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Report No.
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Title |
| Date July 16, 2008 |
Report No. 98-963 |
Title
Order Code 98-963 GOV Updated July 16, 2008 Selected Privileges and Courtesies Extended to Departing and Former Senators Mildred Amer Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary This report provides information on selected privileges and courtesies (with the exception of federal health insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits) extended to departing ...
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| Date July 16, 2008 |
Report No. RS20630 |
Title
Order Code RS20630 Updated July 16, 2008 Disposition of Surplus Federal Property Clay H. Wellborn Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary The General Services Administration s (GSA s) Office of Property Disposal administers the conveyance of surplus real property that the federal government no longer needs. Through GSA s public benefits conveyance program ...
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| Date July 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34451 |
Title
Order Code RL34451 FY2008 Spring Supplemental Appropriations and FY2009 Bridge Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes (P.L. 110-252) Updated July 15, 2008 Stephen Daggett, Susan B. Epstein, Rhoda Margesson, Curt Tarnoff, Pat Towell, and Catherine Dale Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Shannon S. Loane Knowledge Services Group FY2008 Spring ...
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| Date July 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22918 |
Title
Order Code RS22918 July 15, 2008 Primer on Energy Derivatives and Their Regulation Mark Jickling Specialist in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary Prices for oil and other energy commodities are set in futures and derivatives markets, where producers, commercial users, and financial speculators buy and sell contracts whose value is linked to the price of the underlying ...
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| Date July 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22633 |
Title
Order Code RS22633 Updated July 15, 2008 U.S. Forces in Afghanistan JoAnne O Bryant and Michael Waterhouse Information Research Specialists Knowledge Services Group Summary As interest in troop level deployments continues, there remains an increase of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. President Bush announced in a February 15, 2007 speech, the Administration s plans for an increase in U.S. forces in ...
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| Date July 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS20864 |
Title
Order Code RS20864 Updated July 15, 2008 A Free Trade Area of the Americas: Major Policy Issues and Status of Negotiations J. F. Hornbeck Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary In 1994, 34 Western Hemisphere nations met at the first Summit of the Americas, envisioning a plan to complete a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by January ...
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| Date July 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL33224 |
Title
Order Code RL33224 Constitutionality of Requiring Sexually Explicit Material on the Internet to Be Under a Separate Domain Name Updated July 14, 2008 Henry Cohen Legislative Attorney American Law Division Constitutionality of Requiring Sexually Explicit Material on the Internet to Be Under a Separate Domain Name Summary It has been proposed that there be a domain on the Internet exclusively for ...
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| Date July 13, 2008 |
Report No. 98-418 |
Title
Order Code 98-418 GOV Updated July 13, 2008 Senate Administrative Officers and Officials Lorraine H. Tong Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the Senate to choose its officers, but does not specifically identify them by title. The officers currently elected by the Senate are the President pro tempore, ...
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| Date July 11, 2008 |
Report No. RL34579 |
Title
Order Code RL34579 Advanced Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle Technologies: Outlook and Policy Options July 11, 2008 Mark Holt Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Advanced Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle Technologies: Outlook and Policy Options Summary Current U.S. nuclear energy policy focuses on the near-term construction of improved versions of existing nuclear power ...
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| Date July 11, 2008 |
Report No. 97-579 |
Title
Order Code 97-579 Updated July 11, 2008 Making Private Entities and Individuals Immune from Tort Liability by Declaring Them Federal Employees Henry Cohen Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. 1346(b), 2671-2680, makes the United States liable, in accordance with the law of the state where a tort occurs, for some of the torts of its ...
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| Date July 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL33036 |
Title
Order Code RL33036 Federal Financial Services Regulatory Consolidation: An Overview Updated July 10, 2008 Walter W. Eubanks Specialist in Economic Policy Government and Finance Division Federal Financial Services Regulatory Consolidation: An Overview Summary Among the arguments offered for consolidating the federal regulatory structure of the financial services industry is that the industry has ...
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| Date July 10, 2008 |
Report No. 95-387F |
Title
Order Code 95-387 F Abortion Services and Military Medical Facilities Updated July 10, 2008 David F. Burrelli Specialist in National Defense Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Abortion Services and Military Medical Facilities Summary In 1993, President Clinton modified the military policy on providing abortions at military medical facilities. Under the change directed by the President, ...
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| Date July 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL31985 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress After a long and large appreciation, in early 2002, the dollar peaked and steadily weakened in value relative to other major currencies through 2004. In 2005 and through most of 2006, the dollar was essentially steady. At the end of 2006, however, depreciation resumed and it has continued in 2007. A weaker dollar will be good news for exporters and ...
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| Date July 10, 2008 |
Report No. RS22900 |
Title
Order Code RS22900 Updated July 10, 2008 International Food Aid Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill Charles E. Hanrahan Senior Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science and Industry Division Summary Provision of U.S. agricultural commodities for emergency relief and economic development is the United States major response to food security problems in developing countries. Title III in the ...
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| Date July 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL34567 |
Title
Order Code RL34567 Public-Private Partnerships in Highway and Transit Infrastructure Provision July 9, 2008 William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Public-Private Partnerships in Highway and Transit Infrastructure Provision Summary Growing demands on the transportation system and constraints on public resources have led to calls for more ...
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| Date July 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22569 |
Title
Order Code RS22569 Updated July 9, 2008 Iran: Profile of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hussein D. Hassan Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group Summary Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was elected June 24, 2005, to a four-year term, becoming the first non-cleric president in 24 years. He defeated former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a run-off. Prior to his 2005 ...
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| Date July 8, 2008 |
Report No. RS22910 |
Title
Order Code RS22910 Updated July 3, 2008 The 2008 Farm Bill: Analysis of Tax-Related Conservation Reserve Program Proposals Carol A. Pettit Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The 2008 Farm Bill contained two tax-related proposals for the Conservation Reserve Program. One of these proposals, which excludes the payments from selfemployment tax, was included in the final bill that ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34564 |
Title
Order Code RL34564 The Global Nuclear Detection Architecture: Issues for Congress July 7, 2008 Dana A. Shea Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science and Industry Division The Global Nuclear Detection Architecture: Issues for Congress Summary The U.S. government has implemented a series of programs to protect the nation against terrorist nuclear attack. Some of these programs ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34279 |
Title
Order Code RL34279 The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: An Overview of Selected Issues Updated July 7, 2008 Elizabeth B. Bazan Legislative Attorney American Law Division The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: An Overview of Selected Issues Summary The current legislative and oversight activity with respect to electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL33261 |
Title
Order Code RL33261 Internet Taxation: Issues and Legislation Updated July 7, 2008 Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Nonna A. Noto Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Internet Taxation: Issues and Legislation Summary Congress is involved in issues of state and local taxation of Internet transactions because commerce conducted by ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34562 |
Title
Order Code RL34562 Slow Growth or Inflation? The Federal Reserve s Dilemma July 7, 2008 Brian W. Cashell and Marc Labonte Specialists in Macroeconomic Policy Government and Finance Division Slow Growth or Inflation? The Federal Reserve s Dilemma Summary Although Congress has granted the Federal Reserve (the Fed) broad operational independence, it retains oversight responsibilities to ensure that ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34566 |
Title
Order Code RL34566 The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: A Sketch of Selected Issues July 7, 2008 Elizabeth B. Bazan Legislative Attorney American Law Division The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: A Sketch of Selected Issues Summary The current legislative and oversight activity with respect to electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has drawn ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS21401 |
Title
Order Code RS21401 Updated July 7, 2008 Regulation of Energy Derivatives Mark Jickling Specialist in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary After the collapse of Enron Corp. in late 2001, that company s activities came under intense scrutiny. Much of its business consisted of trading financial contracts whose value was derived from changes in energy prices. Enron s derivatives ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22837 |
Title
Order Code RS22837 Updated July 7, 2008 Merida Initiative: Proposed U.S. Anticrime and Counterdrug Assistance for Mexico and Central America Colleen W. Cook and Clare Ribando Seelke Analysts in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary In October 2007, the United States and Mexico announced the M rida Initiative, a multi-year proposal for $1.4 billion in U.S. ...
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| Date July 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22912 |
Title
Order Code RS22912 July 7, 2008 The Enron Loophole Mark Jickling Specialist in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary The Commodity Exchange Act exempts certain energy derivatives contracts from regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). These exemptions are popularly known as the Enron loophole. Soaring energy prices have raised concerns about whether the ...
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| Date July 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34570 |
Title
Order Code RL34570 Record Voting in the House of Representatives: Issues and Options July 3, 2008 Michael L. Koempel Senior Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Jacob R. Straus Analyst on the Congress Government and Finance Division Judy Schneider Specialist on the Congress Government and Finance Division Record Voting in the House of Representatives: Issues ...
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| Date July 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34549 |
Title
Order Code RL34549 A Brief History of Veterans Education Benefits and Their Value Updated July 3, 2008 David P. Smole Specialist in Education Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Shannon S. Loane Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group A Brief History of Veterans Education Benefits and Their Value Summary Federal educational assistance programs have been authorized for veterans ...
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| Date July 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL32789 |
Title
Order Code RL32789 Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Current Legislation Updated July 3, 2008 Baird Webel Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Current Legislation Summary The individual states have been acknowledged as the primary regulators of insurance as far back as 1868. Since the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act, ...
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| Date July 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33685 |
Title
Order Code RL33685 Pages of the United States Congress: History, Background Information, and Proposals for Change Updated June 3, 2008 Mildred Amer Specialist on the Congress Government and Finance Division Pages of the United States Congress: History, Background Information, and Proposals for Change Summary For more than 175 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States Congress. ...
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| Date July 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS22911 |
Title
Order Code RS22911 July 3, 2008 Tax Treatment of Employer Educational Assistance for the Benefit of Employees Linda Levine Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Educational assistance offered by employers to their employees may be exempt from federal income tax under Section 127 and Section 132 of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 127 is the employer educational ...
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| Date July 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL34374 |
Title
Order Code RL34374 Estate Tax Legislation in the 110th Congress Updated July 2, 2008 Nonna A. Noto Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Estate Tax Legislation in the 110th Congress Summary Under provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA, P.L. 107-16), the estate tax exemption is scheduled to continue to rise, from $2 million for ...
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| Date July 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS21554 |
Title
Order Code RS21554 Updated July 2, 2008 Free Trade Agreements and the WTO Exceptions Todd B. Tatelman and Jeanne J. Grimmett Legislative Attorneys American Law Division James E. Nichols Law Clerk American Law Division Summary World Trade Organization (WTO) members must grant immediate and unconditional most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment to the products of other members with respect to tariffs and ...
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| Date July 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34357 |
Title
Order Code RL34357 Medicaid and the State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): FY2009 Budget Issues Updated July 1, 2008 Cliff Binder, Evelyne P. Baumrucker, April Grady, Jean Hearne, Elicia J. Herz, and Julie Stone Domestic Social Policy Division Medicaid and the State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): FY2009 Budget Issues Summary Each year, the President is required to submit ...
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| Date July 1, 2008 |
Report No. RS22886 |
Title
Order Code RS22886 Updated July 1, 2008 Food Safety Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Food safety re-emerged as an issue in the 110th Congress following a series of widely publicized incidents including adulterated Chinese seafood and pet food ingredient imports, findings of bacteria-tainted ...
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| Date July 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34426 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Case management services assist Medicaid beneficiaries in obtaining needed medical and related services. Targeted Case Management (TCM) refers to case management for specific Medicaid beneficiary groups or for individuals who reside in state-designated geographic areas. Over the past seven years of available data (1999-2005), total expenditures on ...
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| Date July 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34432 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Medicaid rehabilitation includes a full range of treatments that licensed health practitioners may recommend to reduce physical or mental disability or restore eligible beneficiaries to their best possible functional levels. Over the last seven years of available data (1999-2005), reported Medicaid expenditures for rehabilitation increased from $3.6 ...
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| Date June 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34228 |
Title
Order Code RL34228 Comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Agreement with the House and Senate Farm Bills Updated June 30, 2008 Ren e Johnson, Coordinator, Geoffrey S. Becker, Tom Capehart, Ralph M. Chite, Tadlock Cowan, Ross W. Gorte, Charles E. Hanrahan, Remy Jurenas, Jim Monke, Jean M. Rawson, Randy Schnepf Resources, Science, and Industry Division Joe Richardson Domestic Social Policy ...
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| Date June 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34481 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Cyclone Nargis struck the coast of Burma in the evening of May 2, 2008 and cut a path of destruction across the southern portion of the country. The storm left in its wake an official death toll of 84,537 and 53,836 more missing, and extensive damage to the nation s premier agricultural areas. Some have speculated that the final number of dead is ...
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| Date June 27, 2008 |
Report No. RL34262 |
Title
Order Code RL34262 U.S. Clothing Imports from Vietnam: Trade Policies and Performance Updated June 27, 2008 Michael F. Martin Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S. Clothing Imports from Vietnam: Trade Policies and Performance Summary U.S. clothing imports from Vietnam grew from virtually nothing in 2000 to $4.3 billion in 2007. Vietnam was the third ...
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| Date June 27, 2008 |
Report No. RL34550 |
Title
Order Code RL34550 Phantom Traffic Problems Billing for the Termination of Telephone Calls: Issues for Congress June 27, 2008 Charles B. Goldfarb Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Phantom Traffic Problems Billing for the Termination of Telephone Calls: Issues for Congress Summary Every company that terminates telephone calls made to its customers ...
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| Date June 27, 2008 |
Report No. RL33846 |
Title
Order Code RL33846 Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Cap-and-Trade Bills in the 110th Congress Updated June 27, 2008 Larry Parker, Brent D. Yacobucci, and Jonathan L. Ramseur Resources, Science, and Industry Division Greenhouse Gas Reduction: Cap-and-Trade Bills in the 110th Congress Summary Multiple proposals to advance programs that reduce greenhouse gases have been introduced in the 110th Congress. S. ...
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| Date June 27, 2008 |
Report No. RL33914 |
Title
Order Code RL33914 The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA): History, Reauthorization in 2007, and Effect on FDA Updated June 27, 2008 Susan Thaul Specialist in Drug Safety and Effectiveness Domestic Social Policy Division The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA): History, Reauthorization in 2007, and Effect on FDA Summary In 1992, Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA I) ...
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| Date June 27, 2008 |
Report No. RS22844 |
Title
Order Code RS22844 Updated June 27, 2008 Capital Punishment: Constitutionality for Non-Homicide Crimes Such as Child Rape Alison M. Smith Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary In Kennedy v. Louisiana, the United States Supreme Court, by a vote of 5 to 4, held that the 8th Amendment prohibits the death penalty for the rape of a child where the crime did not result and was not intended ...
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| Date June 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL31696 |
Title
North Korea: Economic Sanctions Prior to Removal from Terrorism Designation Updated June 26, 2008 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL31696 North Korea: Economic Sanctions Prior to Removal from Terrorism Designation Summary This paper explains the U.S. economic sanctions in place up to the point when North Korea was delisted as a state sponsor of acts of international ...
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| Date June 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS21605 |
Title
Order Code RS21605 Updated June 26, 2008 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Estimated Allocations Libby Perl Analyst in Housing Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a block grant program under which the federal government gives annual grants to states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and ...
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| Date June 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22905 |
Title
Order Code RS22905 June 26, 2008 Agricultural Export Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill Charles E. Hanrahan Senior Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science and Industry Division Summary Agricultural exports, which are forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reach $108.5 billion in 2009, are an important source of employment, income, and purchasing power in the U.S. economy. ...
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| Date June 26, 2008 |
Report No. 98-453 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress T he amount of money the federal government is allowed to borrow generally is subject to a statutory limit (31 U.S.C. 3101). From time to time, Congress considers and adopts legislation to change this limit. This report provides a brief overview of debt-limit legislation within the congressional budget process. The gross federal debt, which ...
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| Date June 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL34532 |
Title
Order Code RL34532 Summary of S. 3101 and S. 3118: Bills to Amend Medicare, Medicaid, and Other Provisions in the Social Security Act Updated June 25, 2008 Hinda Chaikind, Coordinator Jennifer O Sullivan, Sibyl Tilson, Paulette C. Morgan, Holly Stockdale, Jim Hahn, Gretchen A. Jacobson, Richard Rimkunas, Evelyne P. Baumrucker, April Grady, Jean Hearne, Elicia J. Herz, Julie Stone, Gene Falk, and ...
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| Date June 25, 2008 |
Report No. RS22902 |
Title
Order Code RS22902 June 25, 2008 Veterans Benefits: An Overview Carol D. Davis Knowledge Services Group Sidath Viranga Panangala and Christine Scott Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide range of benefits and services to eligible veterans, members of their families, and survivors of deceased veterans. VA programs include disability ...
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| Date June 25, 2008 |
Report No. RS21302 |
Title
Order Code RS21302 Updated June 25, 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Program Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also known as the FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398). The program provides federal ...
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