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| Date Dec. 19, 2008 |
Report No. R40093 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress After a period of diplomatic rancor earlier this decade, Japan and China have demonstrably improved their bilateral relationship. The emerging d tente includes breakthrough agreements on territorial disputes, various high-level exchanges, and reciprocal port calls by naval vessels. Over the past ten years, China-Japan economic interdependence has ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2008 |
Report No. RL30704 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress This report contains data on elections in the Democratic and Republican party conferences for principal congressional leaders within each party for the 94th through the 111th Congresses . It reflects actual balloting. Also identified are the six Senators who have served as President pro tempore of the Senate, the two who have served as deputy ...
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| Date Dec. 17, 2008 |
Report No. R40005 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The American automobile industry has serious financial problems. Corporate executives from the Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) have testified before Congress about their need for federal credit (direct loans and guaranteed loans). This report examines the Chrysler loan guarantee program for possible insights that could assist Members ...
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| Date Dec. 17, 2008 |
Report No. R40057 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for performing a wide range of expeditionary missions, including domestic emergency operations and military operations outside of the continental United States. DOD increasingly relies on contractors during expeditionary operations to perform a wide range of services. For example, more contractors are ...
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| Date Dec. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL34455 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress A growing community of interest, including Members of Congress, senior officials in the executive branch, and think-tank analysts, is calling for a reexamination of how well the U.S. government, including both the executive branch and Congress, is organized to apply all instruments of national power to national security activities. The organizations ...
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| Date Dec. 16, 2008 |
Report No. R40073 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress For FY2009, President Bush requested $151 million to fully implement the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Map Modernization (MapMod) Initiative (FMMI) and to fund the post-FMMI MapMod program. FEMA introduced the FMMI in 1997 as a strategic plan to convert paper flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) to digital electronic format, or ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34711 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On September 30, 2008, President George W. Bush signed H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, into law as P.L. 110-329 (122 Stat. 3574-3716). The act included three of the 12 regular appropriations acts for FY2009, continuing appropriations for the remaining nine regular appropriations ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL33472 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures refer to any of the laws, rules, standards, and procedures that governments employ to protect humans, other animals, and plants from diseases, pests, toxins, and other contaminants. Examples of SPS measures include meat and poultry processing standards to reduce pathogens, residue limits for pesticides in ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34505 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress There is a growing debate among practitioners and scholars, including participants from across the political spectrum, concerning the need to reform the U.S. government s national security system. Reform proponents argue that the current architecture was designed to meet the global security challenges of the post-World War II context, and may not be ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34714 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Energy Information Administration in its Short-Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook (STEWFO) for the 2008-2009 winter heating season initially warned consumers of the likelihood of higher heating costs. Average expenditures for those heating with natural gas were forecasted to see their expenditures rise by more than 18%. Home heating oil ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. R40052 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) recently announced that the economy had reached a cyclical peak and that a recession had begun in December 2007. A recession is one of several discrete phases in the overall business cycle. The term may often be used loosely to describe an economy that is slowing down or characterized by weakness in at ...
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| Date Dec. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22544 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs or activities, school districts have long been permitted to operate single-sex schools. In 2006, the Department of Education (ED) published Title IX regulations that, for the first time, authorized schools to establish single ...
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| Date Dec. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34747 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress At the end of every recent presidential administration involving a change in the party controlling the White House, the level of rulemaking activity by federal agencies tends to increase. On May 9, 2008, White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten issued a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies stating that regulations to be ...
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| Date Dec. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34389 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Congress last debated comprehensive health insurance reform in the 1990s. At that time, the Health Security Act, a bill originating with President Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton, was considered alongside a number of bills introduced by Senators Chafee, Daschle and Dole, and Representatives Gephardt and Bilirakis, among others. The ...
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| Date Dec. 11, 2008 |
Report No. R40055 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding for the education of children with disabilities and requires, as a condition for the receipt of such funds, the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The statute also contains detailed due process provisions to ensure the provision of FAPE. On December ...
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| Date Dec. 11, 2008 |
Report No. R40120 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Concern about exports of United States crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel and home heating oil periodically draws Congressional attention to the level of these exports, recently observed to increase from 1.4 million barrels daily in 2007, to nearly 1.9 mbd during January-September 2008. Some policymakers have suggested that prohibiting oil exports ...
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| Date Dec. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL34204 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Comprehensive immigration reform was the subject of much discussion at the start of the 110th Congress. In the spring of 2007, the Senate considered several broad immigration reform measures aimed at addressing a host of perceived problems with the U.S. immigration system. These measures combined border security and interior enforcement provisions ...
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| Date Dec. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL34162 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Renewable energy can be used to produce liquid fuels and electricity. A variety of funding, tax incentives, and regulatory policies have been enacted to support renewables as a means for addressing concerns about energy security, air pollution, international competitiveness, and climate change. This report reviews the background for renewables and ...
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| Date Dec. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RS22700 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The plaintiff in Leegin Creative Leather Products v. PSKS, Inc. successfully asked the Supreme Court to soften the longstanding treatment of resale price maintenance (RPM, vertical imposition of direct, minimum price restraints) as a per se (automatic, and not capable of being justified) antitrust offense. RPM had been so analyzed since the Court ...
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| Date Dec. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL34639 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Department of Defense (DOD) has long played a role in U.S. efforts to assist foreign populations, militaries, and governments. The use of DOD to provide foreign assistance stems in general from the perception that DOD can contribute unique or vital capabilities and resources because it possesses the manpower, materiel, and organizational assets ...
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| Date Dec. 9, 2008 |
Report No. R40031 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Federal law establishes many authorities governing employee awards and incentives. The authorities generally have been established by Congress to provide agencies with tools to help them manage their workforces and, thereby, to better accomplish agency missions and public policy goals that cut across agency boundaries. Some of these authorities are ...
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| Date Dec. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS21136 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Some policymakers have called for another stimulus package to boost economic activity in response to the recession that began in December 2007. A fundamental difference between stimulus proposals is how much of the stimulus should be composed of government spending and how much should be composed of tax cuts. This report considers that issue in the ...
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| Date Dec. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL31931 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Climate change is viewed as a global issue, but proposed responses generally require action at the national level. In 1992, the United States ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which called on industrialized countries to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases. Over the past 16 years, a variety of ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2008 |
Report No. RL34623 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, P.L. 110-289, is likely to affect most owneroccupied housing in the United States through a variety of channels. The act creates a new, stronger, unified regulator for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (the housing GSEs). As a result of various provisions in the act, the secondary ...
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| Date Dec. 4, 2008 |
Report No. R40053 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs is required by the end of FY2009, although it will likely be difficult to meet that target. Reauthorization has become a difficult undertaking in the last two decades. This is primarily due to controversy over how and to whom federal-aid highway funds should be distributed. The most recent ...
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| Date Dec. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL33812 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the absence of a federal climate change program, a number of states have taken actions that directly address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. States efforts cover a wide range of policies. Although much of the early activity was largely symbolic, the more recent state actions have been more aggressive. Twenty-three states have joined one of the ...
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| Date Dec. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RLXXXXX |
Title
Order Code RLXXXXX U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Federal Financial Assistance and Restructuring December 3, 2008 Stephen Cooney (Coordinator) Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business Resources, Science, and Industry Division CRS Authors Contributing to this Report James Bickley Specialist in Public Financing Government and Finance Division Brian W. Cashell Specialist in Macroeconomic ...
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| Date Dec. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS22554 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In 1978, Congress enacted the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in response to legislative findings of harm caused to Indian children, their families, and tribes by the high separation rate of Indian children from their homes and cultural environments. Congress addressed this situation by granting Indian tribes and Indian parents an enhanced role in ...
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| Date Dec. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL30329 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) declared on December 1, 2008, that the U.S. economy is now in a recession that began in December 2007. During that quarter (the fourth quarter of 2007), GDP contracted at an annual rate of 0.2%. It then grew at annual rates of 0.9% and 2.8% during the first and second quarters of 2008. During the third ...
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| Date Dec. 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL32191 |
Title
Prescription Drug Importation: A Legal Overview /name redacted/ Legislative Attorney December 1, 2008 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov RL32191 Prescription Drug Importation: A Legal Overview Summary High prescription drug prices have increased consumer interest in purchasing less costly medications abroad. Policymakers opposed to allowing prescription drugs to be imported from ...
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| Date Dec. 1, 2008 |
Report No. R40008 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress To a worker contemplating retirement, there is perhaps no more important question than How long will my money last? Congress has a strong interest in the income security of older Americans because much of their income is either provided directly from public programs like Social Security, or in the case of pensions and retirement accounts, is ...
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| Date Dec. 1, 2008 |
Report No. R40079 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress More than 41,000 white-collar federal civilian employees, including U.S. Postal Service employees, are stationed in the following nonforeign areas outside the contiguous United States: Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). These employees receive nonforeign cost-of ...
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| Date Dec. 1, 2008 |
Report No. RS20896 |
Title
T he role of the Senate in the confirmation process is defined in the Constitution. Article II, Section 2 provides that the President shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials. Positions requiring confirmation are specified by statute. Senate Rule XXXI regulates proceedings on nominations in executive sessions ( executive in this ...
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| Date Dec. 1, 2008 |
Report No. 98-470 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress T he Senate Manual is one of the Senate s official reference volumes; it contains the standing rules, standing orders, resolutions, laws, and procedures affecting the Senate s business. Also included in the Manual are the Constitution of the United States as well as several other historic documents and selected historical data. For more information ...
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| Date Nov. 28, 2008 |
Report No. RS21693 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress McConnell v. FEC, a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision, upheld the constitutionality of key portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) against facial challenges. (BCRA, which amended the Federal Election Campaign Act [FECA], codified at 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq., is also known as the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law). A 5 to 4 ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. 98-606 |
Title
Order Code 98-606 GOV The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview Updated November 26, 2008 Harold C. Relyea Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview Summary Established in 1939, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of a group of federal agencies immediately serving the ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. 98-738 |
Title
Order Code 98-738 Global Climate Change: Three Policy Perspectives Updated November 26, 2008 Larry Parker and John Blodgett Specialists in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Global Climate Change: Three Policy Perspectives Summary The 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change requires that signatories, including the United States, establish policies ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL33441 |
Title
Order Code RL33441 Executive Branch Reorganization and Management Initiatives: A Brief Overview Updated November 26, 2008 Harold C. Relyea Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Executive Branch Reorganization and Management Initiatives: A Brief Overview Summary This report provides a brief overview of recent executive branch reorganization actions and related ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. 98-696GOV |
Title
Order Code 98-696 GOV Resolving Legislative Differences in Congress: Conference Committees and Amendments Between the Houses Updated November 26, 2008 Elizabeth Rybicki Analyst on the Congress and Legislative Process Government and Finance Division Resolving Legislative Differences in Congress: Conference Committees and Amendments Between the Houses Summary The Constitution requires that the House ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL33883 |
Title
Order Code RL33883 Issues Affecting Tidal, Wave, and In-Stream Generation Projects Updated November 26, 2008 Nic Lane Analyst in Environment and Resources Management Resources, Science, and Industry Division Issues Affecting Tidal, Wave, and In-Stream Generation Projects Summary The development technology that generates electricity from ocean waves, tides, and river currents is still in its ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34541 |
Title
Order Code RL34541 Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with Russia: Statutory Procedures for Congressional Consideration and Their Implementation Updated November 26, 2008 Richard S. Beth Specialist on the Congress and Legislative Process Government and Finance Division Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with Russia: Statutory Procedures for Congressional Consideration and Their Implementation Summary On May ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34453 |
Title
Order Code RL34453 Endangered Species Act and Legal Issues Regarding Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead Updated November 26, 2008 Nic Lane Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Kristina Alexander Legislative Attorney American Law Division Eugene H. Buck Specialist in Natural Resources Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Endangered Species Act ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22849 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Combined federal and state spending on the Medicaid program currently exceeds $300 billion each year. It is the largest or second-largest item in state budgets, and is second only to Medicare in terms of federal spending on health care. In 2007, Congress placed temporary moratoriums on the implementation of four controversial regulations that ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34768 |
Title
Order Code RL34768 U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 2000-2007 November 26, 2008 Richard F. Grimmett Specialist in International Security Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 2000-2007 Summary This report provides background data on United States arms sales agreements with and deliveries to ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22840 |
Title
Order Code RS22840 Updated November 26, 2008 Organizing for Homeland Security: The Homeland Security Council Reconsidered Harold C. Relyea Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush established the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22721 |
Title
Order Code RS22721 Updated November 26, 2008 Wave, Tidal, and In-Stream Energy Projects: Which Federal Agency Has the Lead? Nic Lane Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Developments in wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technologies also referred to as hydrokinetic or marine energy are beginning to gain momentum. At the same time, their ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34259 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The subprime mortgage market began to flourish in the 1990s. As subprime mortgage lending increased, predatory lending did as well. Congress responded to this influx of predatory lending practices by passing the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA, P.L. 103-325), which proscribes some common abusive tactics. Drawing the line between ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS20825 |
Title
Order Code RS20825 Updated November 26, 2008 Presidential Libraries: The Federal System and Related Legislation Harold C. Relyea Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary Through the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal government currently manages and maintains 12 presidential libraries. Inaugurated with the Presidential Libraries Act ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL32064 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Congress authorizes and appropriates funds for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to conduct water resources studies and projects for navigation, flood and storm protection, ecosystem restoration, and an array of other purposes. This report explains how the congressional authorization and appropriations process overlays the Corps project ...
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| Date Nov. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22592 |
Title
Order Code RS22592 Updated November 26, 2008 Parliamentary Rights of the Delegates and Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico Christopher M. Davis Analyst on the Congress and Legislative Process Government and Finance Division Summary As officers who represent territories and properties possessed or administered by the United States but not admitted to statehood, the five House Delegates and the ...
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