|
Date ↓
|
Report No.
|
Title |
| Date Oct. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL34681 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In response to a sharp rise in gasoline prices, on June 23, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the second half of 2008, for the two rates it has the authority to set. The IRS raised the standard mileage rate for business use of a personal passenger automobile from 50.5 cents to ...
|
| Date Oct. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RS22805 |
Title
Order Code RS22805 Updated October 10, 2008 FY2009 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security Shawn Reese Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security Government and Finance Division Summary Congress appropriated, in P.L. 110-329, approximately $4.36 billion for state and local homeland security assistance programs. This is approximately $135 million more than was appropriated ...
|
| Date Oct. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL34704 |
Title
Order Code RL34704 Child Welfare: The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 October 9, 2008 Emilie Stoltzfus Specialist in Social Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Child Welfare: The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 Summary The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R. 6893) is an omnibus ...
|
| Date Oct. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22909 |
Title
Order Code RS22909 Updated October 9, 2008 The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Activity in the 110th Congress Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Jennifer Teefy Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group Summary The alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals was originally enacted to ensure that all taxpayers, especially ...
|
| Date Oct. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22968 |
Title
Order Code RS22968 October 9, 2008 The Randolph-Sheppard Act: Major Judicial Decisions Carol Toland Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Randolph-Sheppard Act requires that blind individuals receive priority for the operation of vending facilities on federal property. Vending facilities include automatic vending machines, cafeterias, and snack bars. This report will discuss ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL33775 |
Title
Order Code RL33775 Alternative Mortgages: Causes and Policy Implications of Troubled Mortgage Resets in the Subprime and Alt-A Markets Updated October 8, 2008 Edward V. Murphy Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Alternative Mortgages: Causes and Policy Implications of Troubled Mortgage Resets in the Subprime and Alt-A Markets Summary Borrowers who used alternative ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL31362 |
Title
Order Code RL31362 U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia: Selected Recipients Updated October 8, 2008 Thomas Lum Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia: Selected Recipients Summary This report analyzes annual budget justifications and legislation for foreign operations appropriations and discusses U.S. foreign aid trends, ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34322 |
Title
Order Code RL34322 The Gulf Security Dialogue and Related Arms Sale Proposals Updated October 8, 2008 Christopher M. Blanchard Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Richard F. Grimmett Specialist in International Security Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division The Gulf Security Dialogue and Related Arms Sale Proposals Summary In May 2006, the ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34216 |
Title
Order Code RL34216 Tax Gap: Proposals in the 110th Congress to Require Brokers to Report Basis on Publicly Traded Securities Updated October 8, 2008 James M. Bickley Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Tax Gap: Proposals in the 110th Congress to Require Brokers to Report Basis on Publicly Traded Securities Summary Recent and projected large deficits and the need for ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL31097 |
Title
Order Code RL31097 Charitable Contributions of Food Inventory: Proposals for Change Updated October 8, 2008 Pamela J. Jackson Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Charitable Contributions of Food Inventory: Proposals for Change Summary Tax law provides an enhanced deduction for certain charitable contributions of food inventory. The value of the existing deduction is the ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RS22966 |
Title
Order Code RS22966 October 8, 2008 Financial Turmoil: Comparing the Troubled Asset Relief Program to the Federal Reserve s Response Marc Labonte Specialist in Macroeconomics Government and Finance Division Summary As financial conditions have deteriorated over the past year, the Federal Reserve (Fed) has greatly increased its lending to financial firms. It has also expanded the scope of eligible ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34173 |
Title
Order Code RL34173 FERC s Authority to Amend Rate Agreements: The Snohomish County Decision Updated October 8, 2008 Adam Vann Legislative Attorney American Law Division FERC s Authority to Amend Rate Agreements: The Snohomish County Decision Summary In June of 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that has important implications for the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory ...
|
| Date Oct. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL33822 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (SRS; P.L. 106-393) provided a temporary, optional program of payments to counties whose regular Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management receipt-sharing payments had declined significantly. The decline from historic payments, annual fluctuations in payments, and the linkage ...
|
| Date Oct. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22965 |
Title
Order Code RS22965 October 7, 2008 The Environmental Protection Agency s Brownfields Program: Scope, Authorities, and Implementation Jonathan L. Ramseur Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The federal role in assisting states and communities to clean up brownfield sites real property affected by the potential presence of environmental contamination has ...
|
| Date Oct. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS21508 |
Title
Order Code RS21508 Updated October 7, 2008 Spectrum Management and Special Funds Linda K. Moore Analyst in Telecommunications and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Congress has acted to create two special funds to hold the revenue of certain spectrum auctions for specific purposes. These funds represent a departure from existing practice, which requires that ...
|
| Date Oct. 6, 2008 |
Report No. RL34698 |
Title
Order Code RL34698 EPA s Final Health and Safety Standard for Yucca Mountain October 6, 2008 Bonnie C. Gitlin Section Research Manager Resources, Science, and Industry Division EPA s Final Health and Safety Standard for Yucca Mountain Summary On September 30, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the long-awaited revision to its 2001 Public Health and Safety Standard for the ...
|
| Date Oct. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34695 |
Title
Order Code RL34695 Minerals Price Increases and Volatility: Causes and Consequences October 3, 2008 Stephen Cooney (Coordinator), Robert Pirog, Peter Folger, and Marc Humphries Resources, Science, and Industry Division Dick K. Nanto Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Minerals Price Increases and Volatility: Causes and Consequences Summary A rise in the prices of minerals has had a major ...
|
| Date Oct. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34692 |
Title
Order Code RL34692 Presidential Succession: Perspectives, Contemporary Analysis, and 110th Congress Proposed Legislation October 3, 2008 Thomas H. Neale Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Presidential Succession: Perspectives, Contemporary Analysis, and 110th Congress Proposed Legislation Summary Presidential succession was widely considered to be a settled ...
|
| Date Oct. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS21870 |
Title
Order Code RS21870 Updated October 3, 2008 Education Tax Benefits: Are They Permanent or Temporary? Linda Levine Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Federal income tax benefits available to individuals to mitigate escalating costs associated with postsecondary education have multiplied within the past decade. Some of these benefits are authorized temporarily (e.g. ...
|
| Date Oct. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS21682 |
Title
Order Code RS21682 Updated October 3, 2008 The Tax Deduction for Classroom Expenses of Elementary and Secondary School Teachers Linda Levine Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Summary An above-the-line deduction for certain classroom expenses paid or incurred during the school year by eligible elementary and secondary school (K-12) teachers, among other educators, was ...
|
| Date Oct. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL31149 |
Title
Order Code RL31149 Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Snowmobiles: Environmental Standards and Access to National Parks Updated September 30, 2002 James E. McCarthy Specialist in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress Snowmobiles: Environmental Standards and Access to National Parks Summary On September 13 ...
|
| Date Oct. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS22879 |
Title
Order Code RS22879 Updated October 2, 2008 Haiti: Legislative Responses to the Food Crisis and Related Development Challenges Clare Ribando Seelke and J. F. Hornbeck Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Haiti faces several interrelated challenges, the most immediate being a lingering food crisis that in April 2008 led to deadly protests and the ouster of Haiti s prime minister. ...
|
| Date Oct. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS21007 |
Title
Order Code RS21007 Updated October 2, 2008 Navy Trident Submarine Conversion (SSGN) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The FY2006 budget completed the funding required in the Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (SCN) account for the Navy s program to refuel and convert four Trident ballistic ...
|
| Date Oct. 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34383 |
Title
Order Code RL34383 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers: Current Issues and Legislation Updated October 1, 2008 John J. Topoleski Analyst in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers: Current Issues and Legislation Summary Trade Adjustment Assistance consists of several programs: Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA), Alternative ...
|
| Date Oct. 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34477 |
Title
Order Code RL34477 Extending NASA s Exemption from the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act Updated October 1, 2008 Carl Behrens Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Mary Beth Nikitin Analyst in Nonproliferation Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Extending NASA s Exemption from the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act Summary The ...
|
| Date Sept. 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34590 |
Title
Order Code RL34590 FY2009 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues Updated September 30, 2008 Lawrence Kapp, Coordinator Specialist in Military Manpower Policy Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division David F. Burrelli and Charles A. Henning Specialists in Military Manpower Policy Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Richard A. Best, Jr. Specialist ...
|
| Date Sept. 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL33746 |
Title
Order Code RL33746 Hedge Fund Failures Updated September 30, 2008 Mark Jickling Government and Finance Division Hedge Fund Failures Summary The growth of hedge funds private, high-risk, unregulated investment pools for wealthy individuals and institutions has been a striking development in financial markets. There are now about 8,000 funds with perhaps $1.5 trillion under management; both figures ...
|
| Date Sept. 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34594 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Farm commodity price and income support provisions in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, the 2008 farm bill) include three primary types of payments: Direct payments unrelated to production or prices; Counter-cyclical payments for a commodity that are triggered when (a) prices are below statutorily-determined target prices ...
|
| Date Sept. 29, 2008 |
Report No. RL32419 |
Title
Order Code RL32419 Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues Updated September 29, 2008 Jennifer K. Elsea Legislative Attorney American Law Division Moshe Schwartz Analyst in Defense Acquisition Policy Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Kennon H. Nakamura Analyst in Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Private Security ...
|
| Date Sept. 29, 2008 |
Report No. RS22777 |
Title
Order Code RS22777 Updated September 29, 2008 China s Space Program: Options for U.S.-China Cooperation Jeffrey Logan Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary China has a determined, yet still modest, program of civilian space activities planned for the next decade. The potential for U.S.-China cooperation in space an issue of interest to Congress has become ...
|
| Date Sept. 29, 2008 |
Report No. RS22961 |
Title
Order Code RS22961 September 29, 2008 The U.S. Financial Crisis: Lessons From Chile J. F. Hornbeck Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Chile experienced a banking crisis from 1981-84 that in relative terms had a cost comparable in size to that perhaps facing the United States today. The Chilean Central Bank acted quickly and decisively ...
|
| Date Sept. 29, 2008 |
Report No. RS22962 |
Title
Order Code RS22962 September 29, 2008 The U.S. Financial Crisis: Lessons From Sweden James K. Jackson Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary In the early 1990s, Sweden faced a banking and exchange rate crisis that led it to rescue banks that had experienced large losses on their balance sheets and that threatened a collapse of the banking ...
|
| Date Sept. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34080 |
Title
Order Code RL34080 Food and Agricultural Imports from China Updated September 26, 2008 Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Food and Agricultural Imports from China Summary China is now the third largest source of U.S. agricultural and seafood imports. A series of incidents have raised public concerns about the safety of these products. In ...
|
| Date Sept. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22959 |
Title
Order Code RS22959 September 26, 2008 The Resolution Trust Corporation: Historical Analysis Gary Shorter Specialist in Business and Government Relations Government and Finance Division Summary In a 1989 legislative response to financial troubles in the thrift industry, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA, P.L. 101-73) was enacted: FIRREA s principal ...
|
| Date Sept. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34682 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress This report provides a broad overview of Treasury debt management and examines changes in debt sales implemented by the Clinton and Bush Administrations. It covers the following seven topics: the concept of federal debt management, the concept of the term structure of interest rates, theories of the term structure of interest rates, policy ...
|
| Date Sept. 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22881 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In 1998, a U.S. district court held that the imposition of the coal excise tax, or black lung excise tax, on exported coal was unconstitutional. Refunding the tax has been controversial. This is because some coal producers and exporters attempted to bypass the limitations in the Internal Revenue Code s refund scheme by bringing suit under the Export ...
|
| Date Sept. 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL34247 |
Title
Order Code RL34247 Federal Regulation of Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and the Use of Carbon Monoxide in Packaging for Meat and Fish Updated September 25, 2008 Vanessa K. Burrows Legislative Attorney American Law Division Cynthia Brougher Legislative Attorney American Law Division Federal Regulation of Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and the Use of Carbon Monoxide ...
|
| Date Sept. 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL34128 |
Title
Order Code RL34128 Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation Updated September 25, 2008 David Randall Peterman Analyst in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Federal Railroad Safety Programs: Selected Issues in Proposed Reauthorization Legislation Summary The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is the federal agency ...
|
| Date Sept. 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL34506 |
Title
Order Code RL34506 Tsunami Detection and Warnings for the United States Updated September 25, 2008 Wayne A. Morrissey Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group Tsunami Detection and Warnings for the United States Summary Congress raised concerns about the possible vulnerability of U.S. coastal areas to tsunamis, and the adequacy of early warning for coastal areas, after a strong ...
|
| Date Sept. 25, 2008 |
Report No. 98-379 |
Title
Order Code 98-379 Updated September 25, 2008 Statutory Offices of Inspector General: Past and Present Frederick M. Kaiser Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary Statutory offices of inspector general (OIG) consolidate responsibility for audits and investigations within a federal agency. Established by public law as permanent, nonpartisan, independent ...
|
| Date Sept. 24, 2008 |
Report No. RL34643 |
Title
Order Code RL34643 Do Not Mail Initiatives and Their Potential Effects: Possible Issues for Congress Updated September 24, 2008 Wendy Ginsberg Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Do Not Mail Initiatives and Their Potential Effects: Possible Issues for Congress Summary Since 2007, at least 19 state legislatures have introduced legislation that would require the ...
|
| Date Sept. 24, 2008 |
Report No. RL34668 |
Title
Order Code RL34668 Proposals for a New Foreign Service Compensation System in the 110th Congress Updated September 24, 2008 Kennon H. Nakamura Analyst in Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Proposals for a New Foreign Service Compensation System in the 110th Congress Summary Proponents of revisions in the Foreign Service compensation system point out that as increasing ...
|
| Date Sept. 23, 2008 |
Report No. RL33231 |
Title
Order Code RL33231 The Internal Revenue Service s Private Tax Debt Collection Initiative: Current Status, Legislative Proposals, and Issues for Congress Updated September 23, 2008 Gary Guenther Analyst in Business Taxation and Finance Government and Finance Division The Internal Revenue Service s Private Tax Debt Collection Initiative: Current Status, Legislative Proposals, and Issues for Congress ...
|
| Date Sept. 22, 2008 |
Report No. RL34684 |
Title
Order Code RL34684 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008: P.L. 110-314 September 22, 2008 Margaret Mikyung Lee Legislative Attorney American Law Division Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008: P.L. 110-314 Summary Public alarm about the spate of recent product recalls throughout 2007, particularly of toys and other products used by children, has focused attention on the ...
|
| Date Sept. 22, 2008 |
Report No. RS22957 |
Title
Order Code RS22957 September 22, 2008 Proposal to Allow Treasury to Buy MortgageRelated Assets to Address Financial Instability Edward V. Murphy Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Baird Webel Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary Financial markets underwent severe stress during the week of September 15-22, 2008. After Lehman Brothers ...
|
| Date Sept. 22, 2008 |
Report No. 97-97 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The federal role in environmental education has been an ongoing issue. For nearly two decades, EPA has been the primary federal agency responsible for providing financial assistance to schools to support environmental education. The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-619) established a program within EPA to award grants for ...
|
| Date Sept. 19, 2008 |
Report No. RL34127 |
Title
Order Code RL34127 Highway Bridges: Conditions and the Federal/State Role Updated September 19, 2008 Robert S. Kirk Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Highway Bridges: Conditions and the Federal/State Role Summary The sudden failure and collapse of the I-35W ...
|
| Date Sept. 19, 2008 |
Report No. RS22394 |
Title
Order Code RS22394 Updated September 19, 2008 National Flood Insurance Program: Treasury Borrowing in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Rawle O. King Analyst in Industry Economics Government and Finance Division Summary In 2008, Hurricanes Ike, Gustav and Dolly made landfall in the United States, causing widespread flood damages. Estimates of federal flood losses from these three storms are not ...
|
| Date Sept. 18, 2008 |
Report No. RL34674 |
Title
Order Code RL34674 Side-by-Side Comparison of Energy Tax Provisions of H.R. 6899 and S. 3478 September 18, 2008 Salvatore Lazzari Specialist in Energy and Environmental Economics Resources, Science, and Industry Division Side-by-Side Comparison of the Energy Tax Provisions in H.R. 6899 and S. 3478 Summary The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act, H.R. 6899, was ...
|
| Date Sept. 18, 2008 |
Report No. RL34663 |
Title
Order Code RL34663 Reauthorization of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC): Opportunity to Reexamine the Congressionally Mandated Antitrust Exemption for Ocean Liner Carriers? Updated September 18, 2008 John Frittelli Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Reauthorization of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC): Opportunity to Reexamine the Congressionally ...
|
