| FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues |
10-Nov-2009 |
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| Authors:
Lawrence Kapp; Don J Jansen; David F Burrelli; Charles A Henning; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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 | Military personnel issues typically generate significant interest from many Members of Congress and their staffs. Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the emerging operational role of the Reserve Components, further heighten interest in a wide range of military personnel policies and issues. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) selected a number of the military personnel issues considered in deliberations on the House-passed and Senate passed-versions of the National ... |
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| Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2010 |
22-Oct-2009 |
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| Authors:
Sargent; John F Jr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| President Obama has requested $147.620 billion for R&D in FY2010, a $555 million (0.4%) increase from the estimated FY2009 R&D funding level of $147.065 billion (not including FY2009 R&D funding provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111- 5). According to the Obama Administration, preliminary allocations of R&D funding provided under P.L. 111-5 brings total FY2009 R&D funding to $165.400 billion. Unless otherwise noted in this report, comparisons ... |
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| Long-Range Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe |
23-Sep-2009 |
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| Authors:
Carl Ek; Steven A Hildreth; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| In early 2007, after several years of internal discussions and consultations with Poland and the Czech Republic, the Bush Administration formally proposed deploying a ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) element in Europe of the larger Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) to defend against an Iranian missile threat. The system would have included 10 interceptors in Poland, a radar in the Czech Republic, and another radar deployed in a country closer to ... |
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| FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues |
27-Aug-2009 |
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| Authors:
Lawrence Kapp; Don J Jansen; David F Burrelli; Charles A Henning; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Military personnel issues typically generate significant interest from many Members of Congress and their staffs. Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the emerging operational role of the Reserve Components, further heighten interest in a wide range of military personnel policies and issues. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) selected a number of the military personnel issues considered in deliberations on the House-passed and Senate passed-versions of the National ... |
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| Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Issues for the 111th Congress |
12-Aug-2009 |
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| Authors:
Wendy R Ginsberg; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Enacted in 1966 after 11 years of investigation and legislative development in the House - and nearly 6 years of such consideration in the Senate - the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA; 5 U.S.C. - 552) replaced the public information section of the Administrative Procedure Act. FOIA was designed to enable any person to request, without explanation or justification, access to existing, identifiable, unpublished, executive branch agency records. The statute ... |
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| Air Force C-17 Aircraft Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress |
28-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Ronald O'Rourke; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Procurement of C-17 airlift aircraft began in FY1988, and a total of 213 have been procured through FY2009, including 8 that were procured in the recently enacted FY2009 supplemental appropriations act (H.R. 2346/P.L. 111-32 of June 24, 2009). The Administration's proposed FY2010 defense budget proposes to end C-17 procurement and does not request any funding for the procurement of additional C-17s. The Administration argues that enough C-17s have now been ... |
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| FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Policy Issues |
17-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Don J Jansen; Lawrence Kapp; David F Burrelli; Charles A Henning; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Military personnel issues typically generate significant interest from many Members of Congress and their staffs. Ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the emerging operational role of the Reserve Components, further heighten interest in a wide range of military personnel policies and issues. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) selected a number of the military personnel issues considered in deliberations on the House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization ... |
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| FY2009 Spring Supplemental Appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations |
15-Jul-2009 |
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| Authors:
Stephen Daggett; Curt Tarnoff; Rhoda Margesson; K A Kronstadt; Kennon H Nakamura; Susan B Epstein; Sarah A Lister; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| On June 11, 2009, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees announced a conference agreement on H.R. 2346, a bill providing supplemental appropriations for the remainder of FY2009. The House passed the conference report (226 to 202) on June 16; the Senate passed it (91 to 5) on June 18. President Obama signed it into law (P.L. 111-32) on June 24. On key issues, the agreement includes: $5 billion, as in ... |
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| Coast Guard. As Deepwater Systems Integrator, Coast Guard is Reassessing Costs and Capabilities but Lags in Applying its Disciplined Acquisition Approach |
Jul-2009 |
40 pages |
| Authors:
Greg Campbell; Michele Mackin; John P Hutton; Carolynn Cavanaugh; J K Keener; Angie Nichols-Friedman; Sylvia Schatz; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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 | The Deepwater Program-the largest acquisition program in the Coast Guard's history-began in the late 1990s as an effort to recapitalize the Coast Guard's operational fleet. The program now includes projects to build or modernize five classes each of ships and aircraft, and procurement of other capabilities such as improved command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) and unmanned aircraft. Recognizing that it did not have in place a ... |
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| Coast Guard Deepwater Acquisition Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress |
29-May-2009 |
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| Authors:
Ronald O'Rourke; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The term Deepwater refers to a collection of more than a dozen Coast Guard acquisition programs for replacing and modernizing the service?s aging fleet of deepwater-capable ships and aircraft. Until April 2007, the Coast Guard had pursued these programs as a single, integrated acquisition program that was known as the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program or Deepwater program for short. The now-separated Deepwater acquisition programs include plans for, among other ... |
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| Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2009 |
22-May-2009 |
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| Authors:
Sargent; John F Jr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| In February 2008, President Bush proposed total research and development (R&D) funding of $147.0 billion in his FY2009 budget request to Congress, a $3.9 billion (2.7%) increase over the estimated FY2008 level of $143.1 billion. President Bush's request included $29.3 billion for basic research, up $847 million (3.0%) from FY2008; $27.1 billion for applied research, down $1.0 billion (-3.6%); $84.0 billion for development, up 1.6 billion (1.9%); and $6.5 billion ... |
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| State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2009 Appropriations |
03-Apr-2009 |
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| Authors:
Kennon H Nakamura; Susan B Epstein; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The annual State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in general. Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs has been steadily rising since FY2002, and amounts approved for FY2004 in regular and supplemental bills reached an unprecedented level compared with the previous 40 years, largely due to ... |
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| The National Security Council: An Organizational Assessment |
31-Mar-2009 |
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| Authors:
Best; Richard A Jr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The National Security Council (NSC) was established by statute in 1947 to create an interdepartmental body to advise the President with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to the national security so as to enable the military services and the other departments and agencies of the Government to cooperate more effectively in matters involving the national security. Currently, statutory members of the Council are the ... |
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| Federal Information Security and Data Breach Notification Laws |
29-Jan-2009 |
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| Authors:
Gina Stevens; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The following report describes information security and data breach notification requirements included in the Privacy Act, the Federal Information Security Management Act, Office of Management and Budget Guidance, the Veterans Affairs Information Security Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Also included in this report is a brief summary of the Payment Card Industry Data ... |
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| Earmark Reform Within the 110th Congress: Policy, Transparency and Effectiveness |
Dec-2008 |
153 pages |
| Authors:
Arleigh B Lacefield; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
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| Earmark spending has come under attack by and scrutiny of government watchdog groups, the media and some fiscal conservatives in Congress because of the political corruption that has centered around its use, the increase in the amount of new earmarks being requested and funded, and because of the waste thought to be associated with earmarked spending. As a result, Congress has considered a series of earmark reforms, focused primarily on ... |
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| Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations |
03-Nov-2008 |
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| Authors:
Stephen Daggett; Amy Belasco; Pat Towell; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The President's FY2009 federal budget request, released February 4, 2008, included $611.1 billion in new budget authority for national defense. This total included $515.4 billion in discretionary new budget authority for the base budget of the Department of Defense (DOD) i.e., activities not associated with combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The budget included an additional $2.9 billion in mandatory spending for the DOD base budget and $22.8 billion for ... |
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| The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Congressional Issues |
28-Oct-2008 |
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| Authors:
Luisa Blanchfield; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women calls for Parties to eliminate discrimination against women in all areas of life, including healthcare, education, employment, domestic relations, law, commercial transactions, and political participation. As of February 15, 2008, the Convention was ratified or acceded to by 185 countries. President Jimmy Carter submitted the Convention to the Senate in 1980. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held ... |
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| Opportunities to Enhance U.S. Democracy-Building Strategy for Iraq |
22-Oct-2008 |
32 pages |
| Authors:
Mike Kennedy; David R Warren; Ziad Buhaissi; OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ARLINGTON VA SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
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| Since 2004, the Department of State (DoS) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have obligated more than $1.9 billion for democracy-building programs in Iraq. Public Law 110-28 requires the Secretary of State to provide the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations a comprehensive, long-term strategy, with goals and expected results, for strengthening and advancing democracy in Iraq. 1 In July 2007, the DoS and USAID issued an overall strategy ... |
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| The America COMPETES Act and the FY2009 Budget |
17-Oct-2008 |
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| Authors:
Deborah D Stine; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) responds to concerns that the United States may not be able to compete economically with other nations in the future due to insufficient investment today in science and engineering research and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. A similar concern led President Bush to announce the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) in January 2006. FY2008 appropriations met neither the Administration's ACI target nor ... |
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| Haiti: Legislative Responses to the Food Crisis and Related Development Challenges |
02-Oct-2008 |
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| Authors:
Clare R Seelke; J F Hornbeck; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Haiti faces several interrelated challenges, the most immediate being a lingering food crisis that in April 2008 led to deadly protests and the ouster of Haiti's prime minister. Haiti also suffers from a legacy of poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment that is compounding security problems for its new and fragile democracy. On May 23, 2008, the Bush Administration announced that it would send an additional $25 million in emergency food aid ... |
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| Generalized System of Preferences: Background and Renewal Debate |
25-Sep-2008 |
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| Authors:
Vivian C Jones; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) provides duty-free tariff treatment to certain products imported from designated developing countries. The United States, the European Union, and other developed countries implemented such programs in the 1970s in order to promote economic growth in developing countries by stimulating their exports. The U.S. program (as established by Title V of the Trade Act of 1974) was extended until December 31, 2008, in section 8002 ... |
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| Proposals for a New Foreign Service Compensation System in the 110th Congress |
24-Sep-2008 |
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| Authors:
Kennon H Nakamura; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Proponents of revisions in the Foreign Service compensation system point out that as increasing numbers of Foreign Service personnel are going to posts of increased hardship and danger, Foreign Service personnel serving abroad receive 20.89% less than their colleagues who are posted in Washington, D.C. due to the loss of locality pay when serving abroad. These proponents of revision maintain that this difference negatively impacts morale and assignment considerations, and ... |
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| DOD Financial Management: Improvements Are Needed in Antideficiency Act Controls and Investigations |
01-Sep-2008 |
45 pages |
| Authors:
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| Senate Report No. 110-77 directed GAO to review the Department of Defense's (DOD) procedures for Antideficiency Act (ADA) violations. GAO focused on whether (1) existing DOD funds control systems, processes, and internal controls provide reasonable assurance that ADA violations will be prevented or detected and whether key funds control personnel are trained; (2) investigations of ADA violations are processed in accordance with applicable DOD regulations; and (3) DOD tracks and ... |
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| Defense Infrastructure: Opportunity to Improve the Timeliness of Future Overseas Planning Reports and Factors Affecting the Master Planning Effort for the Military Buildup on Guam |
01-Sep-2008 |
47 pages |
| Authors:
Mark Little; Nelsie Alcoser; Kate Lenane; Julia Matta; Brian J Lepore; Mae Jones; Jamilah Moon; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
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| While the fiscal year 2009 overseas master plans generally reflect recent changes in U.S. basing strategies and the challenges DOD faces in their implementation, as well as address most of our prior recommendations, DOD provided the plans to Congress in May 2008, 3 months after the February 2008 budget submission, even though both the Senate and conference reports accompanying the fiscal year 2004 military construction bill require DOD to issue ... |
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| Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Amendments: 110th Congress |
21-Jul-2008 |
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| Authors:
Harold C Relyea; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Enacted in 1966 after 11 years of investigation, legislative development, and deliberation in the House and half as many years of such consideration in the Senate, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) displaced the ineffective public information section of the Administrative Procedure Act. The FOIA was designed to enable any person - individual or corporate, regardless of citizenship - to request, without explanation or justification, presumptive access to existing, identifiable, ... |
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| Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations |
17-Jul-2008 |
|
| Authors:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The President's FY2009 federal budget request, released February 4, 2008, included $611.1 billion in new budget authority for national defense. This total included $515.4 billion in discretionary new budget authority for the base budget of the Department of Defense (DOD) i.e., activities not associated with combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The budget included an additional $2.9 billion in mandatory spending for the DOD base budget and $22.8 billion for ... |
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| Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2009 Appropriations |
07-Jul-2008 |
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| Authors:
Christine Scott; Daniel H Else; Sidath V Panangala; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The annual consideration of appropriations bills (regular, continuing, and supplemental) by Congress is part of a complex set of budget processes that also encompasses the consideration of budget resolutions, revenue and debt-limit legislation, other spending measures, and reconciliation bills. In addition, the operation of programs and the spending of appropriated funds are subject to constraints established in authorizing statutes. Congressional action on the budget for a fiscal year usually begins ... |
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| Coast Guard Deepwater Acquisition Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress |
05-Jun-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Ronald O'Rourke; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The term Deepwater refers to a collection of more than a dozen Coast Guard acquisition programs for replacing and modernizing the service's aging fleet of deepwater-capable ships and aircraft. Until April 2007, the Coast Guard had pursued these programs as a single, integrated acquisition program that was known as the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program or the Deepwater program for short. The now-separated Deepwater acquisition programs include plans for, among ... |
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| Second FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes |
30 MAY 2008 |
|
| Authors:
Stephen Daggett; Susan B. Epstein; Rhoda Margesson; Curt Tarnoff; Pat Towell; Catherine Dale; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On Thursday, May 22, 2008, the Senate approved an amended version of H.R. 2642, a bill providing $212.2 billion in supplemental appropriations for FY2008 and FY2009. The measure includes $169.1 billion for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, $9.9 billion for international affairs programs, and $33.1 billion for domestic programs, of which $15.6 billion is for extended unemployment compensation. The bill also expands veterans' educational benefits at an estimated ... |
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| National Security Personnel System (NSPS): A History of Creation and Enactment of the Legislation Authorizing Its Establishment |
01-Mar-2008 |
133 pages |
| Authors:
Shane T Prater; Eric W Timmerman; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| The Department of Defense's (DoD's) National Security Personnel System (NSPS) was enacted through the FY 2004 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and signed into public law by President George W. Bush on November 24, 2003. The NSPS's enactment serves as a key pillar of DoD's ongoing transformation effort and is an historically significant example of modern U.S. Civil Service reform. It also serves as a valuable case study for other ... |
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| P.L. 110-173: Provisions in the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 |
07 FEB 2008 |
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| Authors:
Hinda Chaikind; Jim Hahn; Jean Hearne; Elicia J. Herz; Gretchen A. Jacobson; Paulette C. Morgan; Chris L. Peterson; Holly Stockdale; Jennifer O'Sullivan; Julie Stone; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On December 29, 2007, the President signed 5. 2499, the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-173). This Act was passed by the House on December 19, 2007, and by a voice vote in the Senate on December 18, 2007. The Act makes changes to the nation's three major health programs, Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), as well as other federally funded ... |
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| Threat Assessment of the Director of National Intelligence for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |
05 FEB 2008 |
48 pages |
| Authors:
J. M. McConnell; OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WASHINGTON DC
|
| Chairman Rockefeller, Vice-Chairman Bond, Members of the Committee, thank you for the invitation to offer my assessment of threats to US national security. ... In addition to this unclassified Statement for the Record, I will submit a classified Statement and make an oral presentation to the Committee. Before I talk about specific threats, I want to raise an issue of immediate importance for the functioning of the Intelligence Community and ... |
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| The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Congressional Issues |
04-Jan-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Luisa Blanchfield; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women calls for Parties to eliminate discrimination against women in all areas of life, including healthcare, education, employment, domestic relations, law, commercial transactions, and political participation. As of December 2007, the Convention was ratified or acceded to by 185 countries. President Jimmy Carter submitted the Convention to the Senate in 1980. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings ... |
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| Intelligence Issues for Congress |
18 DEC 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Richard A. Best Jr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| To address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. In December 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (P.L. 108- 458) was signed, providing for a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with substantial authorities to manage the national intelligence effort. The legislation also established a separate ... |
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| The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: Comparison of House-Passed H.R. 3773, S. 2248 as Reported by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and S. 2248 as Reported Out of the Senate Judiciary Committee |
14 DEC 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Elizabeth B. Bazan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On November 15, 2007, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3773, the RESTORE Act of 2007. On October 26, 2007, Senator Rockefeller reported S. 2248, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2007 or the FISA Amendment Act of 2007, an original bill, from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. S. 2248 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 1, 2007. On November 16, 2007, ... |
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| Applying New Institutionalism to the National Guard Empowerment Act |
DEC 2007 |
79 pages |
| Authors:
Suzanne M. Kim; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| This thesis examines the actors and their interests behind the "National Guard Empowerment Act," introduced by Congress in 2006 to enhance Guard influence in Department of Defense (DoD) budget and strategy decisions concerning homeland defense and civil support. Despite the Guard s primary role as the military s first responder to domestic terrorist events and natural disasters, as a component of the Air Force and Army it has typically been ... |
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| Iraq: Reconstruction Assistance |
15 NOV 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Curt Tarnoff; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| A large-scale assistance program has been undertaken by the United States in Iraq since mid-2003. To date, nearly $43 billion has been appropriated for Iraq reconstruction. On February 5, 2007, the Administration presented a regular FY2008 State/Foreign Operations appropriations request providing $391.8 million for Iraq reconstruction. On June 21, 2007, the House approved H.R. 2764, the FY2008 State/Foreign Operations regular appropriations bill, rejecting requested regular FY2008 funding for Iraq. Pending ... |
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| U.S. Armed Forces Abroad: Selected Congressional Votes Since 1982 |
07 SEP 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Lisa Mages; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| This report summarizes selected congressional votes related to instances in which U.S. Armed Forces have been sent abroad in potentially hostile situations. These votes reflect the type of congressional actions that observers maintain bear directly on issues affecting policy and the funding of troops abroad, often in the context of the War Powers Resolution, continued presence or withdrawal of troops, and the "use of force." The cases of Lebanon (1982-1983), ... |
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| P.L. 110-55, the Protect America Act of 2007: Modifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act |
23 AUG 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Elizabeth B. Bazan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On August 5, 2007, P.L. 110-55, the Protect America Act of 2007, was signed into law by President Bush, after having been passed by the Senate on August 3 and the House of Representatives on August 4. The measure, introduced by Senator McConnell as S. 1927 on August 1, makes a number of additions and modifications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), as amended, 50 U.S.C. 1801 ... |
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| Immigration Reform: Brief Synthesis of Issue |
23 AUG 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Ruth E. Wasem; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| U.S. immigration policy is a highly contentious issue in the 110th Congress. The number of foreign-born people residing in the United States is at the highest level in U.S. history and has reached a proportion ofthe U.S. population not seen since the early 2Oth century. There is a broad-based consensus that the U.S. immigration system is broken. This consensus erodes, however, as soon as the options to reform the U.S. ... |
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| Fact Sheet on Sources and Uses of U.S. Funding Provided in Fiscal Year 2006 for Iraq Relief and Reconstruction |
27 JUL 2007 |
53 pages |
| Authors:
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL ARLINGTON VA SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
|
| We are providing this fact sheet for your information and use. In November 2003 the Congress appropriated $ 18.439 billion for the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF). The Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Administrator, was required to submit reports quarterly to the Congress on the proposed uses of IRRF funds on a project-by-project basis. This reporting requirement is currently the responsibility ... |
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| State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations |
13 JUN 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Connie Veillette; Susan B. Epstein; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The annual State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in general. Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs has been steadily rising since FY2002, and amounts approved for FY2004 in regular and supplemental bills reached an unprecedented level compared with the past 40 years. Emergency supplementals enacted ... |
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| Budget Scoring of Alternative Financing Methods for Defense Requirements |
JUN 2007 |
55 pages |
| Authors:
Leonard Leos; Paul Rouleau; Mark Wadsworth; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| This research investigates procurement scoring and the Department of Defense s (DoD) use of alternative financing methods, such as leases and public-private ventures. One of the major impediments to using alternative forms of procurement financing for acquiring defense capabilities is in the budgetary treatment, or scoring, of these initiatives by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the congressional Budget Committees. The current scoring ... |
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| State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations |
30 MAY 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Connie Veillette; Susan B. Epstein; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The annual State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. international affairs budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making in general. Funding for Foreign Operations and State Department/Broadcasting programs has been steadily rising since FY2002, and amounts approved for FY2004 in regular and supplemental bills reached an unprecedented level compared with the past 40 years. Emergency supplementals enacted ... |
|
| Secret Sessions of Congress: A Brief Historical Overview |
30 MAY 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Mildred Amer; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| "Secret," or "closed," sessions of the House and Senate exclude the press and the public. These sessions are used for Senate deliberations during impeachment trials, as well as to discuss issues of national security, confidential information, and sensitive communications received from the President. During a secret session, the doors of the chamber are closed, and the chamber and its galleries are cleared of all individuals except Members and those officers ... |
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| Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Request for Appropriations |
17 MAY 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Jennifer E. Lake; Blas Nunez-Neto; Sarah A. Lister; Todd Masse; Alison Siskin; Chad C. Haddal; Keith Bea; Francis X. McCarthy; Harold C. Relyea; Shawn Reese; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The annual consideration of appropriations bills (regular, continuing, and supplemental) by Congress is part of a complex set of budget processes that also encompasses the consideration of budget resolutions, revenue and debt-limit legislation, other spending measures, and reconciliation bills. In addition, the operation of programs and the spending of appropriated funds are subject to constraints established in authorizing statutes. Congressional action on the budget for a fiscal year usually begins ... |
|
| Commission on the National Guard and Reserves: Strengthening America's Defenses in the New Security Environment |
01 MAR 2007 |
178 pages |
| Authors:
COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES ARLINGTON VA
|
| The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves was established by the Ronald Reagan National Defense Authorization Act of 2005. Congress chartered the 13-member body to conduct a comprehensive, independent assessment of the reserve components of the United States. The purpose of the assessment is expressed in the following mission To identify and recommend changes in policy, law, regulation, and practice to ensure that the National Guard and Reserves are ... |
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| Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives |
15 FEB 2007 |
|
| Authors:
Frederick M. Kaiser; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| Interest in congressional oversight of intelligence has risen again in 2007, in part because of the House Democratic majority's pledge to enact the remaining recommendations from the U.S. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. Its conclusions in 2004 set the stage for reconsideration of the problems affecting Congress's structure in this area. The commission's unanimous report, covering a wide range of ... |
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| The Department of Homeland Security's Risk Assessment Methodology: Evolution, Issues, and Options for Congress |
02 FEB 2007 |
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| Authors:
Todd Masse; Siobhan O'Neil; John Rollins; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
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| As early as his Senate confirmation hearing, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff advocated a risk-based approach to homeland security. Secretary Chertoff has stated "DHS must base its work on priorities driven by risk" and, increasingly, risk assessment and subsequent risk mitigation have influenced all of the department's efforts intended to enhance our nation's ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from future terrorist attacks and natural disasters. ... |
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| The State of Homeland Security 2007 |
2007 |
79 pages |
| Authors:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAJORITY STAFF OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
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| On March 1, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security celebrated its fourth anniversary. More than 170,000 employees from twenty-two agencies were brought together to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the Nation. On February 12, 2007, the House of Representatives, and later the Senate, passed resolutions recognizing and honoring the employees of the Department for their efforts and contributions to protect ... |
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