|
Date ↓
|
Report No.
|
Title |
| Date March 11, 2009 |
Report No. RS22934 |
Title
Treatment of Seller-Funded Downpayment Assistance in FHA-Insured Home Loans Bruce E. Foote Analyst in Housing Policy March 11, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22934 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Treatment of Seller-Funded Downpayment Assistance in FHA-Insured Home Loans Summary In order to qualify for FHA-insured home loans, ...
|
| Date March 10, 2009 |
Report No. R40242 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Market-based mechanisms that limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be divided into two types: quantity control (e.g., cap-and-trade) and price control (e.g., carbon tax or fee). To some extent, a carbon tax and a cap-and-trade program would produce similar effects: Both are estimated to increase the price of fossil fuels, which would ultimately ...
|
| Date March 10, 2009 |
Report No. R40427 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Federal agencies report increasing cyber-intrusions into government computer networks, perpetrated by a range of known and unknown actors. In response, the President, legislators, experts, and others have characterized cybersecurity as a pressing national security issue. Like other national security challenges in the post-9/11 era, the cyber threat ...
|
| Date March 10, 2009 |
Report No. RS22980 |
Title
Recent Acquisitions of U.S. Meat Companies Ren e Johnson Specialist in Agricultural Policy March 10, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22980 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Recent Acquisitions of U.S. Meat Companies Summary In July 2007, JBS a Brazilian company regarded as the world s largest meat processor purchased the U.S. beef ...
|
| Date March 9, 2009 |
Report No. RL33004 |
Title
Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination Jennifer Staman Legislative Attorney Erika Lunder Legislative Attorney March 9, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33004 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination Summary Both federal courts and Congress have recently addressed ...
|
| Date March 9, 2009 |
Report No. R40429 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Hospice care provides an interdisciplinary approach to services for Medicare beneficiaries with a terminal illness. This care specializes in the relief of the pain and symptoms associated with a terminal illness and in the provision of supportive and counseling services to patients and their families during the final stages of a patient s illness ...
|
| Date March 9, 2009 |
Report No. RL34554 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (the Delta) is formed by the confluence of the northflowing San Joaquin River, the south-flowing Sacramento River, and the San Francisco Bay, to which the delta of the two rivers is linked. The 1,153-square-mile estuary is the hub of California s extensive water supply system. The Delta provides water to more ...
|
| Date March 6, 2009 |
Report No. RL34513 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On June 2, 2008, the Senate agreed to consider a bill (S. 3036) to control greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In the 111th Congress, leadership in both chambers have announced their intentions to pass bills in 2009 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These actions are indicative of the pressures Members of Congress increasingly face on ...
|
| Date March 6, 2009 |
Report No. RS22681 |
Title
The Cigarette Tax Increase to Finance SCHIP name redacted Senior Specialist in Economic Policy March 6, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov RS22681 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Cigarette Tax Increase to Finance SCHIP Summary On January 15, the House passed H.R. 2, a bill which included increased tobacco taxes to finance State ...
|
| Date March 6, 2009 |
Report No. RS22983 |
Title
Pakistan s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Michael F. Martin Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance K. Alan Kronstadt Specialist in South Asian Affairs March 6, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22983 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Pakistan s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Summary Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in ...
|
| Date March 6, 2009 |
Report No. RS22818 |
Title
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Overview, FY2009 Budget, and Issues for Congress Daniel Morgan Analyst in Science and Technology Policy Carl E. Behrens Specialist in Energy Policy March 6, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22818 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress National Aeronautics and Space Administration Summary The ...
|
| Date March 6, 2009 |
Report No. RS22829 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress This report examines the aspirations of Georgia [Republic] to become a member of NATO. Issues related to Georgia s reform progress, Georgia-Russia relations, and U.S. policy are examined. This report may be updated. Related products include CRS Report RL34701, NATO Enlargement: Albania, Croatia, and Possible Future Candidates, by Vincent Morelli et ...
|
| Date March 5, 2009 |
Report No. R40416 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) provides funding for various educational programs, including a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) provides federal funding to states to support elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. Although federal money provided by the SFSF ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RL34482 |
Title
Homeland Security Department: FY2009 Appropriations Jennifer E. Lake, Coordinator Analyst in Domestic Security Blas Nu ez-Neto, Coordinator Analyst in Domestic Security March 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34482 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Homeland Security Department: FY2009 Appropriations Summary This report describes the ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RL32507 |
Title
Higher Education Tax Credits: An Economic Analysis Christian Gonzalez Analyst American National Government Mark P. Keightley Analyst in Public Finance March 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL32507 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Higher Education Tax Credits: An Economic Analysis Summary Education tax credits, the Hope credit and the ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RL33941 |
Title
Polar Bears: Listing Under the Endangered Species Act Eugene H. Buck Specialist in Natural Resources Policy M. Lynne Corn Specialist in Natural Resources Policy Kristina Alexander Legislative Attorney March 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33941 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Polar Bears: Listing Under the Endangered Species Act ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. IS40270 |
Title
CRS Issue Statement on Climate Change Jane A. Leggett, Coordinator Specialist in Energy and Environmental Policy March 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov IS40270 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress CRS Issue Statement on Climate Change T he Earth s climate is warming, with observable effects on human and ecological systems. Since 1900, the ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RL33824 |
Title
The Constitutionality of Awarding the Delegate for the District of Columbia a Vote in the House of Representatives or the Committee of the Whole name redacted Legislative Attorney March 4, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov RL33824 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Constitutionality of Awarding the Delegate for the District of Columbia ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RS22848 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On May 29, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a rule intended to establish control over the use and misuse of intergovernmental transfers in financing the states shares of Medicaid costs. The rule clarifies the types of intergovernmental transfers of funds allowable for financing a portion of Medicaid costs, imposes a ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RS22397 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress As a condition of accepting funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), public schools must provide special education and related services necessary for children with disabilities to benefit from a public education. Generally, states can finance only a portion of these costs with federal IDEA funds. Medicaid, the federal- ...
|
| Date March 4, 2009 |
Report No. RL33473 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The 2005 murders of the husband and mother of United States District Judge Joan Lefkow by a disgruntled litigant and the murders of Judge Rowland Barton, his court reporter, a deputy sheriff, and a federal officer in Atlanta, Georgia, focused national attention on the need for increased court security. Data from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), ...
|
| Date March 3, 2009 |
Report No. RL33194 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress General aviation (GA) a catch-all category that includes about 54% of all civilian aviation activity within the United States encompasses a wide range of airports, aircraft, and flight operations. Because GA plays a small but important role in the U.S. economy, improving upon GA security without unduly impeding air commerce or limiting the freedom ...
|
| Date March 3, 2009 |
Report No. RL34618 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the early 1990s, Georgia and its breakaway South Ossetia region had agreed to a Russianmediated ceasefire that provided for Russian peacekeepers to be stationed in the region. Moscow extended citizenship and passports to most ethnic Ossetians. Simmering long-time tensions escalated on the evening of August 7, 2008, when South Ossetia and Georgia ...
|
| Date March 3, 2009 |
Report No. R40374 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Medicare Advantage (MA) is an alternative way for Medicare beneficiaries to receive covered benefits. Under MA, private health plans are paid a per-person amount to provide all Medicarecovered benefits (except hospice) to beneficiaries who enroll in their plan. Eligible individuals may enroll in an MA plan, if one is available in their area. As of ...
|
| Date March 2, 2009 |
Report No. RL33973 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress As immigration reform and the illegal alien population have gained congressional and public attention in the past several years, the issue of unauthorized employment has come to the fore. It is widely accepted that most unauthorized aliens enter and remain in the United States in order to work. Thus, eliminating employment opportunities for these ...
|
| Date Feb. 27, 2009 |
Report No. R40441 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the Supreme Court s 2008-2009 term, which likely will conclude in late June, 2009, the Court has accepted for argument five environmental cases an unusually large number out of the roughly 85 cases accepted for argument. This report reviews the cases, decided and undecided, and then briefly comments. The one case of the five that is already ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. RL34473 |
Title
Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations Pat Towell Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget Stephen Daggett Specialist in Defense Policy and Budgets Amy Belasco Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget February 25, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34473 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Defense: FY2009 Authorization and ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. RL34558 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Soon after it convened, the 111th Congress initiated H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), otherwise known as the economic stimulus. Passed by both chambers and enacted by President Barak Obama on February 17, 2009, the Act adds approximately $4.3 billion to the $119.6 billion regular FY2009 appropriations for military ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. RL34423 |
Title
Government Interventions in Financial Markets: Economic and Historic Analysis of Subprime Mortgage Options Updated February 25, 2009 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL34423 Government Interventions in Financial Markets Summary This report summarizes and analyzes four previous government market interventions (Home Owners Loan Corporation in 1933, Continental Illinois ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. R40361 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the past several years, the People s Republic of China (PRC) has bolstered its diplomatic presence and garnered international goodwill through its financing of infrastructure and natural resource development projects, assistance in the carrying out of such projects, and large economic investments in many developing countries. This report examines ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. R40243 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has been insuring lenders against loss on home loans since 1934, and has insured about 35 million homes at a mortgage volume of about $2 trillion. In past years, FHA was often the innovator in testing new mortgage products, but in recent years the private mortgage market has been offering mortgages that ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. R40241 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5), which was signed into law on February 17, 2009, makes supplemental appropriations for many federal programs in an effort to mitigate the effects of the economic recession that began in December 2007. This report provides an overview of key provisions related to the Small Business ...
|
| Date Feb. 25, 2009 |
Report No. RL31884 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, there has been and continues to be considerable congressional interest in further streamlining and expediting the naturalization process for military personnel and in providing immigration benefits specifically for immediate relatives of such personnel. The reported deaths in action of ...
|
| Date Feb. 24, 2009 |
Report No. RL34337 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress China established its major sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation (CIC) on September 29, 2007 six months after it first announced its intention to create such a fund. Financed with $200 billion in initial capital, the CIC is one of the largest sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in the world. The creation of CIC was somewhat ...
|
| Date Feb. 24, 2009 |
Report No. RS21473 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress This report briefly reviews North Korea s ballistic missile program. In summer 2007, North Korea tested modern, short-range missiles. In February 2009, South Korea reported the DPRK had deployed a new intermediate-range missile. This report may be updated periodically. Additional information is provided by CRS Report RL33590, North Korea s Nuclear ...
|
| Date Feb. 24, 2009 |
Report No. RL33232 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress It has been proposed that Congress prohibit the sale or rental to minors of video games that are rated M (mature) or AO (adults-only) by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. This board is a non-governmental entity established by the Interactive Digital Software Association, and its ratings currently have no legal effect. The Board s website ...
|
| Date Feb. 23, 2009 |
Report No. R40160 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5). The ARRA is a response to the depth of the economic recession facing the United States (and the rest of the world) at the beginning of 2009. It is billed as an economic stimulus package to improve the situation of ...
|
| Date Feb. 23, 2009 |
Report No. R40211 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The federal government provides grants-in-aid to states and local governments to provide a range of benefits and human services programs to disadvantaged families and persons. Most such human services are administered, and often designed, at the state and local level. Some human services are provided by community or nonprofit organizations. The ...
|
| Date Feb. 23, 2009 |
Report No. RL34266 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Scientific conclusions have become more compelling regarding the influence of human activities on the Earth s climate. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared that evidence of global warming was unequivocal. It concluded that [m]ost of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very ...
|
| Date Feb. 23, 2009 |
Report No. RL31146 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the midst an economic downturn, colleges and universities in the United States are finding themselves confronting economic difficulties. Foreign students have historically been an important source of revenue for colleges and universities because unlike many of their native counterparts, foreign students frequently do not receive financial aid ...
|
| Date Feb. 23, 2009 |
Report No. R40235 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress End-of-life care can be broadly defined as health care provided to persons who are very ill, have a prognosis that is likely to worsen, and most likely will die in the near term from their illness. Endof-life care may be in the form of acute care provided in the days or months prior to death or palliative care, which focuses on relieving the patient ...
|
| Date Feb. 20, 2009 |
Report No. RL33876 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The United States has had a continuous relationship with the Philippine Islands since 1898, when they were acquired by the United States as a result of the Spanish-American War. Filipinos have served in, and with, the U.S. Armed Forces since the Spanish-American War, and especially during World War II. The Islands remained a possession of the United ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. R40101 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a major military campaign dubbed Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli offensive came in response to markedly increased Palestinian rocket fire following the expiration of a six-month cease-fire on December 19. On January 3, 2009, Israel began a ground offensive into Gaza. Despite ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. R40230 |
Title
The Evolving Broadband Infrastructure: Expansion, Applications, and Regulation Patricia Moloney Figliola Specialist in Internet and Telecommunications Policy Angele A. Gilroy Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Policy February 19, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R40230 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. R40153 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-289) enacted a temporary tax credit for first-time homebuyers that was intended to address two housing market concerns: an excess supply of homes on the market and falling prices of homes. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; H.R. 1, P.L. 111-5), as agreed to in conference ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. R40111 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the early 1970s, Congress began mandating reductions in energy consumed by federal agencies; primarily by improving building efficiency, and reducing fossil fuel use. Early legislation mandated a 10% reduction in federal building energy and a recent Executive Order mandates a 30% further reduction by 2015. President-elect Obama has included the ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. RS22653 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Livestock industry groups, animal health officials, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been working to establish a nationwide identification (ID) system capable of quickly tracking animals from birth to slaughter, to deal with animal diseases and/or to satisfy foreign market specifications. Some consumer groups are among those who ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. R40182 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On February 13, 2009, both the House and Senate passed the conference version of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The primary purposes of the ARRA focus on promoting economic recovery, assisting those most affected by the recession, improving economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and ...
|
| Date Feb. 19, 2009 |
Report No. RL34487 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Japan, traditionally one of the most prominent advocates of the international non-proliferation regime, has consistently pledged to forswear nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, evolving circumstances in Northeast Asia, particularly North Korea s nuclear test in October 2006 and China s ongoing military modernization drive, have raised new questions about ...
|
| Date Feb. 18, 2009 |
Report No. RL34059 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Huge quantities of carbon are actively exchanged between the atmosphere and other storage pools, including the oceans, vegetation, and soils on the land surface. The exchange, or flux, of carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface is called the global carbon cycle. Comparatively, human activities contribute a relatively small amount of ...
|
