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| Date April 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL34420 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In March 2008, Bear Stearns, the nation s fifth largest investment banking firm, was battered by what its officials described as a sudden liquidity squeeze related to its large exposure to devalued mortgage-backed securities. On March 14, the Federal Reserve System announced that it would provide Bear Stearns with an unprecedented short-term loan. ...
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| Date April 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34439 |
Title
Order Code RL34439 Former NFL Players: Disabilities, Benefits, and Related Issues April 8, 2008 L. Elaine Halchin Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Former NFL Players: Disabilities, Benefits, and Related Issues Summary Professional football is a very popular sport, and the physical nature of the game of football is part of its appeal, but, at the same time, ...
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| Date April 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34013 |
Title
Order Code RL34013 The Federal Minimum Wage and American Samoa Updated April 8, 2008 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division The Federal Minimum Wage and American Samoa Summary In 1938, when the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was adopted, Congress appears to have given little consideration as to how its provisions might affect the various possessions and ...
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| Date April 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34381 |
Title
Order Code RL34381 European Union U.S. Trade and Investment Relations: Key Issues Updated April 8, 2008 Raymond J. Ahearn, Coordinator Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division John W. Fischer, Charles B. Goldfarb, and Charles E. Hanrahan Resources, Science, and Industry Division Walter W. Eubanks Government and Finance Division Janice E. Rubin American Law Division European Union U.S. Trade ...
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| Date April 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL34433 |
Title
Order Code RL34433 Social Security Reform: Possible Effects on the Elderly Poor and Mitigation Options April 4, 2008 Kathleen Romig Analyst in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Social Security Reform: Possible Effects on the Elderly Poor and Mitigation Options Summary Social Security has significantly reduced elderly poverty. The elderly poverty rate has fallen from 35% in 1959 to an ...
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| Date April 8, 2008 |
Report No. RS22668 |
Title
Order Code RS22668 Updated April 8, 2008 Liability of Interactive Computer Service for Violating the Fair Housing Act Henry Cohen Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary In Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommates.com, 489 F.3d 921 (9th Cir. 2007), a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that an interactive computer service may be held ...
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| Date April 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL33464 |
Title
Order Code RL33464 Judicial Security: Responsibilities and Current Issues Updated April 7, 2008 Lorraine H. Tong Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Judicial Security: Responsibilities and Current Issues Summary The importance of judicial security was underscored by the murders of family members of a Chicago federal judge on February 28, 2005, and the killings ...
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| Date April 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22626 |
Title
Order Code RS22626 Updated April 7, 2008 Iraq: Tribal Structure, Social, and Political Activities Hussein D. Hassan Information Research Specialist Knowledge Services Group Summary For centuries the social and political organization of many Iraqi Arabs has centered on the tribe. Socially, tribes were divided into related sub-tribes, which further divided into clans, and then into extended ...
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| Date April 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS21172 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Insurance companies in the United States have been regulated at the state level for the past 150 years, and the various insurance related interest groups have been largely state oriented. As a result, there is limited familiarity on the national level with these insurance industry-related interest groups or how they differ in their positions on ...
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| Date April 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL34434 |
Title
Order Code RL34434 Income Inequality, Income Mobility, and Economic Policy: U.S. Trends in the 1980s and 1990s April 4, 2008 Thomas L. Hungerford Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Income Inequality, Income Mobility, and Economic Policy: U.S. Trends in the 1980s and 1990s Summary Income inequality has been increasing in the United States over the past 25 years. Several ...
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| Date April 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL34441 |
Title
Order Code RL34441 Security Implications of Taiwan s Presidential Election of March 2008 April 4, 2008 Shirley Kan Specialist in Asian Security Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Security Implications of Taiwan s Presidential Election of March 2008 Summary This CRS Report analyzes the security implications of Taiwan s presidential election of March 22, 2008. This analysis draws ...
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| Date April 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL34437 |
Title
Order Code RL34437 Oil Industry Profit Review 2007 April 4, 2008 Robert Pirog Specialist in Energy Economics Resources, Science, and Industry Division Oil Industry Profit Review 2007 Summary Increases in the price of crude oil that began in 2004 pushed the spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a key oil in determining market prices, to nearly $100 per barrel in the third quarter of 2007. ...
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| Date April 4, 2008 |
Report No. RS22352 |
Title
Order Code RS22352 Updated April 4, 2008 Credit Card Minimum Payments Pauline Smale Economic Analyst Government and Finance Division Summary Revolving credit cards generally require a minimum payment for each statement period. The creditor uses a fixed percentage or formula to calculate each month s minimum dollar amount. Low minimum payment requirements have been challenged by consumer advocates ...
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| Date April 4, 2008 |
Report No. RS22615 |
Title
Order Code RS22615 Updated April 4, 2008 Spain: Current Issues and U.S. Policy Paul Belkin Analyst in European Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary In the more than three decades since the death of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco, Spain has become a mature democracy and has experienced rapid economic growth. It has also become an increasingly important player ...
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| Date April 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL30736 |
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Order Code RL30736 C R5 Report for Cong ress Presidential Transitions Updated April 3, 2008 Stephanie Smith Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Congressional Service Presidential Transitions Summary Since President George Washington first relinquished his office to incoming President John Adams in 1797, this ...
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| Date April 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34007 |
Title
Order Code RL34007 Immigration Fraud: Policies, Investigations, and Issues Updated April 3, 2008 Ruth Ellen Wasem Specialist in Immigration Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Immigration Fraud: Policies, Investigations, and Issues Summary Immigration fraud is reportedly widespread, though reliable estimates of its pervasiveness are not available. Given that an estimated12 million aliens are ...
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| Date April 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33878 |
Title
Order Code RL33878 U.S.-Malaysia Relations: Implications of the 2008 Elections Updated April 3, 2008 Michael F. Martin Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S.-Malaysia Relations: Implications of the 2008 Elections Summary This report discusses key aspects of the U.S.-Malaysia relationship (including economics and trade, counterterrorism cooperation, and ...
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| Date April 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34407 |
Title
Order Code RL34407 The President s Proposed Legislative Response to the Medicare Funding Warning Updated April 3, 2008 Hinda Chaikind, Jim Hahn, and Jennifer O Sullivan Domestic Social Policy Division Henry Cohen American Law Division The President s Proposed Legislative Response to the Medicare Funding Warning Summary The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, ...
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| Date April 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL33477 |
Title
Order Code RL33477 Disaster Debris Removal After Hurricane Katrina: Status and Associated Issues Updated April 2, 2008 Linda Luther Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Disaster Debris Removal After Hurricane Katrina: Status and Associated Issues Summary Hurricane Katrina produced unprecedented destruction, resulting in disaster debris from vegetation and man- ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL33969 |
Title
Order Code RL33969 The World Bank s International Development Association (IDA) Updated April 1, 2008 Martin A. Weiss Analyst in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade The World Bank s International Development Association (IDA) Summary The World Bank is a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) that makes loans and grants to low and middle-income countries to reduce ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL34430 |
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Order Code RL34430 The REAL ID Act of 2005: Legal, Regulatory, and Implementation Issues April 1, 2008 Todd B. Tatelman Legislative Attorney American Law Division The REAL ID Act of 2005: Legal, Regulatory, and Implementation Issues Summary In 2005, Congress addressed the issue of national standards for drivers licenses and personal identification cards by passing The REAL ID Act of 2005 (REAL ID ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL32672 |
Title
Order Code RL32672 Financial Institutions and Markets: Major Federal Statutes Updated April 1, 2008 M. Maureen Murphy Legislative Attorney American Law Division Financial Institutions and Markets: Major Federal Statutes Summary This report provides brief summaries of the major federal laws affecting financial institutions and markets. Arrangement is chronological according to the order of original ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL31597 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The downturn in the stock market in 2002 prompted renewed interest in tax relief for income from corporate dividends, partly to stimulate the economy. It is also sometimes argued that corporate shareholders are unfairly taxed twice on their corporate earnings, once by the corporate tax and again at the individual level, and that these shareholders ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RL31824 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Several objectives were advanced for the President s 2003 proposal for dividend relief to eliminate double taxation of corporate source income, including creating jobs (suggestive of a short-run stimulative effect), enhancing long-term growth and efficiency, fairness, and increasing the value of the stock market. Dividend relief was enacted on a ...
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| Date April 1, 2008 |
Report No. RS21718 |
Title
Order Code RS21718 Updated April 1, 2008 Dominican Republic: Political and Economic Conditions and Relations with the United States Rebecca G. Rush and Clare Ribando Seelke Analysts in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary President Leonel Fern ndez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), who served as president previously (1996-2000), took office again on ...
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| Date March 31, 2008 |
Report No. RL33949 |
Title
Order Code RL33949 Environmental Impacts of Airport Operations, Maintenance, and Expansion Updated March 31, 2008 Linda Luther Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Environmental Impacts of Airport Operations, Maintenance, and Expansion Summary Funding authorization for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs set forth in the Vision 100 Century of ...
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| Date March 31, 2008 |
Report No. RL34265 |
Title
Order Code RL34265 Selected Issues Related to an Expansion of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Updated March 31, 2008 Brent D. Yacobucci Specialist in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Tom Capehart Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Selected Issues Related to an Expansion of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Summary ...
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| Date March 31, 2008 |
Report No. RL34428 |
Title
Order Code RL34428 Understanding Stagflation and the Risk of Its Recurrence March 31, 2008 Brian W. Cashell and Marc Labonte Specialists in Macroeconomic Policy Government and Finance Division Understanding Stagflation and the Risk of Its Recurrence Summary The slowing of economic growth and the rising rate of inflation in early 2008 have given rise to concerns that the U.S. economy is at risk of ...
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| Date March 31, 2008 |
Report No. RL34431 |
Title
Order Code RL34431 The Disparity Between Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices March 31, 2008 Robert L. Bamberger Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Robert Pirog Specialist in Energy Economics Resources, Science, and Industry Division The Disparity Between Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices Summary Over time, gasoline has typically been more expensive than ...
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| Date March 28, 2008 |
Report No. RL34171 |
Title
Order Code RL34171 Public Transit Program Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization Updated March 28, 2008 William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Public Transit Program Issues in Surface Transportation Reauthorization Summary As enacted in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act A Legacy for Users ( ...
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| Date March 28, 2008 |
Report No. RL32348 |
Title
Order Code RL32348 Selected Federal Homeland Security Assistance Programs: A Summary Updated March 28, 2008 Shawn Reese Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Selected Federal Homeland Security Assistance Programs: A Summary Summary Congress has supported a limited number of programs specifically designed to assist state and local governments with homeland security ...
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| Date March 28, 2008 |
Report No. RS22476 |
Title
Order Code RS22476 Updated March 28, 2008 Standardizing State Health Insurance Regulation Bernadette Fernandez and Jean Hearne Domestic Social Policy Division Summary H.R. 4460, the Health Care Choice Act, is intended to harmonize the state insurance laws that multi-state insurance carriers and other providers of individual health coverage would be subject to. By harmonizing insurance laws across ...
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| Date March 27, 2008 |
Report No. RL34133 |
Title
Order Code RL34133 Fischer-Tropsch Fuels from Coal, Natural Gas, and Biomass: Background and Policy Updated March 27, 2008 Anthony Andrews Specialist in Energy and Energy Infrastructure Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Jeffrey Logan Specialist in Energy Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Fischer-Tropsch Fuels from Coal, Natural Gas, and Biomass: Background and Policy ...
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| Date March 27, 2008 |
Report No. RS22850 |
Title
Order Code RS22850 March 27, 2008 Tax Provisions of the Economic Stimulus Package Jane G. Gravelle Senior Specialist in Economic Policy Government and Finance Division Summary The economic stimulus package, P. L. 110-185, contained two major components: individual tax rebates costing an estimated $117 billion in FY2008 and FY2009, and depreciation provisions (bonus depreciation and small business ...
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| Date March 27, 2008 |
Report No. RS22542 |
Title
Order Code RS22542 Updated March 27, 2008 Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing: U.S. Policy Development Anthony Andrews Specialist in Industrial Engineering and Infrastructure Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary As part of the World War II effort to develop the atomic bomb, reprocessing technology was developed to chemically separate and recover fissionable plutonium from irradiated ...
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| Date March 27, 2008 |
Report No. 98-718 |
Title
Order Code 98-718 GOV Updated March 27, 2008 Secret Sessions of the House and Senate Mildred Amer Specialist in American Government Government and Finance Division Secret, or closed, sessions of the House and Senate exclude the press and the public. They are held to discuss business such as Senate deliberations during impeachment trials, issues of national security, and sensitive communications ...
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| Date March 27, 2008 |
Report No. RS20145 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Secret or closed door sessions of the House of Representatives and Senate are held periodically to discuss business, including impeachment deliberations, deemed to require confidentiality and secrecy. Authority for the two chambers to hold these sessions appears in Article I, Section 5, of the Constitution. Both the House and the Senate have ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL33371 |
Title
Order Code RL33371 K-12 Education: Implementation Status of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110) Updated March 26, 2008 Gail McCallion, Coordinator, Richard N. Apling, Jeffrey J. Kuenzi, Wayne C. Riddle, Rebecca R. Skinner, and David P. Smole Specialists in Education Policy Domestic Social Policy Division K-12 Education: Implementation Status of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL31214 |
Title
Order Code RL31214 Saving for College Through Qualified Tuition (Section 529) Programs Updated March 26, 2008 Linda Levine Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Saving for College Through Qualified Tuition (Section 529) Programs Summary Congress has tried to make higher education more affordable by providing favorable tax treatment to savings accumulated in qualified ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL31491 |
Title
Order Code RL31491 C R5 Report for Cong ress Davis-Bacon Act Coverage and the State Revolving Fund Program Under the Clean Water Act Updated March 26, 2008 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Congressional Service Davis-Bacon Act Coverage and the State Revolving Fund Program Under the Clean Water Act ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL32769 |
Title
Order Code RL32769 Military Death Benefits: Status and Proposals Updated March 26, 2008 David F. Burrelli Specialist in National Defense Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Jennifer R. Corwell Research Associate in Defense Resources Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Military Death Benefits: Status and Proposals Summary Department of Defense (DOD) benefits for survivors of ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL33620 |
Title
Order Code RL33620 Mercosur: Evolution and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy Updated March 26, 2008 J. F. Hornbeck Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Mercosur: Evolution and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy Summary Mercosur is the Common Market of the South established by Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay in 1991 to promote economic ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL34098 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) originated in an act of July 16, 1798, that authorized marine hospitals for the care of American merchant seamen. Over the years, the scope and responsibilities of the act and the service have broadened. The Public Health Service Act of July 1, 1944, revised and consolidated into one law all legislation existing ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RL32861 |
Title
Order Code RL32861 Farm Labor: The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) Updated March 26, 2008 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Farm Labor: The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) Summary American agricultural employers have long utilized foreign workers on a temporary basis, regarding them as an important labor resource. At the same time, the relatively ...
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| Date March 26, 2008 |
Report No. RS22799 |
Title
Order Code RS22799 Updated March 26, 2008 The Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008 and Jumbo Mortgages N. Eric Weiss Analyst in Financial Economics Government and Finance Division Summary H.R. 5140, the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008,1 would temporarily increase the maximum size of loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie ...
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| Date March 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL34214 |
Title
Order Code RL34214 A Primer on the Higher Education Act (HEA) Updated March 25, 2008 Blake Alan Naughton Analyst in Education Policy Domestic Social Policy Division A Primer on the Higher Education Act (HEA) Summary The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) as amended, authorizes the federal government s major federal student aid programs (Title IV), as well as other programs which provide ...
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| Date March 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL33178 |
Title
Order Code RL33178 Japan s Currency Intervention: Policy Issues Updated March 25, 2008 Dick K. Nanto Specialist in Industry and Trade Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Japan s Currency Intervention: Policy Issues Summary The rapid depreciation of the value of the dollar on foreign exchange markets is mirrored by an equally rapid appreciation of currencies, such as the yen (and Euro). ...
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| Date March 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL33108 |
Title
Order Code RL33108 Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety Updated March 25, 2008 Nic Lane Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety Summary While dams have multiple benefits (balanced against financial and environmental costs), they can also present a risk to public safety and economic infrastructure. This risk stems from two sources: ...
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| Date March 25, 2008 |
Report No. RL33654 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Since the 1971 creation of the user-supported airport and airway trust fund in the Airport and Airway Development and Revenue Acts of 1970 (P.L. 91-259) there has been disagreement over the appropriate use of the trust fund s revenues. Some Members of Congress viewed the trust fund as primarily a capital account that would fund the Federal Aviation ...
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| Date March 24, 2008 |
Report No. RS22846 |
Title
Order Code RS22846 March 24, 2008 The Economic Substance Doctrine: Legal Analysis of Proposed Legislation Carol A. Pettit Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The economic substance doctrine was judicially developed. A number of bills introduced in the 110th Congress would codify the definition of economic substance, provide a strict liability penalty for underpayments resulting from ...
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