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Federal Rulemaking: The Role of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Description: This report discusses the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, which created the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This report addresses OIRA's responsibilities, controversies related to OIRA, and possible legislative issues involving OIRA, including increasing or decreasing the office's funding and staffing, and improvements in the transparency of OIRA's review process.
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Copeland, Curtis W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)

Description: Congress has passed legislation to facilitate the reemployment of workers who through no fault of their own are let go by their employers. Among these laws is the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, P.L. 100-379, enacted in 1988. This report discusses the WARN Act in brief, especially as related to Congress's renewed interest in the Act due to the current financial crises and recession.
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Afghanistan and Pakistan Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs), H.R. 1318/H.R. 1886/H.R. 2410 and S. 496: Issues and Arguments

Description: This report discusses legislation related to the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act (H.R. 1886), the Afghanistan-Pakistan Security and Prosperity Enhancement Act (H.R. 1318), and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410). It also discusses the Afghanistan and Pakistan Reconstruction Opportunity Zones Act (S. 496). The report also discusses how this legislation represents a political and symbolic importance for U.S. relationships wi… more
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Bolle, Mary Jane
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses issues related to peace in the Middle East, including post-Gulf War negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon; U.S. interest in these and continuing negotiations and peacetalks between Middle Eastern countries; and the role of the U.S., the U.N., the European Union, and Russia in Middle Eastern relations.
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Migdalovitz, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report discusses the current state of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its current relationship with the United States, and future initiatives to further develop U.S.-Saudi relations.
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Tactical Aircraft Modernization: Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview discussion on the modernization of U.S. military tactical aircraft, meaning fighter aircraft, strike-fighters, and attack planes. This CRS report discusses and presents FY2010 legislative activity on issues relating to U.S. tactical aircraft in general. For several years now, a central issue relating to tactical aircraft in general has been the overall affordability of the Department of Defense's (DOD's) plans for modernizing the tactical aircraft force. A secon… more
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides an overview of Jordanian politics and current issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations. It provides a brief discussion of Jordan's government and economy and of its cooperation in promoting Arab-Israeli peace and other U.S. policy objectives in the Middle East.
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iran Sanctions

Description: Iran is subject to a wide range of U.S. sanctions, restricting trade with, investment, and U.S. foreign aid to Iran, and requiring the United States to vote against international lending to Iran. A formal U.S. effort to curb international energy investment in Iran began in 1996 with the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA). ISA was first passed at a time of tightening U.S. sanctions on Iran. Most notable was a 1995 ban on U.S. trade with and investment in Iran. That ban has since been modified slightly to … more
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Financial Market Turmoil and U.S. Macroeconomic Performance

Description: Lending in credit markets requires confidence in the borrowers' ability to repay the debt (principal and interest) in full and on schedule. The current turmoil in U.S. financial markets is the result of a breakdown in that necessary confidence. A number of indicators have pointed to a substantial rise in the cost of credit and a decrease in the flow of credit to the broader economy. Economic policy may be needed to get credit flowing smoothly again and to mitigate the damage incurred by househo… more
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Elwell, Craig K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options

Description: The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. This report provides background information about the START Treaty and reviews the discussions about a possible successor to START. It also presents a range of alternatives that the United States and Russia migh… more
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Description: The federal government loses both individual and corporate income tax revenue from the shifting of profits and income into low-tax countries, often referred to as tax havens. The revenue losses from this tax avoidance and evasion are difficult to estimate, but some have suggested that the annual cost of offshore tax abuses may be around $100 billion per year. Recent actions by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the G-20 industrialized nations have targeted tax … more
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, a historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: October 9, 2009
Creator: Austin, D. A. & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

Description: This report discusses the relationships between the United States and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as these three nations' political and economic conditions. It also discusses key related issues in the second session of the 111th Congress, including the question of the United States' role in the South Caucasus, the significance of regional energy resources to U.S. interests, and other pertinent issues.
Date: April 9, 2009
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Border Security: Key Agencies and Their Missions

Description: This report briefly describes the role of various agencies in securing the borders of the United States. These agencies are the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the United States Coast Guard, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Date: April 9, 2009
Creator: Haddal, Chad C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Earmarks Disclosed by Congress: FY2008 and FY2009 Regular Appropriations Bills

Description: This report provides information on the earmarks disclosed by the House and Senate for the 12 regular, annual appropriations bills for each of FY2008 and FY2009. The report directly analyzes the data in the earmark disclosure lists, without additions or deletions.
Date: December 9, 2009
Creator: Hardy Vincent, Carol & Monke, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Nuclear Cooperation with Other Countries: A Primer

Description: This report discusses section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), the specific requirements of which must be met in order for the United States to engage in civilian nuclear cooperation with other states. The AEA also provides for exemptions to these requirements, export control licensing procedures, and criteria for terminating cooperation.
Date: March 9, 2009
Creator: Kerr, Paul K. & Nikitin, Mary Beth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues

Description: This report discusses the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and legal challenges to it. It reviews legal principles applied to determine the validity of a marriage contracted in another state and surveys the various approaches employed by states to address same-sex marriage. It also examines previous congressional resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA.
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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