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Title |
| Date Sept. 18, 2008 |
Report No. RL34675 |
Title
Order Code RL34675 Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Selected Highway and Transit Issues in Brief September 18, 2008 Robert S. Kirk Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Selected Highway and Transit Issues in Brief Summary SAFETEA-LU, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy ...
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| Date Sept. 17, 2008 |
Report No. RL33510 |
Title
Order Code RL33510 Taiwan: Overall Developments and Policy Issues in the 109th Congress Updated September 17, 2008 Kerry Dumbaugh Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Taiwan: Overall Developments and Policy Issues in the 109th Congress Summary U.S. officials saw relations with Taiwan as especially troubled during the 109th Congress in 2005-2006, beset by the ...
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| Date Sept. 17, 2008 |
Report No. RL34667 |
Title
Order Code RL34667 Outer Continental Shelf Leasing: Side-by-Side Comparison of Five Legislative Proposals Updated September 17, 2008 Marc Humphries Analyst in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Outer Continental Shelf Leasing: Side-by-Side Comparison of Five Legislative Proposals Summary This report provides a side-by-side comparison of three bills and two proposals, each of ...
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| Date Sept. 17, 2008 |
Report No. RS22908 |
Title
Order Code RS22908 Updated September 17, 2008 Livestock Feed Costs: Concerns and Options Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Livestock producers in 2008 have seen sharply higher feed costs, fueled by competing use demands for corn and soybeans and by higher energy prices. Some analysts argue that current public policies, including ...
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| Date Sept. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL34281 |
Title
Order Code RL34281 Judicial Salary: Current Issues and Options for Congress Updated September 16, 2008 Denis Steven Rutkus Specialist on the Federal Judiciary Government and Finance Division Judicial Salary: Current Issues and Options for Congress Summary Several federal judges, including the Chief Justice of the United States, have expressed concern over the level of judicial salary. Chief ...
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| Date Sept. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL34211 |
Title
Order Code RL34211 State and Local Taxes and the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement Updated September 16, 2008 Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division State and Local Taxes and the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement Summary State sales and use taxes are consumption taxes that are levied according to the destination principle. The destination principle ...
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| Date Sept. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RS22951 |
Title
Order Code RS22951 September 16, 2008 Japan s Political Turmoil in 2008: Background and Implications for the United States Mark E. Manyin and Emma Chanlett-Avery Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary On September 1, 2008, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stunned observers by resigning his post, saying that a new leader might be able to avoid the political vacuum that he faced in ...
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| Date Sept. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL33747 |
Title
Order Code RL33747 Emergency Communications Legislation: Implications for the 110th Congress Updated September 15, 2008 Linda K. Moore Analyst in Telecommunications and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Emergency Communications Legislation: Implications for the 110th Congress Summary Since September 11, 2001, several bills introduced in the U.S. Congress have included ...
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| Date Sept. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34677 |
Title
Order Code RL34677 Productivity Growth: Trends and Prospects September 15, 2008 Brian W. Cashell Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy Government and Finance Division Productivity Growth: Trends and Prospects Summary While policymakers have at least some direct or indirect influence over many economic variables, productivity growth may be among those that remain relatively beyond the influence of ...
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| Date Sept. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22841 |
Title
Order Code RS22841 Updated September 15, 2008 Mortgage Revenue Bonds: Analysis of Sections 3021 and 3022 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 Mark P. Keightley Analyst in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Erika Lunder Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The number of homeowners facing the risk of foreclosure is rising and estimates suggest as many as 2.8 ...
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| Date Sept. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22950 |
Title
Order Code RS22950 September 15, 2008 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in Conservatorship Mark Jickling Specialist in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary On September 7, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that play a critical role in the U.S. home mortgage market, in conservatorship. As ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL33206 |
Title
Order Code RL33206 Vulnerability of Concentrated Critical Infrastructure: Background and Policy Options Updated September 12, 2008 Paul W. Parfomak Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Resources, Science, and Industry Division Vulnerability of Concentrated Critical Infrastructure: Background and Policy Options Summary Critical infrastructure consists of systems and assets so vital to the United ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34653 |
Title
Order Code RL34653 Economic Analysis of a Mortgage Foreclosure Moratorium Updated September 12, 2008 Edward Vincent Murphy Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Economic Analysis of a Mortgage Foreclosure Moratorium Summary On July 26, 2008, Congress passed legislation creating a voluntary program to enable troubled mortgage borrowers and lenders to refinance their loans ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34666 |
Title
Order Code RL34666 The Department of Defense, Science and Technology Program: An Analysis, FY1998-FY2007 September 12, 2008 John D. Moteff Specialist, Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Department of Defense, Science and Technology Program: An Analysis, FY1998-FY2007 Summary Every year Congress appropriates billions of dollars for the Science and Technology ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34671 |
Title
Order Code RL34671 The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Status and Current Policy Issues September 12, 2008 William F. Hederman Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Status and Current Policy Issues Summary On August 27, 2008, the governor of Alaska signed legislation awarding a license to TransCanada Alaska (TransCanada) to permit, ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RL34660 |
Title
Order Code RL34660 Federal Government Debt Collection: An Overview of the Treasury Offset and Federal Payment Levy Programs September 12, 2008 Gary Guenther Analyst in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Federal Government Debt Collection: An Overview of the Treasury Offset and Federal Payment Levy Programs Summary One of the numerous functions performed by the Financial Management ...
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| Date Sept. 12, 2008 |
Report No. RS22949 |
Title
Order Code RS22949 September 12, 2008 Legal Services in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and U.S. Effect Margaret Mikyung Lee Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary This report provides a broad overview of the treatment of legal services under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and its potential effect on laws and rules governing the provision of legal services by foreign ...
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| Date Sept. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RL34419 |
Title
Order Code RL34419 The Budget for Fiscal Year 2009 Updated September 11, 2008 D. Andrew Austin Analyst in Economic Policy Government and Finance Division The Budget for Fiscal Year 2009 Summary On February 4, 2008, President Bush sent his fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget to Congress. The President s budget predicted a deficit of $407 billion for FY2008 and $410 billion for FY2009, up from $162 billion ...
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| Date Sept. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RL32942 |
Title
Order Code RL32942 State and Local Taxes and the Federal Alternative Minimum Tax Updated September 11, 2008 Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division State and Local Taxes and the Federal Alternative Minimum Tax Summary The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a parallel tax to the regular individual income tax and is intended to help ensure that high-income ...
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| Date Sept. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RS21054 |
Title
Order Code RS21054 Updated September 11, 2008 Medicaid and SCHIP Section 1115 Research and Demonstration Waivers Evelyne P. Baumrucker Analyst in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Section 1115 of the Social Security Act provides the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with broad authority to waive certain statutory requirements for states to conduct research and ...
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| Date Sept. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL34659 |
Title
Order Code RL34659 China s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies September 10, 2008 Jane A. Leggett Specialist in Environmental and Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Jeffrey Logan Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Anna Mackey Intern Resources, Science, and Industry Division China s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies ...
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| Date Sept. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL32949 |
Title
Order Code RL32949 Communications Act Revisions: Selected Issues for Consideration Updated September 10, 2008 Angele A. Gilroy Coordinator Resources, Science, and Industry Division Communications Act Revisions: Selected Issues for Consideration Summary The passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act (P.L. 104-104) resulted in a major revision of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq. ...
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| Date Sept. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL30349 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On July 7, 2004, an old congressional support agency was given a new name, while keeping the same initials (GAO): at that time, the General Accounting Office, established in 1921, was redesignated the Government Accountability Office (P.L. 108-271). The renaming, which came at the request of its head, the Comptroller General (CG) of the United ...
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| Date Sept. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL34542 |
Title
Order Code RL34542 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD): FY2009 Appropriations Updated September 9, 2008 David Randall Peterman and John Frittelli Coordinators Resources, Science, and Industry Division Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, ...
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| Date Sept. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS21663 |
Title
Order Code RS21663 Updated September 9, 2008 Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs): An Institutional Overview Kevin R. Kosar Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary Congress chartered government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to improve the workings of credit markets. This report briefly describes the nature of GSEs, their mixed governmental-private nature, ...
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| Date Sept. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22932 |
Title
Order Code RS22932 Updated September 9, 2008 Credit Default Swaps: Frequently Asked Questions Edward Vincent Murphy Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary Credit default swaps are contracts that provide protection against default by third parties, similar to insurance. These financial derivatives are used by banks and other financial institutions to manage risk. The ...
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| Date Sept. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34654 |
Title
Order Code RL34654 The Higher Education Opportunity Act: Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act September 8, 2008 David P. Smole, Blake Alan Naughton, Jeffrey J. Kuenzi, and Rebecca R. Skinner Domestic Social Policy Division The Higher Education Opportunity Act: Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act Summary The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329), as amended, authorizes a ...
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| Date Sept. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34656 |
Title
Order Code RL34656 Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) Investment Policy: Issues for Congress September 8, 2008 Kelly Kinneen Analyst in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Patrick Purcell Specialist in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) Investment Policy: Issues for Congress Summary The Pension Benefit Guaranty ...
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| Date Sept. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34536 |
Title
Order Code RL34536 Boumediene v. Bush: Guantanamo Detainees Right to Habeas Corpus Updated September 8, 2008 Michael John Garcia Legislative Attorney American Law Division Boumediene v. Bush: Guantanamo Detainees Right to Habeas Corpus Summary In the consolidated cases of Boumediene v. Bush and Al Odah v. United States, decided June 12, 2008, the Supreme Court held in a 5-4 opinion that aliens ...
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| Date Sept. 5, 2008 |
Report No. RL34446 |
Title
Order Code RL34446 District of Columbia v. Heller: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment Updated September 5, 2008 T. J. Halstead Legislative Attorney American Law Division District of Columbia v. Heller: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment Summary In District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Second Amendment to the ...
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| Date Sept. 5, 2008 |
Report No. RL34649 |
Title
Order Code RL34649 Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access Cable Television Channels: Issues for Congress September 5, 2008 Charles B. Goldfarb Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access Cable Television Channels: Issues for Congress Summary Public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access ...
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| Date Sept. 5, 2008 |
Report No. 96-979 |
Title
Order Code 96-979 Updated September 5, 2008 Health Insurance: Uninsured by State, 2005-2007 Chris L. Peterson and April Grady Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Based on data from the Census Bureau s Current Population Survey (CPS), an estimated 45.7 million people lacked health insurance coverage in 2007, representing 15.3% of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. When comparing ...
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| Date Sept. 5, 2008 |
Report No. RS22945 |
Title
Order Code RS22945 September 5, 2008 Flood Insurance Requirements for Stafford Act Assistance Edward C. Liu Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act) imposes flood insurance requirements upon eligibility for disaster assistance in two general cases: (1) if the entity seeking disaster assistance has ...
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| Date Sept. 5, 2008 |
Report No. RL33997 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress SAMHSA is the federal agency that provides federal funds for community-based substance abuse and mental health services. SAMHSA awards discretionary funds to substance abuse and mental health programs through its authorities in Title V of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act. In addition, SAMHSA provides formula-based Substance Abuse Prevention and ...
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| Date Sept. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL30619 |
Title
Order Code RL30619 Examples of Legislative Provisions in Annual Appropriations Acts Updated September 4, 2008 Robert Keith Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Examples of Legislative Provisions in Annual Appropriations Acts Summary Over the years, House and Senate rules generally have been used to promote the separate consideration of substantive legislation ...
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| Date Sept. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RS22944 |
Title
Order Code RS22944 September 4, 2008 Federal Trade Commission Guidance Regarding Tar and Nicotine Yields in Cigarettes Vanessa K. Burrows Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary In 1966, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) stated that a cigarette test methodology known as the Cambridge Filter Method or FTC Test Method was the methodology to be used to support any factual ...
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| Date Sept. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33768 |
Title
Order Code RL33768 Major Tax Issues in the 110th Congress Updated September 3, 2008 Jane G. Gravelle Senior Specialist in Economic Policy Government and Finance Division Major Tax Issues in the 110th Congress Summary During the first part of 2007, the most prominent congressional tax-policy action focused on small business. In May, Congress approved legislation (P.L. 110-28) increasing the federal ...
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| Date Sept. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34633 |
Title
Order Code RL34633 Congressional Review Act: Disapproval of Rules in a Subsequent Session of Congress Updated September 3, 2008 Curtis W. Copeland Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Richard S. Beth Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process Government and Finance Division Congressional Review Act: Disapproval of Rules in a Subsequent Session of ...
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| Date Sept. 3, 2008 |
Report No. 96-891 |
Title
Order Code 96-891 Updated September 3, 2008 Health Insurance Coverage: Characteristics of the Insured and Uninsured Populations in 2007 Chris L. Peterson and April Grady Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Based on data from the Census Bureau s Current Population Survey (CPS), 45.7 million people in the United States had no health insurance in 2007 a decrease of approximately 1.3 million ...
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| Date Sept. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33642 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress When natural or man-made disasters occur, there are several tax relief provisions that apply to affected taxpayers. This report focuses on permanent tax relief laws that are intended to benefit victims of both presidentially and non-presidentially declared disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, wars, and ...
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| Date Sept. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33825 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Various financial management improvement laws have established annual reporting requirements for federal departments and agencies. Under the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 (P.L. 106531), federal departments and agencies are required to submit annual Performance and Accountability Reports (PARs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and to ...
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| Date Sept. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL34646 |
Title
Order Code RL34646 Turkey: Update on Crisis of Identity and Power September 2, 2008 Carol Migdalovitz Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Turkey: Update on Crisis of Identity and Power Summary Secularism has been one of the fundamental and unchanging principles guiding the Turkish Republic since its founding in 1923. It also has been the principle that ...
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| Date Sept. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS21970 |
Title
Order Code RS21970 Updated September 2, 2008 The U.S. Farm Economy Randy Schnepf Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary According to USDA s Economic Research Service (ERS), national net farm income a key indicator of U.S. farm well-being is expected to rise to a record $95.7 billion in 2008, over 10% above the previous year s record ($86.8 billion) on ...
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| Date Sept. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS22865 |
Title
Order Code RS22865 Updated September 2, 2008 The Small Business Innovation Research Program: Reauthorization Efforts Wendy H. Schacht Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, P.L. 97-219, created Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs within the major federal research and ...
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| Date Sept. 2, 2008 |
Report No. 97-975 |
Title
Order Code 97-975 Updated September 2, 2008 Health Insurance Coverage of Children, 2007 Chris L. Peterson and April Grady Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Based on data from the Census Bureau s Current Population Survey (CPS), 8.9 million children under age 19 were uninsured in 2007 (11.3%), a statistically significant decline compared to 9.4 million in 2006 (12.1%). This decline occurred ...
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| Date Aug. 29, 2008 |
Report No. RS22943 |
Title
Order Code RS22943 August 29, 2008 H.R. 6076: Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 Edward Vincent Murphy Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary The Home Retention and Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 6076) would defer foreclosure for eligible mortgage borrowers for up to 270 days. If passed, the bill would give extra time to some borrowers ...
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| Date Aug. 29, 2008 |
Report No. 97-310 |
Title
Order Code 97-310 Updated August 29, 2008 Health Insurance: Uninsured Children, by State, 2005-2007 Chris L. Peterson and April Grady Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Based on data from the Census Bureau s Current Population Survey (CPS), an estimated 8.9 million children under age 191 were uninsured in 2007, representing 11.3% of all children in the United States. When examining health ...
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| Date Aug. 29, 2008 |
Report No. 97-765A |
Title
Order Code 97-765 A Updated August 29, 2008 The Buy American Act: Requiring Government Procurements to Come from Domestic Sources John R. Luckey Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Buy American Act is the major domestic preference statute governing procurement by the federal government. Essentially it attempts to protect domestic labor by providing a preference for American ...
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| Date Aug. 28, 2008 |
Report No. RL34253 |
Title
Order Code RL34253 Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy Updated August 28, 2008 Liana Sun Wyler Analyst in International Crime and Narcotics Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy Summary Although long a component of U.S. foreign policy, strengthening weak and failing states has increasingly ...
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| Date Aug. 28, 2008 |
Report No. RS22906 |
Title
Order Code RS22906 Updated August 28, 2008 Use of the Polar Bear Listing to Force Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Legal Arguments Robert Meltz Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary On May 15, 2008, the Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). At the same time, it published a special rule limiting the ...
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