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| Date Jan. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL33489 |
Title
Order Code RL33489 An Overview and Funding History of Select Department of Justice (DOJ) Grant Programs Updated January 16, 2008 Nathan James Analyst in Crime Policy Domestic Social Policy Division An Overview and Funding History of Select Department of Justice (DOJ) Grant Programs Summary The Department of Justice (DOJ) was created in June 1870, with the Attorney General as its head. Since its ...
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| Date Jan. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RL32502 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Recession concerns have led policymakers to consider economic stimulus legislation. These proposals have raised questions about the economic effects of past policy changes. Congress enacted major tax cuts in 2001, 2002, and 2003. The acts reduced marginal income tax rates; reduced taxes on married couples, dividends, capital gains, and on estates ...
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| Date Jan. 16, 2008 |
Report No. RS22789 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 3887), passed by the House on December 4, 2007, continues and reenforces the anti-trafficking efforts that began with Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. That legislation sought to protect the women and children most often the victims of both ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL34219 |
Title
Order Code RL34219 Terrorism Risk Insurance Legislation in 2007: Issue Summary and Side-by-Side Updated January 15, 2008 Baird Webel Analyst in Economics Government and Finance Division Terrorism Risk Insurance Legislation in 2007: Issue Summary and Side-by-Side Summary Prior to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, insurance covering terrorism losses was normally included in general insurance ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22715 |
Title
Order Code RS22715 Updated January 15, 2008 Peru: Political Situation, Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations Miranda Louise Jasper, Research Associate Clare Ribando Seelke, Analyst in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Peru, a coca-producing country in the Andean region of South America, has had a turbulent political history. Despite its tumultuous past, ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS21774 |
Title
Order Code RS21774 Updated January 15, 2008 Bosnia and the European Union Military Force (EUFOR): Post-NATO Peacekeeping Julie Kim Specialist in International Relations Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary On December 2, 2004, NATO formally concluded its Stabilization Force (SFOR) mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and handed over peace stabilization duties to a European Union force ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RL33012 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the 1990s, wars and political instability provided an opportunity for Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups to infiltrate the Balkans. However, U.S. and European peacekeeping troops, aid, and the prospect of Euro-Atlantic integration have helped to bring more stability to the region in recent years. Moreover, the September 11, 2001 attacks on the ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS20741 |
Title
Order Code RS20741 Updated January 15, 2008 The Constitutional Law of Property Rights Takings : An Introduction Robert Meltz Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary This report introduces the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment: [N]or shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. The Clause, extensively explicated by the courts in recent decades, seeks to ...
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| Date Jan. 15, 2008 |
Report No. RS22748 |
Title
Order Code RS22748 Updated January 15, 2008 The Circumstances In Which an Officer May Ask Questions Concerning Alienage Yule Kim Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary This report provides a short overview of the circumstances in which a law enforcement officer may ask questions concerning alienage. Generally, any officer may freely ask someone questions about his or her alienage ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RS22590 |
Title
Order Code RS22590 Updated January 14, 2008 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Overview and Selected Issues Richard N. Apling Specialist in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Division Nancy Lee Jones Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides funds to states for the education of children with ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RS22607 |
Title
Order Code RS22607 Updated January 14, 2008 Court Security Improvement Act of 2007: Public Law 110-177 (H.R. 660 and S. 378) in Brief Charles Doyle Senior Specialist American Law Division Summary Early in the 110th Congress, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees introduced essentially identical versions of the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 660 and S. 378), which ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL34323 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The criminal law proposals found in H.R. 3887 as it passed the House include newly assigned sex trafficking offenses, a sex tourism offense, a coerced services offense, obstruction of justice offenses, an importation of prostitutes offense, a false statement offense, and provisions for civil liability, victim assistance, forfeiture, extraterritorial ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL33884 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The proposals of the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-177, H.R. 660 and S. 378), fall within one of four categories. One consists of amendments to existing federal criminal law. The bill increases the penalties for manslaughter committed during the course of an obstruction of justice and for witness intimidation and retaliation. It ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL30415 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The term partial-birth abortion refers generally to an abortion procedure where the fetus is removed intact from a woman s body. The procedure is described by the medical community as intact dilation and evacuation or dilation and extraction ( D & X ) depending on the presentation of the fetus. Intact dilation and evacuation involves a vertex or ...
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| Date Jan. 14, 2008 |
Report No. RL32801 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) of 1980 requires each agency to develop a plan for the review of its existing rules that have or will have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Agencies are required to review any new rules within 10 years of their publication as a final rule, and to provide an ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RL31260 |
Title
Order Code RL31260 Digital Television: An Overview Updated January 11, 2008 Lennard G. Kruger Specialist in Science and Technology Resources, Science, and Industry Division Digital Television: An Overview Summary Digital television (DTV) is a new television service representing the most significant development in television technology since the advent of color television. DTV can provide movie ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RS22788 |
Title
Order Code RS22788 January 11, 2008 Regulation of Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions: State and Federal Standards Brent D. Yacobucci Specialist in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary California is seeking, under the Clean Air Act, authority to establish greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger vehicles. The standards would require a 30% ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2008 |
Report No. RS20621 |
Title
Order Code RS20621 Updated January 11, 2008 Overview of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Requirements Kristina Alexander Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) establishes environmental policies that apply to the federal government, but it is best known for imposing environmental review procedures on federal agency actions. NEPA ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL31583 |
Title
Order Code RL31583 K-12 Education: Special Forms of Flexibility in the Administration of Federal Aid Programs Updated January 10, 2008 Wayne C. Riddle Specialist in Education Finance Domestic Social Policy Division K-12 Education: Special Forms of Flexibility in the Administration of Federal Aid Programs Summary Beginning with the Improving America s Schools Act in 1994, and continuing through the ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL34316 |
Title
Order Code RL34316 Pipelines for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Control: Network Needs and Cost Uncertainties January 10, 2008 Paul W. Parfomak and Peter Folger Resources, Science, and Industry Division Pipelines for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Control: Network Needs and Cost Uncertainties Summary Congress is considering policies promoting the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) from sources such as ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RL33230 |
Title
Order Code RL33230 Proposed Federal Income Tax Exclusion for Civilians Serving in Combat Zones Updated January 10, 2008 Pamela J. Jackson Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Proposed Federal Income Tax Exclusion for Civilians Serving in Combat Zones Summary Legislative proposals have been made to extend the combat zone income tax exclusion to civilian employees who are on ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RS22787 |
Title
Order Code RS22787 January 10, 2008 Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: China s December 2007 Decision Michael F. Martin Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Summary The prospects for democratization in Hong Kong became clearer following a decision of the Standing Committee of China s National People s Congress (NPCSC) on December 29, 2007. The NPCSC s decision ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2008 |
Report No. RS22739 |
Title
Order Code RS22739 Updated January 10, 2008 FY2008 Federal SCHIP Financing Chris L. Peterson Specialist in Health Care Financing Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The President vetoed two bills (H.R. 976, H.R. 3963) that would have provided new federal funding for the State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in FY2008 through FY2012. Four continuing resolutions provided FY2008 SCHIP ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL32641 |
Title
Order Code RL32641 Localism : Statutes and Rules Affecting Local Programming on Broadcast, Cable, and Satellite Television Updated January 9, 2008 Charles B. Goldfarb Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Localism : Statutes and Rules Affecting Local Programming on Broadcast, Cable, and Satellite Television Summary Most broadcast television stations ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL33866 |
Title
Order Code RL33866 Medicaid, SCHIP, and Health Insurance: FY2008 Budget Issues Updated January 9, 2008 April Grady, Evelyne P. Baumrucker, Bernadette Fernandez, Jean Hearne, Elicia J. Herz, Bob Lyke, Chris L. Peterson, Julie Stone, and Julie M. Whittaker Domestic Social Policy Division Medicaid, SCHIP, and Health Insurance: FY2008 Budget Issues Summary Each year, the President is required to ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL31625 |
Title
Order Code RL31625 Foreign Language and International Studies: Federal Aid Under Title VI of the Higher Education Act Updated January 9, 2008 Jeffrey J. Kuenzi Specialist in Education Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Foreign Language and International Studies: Federal Aid Under Title VI of the Higher Education Act Summary Title VI of the Higher Education Act (HEA) International Education ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22746 |
Title
Order Code RS22746 Updated January 9, 2008 SCHIP: Differences Between H.R. 3963 and H.R. 976 Evelyne P. Baumrucker, April Grady, Elicia J. Herz, and Chris L. Peterson Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33) established the State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under a new Title XXI of the Social Security Act. SCHIP builds on Medicaid by ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22727 |
Title
Order Code RS22727 Updated January 9, 2008 Guatemala: 2007 Elections and Issues for Congress Miranda Louise Jasper Research Associate Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Colleen W. Cook Analyst in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Alvaro Colom, of the center-left Nation Union of Hope (UNE) party, defeated right-wing candidate Otto P rez Molina of ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RS22625 |
Title
Order Code RS22625 Updated January 9, 2008 National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Overview, FY2008 Budget in Brief, and Key Issues for Congress Daniel Morgan and Carl E. Behrens Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts U.S. civilian space and aeronautics activities. For FY2008, the Administration requested $17.309 ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL33168 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Despite mostly favorable economic conditions since the early 1990s, one development the focus of this report may be cause for concern. While the economy was growing, household saving fell to next to nothing. At the beginning of the 1990s, households saved, on average, about 8% of their after-tax income. Since then, it has steadily declined, and ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2008 |
Report No. RL31622 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Higher Education Act (HEA) is the source of over $52 billion in federally supported grant, loan, and work-study assistance to help meet the costs of postsecondary education. The HEA also supports several programs that complement this student aid by providing services and incentives to disadvantaged students to help increase their secondary or ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL33025 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The mortgage interest deduction, which is one of the largest sources of federal tax revenue loss with an estimated annual cost of $72 billion, is intended to encourage homeownership. Empirical studies suggest that the mortgage interest deduction subsidizes mortgage lending, which has more impact on housing consumption than homeownership rates. Other ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RS22786 |
Title
Order Code RS22786 January 8, 2008 Labor-Management Relations and the Federal Aviation Administration: Background and Current Legislative Issues Jon O. Shimabukuro Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary This report discusses labor-management relations at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the 2006 implementation of a new labor contract on air traffic controllers. The FAA s ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RS22785 |
Title
Order Code RS22785 January 8, 2008 SCHIP Coverage for Pregnant Women and Unborn Children Evelyne P. Baumrucker Analyst in Health Care Financing Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The State Children s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) does not include pregnancy status among its eligibility criteria and does not cover individuals over age 18. Under SCHIP, states can cover pregnant women aged 19 ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2008 |
Report No. RL31129 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 established two permanent federal income tax credits, effective since tax year 1998, for qualified postsecondary education expenses: the Hope Scholarship credit and the Lifetime Learning credit. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 authorized a temporary income tax deduction for higher ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL31284 |
Title
Order Code RL31284 K-12 Education: Highlights of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110) Updated January 7, 2008 Wayne C. Riddle, Coordinator Specialist in Education Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Richard N. Apling, Jeffrey J. Kuenzi, Gail McCallion, and David P. Smole Specialists in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Division Roger Walke Specialist in American Indian ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34308 |
Title
Order Code RL34308 CARICOM: Challenges and Opportunities for Caribbean Economic Integration January 7, 2008 J. F. Hornbeck Specialist in International Trade and Finance Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division CARICOM: Challenges and Opportunities for Caribbean Economic Integration Summary In 1973, the smaller, largely English-speaking countries of the Eastern Caribbean launched the Caribbean ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RL34312 |
Title
Order Code RL34312 Emerging Trends in the Security Architecture in Asia: Bilateral and Multilateral Ties Among the United States, Japan, Australia, and India January 7, 2008 Emma Chanlett-Avery Analyst in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Bruce Vaughn Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Emerging Trends in the U.S. Security Architecture ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22498 |
Title
Order Code RS22498 Updated January 7, 2008 Issues in Klamath River Dam Relicensing Nic Lane Analyst in Environment and Resources Management Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary PacifiCorp, a large utility in the western United States, owns and operates seven hydroelectric dams in the Klamath River basin. The dams produce 151 megawatts of electricity but they have blocked fish passage ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS21686 |
Title
Order Code RS21686 Updated January 7, 2008 Conditions on U.S. Aid to Serbia Steven Woehrel Specialist in European Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary Since FY2001, Congress has conditioned U.S. aid to Serbia on a presidential certification that Serbia has met certain conditions, including cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. 95-36 |
Title
Order Code 95-36 Updated January 7, 2008 The Advanced Technology Program Wendy H. Schacht Specialist in Science and Technology Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) was created by P.L. 100-418, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, to encourage public-private cooperation in the development of pre-competitive technologies with broad ...
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| Date Jan. 7, 2008 |
Report No. RS22564 |
Title
Order Code RS22564 Updated January 7, 2008 Power Marketing Administrations: Background and Current Issues Nic Lane Analyst in Environment and Resources Management Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The U.S. Department of Energy operates four regional power marketing administrations (PMAs) the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA), the ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL34310 |
Title
Order Code RL34310 China s Soft Power in Southeast Asia January 4, 2008 Thomas Lum, Wayne M. Morrison, and Bruce Vaughn Specialists in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division China s Soft Power in Southeast Asia Summary China s growing use of soft power in Southeast Asia non-military inducements including culture, diplomacy, foreign aid, trade, and investment has presented new ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL33915 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On February 5, 2007, President Bush presented his fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget to Congress. The President s budget predicted a deficit of $239 billion for FY2008 and a steady improvement of the federal government s fiscal position, including a surplus of $61 billion in FY2012, the last year projected. Major proposals included large defense ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2008 |
Report No. RL34305 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has declared that motorcycle fatalities represent the nation s greatest highway traffic safety challenge. Over the past decade, the number of passenger vehicle auto deaths has declined slightly, even as more drivers have been driving more vehicles more miles. But the number of motorcycle fatalities has ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33619 |
Title
Order Code RL33619 Value-Added Tax: A New U.S. Revenue Source? Updated January 3, 2008 James M. Bickley Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Value-Added Tax: A New U.S. Revenue Source? Summary President George W. Bush has stated that tax reform is one of his Administration s top priorities. Some form of a value-added tax (VAT), a broadbased consumption tax, has been ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34309 |
Title
Order Code RL34309 How Crime in the United States Is Measured January 3, 2008 Nathan James Analyst in Crime Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Logan Rishard Council Intern Domestic Social Policy Division How Crime in the United States Is Measured Summary Crime data collected through the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the National Crime ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL34240 |
Title
Order Code RL34240 Pakistan s Political Crises Updated January 3, 2008 K. Alan Kronstadt Specialist in South Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Pakistan s Political Crises Summary The year 2007 has seen Pakistan buffeted by numerous and serious political crises culminating in the December 27 assassination of former Prime Minster and leading opposition figure Benazir Bhutto, ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS21897 |
Title
Order Code RS21897 Updated January 3, 2008 The Effect of State-Legalized Same-Sex Marriage on Social Security Benefits and Pensions Laura Haltzel and Patrick Purcell Specialists in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Summary With the 2004 legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts,1 many have questioned how the legalization of such marriages at the state level may affect the ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RL33862 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review, issued in September 1993, describes the principles and procedures by which the Office of Management and Budget s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) reviews hundreds of significant proposed and final agency regulations on behalf of the President before they are published ...
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