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| Date June 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34342 |
Title
Order Code RL34342 Homeland Security: Roles and Missions for United States Northern Command Updated June 3, 2008 William Knight National Defense Fellow Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Homeland Security: Roles and Missions for United States Northern Command Summary In 2002, President Bush signed a new Unified Command Plan (UCP) establishing United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to ...
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| Date June 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS22834 |
Title
Order Code RS22834 Updated June 3, 2008 Agriculture and Forestry Provisions in Climate Change Legislation (S. 3036) Ren e Johnson Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary This report summarizes some of the domestic agriculture and forestry provisions in the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036, formerly S. 2191), as ordered reported out ...
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| Date June 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL34502 |
Title
Order Code RL34502 Emission Allowance Allocation in a Cap-and-Trade Program: Options and Considerations Updated June 2, 2008 Jonathan L. Ramseur Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Emission Allowance Allocation in a Cap-and-Trade Program: Options and Considerations Summary When designing a cap-and-trade program, one of the more controversial and challenging questions ...
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| Date June 2, 2008 |
Report No. RS21338 |
Title
Order Code RS21338 Updated June 2, 2008 Navy Ship Deployments: New Approaches Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The Navy has implemented new kinds of naval formations, more flexible forwarddeployment schedules, and a ship readiness plan (called the Fleet Response Plan, or FRP) for surge-deploying ...
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| Date June 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL33479 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On May 2-3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta and the Rangoon area of Burma. Estimates of the number of people who died was 135,000 as of early June 2008. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and sources of livelihood. Foreign governments and relief organizations sought to bring in massive aid, but the Burmese government (SPDC ...
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| Date May 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34359 |
Title
Order Code RL34359 Medicare: FY2009 Budget Issues Updated May 30, 2008 Hinda Chaikind, Jim Hahn, Gretchen A. Jacobson, Paulette C. Morgan, Jennifer O Sullivan, Holly Stockdale, Julie Stone, and Sibyl Tilson Domestic Social Policy Division Medicare: FY2009 Budget Issues Summary Each February, the President submits a detailed budget request to Congress for the following federal fiscal year, along ...
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| Date May 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL33826 |
Title
Order Code RL33826 Climate Change: The Kyoto Protocol, Bali Action Plan, and International Actions Updated May 30, 2008 Susan R. Fletcher Specialist in International Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Larry Parker Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Climate Change: The Kyoto Protocol, Bali Action Plan, and International Actions Summary ...
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| Date May 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34515 |
Title
Order Code RL34515 Climate Change: Comparison of S. 2191 as Reported (now S. 3036) with Proposed Boxer Amendment May 30, 2008 Brent D. Yacobucci and Larry Parker Specialists in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Climate Change: Comparison of S. 2191 as Reported (now S. 3036) with Proposed Boxer Amendment Summary On December 7, 2007, the Senate Environment and ...
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| Date May 30, 2008 |
Report No. RL34522 |
Title
Order Code RL34522 Bangladesh: Political Turmoil and Transition May 30, 2008 Bruce Vaughn Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Bangladesh: Political Turmoil and Transition Summary Bangladesh (the former East Pakistan) gained its independence in 1971, following India s intervention in a rebellion against West Pakistan (currently called Pakistan). The Bangladesh ...
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| Date May 30, 2008 |
Report No. RS20296 |
Title
Order Code RS20296 Updated May 30, 2008 Charitable Volunteers Mileage Reimbursement Pamela J. Jackson Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Summary In the 110th Congress, several bills (S. 403, S. 1220, H.R. 606, and H.R. 2020) include proposals to alter the mileage deduction allowed for charitable purposes. Many proposals would allow nonprofit organizations to reimburse ...
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| Date May 29, 2008 |
Report No. RL34474 |
Title
Order Code RL34474 High Agricultural Commodity Prices: What Are the Issues? Updated May 29, 2008 Randy Schnepf Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division High Agricultural Commodity Prices: What Are the Issues? Summary Prices for nearly all major U.S. agricultural program crops corn, barley, sorghum, oats, wheat, rice, and soybeans have exhibited extreme price ...
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| Date May 28, 2008 |
Report No. RL34362 |
Title
Order Code RL34362 Congressional Oversight and Related Issues Concerning the Prospective Security Agreement Between the United States and Iraq Updated May 28, 2008 Michael John Garcia, R. Chuck Mason, and Jennifer K. Elsea Legislative Attorneys American Law Division Congressional Oversight and Related Issues Concerning the Prospective Security Agreement Between the United States and Iraq Summary ...
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| Date May 28, 2008 |
Report No. RL34510 |
Title
Order Code RL34510 The Fair Labor Standards Act: Continuing Issues in the Debate May 28, 2008 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division The Fair Labor Standards Act: Continuing Issues in the Debate Summary On May 25, 2007, the President signed into law changes in the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): P.L. 110-28. Although the wage ...
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| Date May 28, 2008 |
Report No. RS22262 |
Title
Order Code RS22262 Updated May 28, 2008 Price Gouging, the Antitrust Laws, and Vertical Integration in the Petroleum Industry: How They Are Related Janice E. Rubin Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The antitrust laws and statutes to prohibit price gouging each aim to serve the same end realization of lower or reasonable prices for consumers, but they do so from different ...
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| Date May 23, 2008 |
Report No. RL34508 |
Title
Order Code RL34508 Natural Gas Markets: Overview and Policy Issues May 23, 2008 William F. Hederman, Jr. Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Natural Gas Markets: Overview and Policy Issues Summary The functioning of the natural gas market in 2007 appeared relatively stable and infrastructure development continued at an appropriate pace. A tighter demand/supply ...
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| Date May 23, 2008 |
Report No. RS22885 |
Title
Order Code RS22885 May 23, 2008 Proposed Amendments to the Regulations Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Nancy Lee Jones Legislative Attorney American Law Division Ann Lordeman Specialist in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)1 provides federal funding for the education of children with ...
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| Date May 23, 2008 |
Report No. RS21767 |
Title
Order Code RS21767 Updated May 23, 2008 Hubble Space Telescope: NASA s Plans for a Servicing Mission Daniel Morgan Analyst in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimates that without a servicing mission to replace key components, the Hubble Space Telescope will cease scientific operations in ...
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| Date May 22, 2008 |
Report No. RL32165 |
Title
Order Code RL32165 China s Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy Updated May 22, 2008 Wayne M. Morrison Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Marc Labonte Specialist in Macroeconomics Government and Finance Division China s Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy Summary The continued rise in China s ...
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| Date May 22, 2008 |
Report No. RL34202 |
Title
Order Code RL34202 State-Inspected Meat and Poultry: Issues for Congress Updated May 22, 2008 Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division State-Inspected Meat and Poultry: Issues for Congress Summary Federal law has prohibited state-inspected meat and poultry plants from shipping their products across state lines. The final conference version of ...
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| Date May 22, 2008 |
Report No. RL34245 |
Title
Order Code RL34245 Tax Treaty Legislation in the 110th Congress: Explanation and Economic Analysis Updated May 22, 2008 Donald J. Marples Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Tax Treaty Legislation in the 110th Congress: Explanation and Economic Analysis Summary On July 27, 2007, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2419, an omnibus farm bill. The bill s spending ...
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| Date May 21, 2008 |
Report No. RL32749 |
Title
Order Code RL32749 U.S. Taxation of Overseas Investment and Income: Background and Issues Updated May 21, 2008 Donald J. Marples Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division U.S. Taxation of Overseas Investment and Income: Background and Issues Summary Investment abroad by U.S. individuals and firms is substantial and growing an important aspect of the increased integration of the ...
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| Date May 21, 2008 |
Report No. RS21080 |
Title
Order Code RS21080 Updated May 21, 2008 Memorials: Creating National, State, and Local Memorials Zina L. Watkins Information Research Specialists Knowledge Services Group Summary This report provides information on the mandatory steps to building a memorial on federal property in the District of Columbia. It also provides information on creating memorials in Arlington National Cemetery, within the ...
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| Date May 20, 2008 |
Report No. RS22884 |
Title
Order Code RS22884 May 20, 2008 Delegation of the Federal Power of Eminent Domain to Nonfederal Entities Robert Meltz Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary Congress has on several occasions delegated its power of eminent domain to entities outside the federal government public and private corporations, interstate compact agencies, state and local governments, and even individuals. The ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. RS22883 |
Title
Order Code RS22883 May 19, 2008 The FDA FY2009 Budget Request Judith A. Johnson, Sarah A. Lister, Donna V. Porter, Pamela W. Smith, Susan Thaul, and Erin D. Williams Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Administration s FY2009 budget request of $2.4 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would provide a 5.7% increase ($130 million) over FY2008. User fees would make up about 26% ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. RL34496 |
Title
Order Code RL34496 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act: Program Overview and Reauthorization Issues May 19, 2008 Gail McCallion Specialist in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act: Program Overview and Reauthorization Issues Summary The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), Title IV-A of the Elementary and Secondary ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. RL32708 |
Title
Order Code RL32708 Federal Taxes and the U.S. Possessions: An Overview Updated May 19, 2008 Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Federal Taxes and the U.S. Possessions: An Overview Summary Residents of the U.S. possessions are generally U.S. citizens. Typically, the United States taxes its citizens on their worldwide income, but residents of the U.S. ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. RS22882 |
Title
Order Code RS22882 May 19, 2008 The Constitutionality of Requiring Photo Identification for Voting: An Analysis of Crawford v. Marion County Election Board L. Paige Whitaker Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary In a splintered decision issued in April 2008, the Supreme Court upheld an Indiana statute requiring photo identification for voting, determining that lower courts had ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-777 |
Title
Order Code 98-777 Updated May 19, 2008 The House Amendment Tree Walter J. Oleszek Government and Finance Division The House amendment tree is a chart that depicts the maximum number and types of amendments that may be offered to a measure before any amendment is voted upon. This diagram is outlined in various sources, including the 2003 summary compilation of House precedents, titled House ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-707 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress T he amending process in the Senate provides lawmakers an opportunity to make changes in the text of a measure (or pending amendment) during its consideration. Senators generally have wide freedom to offer as many amendments as they want, including nonrelevant changes. In fact, an important feature of the Senate is that it lacks a general ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-225 |
Title
Order Code 98-225 Updated May 19, 2008 Unanimous Consent Agreements in the Senate Walter J. Oleszek Government and Finance Division The Senate is fundamentally a unanimous consent institution. This means that the rules and precedents of the Senate are set aside regularly by the unanimous consent of the membership. Party leaders and other Senators propound unanimous consent requests every day the ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-227 |
Title
Order Code 98-227 Updated May 19, 2008 Voting in the Senate: Forms and Requirements Walter J. Oleszek Government and Finance Division Voting is among the most important public acts of individual Senators. For example, Senators recognize that their decisions often need to be explained to constituents who are interested in knowing why lawmakers voted as they did on various measures or matters. Party ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-708 |
Title
Order Code 98-708 Updated May 19, 2008 Conference Committee Deliberations Walter J. Oleszek Government and Finance Division The Constitution requires that proposed laws must pass the House and Senate in absolutely identical form before they can be sent to the White House for presidential consideration. Different procedural techniques are used to achieve bicameral ignition, but the one usually ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-712 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Holds are an informal device unique to the upper body. They permit a single Senator or any number of Senators to stop sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently floor consideration of measures or matters that are available to be scheduled by the Senate. A hold, in brief, is a request by a Senator to his or her party leader to delay floor action on ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-710 |
Title
Order Code 98-710 Updated May 19, 2008 Self-Executing Rules Reported by the House Committee on Rules Walter J. Oleszek Government and Finance Division House Rule X assigns the Committee on Rules jurisdiction over the order of business of the House. The panel s most noteworthy responsibility is to issue order of business resolutions; these are usually called rules, special rules, or, less commonly, ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-711 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress A ll committees are different is an oft-made comment. It underscores that each panel has its own history, customs, decisionmaking styles, procedures, jurisdiction, and so on. What this means for Senate markups sessions where committee members consider changes in the text of the measure or matter before them is that these drafting meetings also ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-709 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress I n Article II of the Constitution, which addresses the executive branch, the Founding Fathers assigned certain duties exclusively to the Senate. Among these obligations is providing advice and consent to treaties and nominations. As the pertinent part of Article II states: [The President] shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the ...
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| Date May 19, 2008 |
Report No. 98-780 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress 30-Hour Time Cap .............................................................................................................. 1 One-Hour of Debate Per Senator ........................................................................................ 1 Pre-Filing of ...
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| Date May 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL34210 |
Title
Order Code RL34210 Electronic Rulemaking in the Federal Government Updated May 16, 2008 Curtis W. Copeland Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Electronic Rulemaking in the Federal Government Summary Electronic rulemaking, or e-rulemaking, began in the federal government within individual agencies in the mid- to late 1990s, but current government-wide ...
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| Date May 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL31840 |
Title
Order Code RL31840 Congressional Budget Resolutions: Motions to Instruct Conferees Updated May 16, 2008 Robert Keith Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Congressional Budget Resolutions: Motions to Instruct Conferees Summary Both the House and the Senate have procedures whereby the full bodies may issue instructions to conferees on budget resolutions. Such ...
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| Date May 16, 2008 |
Report No. RS22214 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Over the past few years, cash balance pension plans have received significant congressional and public attention. Issues that have been controversial include the negative effect of a plan conversion on older employees due to wear-away, the whipsaw effect that may occur when computing a lump-sum payment of benefits prior to normal retirement age, and ...
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| Date May 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34489 |
Title
Order Code RL34489 Climate Change: Costs and Benefits of S. 2191/S. 3036 May 15, 2008 Larry Parker and Brent D. Yacobucci Specialists in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Climate Change: Costs and Benefits of S. 2191/S. 3036 Summary This report examines six studies that project the costs of S. 2191 (S. 3036) to 2030 or 2050. It is difficult to project costs ...
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| Date May 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34493 |
Title
Order Code RL34493 Nanotechnology and U.S. Competitiveness: Issues and Options May 15, 2008 John F. Sargent Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Nanotechnology and U.S. Competitiveness: Issues and Options Summary The projected economic and societal benefits of nanotechnology have propelled global investments by nations and companies. The United ...
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| Date May 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22597 |
Title
Order Code RS22597 Updated May 15, 2008 Global Climate Change and Wildlife Pervaze A. Sheikh Analyst in Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division M. Lynne Corn, Jane A. Leggett, and Peter Folger Specialists in Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Recently projected climate changes could have ...
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| Date May 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL33787 |
Title
Order Code RL33787 Maritime Security: Potential Terrorist Attacks and Protection Priorities Updated May 14, 2007 Paul W. Parfomak and John Frittelli Resources, Science, and Industry Division Maritime Security: Potential Terrorist Attacks and Protection Priorities Summary A key challenge for U.S. policy makers is prioritizing the nation s maritime security activities among a virtually unlimited ...
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| Date May 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL31953 |
Title
Order Code RL31953 Spam : An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail Updated May 14, 2008 Patricia Moloney Figliola Specialist in Telecommunications and Internet Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Spam : An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail Summary Spam, also called unsolicited commercial email (UCE) or junk email, aggravates many computer ...
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| Date May 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL34492 |
Title
Order Code RL34492 Reauthorization of the E-Government Act: A Brief Overview May 14, 2008 Jeffrey W. Seifert Specialist in Information Policy and Technology Resources, Science, and Industry Division Reauthorization of the E-Government Act: A Brief Overview Summary December 2007 marked the fifth anniversary of the passage of the E-Government Act of 2002. Shortly before this anniversary, ...
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| Date May 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL34485 |
Title
Order Code RL34485 Basel II in the United States: Progress Toward a Workable Framework May 14, 2008 Walter W. Eubanks Specialist in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Basel II in the United States: Progress Toward a Workable Framework Summary Federal banking regulators (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal ...
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| Date May 14, 2008 |
Report No. RS22101 |
Title
Order Code RS22101 Updated May 14, 2008 State Medicaid Program Administration: A Brief Overview April Grady Analyst in Health Care Financing Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Medicaid is jointly financed by the federal and state governments, but each state designs and administers its own program within broad federal guidelines.1 This report provides a brief overview of Medicaid program ...
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| Date May 13, 2008 |
Report No. RL32073 |
Title
Order Code RL32073 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress Updated May 13, 2008 Paul W. Parfomak Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Resources, Science, and Industry Division Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress Summary Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a hazardous fuel shipped in large tankers from overseas to U.S. ports. ...
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| Date May 13, 2008 |
Report No. RL32466 |
Title
Order Code RL32466 Rising Energy Competition and Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Issues for U.S. Policy Updated May 13, 2008 Emma Chanlett-Avery Analyst in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Rising Energy Competition and Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Issues for U.S. Policy Summary Asia has become a principal driver in world energy markets, largely due to China s remarkable ...
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