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The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy

Description: This report outlines the United Arab Emirates (UAE) governmental structure, economy, military, foreign policy, human rights issues and U.S. policies and relations with the UAE. Major areas of U.S. policy concerns discussed are the UAE's participation in the war in Yemen supporting Saudia Arabia and the current standoff with Quatar over alleged sponsorship of terrorism by Quatar in relation to the significant amount of U.S. military personnel based in the UAE.
Date: August 18, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cuba Sanctions: Legislative Restrictions Limiting the Normalization of Relations

Description: This report outlines the various laws and sections of legislation that govern sanctions against Cuba and how they could be lifted or waived along with background information on the U.S. embargo of Cuba since the 1960s.
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Rennack, Dianne E. & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carrier program. The Navy's proposed FY2017 budget requests a total of $2,662.6 million in procurement and advance procurement (AP) funding for CVN-79 and CVN-80, the second and third ships in the program.
Date: August 9, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report outlines Iran's political structure and current leaders, human rights issues, and past and current U.S. relations with Iran.
Date: August 22, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Paraguay: In Brief

Description: This report outlines Paraguay's governmental structure and leaders, economy, and relations between the United States and Paraguay.
Date: August 31, 2017
Creator: Beittel, June S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Description: This report describes the Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are available only to those individuals who have become unemployed as a direct result of a declared major disaster and information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits.
Date: August 24, 2017
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iran Sanctions

Description: This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran and provides some examples, based on open sources, of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran.
Date: August 4, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Who Regulates Whom? An Overview of the U.S. Financial Regulatory Framework

Description: This report attempts to set out the basic frameworks and principles underlying U.S. financial regulation and to give some historical context for the development of that system. The first section briefly discusses the various modes of financial regulation and the next section identifies the major federal regulators and the types of institutions they supervise (see Table 1). It then provides a brief overview of each federal financial regulatory agency. Finally, the report discusses other entities… more
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues

Description: This report discusses military personnel issues considered during deliberations on H.R. 2810 and S. 1519 which were passed on July 14, 2017 as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. A brief synopsis of sections in each bill that pertain to selected personnel policies such as military end-strengths, pay and benefits, and other major policy issues are provided.
Date: August 22, 2017
Creator: Kamarck, Kristy N.; Kapp, Lawrence & Torreon, Barbara Salazar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States

Description: This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
Date: August 6, 2017
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, which is carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy, and gives Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers a capability for conducting BMD operations. Congress's decisions on the Aegis BMD program could significantly affect U.S. BMD capabilities and funding requirements, and the BMD-related industrial base.
Date: August 14, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response

Description: This report discusses the ongoing conflict in Syria and provides an overview of U.S. policy responses. The rise of the insurgent terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL/ISIS) and Russia's military intervention on behalf of the Syrian government have reshaped debates over U.S. policy toward the ongoing civil conflict in Syria, now in its fifth year.
Date: August 10, 2017
Creator: Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M. & Nikitin, Mary Beth D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States

Description: This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
Date: August 30, 2017
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Justice Department''s Role in Cyber Incident Response

Description: This report outlines the federal framework for cyber incident response, highlighting the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) role in this response. It also discusses challenges for federal law enforcement and potential policy issues for Congress.
Date: August 23, 2017
Creator: Finklea, Kristin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Russia: Background and U.S. Policy

Description: This report provides descriptions and background information on Russian government organization and power, the Russian military's role, and U.S. policy toward Russia. Specific topics covered include Russian governmental structures and background, Vladimir Putin's rise to power, human rights concerns, opposition groups, the economy of Russia and the impact of sanctions, the foreign relations of Russia with other countries in Europe, NATO, the EU, China, Syria, and the U.S., the Ukraine conflict … more
Date: August 21, 2017
Creator: Welt, Cory
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China-U.S. Trade Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S.-China commercial ties, identifies major issues of contention, describes the Trump Administration's trade policies toward China, and reviews possible outcomes.
Date: August 26, 2017
Creator: Morrison, Wayne M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Labor Day Speech Resources: Fact Sheet

Description: This report provides Members of Congress with resources for information and speech samples for use at Labor Day celebrations.
Date: August 23, 2017
Creator: Cervantes, Valerie S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses Afghanistan's historical governments and the activities of the U.S. and other countries during various phases of war against terrorist groups and current U.S. policies in regard to Afghanistan. Topics such as troop numbers, military and governmental strategies, Afghan Army training, developmental aid, the economy, and human rights issues are discussed.
Date: August 22, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth & Thomas, Clayton
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues

Description: This report discusses corporate inversions and mergers; these actions change the parent company to one based in another country with a low tax rate to avoid paying U.S. corporate taxes. It discusses past attempts and legislation outlawing varying forms of inversion, the most recent regulations issued by the Treasury Department to decrease inversions, and policy options that would remove the incentive for companies to invert.
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: Marples, Donald J. & Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

FEMA Disaster Housing: The Individuals and Households Program-Implementation and Potential Issues for Congress

Description: This report explains the traditional approach for temporary housing through the IHP program following a disaster, how it is implemented, and considers if the current policy choices are equitable for disaster victims. This report will review those expenditures and provide information on the relative costs, and applications of, several categories of assistance. As a part of this examination, the report looks at other forms of housing repair assistance such as the Small Business Administration (SB… more
Date: August 31, 2017
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: Fiscal Year 2018

Description: This report provides an overview and analysis of FY2018 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary focus of this report is on Congressional direction and funding provided to DHS through the appropriations process, though note is also made of funding made available to DHS outside this process (e.g., user fees and trust funds). It includes an Appendix with definitions of key budget terms used throughout the suite of Congressional Research Service reports on homeland… more
Date: August 22, 2017
Creator: Painter, William L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report presents background information and issues for Congress on the overarching U.S. foreign policy issue of the U.S. role in the world. Certain statements and actions from the Trump Administration have led to uncertainty about the Administration's intentions regarding the future U.S. role, and have intensified an ongoing debate among foreign policy specialists, strategists, policymakers, and the public about what that role should be. This report includes (particularly in its appendixes)… more
Date: August 17, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Moodie, Michael
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Navy's irregular warfare (IW) and counterterrorism (CT) operations. The Navy's IW and CT activities pose a number of potential oversight issues for Congress, including how much emphasis to place on IW and CT activities in future Navy budgets.
Date: August 14, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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