lists names of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor, awarded during the 113 th Congress. Previous congressional use of the ...
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| Date March 13, 2015 |
Report No. IN10242 |
Title
CRS Insights Nigeria's Boko Haram and the Islamic State Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs (lploch@crs.loc.gov, 7-7640) Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs (cblanchard@crs.loc.gov, 7-0428) March 13, 2015 (IN10242) On March 7, 2015, Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Nigerian Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram, released a statement pledging loyalty to the ...
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| Date March 13, 2015 |
Report No. IN10129 |
Title
CRS Insights U.S.-EU Cooperation on Ukraine and Russia Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs (karchick@crs.loc.gov, 7-2668) Derek E. Mix, Analyst in European Affairs (dmix@crs.loc.gov, 7-9116) March 13, 2015 (IN10129) Background The United States and the 28-member European Union (EU) have pursued similar policies in response to the conflict in Ukraine. (For background, see CRS Report ...
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| Date March 13, 2015 |
Report No. IN10246 |
Title
CRS Insights Balancing Tourism against Terrorism: The Visa Waiver Program Michaela D. Platzer, Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business (mplatzer@crs.loc.gov, 7-5037) Alison Siskin, Specialist in Immigration Policy (asiskin@crs.loc.gov, 7-0260) March 13, 2015 (IN10246) In recent months, Congress has expressed concern that some foreign fighters might exploit the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) ...
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| Date March 12, 2015 |
Report No. IF10148 |
Title
March 12, 2015 Chicken Imports from China In August 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture s (USDA s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) granted equivalency to China s poultry processing system. This determination allows China to export processed (cooked) poultry meat to the United States. Imports from China must be sourced from U.S.-slaughtered poultry or from other countries allowed to ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. R43547 |
Title
. Veterans Medical Care: FY2015 Appropriations Sidath Viranga Panangala Specialist in Veterans Policy March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43547 Veterans Medical Care: FY2015 Appropriations . Summary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides benefits to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. Benefits to veterans range from disability compensation and ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. RS21308 |
Title
. Recess Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions Henry B. Hogue Specialist in American National Government March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS21308 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress . Recess Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions Summary Under the Constitution (Article II, 2, clause 2), the President and the Senate share the ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. R42889 |
Title
Issues in the Reauthorization of Amtrak David Randall Peterman Analyst in Transportation Policy John Frittelli Specialist in Transportation Policy March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42889 Issues in the Reauthorization of Amtrak Summary Amtrak is the nation s primary provider of intercity passenger rail service. It was created by Congress in 1970 to preserve some ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. RS22545 |
Title
. Paraprofessional Quality and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Background and Issues in Brief Jeffrey J. Kuenzi Specialist in Education Policy March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22545 Paraprofessional Quality and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act . Summary The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) established minimum qualifications for ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. R43208 |
Title
Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress Eugene Boyd Analyst in Federalism and Economic Development Policy March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43208 Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress Summary On March 4, 2014, the Obama Administration released its FY2015 budget request, which included $2.870 billion ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. IN10244 |
Title
CRS Insights Scientific Basis of Environmental Protection Agency Actions: H.R. 1029 and H.R. 1030 Jerry H. Yen, Analyst in Environmental Policy (jyen@crs.loc.gov, 7-9113) March 11, 2015 (IN10244) The scientific basis of regulation is a long-standing issue. In the 114 th Congress, two bills have been referred for House floor consideration (H.R. 1029 and H.R. 1030) that would address the public ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. R43267 |
Title
. Commercial Filming and Photography on Federal Lands Laura B. Comay Analyst in Natural Resources March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43267 Commercial Filming and Photography on Federal Lands . Summary Commercial filmmakers, videographers, and photographers often seek to use federal lands as locations for their works. A 2000 law (P.L. 106-206, 16 U.S.C. 460l-6d) ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. IN10245 |
Title
CRS Insights The European Capital Markets Union James K. Jackson, Specialist in International Trade and Finance (jjackson@crs.loc.gov, 7-7751) March 11, 2015 (IN10245) Overview On February 18, 2015, the European Commission released a draft proposal for a Capital Markets Union (CMU) to complement its current efforts to create a Banking Union. The CMU is intended to strengthen capital markets in the ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. IF10147 |
Title
March 11, 2015 U.S. Circuit and District Court Judges: Profile of Select Demographic Characteristics The demographic characteristics of U.S. circuit and district court judges are of ongoing interest to Congress. Such interest is demonstrated especially at the time circuit and district court nominations are considered by the Senate. For example, floor statements by Senators in support of circuit or ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. OSCRULE |
Title
Legal Sidebar OSC Rule Seemingly Expands Federal Contractor Whistleblower Rights 3/11/2015 On January 22, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency that is responsible for protecting federal whistleblowers from illegal reprisal, proposed a new rule for whistleblower employees of civilian agency contractors, subcontractors, and grantees. The ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. LS_2015-03-11_01 |
Title
Legal Sidebar OSC Rule Seemingly Expands Federal Contractor Whistleblower Rights 3/11/2015 On January 22, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency that is responsible for protecting federal whistleblowers from illegal reprisal, proposed a new rule for whistleblower employees of civilian agency contractors, subcontractors, and grantees. The ...
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| Date March 11, 2015 |
Report No. RL33265 |
Title
Conducting Foreign Relations Without Authority: The Logan Act Michael V. Seitzinger Legislative Attorney March 11, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33265 Conducting Foreign Relations Without Authority: The Logan Act Summary The Logan Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. 953, states: Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, ...
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| Date March 10, 2015 |
Report No. 98-765 |
Title
Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2015 Nese F. DeBruyne Information Research Specialist March 10, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov 98-756 Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2015 Summary The passage of the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization and appropriations bills through Congress often does not follow the course laid out in ...
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| Date March 10, 2015 |
Report No. RL30387 |
Title
Federal Employees Retirement System: The Role of the Thrift Savings Plan Katelin P. Isaacs Analyst in Income Security March 10, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL30387 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Federal Employees Retirement System: The Role of the Thrift Savings Plan Summary Federal employees participate in one of two retirement ...
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