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| Date Jan. 3, 2008 |
Report No. RS20702 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress The Everglades, a unique network of subtropical wetlands in Florida, is half its original size. Many factors contributed to its decline, including flood control projects and agricultural and urban development. Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies collaborated to develop a Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP, or the plan). CERP aims ...
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| Date Jan. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL33926 |
Title
Order Code RL33926 Stock Options: The Backdating Issue Updated January 2, 2008 James M. Bickley and Gary Shorter Specialists in Economics Government and Finance Division Stock Options: The Backdating Issue Summary Employee stock options are contracts giving employees the right to buy the company s common stock at a specified exercise price, at a specified time or during a specified period, and ...
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| Date Jan. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL34152 |
Title
Order Code RL34152 Food Safety: Selected Issues and Bills in the 110th Congress Updated January 2, 2008 Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Food Safety: Selected Issues and Bills in the 110th Congress Summary A series of widely publicized incidents from adulterated Chinese seafood imports to bacteria-tainted spinach, meat, and poultry ...
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| Date Jan. 2, 2008 |
Report No. RL31775 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Persistent budget deficits have directed attention to their economic effect, particularly whether they raise interest rates. Any explanation of the budget deficit-interest rate relationship must first come to grips with an indisputable fact: budget deficits consume real resources, and this is the more relevant public policy concern. When the ...
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| Date Dec. 28, 2007 |
Report No. RL34299 |
Title
Order Code RL34299 U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2006-FY2008 December 28, 2007 Connie Veillette, Mark P. Sullivan, Clare Ribando Seelke, and Colleen W. Cook Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2006-FY2008 Summary Trends in U.S. assistance to the Latin America and Caribbean region generally ...
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| Date Dec. 28, 2007 |
Report No. RS20870 |
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Order Code RS20870 Updated December 28, 2006 Revenue Reconciliation Directives to the Senate Finance Committee in Congressional Budget Resolutions Robert Keith Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary During the more than 30 years that the congressional budget process has been in effect, the Senate Finance Committee has been subject to revenue ...
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| Date Dec. 28, 2007 |
Report No. RS22409 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Energy security is of increasing importance to the United States and its European allies, as some energy producers are using oil and gas for political leverage. Although most European allies believe that a market solution exists to ensure security of energy supplies, NATO has begun to discuss the issue as an allied concern. This report will be ...
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| Date Dec. 27, 2007 |
Report No. RL34297 |
Title
Order Code RL34297 Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Employment: National and State Trends and Issues December 27, 2007 Stephen Cooney Specialist in Industrial Organization and Business Resources, Science, and Industry Division Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Employment: National and State Trends and Issues Summary The U.S. motor vehicle manufacturing industry employs about 1 million workers, or about 7.5% ...
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| Date Dec. 26, 2007 |
Report No. RL31925 |
Title
Order Code RL31925 FCC Media Ownership Rules: Current Status and Issues for Congress Updated December 26, 2007 Charles B. Goldfarb Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division FCC Media Ownership Rules: Current Status and Issues for Congress Summary On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) modified five of its media ownership rules, easing ...
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| Date Dec. 26, 2007 |
Report No. RL32105 |
Title
Order Code RL32105 Iraq: Foreign Contributions to Stabilization and Reconstruction Updated December 26, 2007 Christopher M. Blanchard Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Catherine Marie Dale Specialist in International Security Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Iraq: Foreign Contributions to Stabilization and Reconstruction Summary U.S. ...
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| Date Dec. 26, 2007 |
Report No. RL34293 |
Title
Order Code RL34293 Resolving House Committee Jurisdictional Disputes: A Survey of Options December 26, 2007 Walter J. Oleszek Senior Specialist Government and Finance Division Resolving House Committee Jurisdictional Disputes: A Survey of Options Summary House committees sometimes clash over their respective jurisdictional prerogatives. Various reasons account for inter-committee disagreements, ...
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| Date Dec. 21, 2007 |
Report No. RL34295 |
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Order Code RL34295 Spending by Consumers on Health Care and Health Insurance: A Data Brief December 21, 2007 Jennifer Jenson Specialist in Health Economics Domestic Social Policy Spending by Consumers on Health Care and Health Insurance: A Data Brief Summary Over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, health care accounted for 5.4% of consumer spending, on average. According to data from the ...
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| Date Dec. 21, 2007 |
Report No. RL33935 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the past ten years, the pay of chief executive officers (CEOs) has more than doubled, and the ratio of median CEO to worker pay has risen to 179 to 1. High and rising executive pay could be an issue of public concern on two different grounds. First, it is contributing to widening income inequality that may be of concern from an equity ...
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| Date Dec. 20, 2007 |
Report No. RL34290 |
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Order Code RL34290 The Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act: An Overview December 20, 2007 Yule Kim Legislative Attorney American Law Division The Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act: An Overview Summary The Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act ( P.L. 97-473, Title II, Section 202(a)) (the act), extends to Indian tribal governments and their subdivisions in certain specific ...
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| Date Dec. 20, 2007 |
Report No. RL34291 |
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Order Code RL34291 U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 1999-2006 December 20, 2007 Richard F. Grimmett Specialist in National Defense Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 1999-2006 Summary This report provides background data on United States arms sales agreements with and deliveries to its ...
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| Date Dec. 20, 2007 |
Report No. RS21795 |
Title
Order Code RS21795 Updated December 20, 2007 The Retirement Savings Tax Credit: A Fact Sheet Patrick Purcell Specialist in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16) authorized a non-refundable tax credit of up to $1,000 for eligible individuals who contribute to an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2007 |
Report No. RS22778 |
Title
Order Code RS22778 December 19, 2007 Overview of Education Issues and Programs in Latin America Clare Ribando Seelke Analyst in Latin American Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The United States has long supported education programs in Latin America, and has a vested interest in promoting educational progress in the region. In the last 20 years, most Latin American ...
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| Date Dec. 18, 2007 |
Report No. RL34289 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or NORCs, are generally defined as communities with a large proportion of older persons residing within a specified geographic area. NORCs differ from purpose-built housing for the elderly, such as assisted living facilities or board and care homes, in that NORC residences were not designed with the ...
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| Date Dec. 17, 2007 |
Report No. RS22774 |
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Order Code RS22774 December 17, 2007 Federal Research and Development Funding: Possible Impacts of Operating under a Continuing Resolution Dana A. Shea Specialist in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science and Industry Division Daniel Morgan Analyst in Science and Technology Policy Resources, Science and Industry Division Summary On December 14, 2007, President Bush signed into law ...
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| Date Dec. 17, 2007 |
Report No. RS22775 |
Title
Order Code RS22775 December 17, 2007 Long-Term Economic Growth: Sustainable Goals Brian W. Cashell Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy Government and Finance Division Summary Gross domestic product (GDP) can be expressed as the product of five factors: the total population; the share of the overall population that is in the labor force; the share of the labor force that is employed; average labor ...
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| Date Dec. 14, 2007 |
Report No. RL34284 |
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Order Code RL34284 Aviation Congestion and Delay: System-Wide and New York-Area Issues December 14, 2007 Bart Elias Specialist in Aviation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division John W. Fischer Specialist in Transportation Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Todd B. Tatelman Legislative Attorney American Law Division Aviation Congestion and Delay: System-Wide and New York- ...
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| Date Dec. 14, 2007 |
Report No. RL34282 |
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Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the 110th Congress, the House and the Senate passed several different versions of omnibus energy legislation containing provisions to address climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. The House originally passed H.R. 6 in January 2007. The Senate passed an amended version in June 2007. In August 2007, the House passed a new and broader-ranging ...
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| Date Dec. 13, 2007 |
Report No. RL32153 |
Title
www.crs.gov Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In five recent fiscal years (FY2000-FY2005, excluding FY2002), Congress and the President brought action on the regular appropriations acts for the fiscal year to a close by incorporating unfinished acts into an omnibus appropriations measure. For FY2006, all of the regular appropriations acts were enacted into law separately. Each of ...
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| Date Dec. 13, 2007 |
Report No. RS22507 |
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Order Code RS22507 Updated December 13, 2007 Constitutionality of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: Litigation Thomas J. Nicola Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 has been challenged as unconstitutional in several lawsuits. The plaintiffs have alleged that the House and Senate did not comply with the constitutional provisions relating to enacting ...
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| Date Dec. 12, 2007 |
Report No. RS22671 |
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Order Code RS22671 Updated December 12, 2007 The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program: Current Issues, Legislation, and Background Baird Webel Analyst in Economics Government and Finance Division Summary After September 11, 2001, many businesses were no longer able to purchase insurance protecting against property losses that might occur in future terrorist attacks. Addressing this problem, Congress ...
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| Date Dec. 12, 2007 |
Report No. RS22772 |
Title
Order Code RS22772 December 12, 2007 The U.S.-Australia Treaty on Defense Trade Cooperation Bruce Vaughn Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The United States and Australia signed a Treaty on Defense Trade Cooperation in September 2007 that would facilitate defense trade and cooperation between the two nations. On the strategic level, the treaty would ...
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| Date Dec. 12, 2007 |
Report No. RS21892 |
Title
Order Code RS21892 Updated December 12, 2007 Application Process for Seeking Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status Erika Lunder Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary Charities and other entities seeking tax-exempt status as 501(c)(3) organizations generally must apply to the Internal Revenue Service. This report provides an overview of the application process.1 Organizations Eligible ...
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| Date Dec. 11, 2007 |
Report No. RS22638 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress On November 28, 2007, the International Tracing Service (ITS) opened its vast archives of materials on victims of Germany s National-Socialist (Nazi) regime to the public, granting direct access to the archives for the first time since their establishment shortly after World War II. Access to information in the archives was previously limited to ...
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| Date Dec. 10, 2007 |
Report No. RS22770 |
Title
Order Code RS22770 December 10, 2007 Russia s December 2007 Legislative Election: Outcome and Implications Jim Nichol Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary This report discusses the campaign and results of Russia s December 2, 2007, election to the State Duma (the lower legislative chamber), and implications for Russia and U.S. interests. ...
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| Date Dec. 7, 2007 |
Report No. RS22768 |
Title
Order Code RS22768 December 7, 2007 Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: The Annapolis Conference Carol Migdalovitz Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary At the end of November 2007, the Bush Administration convened an international conference in Annapolis, MD to officially revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud ...
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| Date Dec. 6, 2007 |
Report No. RL30484 |
Title
Order Code RL30484 Advanced Vehicle Technologies: Energy, Environment, and Development Issues Updated December 6, 2007 Brent D. Yacobucci Specialist in Energy and Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Advanced Vehicle Technologies: Energy, Environment, and Development Issues Summary Research and development of cleaner and more efficient vehicle technologies has been ...
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| Date Dec. 6, 2007 |
Report No. RL33267 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In recent years, the time needed to comply with various environmental laws has been the subject of public scrutiny and debate in Congress. As a result, numerous administrative and legislative efforts (both proposed and enacted) have intended to expedite or streamline the environmental compliance process. Although methods to do so vary, streamlining ...
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| Date Dec. 6, 2007 |
Report No. RS22563 |
Title
Order Code RS22563 Updated December 6, 2007 The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Initiatives in the 110th Congress Gregg A. Esenwein Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Steven Maguire Specialist in Public Finance Government and Finance Division Summary The alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals was originally enacted to ensure that all taxpayers, ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RL34271 |
Title
Order Code RL34271 The FCC s 10 Commissioned Economic Research Studies on Media Ownership: Policy Implications December 5, 2007 Charles B. Goldfarb Specialist in Telecommunications Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division The FCC s 10 Commissioned Economic Research Studies on Media Ownership: Policy Implications Summary The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has released ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RL34272 |
Title
Order Code RL34272 State Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Comparison and Analysis December 5, 2007 Jonathan L. Ramseur Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division State Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Comparison and Analysis Summary Instituting policies to manage or reduce GHGs would likely impact different states differently. Understanding these differences may provide for a more ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RL34135 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress In the first session of the 110th Congress, the House and the Senate passed two markedly different versions of omnibus energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation. This report compares major provisions in House-passed H.R. 3221 and Senate-passed H.R. 6. Key legislative challenges remain. First, there are significant differences between the ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RS22078 |
Title
Order Code RS22078 Updated December 5, 2007 Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board: Congressional Refinements Harold C. Relyea Specialist in American National Government Government and Finance Division Summary Among the recommendations made by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) in its final report was the creation of a board within the ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RS22767 |
Title
Order Code RS22767 December 5, 2007 China s 17th Communist Party Congress, 2007: Leadership and Policy Implications Kerry Dumbaugh Specialist in Asian Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The Chinese Communist Party s (CCP) 17th Congress, held from October 15 - 21, 2007, demonstrated the Party s efforts to try to adapt and redefine itself in the face of emerging economic ...
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| Date Dec. 5, 2007 |
Report No. RL34116 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Under a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS), retail electricity suppliers (electric utilities) must provide a minimum amount of electricity from renewable energy resources or purchase tradable credits that represent an equivalent amount of renewable energy production. The minimum requirement is often set as a percentage share of retail ...
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| Date Dec. 4, 2007 |
Report No. RL32086 |
Title
Order Code RL32086 Federal Contract Labor Standards Statutes: An Overview Updated December 4, 2007 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division Federal Contract Labor Standards Statutes: An Overview Summary In the late 1920s, following action taken in a number of states in dealing with state contracts, the federal government began development of a body of ...
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| Date Dec. 4, 2007 |
Report No. RL33068 |
Title
Order Code RL33068 Acquisition Services Reorganization at the General Services Administration Updated December 4, 2007 Stephanie Smith Analyst in American National Government Government and Finance Division Acquisition Services Reorganization at the General Services Administration Summary Congress enacted the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act in 1949 to provide for an economical and ...
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| Date Dec. 4, 2007 |
Report No. RS22764 |
Title
Order Code RS22764 December 4, 2007 Recent Litigation Related to Royalties from Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Production Adam Vann Legislative Attorney American Law Division Summary On October 30, 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a ruling in Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp. v. Allred that rebuffed efforts of the U.S. Department of the Interior to collect ...
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| Date Dec. 3, 2007 |
Report No. RL34267 |
Title
Order Code RL34267 Federal Land Ownership: Constitutional Authority and the History of Acquisition, Disposal, and Retention December 3, 2007 Kristina Alexander Legislative Attorney American Law Division Ross W. Gorte Specialist in Natural Resources Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Federal Land Ownership: Constitutional Authority and the History of Acquisition, Disposal, and ...
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| Date Dec. 3, 2007 |
Report No. RL33748 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Current U.S. nuclear warheads were deployed during the Cold War. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) maintains them with a Life Extension Program (LEP). NNSA questions if LEP can maintain them indefinitely on grounds that an accretion of minor changes introduced in replacement components will inevitably reduce confidence in warhead ...
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| Date Dec. 3, 2007 |
Report No. RS22765 |
Title
Order Code RS22765 December 3, 2007 Lump-Sum Distributions Under the Pension Protection Act Patrick Purcell Specialist in Income Security Domestic Social Policy Division Summary The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA, P.L. 109-280) established new funding requirements for defined benefit pensions. The PPA also modified the provisions of federal law that prescribe how the minimum permissible value ...
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| Date Nov. 30, 2007 |
Report No. RL33993 |
Title
Order Code RL33993 Veterans Health Care Issues Updated November 30, 2007 Sidath Viranga Panangala Analyst in Veterans Policy Domestic Social Policy Division Veterans Health Care Issues Summary The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides services and benefits to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. VA carries out its programs nationwide through three administrations and the Board of ...
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| Date Nov. 30, 2007 |
Report No. 94-408 |
Title
Order Code 94-408 The Davis-Bacon Act: Institutional Evolution and Public Policy Updated November 30, 2007 William G. Whittaker Specialist in Labor Economics Domestic Social Policy Division The Davis-Bacon Act: Institutional Evolution and Public Policy Summary In 1931, at the urging of the Hoover Administration, Congress adopted the Davis-Bacon Act. The measure set certain minimum labor standards ...
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| Date Nov. 30, 2007 |
Report No. RS22575 |
Title
Order Code RS22575 Updated November 30, 2007 Brownfield Issues in the 110th Congress Mark Reisch Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary The Brownfields Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award grants for the assessment and cleanup of sites that pose a less serious threat to human health and the environment than sites addressed by ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2007 |
Report No. RS20454 |
Title
Order Code RS20454 Updated November 29, 2007 Going to Conference in the Senate Elizabeth Rybicki Analyst on the Congress and Legislative Process Government and Finance Division Summary There are three steps that the Senate must take, and one more step that it may take, in arranging to send a bill to conference. These steps rarely are contentious but they have the potential to become time- ...
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| Date Nov. 29, 2007 |
Report No. RS22604 |
Title
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress During the past several decades, average pay for non-management workers has stagnated; after adjustment for inflation, there has been no increase since the early 1970s. In contrast, compensation of top corporate executives has risen dramatically. Supporters of current CEO pay levels argue that executive compensation is determined by normal private ...
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