| Number | Title | Author | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90-192 (PDF, TXT) | Fish and Wildlife Service: Compensation to Local Governments | M. Lynne Corn, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated March 6, 1990 |
| The Refuge Revenue Sharing Fund (RRSF) was enacted in response to the concern of local governments regarding losses to their tax base due to the presence of federally owned land under the jurisdiction of the Fish and Wildlife Service. This report outlines recent history of RRSF payment levels. It examines the RRSF and describes how the fund differs in its treatment of reserved and acquired lands under the jurisdiction of FWS. The report also examines the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program in detail. | |||
| 90-513 (PDF, TXT) | Iraq-Kuwait: U.N. Security Council Resolutions--Texts and Votes | Majorie Anne Browne Specialist in International Relations, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated December 4, 1990 |
| The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 1-2, 1990, set into motion a series of actions by the United Nations Security Concil. Between August 2 and December 4, 1990, the Council adopted 12 resolutions. The numbers and votes of those resolutions are listed and the full text of each resolution is included in the this report. | |||
| 91-395 (PDF, TXT) | Iraq-Kuwait: United Nations Security Council Resolutions Tests and Votes -- 1991 | Marjorie Ann Browne, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 25, 1991 |
| This report lists the 12 adopted United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to the Iraq-Kuwait situation through October 1991. The texts of these resolutions, along with the votes by members of the Council, are included in this report. | |||
| 92-50 (PDF, TXT) | The Fair Labor Standards Act: Changes Made by the 101st Congress and Their Implications | William G. Whittaker, Economics Division | Updated January 1, 1992 |
| Initially, in the 101st Congress, a measure to increase federal minimum wage (and to make numerous other changes in the FLSA) was passed by both the House and the Senate but, in June 1989, it was vetoed by President Bush. An effort by the House to override the President's veto was unsuccessful. Later, new legislation was introduced and approved both by the House and the Senate. On November 17, 1989, President Bush signed the bill (P.L. 101-107). | |||
| 92-246 (PDF, TXT) | Basic Questions on U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | Updated March 3, 1992 |
| U.S. citizenship is conferred at birth under the principle of jus soli (nationality of place of birth) and the principle of jus sanguinis (nationality of parents). The U.S. Constitution states as a fundamental rule of jus soli citizenship that "[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The exceptions to universal citizenship comprehended by the requirement that a person be born "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" include: (1) children born to a foreign sovereign or accredited diplomatic official; (2) children born on a foreign public vessel, such as a warship; (3) children born to an alien enemy in hostile occupation; and (4) native Indians. | |||
| 93-346 (PDF, TXT) | The Endangered Species Act and Private Property: A Legal Primer | Robert Meltz, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division | March 7, 1993 |
| If the 103rd Congress embarks upon an effort to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act (ESA), it will run into an old acquaintance: the property rights issue. As now written, the ESA has at least the potential to curtail property rights (whatever its actual impact as implemented may be). This report explores the legal repercussions of those impacts, especially whether they constitute takings of property under the fifth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. | |||
| 93-395 (PDF, TXT) | President Bush's Judicial Nominations During the 101st and 102nd Congresses | Denis Steven Rutkus, Specialist in American National Government, Government Division | Updated March 29, 1993 |
| There are ten categories of courts (including the local courts of the District of Columbia) to which the President nominates judges. The report provides background and statistics concerning President Bush's judicial nominations in each court category as well as actions taken on those nominations by the United States Senate. Each of the report's ten sections discusses the composition and jurisdiction of the court in question and notes the committee to which nominations to this court were referred when received by the Senate. Also, statistics on judicial nominations received by the Senate during the four years of the Bush Presidency are presented. | |||
| 93-355 (PDF, TXT) | Plant Closings, Mass Layoffs, and Worker Dislocations: Data Issues | Mary Jane Bolle, Specialist in Labor Economics Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | March 29, 1993 |
| For at least 15 years Members of Congress have continued to ask: How many U.S. manufacturing plants have closed? For at least 15 years they have continued to ask: How many U.S. manufacturing plants have relocated abroad, and where have they gone? For at least 15 years the answer has been: For the most part, those questions can't be answered, based on Government data. How many plants are moving to Mexico? What industries and what States are the plants from? How many U.S. workers are losing their jobs as a result? It appears that still, after two legislative attempts to mandate collection of these data, the Government publishes no counts of U.S. plant closings, and almost no information on plant relocations. Options for strengthening the data systems include addressing three main weaknesses: inadequate data program design, a plant closing definition that misses its mark, and publication of partial instead of complete survey results. | |||
| 93-797 (PDF, TXT) | Israeli-Palestinian Agreement | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 17, 1993 |
| On August 27, 1993, Israel and the Palestinians announced that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) had initialed a landmark agreement on August 19 in Oslo, Norway on a Declaration of Principles on interim self-government for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On September 9, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin exchanged letters unprecedented mutual recognition. On September 10, President Clinton welcomed the agreement, thanked Congress for its support, and announced that the United States would resume its dialog with the PLO. The Declaration was signed at the White House on September 13. This report provides summaries of the Declaration and the letters. | |||
| 93-931 (PDF, TXT) | Haiti: Background to the Overthrow of President Aristide | Maureen Taft-Morales, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 22, 1993 |
| This report provides background information on the violent and authoritarian traditions that have characterized Haiti's political dynamics since Haiti attained independence in 1804. It examines Haiti's difficult path toward democracy after the fall of the Duvalier regime, from numerous short-lived governments until the election of Aristide. Finally, the report also surveys Aristide's rule and his subsequent overthrow by the Haitian military. | |||
| 94-165 (PDF, TXT) | Trade and Environment: Treatment in Recent Agreements--GATT and NAFTA | Susan R. Fletcher and Mary Tiemann, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | February 24, 1994 |
| This report reviews some of the concerns surrounding the environment work program and other environmental issues. It briefly describes work underway in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and current thinking underlying development of U.S. positions on trade and the environment in the GATT. | |||
| 94-213 (PDF, TXT) | Market-Based Environmental Management: Issues in Implementation | Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | March 7, 1994 |
| Increasingly, efforts to protect integral features of the natural environment that are essential to human well being face a double challenge. First, the magnitude of some conventional and emerging threats to environmental quality is growing, despite solid progress in controlling some causes. This is particularly the concern on a global scale in terms of atmospheric changes and loss of biological diversity. Second, easily-implemented uniform control methods using feasible technologies or other direct regulatory approaches are already in place for many pollution and resource management problems in the United States. Additional progress with so-called command and control policies can be expensive and disruptive, and thus counter productive to overall economic well being. This type of dilemma is common where environmental deterioration results from diffuse and complex causes inherent in technically-advanced high-consumption industrial societies such as the U.S. Solutions to these types of environmental problems are complicated by the diffuse benefits which obscures the net gains of additional controls that have concentrated and highly visible costs. Given this double bind, many policy analysts and academics have for years advocated more cost-effective and flexible approaches relying on market forces to further some environmental management objectives. Although market-based theory and practical environmental policy are still far apart, the incremental approach to environmental policymaking since the late seventies has resulted in some market-type innovations within traditional regulatory frameworks at all levels of government. The most prominent examples are the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) air emissions trading program and the recently enacted sulfur dioxide allowance trading program under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. | |||
| 94-214 (PDF, TXT) | Cigarette Taxes to Fund Health Care Reform: An Economic Analysis | Jane G. Gravelle and Dennis Zimmerman, Economics Division | Updated March 8, 1994 |
| A cigarette excise tax increase of 75 cents per pack has been proposed to finance part of the President's universal health care program. The tax enjoys considerable public support, would raise about $11 billion per year, and would be relatively simple to administer because it would increase an existing manufacturer's excise tax. This report discusses these rationales, as well as other effects of and concerns about the tax, organized into topics of market failure as a justification for the tax (i.e., economic efficiency); potential for revenue; equity; and the job loss the tax might cause in tobacco growing regions. | |||
| 94-459 (PDF, TXT) | The U.S. Occupation of Haiti, 1915-1934 | Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | May 26, 1994 |
| In 1915, the United States undertook a military occupation of Haiti to preempt any European intervention, to establish order out of civil strife, and to stabilize Haitian finances. During the nineteen-year occupation, U.S. military and civilian officials, numbering less than 2500 for the most part, supervised the collection of taxes and the disbursement of revenues, maintained public order, and initiated a program of public works. The Haitian government remained in place, but was subject to U.S. guidance. The Haitian people benefitted from the end of endemic political violence and from the construction of roads, bridges, and ports as well as from improved access to health care. The U.S. occupation was, nonetheless, deeply resented throughout Haitian society, and many of its accomplishments did not long endure its termination in 1934. | |||
| 94-515 (PDF, TXT) | Defense Burdensharing: Is Japans Host Nation Support a Model for Other Allies? | Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 20, 1994 |
| This report reviews data that the Administration has provided to Congress on the costs of U.S. forces based abroad and on the value of host nation support contributions. It analyzes the data in order to assess potential defense budget savings from measures now under congressional consideration. The report concludes that, because of shortcomings in the data, estimates of savings in the U.S. defense budget from increased host nation contributions are often overstated. Some commonly accepted assertions frequently cited in the congressional burdensharing debate, therefore, are of doubtful validity. | |||
| 94-636 (PDF, TXT) | Radio and Television Broadcasting to Cuba: Background and Current Issues | Susan B. Epstein and Mark P. Sullivan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | August 5, 1994 |
| This report provides a legislative history and funding levels for Cuba Broadcasting. It discusses specific concerns some lawmakers have had with Radio and TV Marti over the years, and presents the Panel's recommendations and the USIA Director's response and determinations, as required by the FYI994 appropriations act. | |||
| 94-351 (PDF, TXT) | Partnership for Peace | Paul E. Gallis, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 9, 1994 |
| NATO's Partnership for Peace program seeks to encourage eligible states, above all the states of the former Warsaw Pact and the former Soviet Union, to build democracy and undertake greater responsibilities in international security. The program could open the door to, but does not promise, NATO membership. U.S. and NATO relations with Russia are likely to be the determining factor in deciding whether states move from Partnership to NATO membership. | |||
| 94-674 (PDF, TXT) | The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments Act of 1994, S. 2230 )103rd Cong., 2nd Sess.): A Brief Analysis | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated August 25, 1994 |
| This report provides an analysis of S. 2230, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Amendments of 1994 introduced June 23, 1994, to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It includes sections on stated purposes, enhanced powers of the National Indian Gaming Commission, proposed tribal-state compacting process, modifications of current law with respect to class II gaming, modification of current law with respect to class III gaming, and miscellaneous amendments. | |||
| 94-759 (PDF, TXT) | Cuba-U.S. Relations: Should the United States Reexamine Its Policy? | Mark P. Sullivan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 29, 1994 |
| This report first outlines the current U.S. policy approach toward Cuba and then discusses the option of moderating policy and what this strategy might entail. It then examines the arguments in favor of such a policy approach and the arguments opposed to changing U.S. Policy. | |||
| 94-821 (PDF, TXT) | Legislative Prayer and School Prayer: The Constitutional Difference | David A. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated October 26, 1994 |
| The Supreme Court's decisions holding government-sponsored prayer in the public schools to violate the First Amendment's establishment clause but prayer in legislative assemblies to be constitutional are sometimes lifted up as contradictory. This report summarizes the relevant decisions and identifies the distinctions the Court has drawn between the two situations. | |||
| 94-879 (PDF, TXT) | NATO: Enlargement in Central Europe | Paul E. Gallis, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 10, 1994 |
| In December 1994 NATO members will begin the process of debating possible criteria for new members from Central Europe. Alliance relations with Russia will be a central factor determining the outcome of the debate. | |||
| 95-52 (PDF, TXT) | Post Employment, "Revolving Door," Restrictions for Legislative Branch Members and Employees | Jack A. Maskell, American Law Division | Updated December 29, 1994 |
| This report provides a brief discussion of the post-employment restrictions, often called "revolving door" laws, that are applicable to members, officers, and employees of Congress after they leave congressional service or employment. | |||
| 95-170 (PDF, TXT) | The Former Soviet Union and U.S. Foreign Aid: Implementing the Assistance Program, 1992-1994 | Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated January 18, 1995 |
| In fiscal year 1994, the new states of the former Soviet Union became collectively the second largest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance made available from all sources. Whether and how the assistance program is helping to bring about democratic systems and free market economies is increasingly a question of interest to Congress and the public at large. | |||
| 95-187 (PDF, TXT) | Committee System: Rules Changes in the House, 104th Congress | Judy Schneider, Government Division | Updated January 24, 1995 |
| This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contained in H. Res. 6, Rules of the House for the 104th Congress. | |||
| 95-220 (PDF, TXT) | Fedeeral Gun Control Laws: The Second Amendment and Other Constitutional Issues | Dorothy Schrader, Office of Senior Specialists | Updated February 1, 1995 |
| This report examines the historical, legal, and constitutional arguments for and against an individual right to bear firearms under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Those who favor federal gun control laws tend to assert that the Second Amendment has been correctly interpreted by the courts to confer only a collective right, which may be exercised through state militias. Those who oppose gun control laws tend to assert that the Second Amendment should be interpreted to grant an individual right to bear arms for lawful purposes, subject to appropriately minimal restrictions. | |||
| 95-424 (PDF, TXT) | The GATT and the WTO: An Overview | Arlene Wilson, Economics Division | Updated March 27, 1995 |
| The Uruguay Round Agreement reduced tariffs, brought services, intellectual property, and agriculture under the discipline of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and established the World Trade Organization. Multilateral trade issues for the future include continuing services negotiations, the relationship of the environment and labor standards to trade, and investment and competition policy. | |||
| 95-464 (PDF, TXT) | Investigative Oversight: An Introduction to the Law, Practice and Procedure of Congressional Inquiry | Morton Rosenberg, American Law Division | Updated April 7, 1995 |
| This report provides an overview of some of the more common legal, procedural, and practical issues, questions and problems that committees have faced in the courts of an oversight investigation. | |||
| 95-469 (PDF, TXT) | Military Retirement and Veterans' Compensation: Concurrent Receipt Issues | Robert L. Goldich, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated April 7, 1995 |
| This report describes the history and background of the offset and the legislative history of recent attempts to eliminate or reduce the offset. It delineates and analyzes the arguments for and against eliminating or reducing the offset and allowing concurrent receipt, and addresses the issues of costs, precedents in other Federal programs, purposes of the two programs, and equity issues. Finally, options other than full concurrent receipt are mentioned. | |||
| 95-560 (PDF, TXT) | Intelligence Implications of the Military Technical Revolution | Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 1, 1995 |
| The availability of precise, real-time intelligence has been an integral part of a military technical revolution being implemented by the Department of Defense for post-Cold War conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Providing this intelligence requires new types of equipment, analysis and organizational relationships within the U.S. intelligence community. | |||
| 95-574 (PDF, TXT) | The National Guard, State Defense Forces, and the Militias: Official and Unofficial Status | Robert L. Goldich, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 9, 1995 |
| Speculation about ties between suspects in the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing and "state militias" have raised concern over what these militias are and from where they derive their authority, if any. | |||
| 95-578 (PDF, TXT) | U.N. Development Program: A Fact Sheet | Lois McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 10, 1995 |
| The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) coordinates and provides funding for most U.N. development assistance programs. In FY1994, the U.S. contribution of $116 million made the United States the largest donor, comprising about 12 percent of the agency's budget. | |||
| 95-602 (PDF, TXT) | Haiti: Efforts to Restore President Aristide, 1991-1994 | Maureen Taft-Morales, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 11, 1995 |
| This report tracks the efforts to restore to office President Aristide of Haiti between the years 1991-1994. During this period, the main U.S. foreign policy concern was the restoration of the democratic process to Haiti. Closely related to this was the issue of Haitians attempting to flee to the United States by boat. Congressional concerns focused on human rights, Haitian migration, socioeconomic conditions, and drug trafficking. | |||
| 95-596 (PDF, TXT) | Biological Diversity Treaty: Fact Sheet | Susan R. Fletcher, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 16, 1995 |
| As human activity continues to change and modify natural areas, widespread extinctions of plants, animals, and other types of species result. In 1992, negotiations conducted under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were completed on a comprehensive global treaty to protect biological diversity (biodiversity). In June 1993, President Clinton signed the treaty and sent it to the Senate for advice and consent. It is not pending in the Senate. The treaty entered into force on December 29, 1993. As of May 15, 1995, 118 nations had ratified the treaty. | |||
| 95-639 (PDF, TXT) | Conventional Arms Transfers: President Clintons Policy Directive | Richard F. Grimmett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 17, 1995 |
| President Clinton released details of his Conventional Arms Transfer Policy on February 17, 1995, which are embodied in Presidential Decision Directive 34 (PDD-34). The President's action followed several months of internal debate and discussion by the Clinton Administration, the first detailed examination of conventional arms transfer policy since the Cold War's end. | |||
| 95-646 (PDF, TXT) | The Unconstitutionality of State Congressional Term Limits: An Overview of U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton (Sup. Ct. Doc. No. 93-1456) | Thomas M. Durbin, American Law Division | Updated May 31, 1995 |
| On May 22, 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton (Sup. Ct. Doc. No. 93-1456) in a 5-4 decision held that Arkansas' constitutional amendment, Section 3 of Amendment 73, providing for limitations on congressional terms of office was unconstitutional in that it established an additional qualification for congressional office in violation of Article I, Sections 2 and 3 setting forth the three basic qualifications of age, citizenship and inhabitancy for Members of Congress. | |||
| 95-726 (PDF, TXT) | Defense Budget: Alternative Measures of Costs of Military Commitments Abroad | Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 16, 1995 |
| Widely divergent estimates of the costs of U.S. military commitments abroad are frequently cited in congressional debates over defense burdensharing. One source of such divergence is the very different definitions of overseas costs being used. Commonly cited measures of overseas costs include (1) incremental costs of deploying forces abroad rather than in the continental United States; (2) direct pay and operating costs of U.S. forces deployed overseas; (3) total costs, including shares of indirect support, overhead, and weapons acquisition, of forces deployed abroad; and (4) total costs of U.S. forces assigned to fulfill regional commitments. | |||
| 95-669 (PDF, TXT) | The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Congressional Intent | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | June 18, 1995 |
| The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA), 20 U.S.C. Sections 1400 et seq., mandates the provision of a free appropriate public education for children with disabilities and provides for Federal funding to assist States and localities in meeting this goal. IDEA is currently up for reauthorization although it may be subject to a one year extension. When IDEA is reauthorized, Congress may consider amendments to the act. In light of the reauthorization issues, questions have arisen concerning the original intent of Congress in enacting the legislation. This report will examine the legislative history of P.L. 94-142 to determine the rationale for its enactment. | |||
| 95-787 (PDF, TXT) | A U.N. Rapid Reaction Force? Considerations for U.S. Policymakers | Nina M. Serafino, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 29, 1995 |
| U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's recent call for U.N. Member States to consider the creation of a special force to perform U.N. peacekeeping operations has provoked renewed scrutiny of U.N. capabilities to promote global peace and security. This report provides background on the proposal and clarifies some points that U.S. policymakers would need to consider in judging its possible merits. | |||
| 95-778 (PDF, TXT) | Habitat Modification and the Endangered Species Act: The Sweet Home Decision | Pamela Baldwin, American Law Division | Updated July 6, 1995 |
| On June 29, 1995, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision in Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon upheld the regulation defining "harm" for purposes of the "take" prohibitions of the Endangered Species Act. The regulation includes significant habitat modification within the meaning of "harm." | |||
| 95-849 (PDF, TXT) | Individual Transferable Quotas in Fishery Management | Eugene H. Buck, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated September 25, 1995 |
| Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) are controversial fishery management measures allocating privileges of landing a specified portion of the total annual fish catch in the form of quota shares. This management option differs from the traditional open-access approach to commercial fisheries, and allows fishing vessel owners to sell their ITQ certificates or buy others' certificates or, in some cases, lease their quota shares depending on how much (or whether) they want to participate in the fishery. ITQ programs are intended to reduce overcapitalization, promote conservation of stocks, improve market conditions, and promote safety in the fishing fleet. ITQ programs guarantee a share of the catch, thus generally slowing or eliminating the "race to fish" and allowing fishermen flexibility over the rate and timing of their fishing. Amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996 suspended consideration of new ITQ programs while the National Academy of Science conducted a study of three existing federal ITQ programs and their merits. | |||
| 94-885 (PDF, TXT) | The Brady Handgun Control Act: Constitutional Issues | Dorothy Schrader, Office of Senior Specialists | Updated October 25, 1995 |
| The Brady Handgun Control Act established a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases, during which local law enforcement can make reasonable efforts to conduct background checks in available records and block and sales to convicted felons and other disqualified persons. This report reviews the background of federal gun control legislation, analyzes the conflict in the courts over the constitutionality under the Tenth Amendment of the duties placed on local law enforcement, and considers the implications of the decisions for Brady Act enforcement. | |||
| 95-108 (PDF, TXT) | The Assault Weapons Ban: Review of Federal Laws Controlling Possession of Certain Firearms | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated December 1, 1995 |
| This report reviews the 1994 assault weapons ban, which is effective for ten years on 19 types of semiautomatic assault weapons. The Act builds upon a 60-year history of federal regulation of firearms. The report also summarizes the pre-1994 federal gun control laws, analyzes the major cases relating to constitutional and statutory challenges to these laws, and reviews judicial and legislative developments since enactment of the ban. | |||
| 96-116 (PDF, TXT) | Capital Punishment: Summary of Supreme Court Decisions on the Death Penalty | Dorothy Schrader, Office of Senior Specialists | Updated February 1, 1996 |
| This report summarizes the death penalty decisions of the Supreme Court. In the last six years, the Court has upheld a significantly greater number of capital sentences. This changes direction is only now making itself felt in appellate review of capital cases and the execution of the death penalty. | |||
| 96-184 (PDF, TXT) | Campaign Activities by Congressional Employees | Jack A. Maskell, American Law Division | Updated February 28, 1996 |
| This report discusses the propriety of partisan political campaign activities by employees of the House of Representatives and the Senate under existing congressional rules, guidelines and standards, and under federal law as interpreted by federal court decisions. | |||
| 96-140 (PDF, TXT) | Greece and Turkey: The Rocky Islet Crisis | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 7, 1996 |
| This report deals with the recent dispute between Greece and Turkey over the Imia/Kardak islet in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It provides a chronology of the crisis, delineates the legal issues, notes other unresolved bilateral issues, and describes domestic situations in both countries that contributed to the escalation of the crisis. Finally, it describes U.S. policy and the crisis aftermath. | |||
| 96-261 (PDF, TXT) | Russia and U.S. Foreign Assistance: 1992-1996 | Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 20, 1996 |
| While U.S. foreign assistance is Russia is intended to facilitate development of democracy and a free market economy, funding levels are now in steep decline. This report discusses the climate in the United States and Russia under which the assistance program is currently operating, updates the status of efforts to address implementation concerns, and examines program impact to date, the effect of budget cuts and earmarks, and the long-term future of the program. | |||
| 96-330 (PDF, TXT) | Conservation Provisions in the 1996 Farm Bill: A Summary | Jeffrey Zinn, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated April 11, 1996 |
| This Congressional Research Service report summarizes the conservation provisions in the 1996 farm bill, signed into law by President Clinton on April 4, 1996 (P.L. 104-127). The conservation title, as enacted, more fully integrates resource conservation and environmental concerns with agricultural policies, continuing a trend that started with the 1985 farm bill and continued with the 1990 farm bill. Provisions in this title change the resource conservation effort in significant ways that go beyond individual programs. | |||
| 96-354 (PDF, TXT) | Northern Ireland: Fair Employment and the MacBride Principles | Karen Donfried, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 18, 1996 |
| All major social and economic indicators show that Catholics in Northern Ireland, representing roughly 45 percent of the population, are more disadvantaged than Protestants, comprising 50 percent of the population. The most persistent area of inequality has been unemployment. The British government sees inward investments and the creation of employment opportunities, linked to its fair employment legislation, as the best antidotes to Catholic unemployment. Others believe implementation of the MacBride Principles, relating to equal opportunity and affirmative action, would provide an important remedy. | |||
| 96-353 (PDF, TXT) | State Eleventh Amendment Sovereign Immunity: Seminole Tribe v. Florida, 116 S.Ct. 1114 (1996) | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated April 19, 1996 |
| this report summarizes the Supreme Court's decision in Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, __U.S.,__, 116 S.Ct. 1114 (1996), holding unconstitutional the provision of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1998, Pub. L. 100-487, 102 Stat. 2467, 25 U.S.C., Sections 2701 et seq., that authorized an Indian tribe to sue a state in federal court to compel a tribal-state compact for Class III or casino-type gaming. | |||
| 96-373 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996 | Michael V. Seitzinger, American Law Division | Updated April 29, 1996 |
| Summarizes Division D of the 1996 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 104-106), the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996, concerning changes to government contracting statutes. | |||
| 96-389 (PDF, TXT) | NAFTA and U.S.-Mexico Cattle Trade | Lenore Sek, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 2, 1996 |
| During 1995, U.S. cattle imports from Mexico surged in value. Over the same time, U.S. exports fell to an almost negligible level. While some U.S. cattle producers blamed NAFTA for the record deficit, the main underlying causes were devaluation of the peso, Mexico's economic contraction, and drought in northern Mexico. | |||
| 96-431 (PDF, TXT) | Credit Provisions of the Enacted 1996 Farm Bill | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 16, 1996 |
| The Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-127, the 1996 farm bill), which was signed into law on April 4, 1996, contains a credit title (Title VI) that directly affects eligibility for U.S. Department of Agriculture farm loans and the servicing of its delinquent loans. This Congressional Research Service report summarizes the major credit provisions of the new law. | |||
| 96-440 (PDF, TXT) | Dairy Provisions of the Enacted 1996 Farm Bill | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 17, 1996 |
| The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-127, the 1996 farm bill) contains provisions that significantly modify federal dairy policy. Among the major changes, the new law gradually eliminates the dairy price support program and requires USDA to consolidate the number of federal milk marketing orders. This Congressional Research Service report reviews these and other dairy provisions in the new law. | |||
| 96-462 (PDF, TXT) | German Military Presence in the United States: The Case of Holloman Air Force Base | Karen Donfried, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 22, 1996 |
| This report reviews the German military presence in the United States, with a special focus on the German Air Force Tactical Training Center (TTC) at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. On May 1, 1996, Defense Secretary Perry and German Defense Minister Ruhe activated the TTC. By October 1999, the Germans plan to have 24 F-4 Phantom and 42 Tornado jets, together with roughly 900 German Air Force staff members at Holloman. | |||
| 96-477 (PDF, TXT) | Crop Insurance and Risk Management: Provisions in the Enacted 1996 Farm Bill | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 28, 1996 |
| Provisions in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-127, the 1995 farm bill) make several changes to the federal crop insurance program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This Congressional Research Service report reviews the major changes to the crop insurance program and other provisions that modify the role of the federal government in farm risk management. | |||
| 96-513 (PDF, TXT) | Prison Litigation Reform Act: An Overview | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated May 30, 1996 |
| The Prison Litigation Reform Act, Public Law 104-134, effective April 26, 1996, makes major procedural and substantive changes in the federal civil rights of prisoners in federal or state custody. This report reviews the historical background of prisoner civil rights law, and summarizes and analyzes the Reform Act. | |||
| 96-490 (PDF, TXT) | Legislative Procedure for Disapproving the Renewal of China's Most-Favored-Nation Status | Vladimir N. Pregelj, Economics Division | Updated May 31, 1996 |
| The annual presidential renewal of China's waiver of full compliance with the freedom-of-emigration requirement, a key condition for the renewal of China's most-favored-nation status, can be nullified by the enactment of a joint resolution of disapproval according to a special procedure, which is described in detail in the report. | |||
| 96-494 (PDF, TXT) | War Powers Resolution: A Brief Summary of Pro and Con Arguments | Richard Grimmett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 5, 1996 |
| This report lists major arguments for and against the War Powers Resolution, Public Law 93-148. This law was enacted by Congress on November 7, 1973, over the veto of President Richard Nixon. It has been the subject of controversy between the executive and legislative branches since that time. | |||
| 96-518 (PDF, TXT) | China's Rising Power: Alternative U.S. National Security Strategies-Findings of a Seminar | Robert G. Sutter and Peter Mitchener, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 6, 1996 |
| Participants at a CRS seminar on May 13, 1996 judged that an effective U.S. strategy toward China needs to be seen in the context of a broader U.S. strategy in Asia-one seen to include a strong U.S. military, economic, and political presence, and requiring some degree of cooperation from important U.S. allies and friends in the region. Recommendations for U.S. policy focus on establishing a clear set of priorities that take account of U.S. interests along with Chinese concerns and those of U.S. allies, associates, and other interest third parties, especially in Asia. To formulate these policy priorities, and to help to ensure that they are met, requires careful and consistent high-level U.S. policy attention, including regular U.S.-PRC summit meetings. The fact that such meetings give considerable prestige to PRC leaders seen as illegitimate by many Americans poses perhaps an immediate dilemma for sustained U.S. efforts to deal with the rise of China. | |||
| 96-561 (PDF, TXT) | NATO Adapts for New Missions: The Berlin Accord and Combined Joint Task Forces (CJTF) | Stanley R. Sloan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 19, 1996 |
| The NATO Foreign Ministers on June 3, 1996, in Berlin, Germany, agreed in principle on significant new steps that, if implemented, would constitute a major transformation of NATO's missions and methods of operation. The package includes enhancement of the European role in NATO and France's return to NATO's command structure. | |||
| 96-566 (PDF, TXT) | Europe and China -- An Emerging Relationship | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 21, 1996 |
| Reflecting in large part European concern to become more closely linked with China's rising market within the burgeoning East Asian economies, the 16-member European Union (EU) has been unusually active in the past two years in building ties with Beijing. The United States welcomes greater European involvement in China, but U.S. policy makers sometimes complain that the EU eagerness to trade conflict with U.S. efforts to press China to conform better to internationally accepted norms. | |||
| 96-575 (PDF, TXT) | Homosexuality and the Federal Constitution: A Legal Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Romer v. Evans | Charles V. Dale, American Law Division | Updated June 21, 1996 |
| This report reviews the Romer v. Evans decision and its possible constitutional implications in detail. | |||
| 95-166 (PDF, TXT) | World Health organization: A Fact Sheet | Lois McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 1, 1996 |
| The World Health organization (WHO), established in 1948, is the United Nations system's authority on international public health issues. It assists governments in improving national health services and in establishing worldwide standards for foods, chemicals, and biological and pharmaceutical products. WHO concentrates on preventive rather than curative programs, including efforts to eradicate endemic and other widespread diseases, stabilize population growth, improve nutrition, sanitation, and maternal and child care. WHO is not an operational agency. It works through contracts with other agencies and private voluntary organizations. | |||
| 96-609 (PDF, TXT) | "In God We Trust" on the Nation's Coins and Currency and as the National Motto: History and Constitutionality | David M. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated July 10, 1996 |
| Two statutes mandate that the phrase "In God We Trust" be inscribed on all U.S. coins and currency. A third statute declares the phrase to be the national motto. Several suits have been filed alleging that these statutes violate the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment, but no court has as yet held them to be unconstitutional. | |||
| 96-631 (PDF, TXT) | Indian and Pakistani Nuclear Tests? Potential Test Ban Risks and Technical Benefits | Jonathan Medalia, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 17, 1996 |
| India rejects the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, now under negotiation, as currently drafted; Pakistan will not sign unless India does. Their rejection could doom the treaty. To help understand their positions, this report examines potential technical gains that nuclear testing offers the two nations and explores links between their weapon programs and strategic goals. | |||
| 96-661 (PDF, TXT) | Worker Rights Provisions and Trade Policy: Shoult They Be Linked? | Mary Jane Bolle, Economics Division | Updated July 30, 1996 |
| This report addresses the following worker rights and trade policy issues: current congressional concern about child labor and fast-track reauthorization; arguments for and against linking worker rights to trade policy; economic reasons why the worker rights issue is surfacing now; existing laws and trade agreements linking working rights and trade policy; action Congress might take to try to resolve the current worker right-and-trade policy dilemma. | |||
| 96-671 (PDF, TXT) | International Drug Trade and Its Impact on the United States | Raphael Perl, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division; Jennifer A. Neisner, Education and Public Welfare Division; David L. Teasley, Government Division | Updated August 9, 1996 |
| The U.S. appetite for illicit drugs is met by a seemingly unending source for foreign supply. In the case of cocaine, which is grown, processed, and shipped to the United States from the Andean nations of Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru, U.S. policymakers are increasingly concerned over the rising prominence of Mexico as a transhipment zone for drugs entering the United States. The proliferation of foreign source drugs has a range of identifiable injurious effects in the United States. | |||
| 95-753 (PDF, TXT) | Presidential Emergency Powers: The So-Called "War Powers Act of 1933" | David M. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated August 20, 1996 |
| The "War Powers Act of 1933" is a name given by some members of the militia and patriot movement to emergency banking legislation passed in 1933 five days after President Roosevelt came into office. It has apparently been so labeled by some because the banking legislation amended the "Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917" in order to give legal underpinning to President Roosevelt's efforts to cope with the banking crisis. It is alleged by its modern-day critics that by that amendment the government in effect declared war on the American people and began a reign of unconstitutional rule through President emergency powers. These allegations overlook the facts that the amendment of the Trading with the Enemy Act has subsequently been repealed, but the powers exercised pursuant to President Roosevelt's proclamation of national emergency have been terminated, and that the President's exercise of emergency powers is now regulated under the "National Emergencies Act." | |||
| 96-767 (PDF, TXT) | Chinese Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Background and Analysis | Shirley A. Kan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 13, 1996 |
| Congress has been concerned about Chinese missile, nuclear, and chemical-related transfers. In 1991 and 1993, the U.S. government twice determined Chinese violations of the Missile Technology Control Regime guidelines, and determined both cases to have involved transfers of Category II missile components for the M-11 short-range ballistic missile to Pakistan. Although the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) does not ban peaceful nuclear projects, certain Chinese nuclear transfers to Pakistan and Iran may have violated the NPT and/or U.S. laws. In 1995, China reportedly sold to Pakistan unsafeguarded ring magnets that could be used for uranium enrichment. The Clinton Administration decided that U.S. sanctions were not warranted. Since 1992, China has responded to U.S. and other pressures to participate in some parts of international nonproliferation regimes. | |||
| 96-766 (PDF, TXT) | A Clean Air Option: Cash for Clunkers | David Michael Bearden, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated September 16, 1996 |
| The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 encourage states to pursue market-based approaches to improve air quality. This Congressional Research Service report discusses one such approach, Accelerated Vehicle Retirement (or Cash for Clunkers), which provides cash incentives for owners of highly polluting vehicles to scrap them. The report includes information on completed pilot projects and programs under development in six states. | |||
| 96-785 (PDF, TXT) | Navy Major Shipbuilding Programs and Shipbuilders: Issues and Options for Congress | Ronald O'Rourke, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 24, 1996 |
| This report focuses on the Navy's major shipbuilding programs and on the six private U.S. shipyards associated with those programs. These six yards are currently highly dependent on Navy shipbuilding programs and are major employers in their home States. The report examines the adequacy of the FY1996-FY2001 shipbuilding plan, the question of how many major shipbuilders the Navy needs, and options for Congress. | |||
| 96-798 (PDF, TXT) | Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands Dispute: The U.S. Legal Relationship and Obligations | Larry A. Niksch, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 30, 1996 |
| New tensions among China, Japan, and Taiwan over disputed islands in the East China Sea are based on long-standing territorial claims they have maintained. The chief components of the U.S. legal relationship to the islands are: (1) U.S. administration of the islands from 1953 to 1971; (2) inclusion of the islands in the terms of the U.S.-Japan Okinawa Reversion Treaty of 1971; (3) a U.S. position on the claims themselves; and (4) the application of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty to the islands under the provisions of the Okinawa Reversion Treaty. | |||
| 96-810 (PDF, TXT) | International Monetary Fund (IMF) Gold Auctions: Current Proposal, History, and Congressional Role | Patricia Wertman, Economics Division | Updated October 4, 1996 |
| In light of a current proposal to sell a portion of International Monetary Fund (IMF) gold holdings for the benefit of poor countries, this report examines gold sales by the IMF during 1976-1980. IMF gold sales require congressional reauthorization. Because the gold is owned by the IMF, however, there is no budgetary impact for the United States. | |||
| 96-823 (PDF, TXT) | Child Abuse and Child Welfare Legislation in the 104th Congress | Karen Spar, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated October 11, 1996 |
| The 104th Congress considered, but rejected, proposals to convert child abuse and child welfare programs into state-administered block grants, as part of welfare reform. Ultimately, the new welfare law made minor amendments to child welfare programs under the Social Security act, and Congress subsequently passed separate legislation to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. This document is a revision of Order No. IB95029. | |||
| 96-376 (PDF, TXT) | Adoption: Interethnic Placement Legislation in the 104th Congress | Karen Spar, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated October 14, 1996 |
| President Clinton signed legislation into law on August 20 that is intended to promote adoption by prohibiting racial and other discrimination in adoptive placements and by establishing tax credits for adoptive parents (P.L. 104-188, H.R. 3448), These provisions are components of the Small Business Job Protection Act which also contains provisions to increase the minimum wage. Congress earlier had included similar adoption provisions in various versions of welfare reform legislation and in a free-standing bill (H.R. 3286) that also contained amendments to the Indian Child Welfare Act. | |||
| 96-844 (PDF, TXT) | Covert Action: An Effective Instrument of U.S. Foreign Policy? | Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 21, 1996 |
| Covert actions have often been chosen as instruments of U.S. policy since World War II; presidential responsibility and legislative branch oversight have been established by statute. Nonetheless, some observers question their utility and a variety of proposals have been made to reorganize the CIA's Directorate of Operations that plans and undertakes covert actions. | |||
| 95-248 (PDF, TXT) | Cuba: U.s. Economic Sanctions Through 1996 | Dianne E. Rennack and Mark P. Sullivan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 21, 1996 |
| Since the early 1960s, the United States has imposed a range of economic sanctions on Cuba, the most prominent of which is a comprehensive embargo prohibiting trade with Cuba. This Congressional Research Service report first provides an overview of U.S.-Cuba relations and U.S. policy toward Cuba. It then examines the history and current legislative and executive authorities of the various components of U.S. sanctions against Cuba, including aid, trade, and other restrictions. | |||
| 96-898 (PDF, TXT) | Vietnam: Economic/Political Developments and U.S. Relations | Raymond J. Ahearn and Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 22, 1996 |
| Vietnam's experiment with economic reforms continues to outpace liberalization of its political system. The Eighth Vietnamese Party Congress, which ended on July 2, 1996, failed to resolve deep-rooted differences among the communist leadership concerning the pace and scope of economic reforms. These continuing divisions among Vietnam's top leaders likely will affect relations with the United States, including efforts to normalize commercial relations. | |||
| 97-20 (PDF, TXT) | Economic Sanctions and the Former Yugoslavia: Current Status and Policy Considerations | Julie Kim and Dianne E. Remack, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | December 16, 1996 |
| Civil unrest in Serbia-Montenegro as well as stalled progress in the peace process is Bosnia have led some observers to call for international economic sanctions to be considered as a policy option. However, U.N. sanctions were terminated in October 1996. The United States maintains limited sanctions against Serbia-Montenegro. In Bosnia, the international community has made economic reconstruction assistance conditional on progress in peace implementation. | |||
| 97-57 (PDF, TXT) | Restrictions on Lobbying Congres with Federal Funds | Jack H. Maskell, American Law Division | December 23, 1996 |
| This report provides a discussion of the major federal laws and rules which limit or restrict the lobbying of Congress with federally appropriated funds, as those restrictions apply to federal agencies and employees, and to private contractors and grantees of the federal government. | |||
| 97-70 (PDF, TXT) | Government Performance and Results Act, P.L. 103-62: Implementation Through Fall 1996 and Issues for the 105th Congress | Genevieve J. Knezo. Science Policy Research Division | December 24, 1996 |
| The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 encourages greater accountability, requiring agencies to set goals and use performance measures for management and budgeting. During FY1997, agencies will solicit information from stakeholders and consult with Congress to develop strategic goals, to be provided in final form to Congress in September 1997. | |||
| 97-68 (PDF, TXT) | Gun Ban for Persons Convicted of Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence: Ex Post Facto Clause and Other Constitutional Issues | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | December 30, 1996 |
| This report explores issues concerning the constitutionality of the gun ban on domestic violence misdemeanors, with an emphasis upon possible ex post facto clause issues. It seems likely that the new law will survive constitutional attacks as applied to persons who consummate the federal offense after the change in the law takes effect. The law may be vulnerable to an ex post facto challenge if prosecution is attempted against a person in lawful possession of a firearm before the effective date who merely continues possession of the same firearm after the effective date without any notice of the change in the law. | |||
| 97-69 (PDF, TXT) | The Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996: An Overview | Jean M. Rawson, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | January 6, 1997 |
| At the core of U.S. farm policy are federal programs that support farm income and some commodity prices. The 1996 law makes substantial policy changes to many of these programs. It replaces the earlier target price deficiency payments system for grains and cotton with predetermined and capped annual contract payments to participating producers through 2002. Payments are tied to overall crop history, rather than to individual crops, and no longer are linked to market prices. Earlier nonrecourse commodity loan and marketing loan repayment provisions are largely maintained; however, the new law ends annual federal acreage reduction and strict planting requirements. | |||
| 97-62 (PDF, TXT) | The Marshall Plan: Design, Accomplishments, and Relevance to the Present | Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | January 6, 1997 |
| Periodically, Members of Congress and others have recommended establishment of a 'Marshall Plan' for Central America, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and elsewhere. They do so largely because the original Marshall Plan, a program of U.S. assistance to Europe during the period 1948-1951, is considered by many to have been the most effective ever of U.S. foreign aid programs. | |||
| 96-723 (PDF, TXT) | Bosnia Implementation Force (IFOR) and Stabilization Force (SFOR): Activities of the 104th Congress | Julie Kim, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 6, 1997 |
| This report describes U.S. participation in IFOR and the evolution of policy on the follow-on Stabilization Force. It then reviews initial congressional responses in legislation to the question of U.S. participation in IFOR. Finally, subsequent issues before the Congress on the U.S. military commitment to Bosnia, including the debate over an extended U.S. engagement, are examined. An appendix details legislation on the U.S. troop deployment in Bosnia passed or considered by the 104th Congress. | |||
| 97-73 (PDF, TXT) | The U.S. Presidency: Office and Powers | Harold C. Relyea, Government Division | January 7, 1997 |
| This report discusses the office and powers of the U.S. presidency. Included is information on powers such as appointments, administration, legislation, fiscal matters, and international affairs; the institution of the presidency; inability and succession; and selected references to other publication. | |||
| 96-987 (PDF, TXT) | Child Nutrition Legislation in the 104th Congress | Joseph I. Richardson, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated January 10, 1997 |
| In 1995 and 1996, Congress acted four times to change federal child nutrition programs governed by the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts. In the first two instances-the 1995 budget reconciliation and welfare reform bills (the Balanced Budget Act and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act)-congressional agreements containing major revisions to child nutrition laws were vetoed by the President. However, a separate bipartisan congressional initiative to allow schools more flexibility in meeting federal nutrition standards was enacted in the spring of 1996 (the Healthy Meals for Children Act: P.L. 104-149), and a third congressional agreement, combining welfare reform and budget reconciliation provisions and including substantial child nutrition program amendments, became law at the end of August 1996 (the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act; P.L. 104-194). | |||
| 96-835 (PDF, TXT) | Nicaragua's 1996 Elections and Results | Maureen E. Taft-Morales, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 15, 1997 |
| The acrimony surrounding Nicaragua's recent elections has raised new concerns for political conciliation and stability there. Nicaraguans voted for president, the legislature, and other offices on Sunday, October 20, 1996. It was more than a month later, however, before rightist Arnoldo Aleman was officially declared the winner of the presidential race. | |||
| 95-738 (PDF, TXT) | The Difference Between DOD Programs That Develop Dual-Use Technologies and DOD's Dual-Use Technology Development Programs--A Fact Sheet | John D. Moteff, Science Policy Research Division | January 17, 1997 |
| This fact sheet makes a distinction between DOD programs that develop dual-use technologies and DOD's "dual-use" technology development programs. The distinction is more than semantic and is worth noting as Congress considers non-defense expenditures in DOD's budget. Many of the technologies and much of the knowledge generated by DOD's traditional Science and Technology (S&T) programs could be considered dual-use (e.g., programs in the sciences, materials, electronics, computers, design methods, manufacturing methods, software engineering). DOD has been supporting many of these programs for decades. "Dual-use" programs, on the other hand, are those S&T programs that explicitly attempt to leverage the commercial sector's investment in those same technologies. These programs are relatively new, initiated at the behest of Congress. A program that develops dual-use technologies is not necessarily a dual-use program, even if they develop the same technology. Dual-use technology programs typically involve consortia that include commercially oriented firms. | |||
| 97-138 (PDF, TXT) | Committee System: Rules Changes in the House, 105th Congress | Judith Schneider, Government Division | January 23, 1997 |
| This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contain in H.Res 5, the rules of the House for the 105th Congress. | |||
| 97-217 (PDF, TXT) | The IIOD Service Academies: Issues for Congress | Robert L. Goldich, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | February 6, 1997 |
| The long-standing reputation of the academies for high ethical standards is being questioned more than at any time in the past several decades. Options for Congress include (1) doing nothing, assuming major problems are being adequately addressed and minor ones can be solved administratively; (2) ensuring that minor reforms not fundamentally changing the academies are undertaken; (3) cutting or increasing enrollment; (4) making the academies exclusively military schools for persons already having undergraduate degrees; (5) adding graduate education to the academies; and (6) abolishing the academies altogether. | |||
| 97-197 (PDF, TXT) | U.N. Development Program: Background and Issues for Congress | Lois McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | February 7, 1997 |
| The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) coordinates and provides funding for most U.N. development assistance programs. In 1996, the U.S. contribution of $52 million, a reduction of more than 50 percent from 1995, made the United States the seventh largest donor, the first time the United States had not been the leading contributor. In P.L. 104-208, the Omnibus Appropriation Act of 1996, which appropriated funds for FY1997, the Administration requested and Congress earmarked a contribution for 1997 of $78.7 million, still a considerable reduction from the $113 million contribution of 1995. The Administration supports a strong U.S. role, and expresses support for the reform efforts taken by UNDP Administrator James Gustave Speth. Some Members of Congress, however, argue that U.N. development programs are ineffective and want UNDP curtailed or eliminated. UNDP is a major part of the congressional/presidential debate over the post Cold War future of the U.N. system. | |||
| 97-268 (PDF, TXT) | Taiwan's National Development Conference: Proposed Policy Changes and Implications for the United States | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | February 24, 1997 |
| Taiwan's National Development Conference of December 1996 set forth policy changes important to Taiwan, the People's Republic of China, and the United States. If implemented, these changes could exacerbate cross-Strait tensions and complicate U.S. efforts to develop constructive engagement with the PRC while sustaining close ties with Taiwan. Prospects for Taiwan's implementing the changes are mixed. U.S. Options for dealing with the emerging situation range from quiet diplomacy to direct U.S. mediation of Taiwanese-mainland differences. | |||
| 97-272 (PDF, TXT) | Worker Rights and U.S. Trade Policy: WTO Singapore Ministerial and Fast-Track Extension | Mary Jane Bolle, Economics Division | February 24, 1997 |
| The idea of linking worker rights and trade agreements has become a major issue in two arenas. The first arena is Congress, as it considers extending presidential authority to negotiate trade agreements that would then be implemented on a fast-track basis-without amendment and with limited debate. The second arena is the World Trade Organization (WTO). In December 1996, the Singapore Ministerial, a meeting trade ministers, took place and was attended by a majority of the 124 WTO member countries. At that meeting, delegates grappled with whether worker rights is an appropriate issue for debate in the WTO. | |||
| 96-562 (PDF, TXT) | Military Base Closures Since 1988: Status and Employment Changes at the Community and State Level | George H. Siehl, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division; and Edward Knight, Economics Division | Updated February 26, 1997 |
| This report compiles Department of Defense (DOD) data on major base closures and employment changes at all DOD facilities affected by the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process since 1988. It also assesses (1) the process and issues associated with the closure and reuse of major installations, (2) the employment effects of all BRAC actions at the community and state level, and (3) the federal role in assisting communities, workers, and businesses affected by these actions. | |||
| 97-274 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Land Management: Appeals and Litigation | Pamela Baldwin, American Law Division | February 26, 1997 |
| This report presents an overview of the current appeal systems of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, includes current statistics on judicial review of agency actions, and discusses how the draft bill might affect appeals and litigation of agency decisions. | |||
| 97-295 (PDF, TXT) | Immigration: New Consequences of Illegal Presence | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | February 28, 1997 |
| The 104th Congress passed major legislation to combat illegal migration to the U.S. This report outlines the disabilities the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 attaches to illegal presence. Some of these target both those who entered surreptitiously and visa overstayers, some target those who entered surreptitiously only. | |||
| 97-311 (PDF, TXT) | Hong Kong's Reversion to China: Problems and Remedies for the United States | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | March 3, 1997 |
| The Hong Kong Policy Act and the ongoing discussions about agreements appear to address the potential U.S.-Hong Kong issues that can be foreseen at present. But the uniqueness of Hong Kong's impending transition of sovereignty suggests that some issues affecting U.S. interests may be unresolved-even unknown-by the transition date. | |||
| 97-346 (PDF, TXT) | Defense Budget: Role of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council | Thomas Hawkins, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | March 12, 1997 |
| The Joint Requirements Oversight Council conducts requirements analyses, validates mission needs and key performance parameters for weapons programs, and develops joint priorities for those needs. Since the enactment of Goldwater-Nichols, Congress has manifested a growing interest in the JROC as an instrument of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for integrating competing Service priorities. | |||
| 97-383 (PDF, TXT) | Legal Analysis of Proposals to Make English the Official Language of the United States Government | Charles V. Dale and Mark Gurevitz, American Law Division | March 14, 1997 |
| This report analyzes various proposals in the 105th Congress to declare English the official language of the United States government and to place restrictions upon other linguistic usage in formal communications between federal officials and the nation's citizens. | |||
| 97-395 (PDF, TXT) | South Korea's Economic Reforms and U.S. Interests | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | March 25, 1997 |
| To the extent that the South Korean government implements economic reforms that expose more segments of its economy to market forces, the sources of U.S.-South Korean trade tensions are likely to dissipate. | |||
| 97-399 (PDF, TXT) | Developing Technology for Humanitarian Landmine Clearing Operations | John D. Moteff, Science Policy Research Division | March 26, 1997 |
| This report identifies a few national programs that have been set up to help develop and test new mine clearing technologies. Most of these programs are off-shoots of military programs. | |||
| 97-454 (PDF, TXT) | Peacekeeping Options: Considerations for U.S. Policymakers and the Congress | Marjorie Ann Browne and Nina M. Serafino, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | April 10, 1997 |
| As recent international efforts to quell instability in many troubled nations have reached mixed or ambiguous outcomes, many Members of Congress wish to reexamine the tools available to the United States to address the problem. | |||
| 97-356 (PDF, TXT) | The U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Accord of October 1994: Background, Status, and Requirements of U.S. Nonproliferation Law | Richard P. Cronin, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division; and Zachary S. Davis, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | April 11, 1997 |
| Congress plays a critical role in the ability of the Clinton Administration to carry out an October 21, 1994, executive agreement between the United States and the democratic People's Republic of Korea that defused a confrontation over the latter's suspected nuclear weapons program. | |||
| 97-441 (PDF, TXT) | Commercial Fishing: Economic Aid and Capacity Reduction | Andrew G. Read and Eugene H. Buck, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | April 14, 1997 |
| Congress has considered several approaches to address concerns about overcapitalization and excess capacity in the fishing industry. The economic aid and capacity reduction programs discussed in this report are some possible approaches to reducing overcapitalization and overfishing. Alternative approaches, such as community development quotas and individual transferable quotas, seek to meet some of the same objectives. | |||
| 97-459 (PDF, TXT) | Environmental Protection: How Much it Costs and Who Pays | John E. Blodgett, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | April 16, 1997 |
| A recurring issue in environmental policy is the cost of pollution control imposed on individuals, businesses, and governments. | |||
| 97-467 (PDF, TXT) | The IMF's "General Arrangements to Borrow" (GAB): A Background Paper | Patricia A. Wertman, Economics Division | April 18, 1997 |
| In the wake of the Mexican financial crisis, the G-7 industrial countries agreed to establish an emergency financing mechanism. This proposal has ultimately evolved into the so-called "New Arrangements to Borrow" (NAB). The NAB, however, parallels and complements the GAB, which were established in 1962. While the proposed NAB would become the facility of first recourse, the GAB remain in existence and are still available to be drawn upon. | |||
| 97-81 (PDF, TXT) | Social Security: Recommendations of the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security | Geoffrey Kollmann, Education and Public Welfare Division | May 7, 1997 |
| On January 6, 1997, the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security issued its report on ways to solve the program's long-range financing problems. As the Council could not reach a consensus on a particular approach, the report contains three different proposals that are intended to attain the goal of restoring long-range solvency to the Social Security system. This report describes each. | |||
| 97-336 (PDF, TXT) | Omnibus Patent Reform: An Overview of H.R. 400 | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | May 14, 1997 |
| The "21st Century Patent System Improvement Reform Act," H.R. 400, consists of six titles dealing with various patent reform issues. This omnibus patent reform bill is nearly identical to H.R. 3460 of the 104th Congress, which was reported favorably by the House Judiciary Committee but was not enacted. On March 5, 1997, the House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property marked up and approved a slightly revised version of H.R. 400. | |||
| 96-813 (PDF, TXT) | Nicaragua: Changes Under the Chamorro Government and U.S. Concerns | Maureen E. Taft-Morales, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 16, 1997 |
| National reconciliation has been the primary goal of President Violeta Chamorro's administration since 1990. Yet many critics saw her commitment to keeping the peace within the Nicaraguan national family as slowing the pace of political, institutional, and economic reform in the early years of her seven-year term. During the last two years, however, Nicaragua has begun to develop the institutions that contribute to a pluralist system. Primary U.S. concerns are the development of democracy and of the economy, and the settlement of property claims. U.S. aid was given to promote fair elections on October 20, 1996. Chamorro transferred power to the newly elected president, Arnoldo Aleman, on January 10, 1997. | |||
| 97-586 (PDF, TXT) | Russia's Nuclear Forces: Doctrine and Force Structure Issues | Amy F. Woolf and Kara Wilson, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | May 23, 1997 |
| In 1991, the Russian Federation inherited most of the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons, nuclear command and control system, and nuclear doctrine and employment strategy. It has altered both the nuclear doctrine and force structure in response to domestic economic pressures and its evolving position in the international environment. | |||
| 95-875 (PDF, TXT) | Metric Conversion and the Federal Role: An Update | Lennard G. Kruger, Science Policy Research Division | May 29, 1997 |
| This report provides a brief history and update of federal metric conversion activities. Particular focus is given to requirements for metric products in federal construction, and to the Federal Highway Administration's efforts to convert federal highways to the metric system. Legislation in the 104th Congress related to metric conversion is reviewed. | |||
| 97-535 (PDF, TXT) | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization Legislation: An Overview | Steven R. Aleman, Education and Public Welfare Division; and Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | June 4, 1997 |
| The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) authorizes several programs to support and improve early intervention and special education for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The 105th Congress is considering legislation to amend, revise, and extend IDEA. | |||
| 97-597 (PDF, TXT) | Secwrities/Antitrust Treatment of Charitable Gift Annuities: Richie v. American Council on Gift Annuities, Inc. | Janice E. Rubin and Michael V. Seitzinger, American Law Division | June 6, 1997 |
| A lawsuit challenged, on both securities and antitrust grounds, the right of charitable organizations to issue so-called charitable annuities. Federal and state legislation to protect the charities was enacted. However, the Fifth Circuit has recently declined to review a district court's refusal to dismiss the case. This report summarizes the theory of the lawsuit, the federal and state legislation which was enacted, and the recent decision by the Fifth Circuit. | |||
| 97-624 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Restrictions on State or Local Government Officer or Employee Political Activities | Barbara L. Schwemle, Government Division | June 11, 1997 |
| Political activities of federal employees are regulated by the Hatch Act. In 1940, the law was amended to cover certain state or local government officers or employees. All but three of the prohibitions on political activity by these individuals were removed in 1974. Enforcement provisions were added in 1978. Legislation is pending in the House of Representatives in the 105th Congress to repeal the provision prohibiting state or local government officers or employees from seeking elective office. | |||
| 97-665 (PDF, TXT) | Minority and Small Disadvantaged Business Contracting: Legal and Constitutional Developments | Charles V. Dale, American Law Division | June 24, 1997 |
| This report provides a history of federal statutory minority contracting programs and a discussion of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Adarand Constructors v. Pena. It discusses recent Executive and Legislative actions on minority procurement. | |||
| 97-490 (PDF, TXT) | Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | June 24, 1997 |
| The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, S. 543, 105th Congress, would immunize individuals who do volunteer work for nonprofit organizations or governmental entities from liability for ordinary negligence in the course of their volunteer work. It would also limit punitive damages and noneconomic damages against volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities. | |||
| 97-660 (PDF, TXT) | Internet Indecency: The Supreme Court Decision on the Communications Decency Act | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | July 1, 1997 |
| In Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union, No. 96-511 (June 26, 1997), the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, declared unconstitutional two provisions of the Communications Decency Act that prohibited indecent communications to minors on the Internet. | |||
| 97-666 (PDF, TXT) | NATO Enlargement: The Process and Allied Views | Paul E. Gallis, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | July 1, 1997 |
| NATO enlargement will face competing issues in several member states. Qualification for European Monetary Union, efforts to constrain budgets, and national elections could affect the debate over enlargement. Member states will watch developments in the U.S. Senate, above all. In France, Italy, and Turkey, the debate could prove difficult. Member states will follow different constitutional processes to amend the North Atlantic Treaty. | |||
| 95-322 (PDF, TXT) | DOD's Dual-Use Strategy | John D. Moteff, Science Policy Research Division | July 3, 1997 |
| In an effort to reduce the costs of its military systems and gain greater access to state-of-the-art technologies, the Department of Defense is pursuing what is being called a "dual-use" strategy. This strategy seeks to make greater use of the commercial sector in developing and manufacturing military goods. This report discusses issues raised over the implementation of this strategy. | |||
| 97-717 (PDF, TXT) | NATO: Article V and Collective Defense | Paul E. Gallis, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | July 17, 1997 |
| Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty does not guarantee the use of force to assist an ally under attack. Nonetheless, the U.S. pledge to assist an ally under attack has been the core of the alliance. Despite growing political functions, the NATO views collective defense, and not collective security, as its core function. | |||
| 97-716 (PDF, TXT) | The Civilian Marksmanship Program | Jeri Hawthorne and David F. Burrelli, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | July 18, 1997 |
| Since the 1980s, with gun control becoming a key political issue, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP)-now privatized but until last year funded by Congress-has been surrounded with contention. Issue include: the availability for purchase of the M1 rifle through the CMP, its affiliation with the National Rifle Association, its alleged connection to anti-government groups, the government's role in the now privatized organization. | |||
| 97-725 (PDF, TXT) | NATO's Evolution: A Selected Chronology from the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the Madrid Summit 1989-1997 | Stanley R. Sloan and J. Michelle Forrest, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | July 22, 1997 |
| Today's NATO is different in many ways from the alliance that existed prior to the November 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. This chronology records some significant developments affecting the dual processes of NATO enlargement and adaptation from that time until the July 8-9, 1997 NATO summit meeting in Madrid, Spain. | |||
| 97-739 (PDF, TXT) | Kenya: The Challenges Ahead | Theodros Dagne, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | July 29, 1997 |
| In mid-July 1997, President Daniel arap Moi met with religious and opposition party leaders to discuss opposition demands for constitutional reforms prior to presidential and parliamentary elections, expected to take place before the end of the year. The government's refusal earlier to consider these demands resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen people in the past several months. | |||
| 97-512 (PDF, TXT) | Conventional Arms Transfers to Latin America: U.S. Policy | Richard Grimmett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | August 5, 1997 |
| This report provides background on United States policy regarding conventional arms transfers to Latin America. It focuses on the development of U.S. policy toward arms sales and transfers to Latin America, and the debate over modifying existing policy and practices regarding such sales and transfers to countries in this region. | |||
| 97-751 (PDF, TXT) | Overview of the Miller Act Subcontractor Protection in Federal Projects | John R. Luckey and Alane R. Allman, American Law Division | August 5, 1997 |
| The Miller Act protects persons who have furnished labor or materials to contractors engaged in the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the United States. | |||
| 97-756 (PDF, TXT) | Comparison of Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Americans with Disabilities Act; Age Discrimination in Employment Act; Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972; and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 | Kevin Greely, American Law Division | August 6, 1997 |
| This report provides a side-by-side comparison of the various Acts appearing in the title. The statutes are compared in terms of their scope (or coverage); statutory exceptions and limitations; enforcement procedures; and sanctions. | |||
| 97-657 (PDF, TXT) | Aviation Taxes and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund | John W. Fischer, Economics Division | August 12, 1997 |
| Reauthorization of excise tax revenues for the airport and airway trust fund has been a contentious issue for the last two years. Most of the concern during this period was about future funding needs for the Federal Aviation Administration. The issue has now become an element of the tax plans embedded in House and Senate FY1998 budget reconciliation proposals. | |||
| 97-430 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Statutes Allowing Consumers "Cooling Off" Periods to Rescind Contracts | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | August 13, 1997 |
| Contracts are generally governed by state law. Federal law, however, allows consumers a "cooling off" period during which they may rescind particular types of contracts, owe nothing, and not be subject to suit for breach of contract. | |||
| 97-802 (PDF, TXT) | Medicare Provisions in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA 97, P.L. 105-33) | Jennifer O'Sullivan, Celinda Franco, Beth Fuchs, Bob Lyke, and Richard Price, Education and Public Welfare Division; and Kathleen Swendiman, American Law Division | August 18, 1997 |
| The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 establishes the Medicare+Choice program which expands private plan options to include preferred provider organizations, provider sponsored organizations, and private fee-for-service plans. It modifies the way payments are made to health maintenance organizations. | |||
| 97-799 (PDF, TXT) | Greece and Turkey: Aegean Issues -- Background and Recent Developments | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | August 21, 1997 |
| For many years, NATO allies Greece and Turkey have been adversaries in bilateral disputes which have produced crises and even brought them to the brink of war. One series of disputes involves the Aegean Sea borders. The two disagree over the border in the air, continental shelf, and territorial sea, over the status of islands in the Sea, and over the ownership of Aegean islets. | |||
| 97-811 (PDF, TXT) | NAFTA, Mexican Trade Policy, and U.S.-Mexico Trade: A Longer Term Perspective | J.F. Hornbeck, Economics Division | September 2, 1997 |
| This report evaluates the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship over the past two decades to place recent events and NAFTA in a broader economic context. | |||
| 97-820 (PDF, TXT) | Russian Conventional Armed Forces: On the Verge of Collapse? | Stuart D. Goldman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | September 4, 1997 |
| Russian government decisions and the budget deficit crisis have hit the Ministry of Defense very hard, cutting defense spending drastically and transforming the Defense Ministry into a residual claimant on scarce resources. Many experts believe that if these budgetary constraints continue for 2-3 more years, they must lead either to more drastic force reductions or to military collapse. | |||
| 97-827 (PDF, TXT) | "Legal Expense Funds" and Contributions for Legal Expenses in the House of Representatives | Jack H. Maskell, American Law Division | September 9, 1997 |
| Permission to accept outside private donations, or to use campaign funds, to defray the costs of certain legal expenses for Members and employees of the House of Representatives, operates as an exception to, as well as guidance for, general statutory and congressional rules prohibiting or restricting the receipts of gifts, the use of "unofficial accounts," and the use of campaign funds and contributions. | |||
| 97-840 (PDF, TXT) | Turkey: Situation Update | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | September 12, 1997 |
| Turkey's year-long experiment with Islamist-led government ended in July, when a multi-party secularist coalition headed by Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz took office for what is viewed as a transition to early national elections sometime in 1998. The political situation is fluid. The government is addressing some economic problems and redirecting Turkey's foreign policy back toward the West and toward Turkic kin in Azerbaijan and Central Asia. There are problems in Turkey's relations with the European Union, with efforts to reach an international settlement on Cyprus, and in Turkish-Greek ties. The Administration and Congress are continuing to focus on security, democracy, and human rights in the U.S. dialogue with Ankara. | |||
| 97-849 (PDF, TXT) | Wetland Mitigation Banking: Status and Prospects | Jeffrey A. Zinn, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | September 12, 1997 |
| Wetland protection is controversial because the federal government regulates activities on private lands and because the natural values at some of these regulated sites are being debated. This controversy pits property owners and development interests against environmentalists and others who seek to protect the remaining wetlands. Mitigation banking, which allows a person to degrade a wetland at one site if a wetland at another site is improved, has been identified as a potential answer to this shrill and seemingly intractable debate. | |||
| 97-851 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Indian Law: Background and Current Issues | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | September 15, 1997 |
| This report describes some of the fundamentals of federal Indian law, including the concept of tribal sovereignty and the allocation of authority among state, federal, and tribal governments with reference to criminal and civil laws and taxation. It then touches on some of the current issues related to Indian gaming, taxation, land acquisition, and adoption of Indian children. | |||
| 97-606 (PDF, TXT) | Suspension of Deportation: Tighter Standards for Canceling Removal | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | September 16, 1997 |
| Since 1940, Congress has allowed the Attorney General to grant lawful status to certain aliens who, though not lawfully admitted, have established deep roots here. Over time, Congress has changed the basic eligibility rules for suspension of deportation, the classes of ineligible aliens, and the role of Congress. | |||
| 97-635 (PDF, TXT) | The Balanced Budget Act of 1997: Retirement and Health Insurance Provisions for Postal and Federal Personnel | Carolyn L. Merck, Education and Public Welfare Division | September 17, 1997 |
| On June 25, 1997, the Senate and the House of Representatives each passed FY1998 budget reconciliation bills covering spending and saving proposals. These bill, which reflected assumptions included in the FY1998 congressional budget resolution, included deficit reduction provisions pertaining to the federal civil service retirement and health insurance programs. After approval by the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, these proposals were included in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 enacted on August 5, 1997 (P.L. 105-33). | |||
| 97-881 (PDF, TXT) | Multilateral Development Banks Multilateral Development Banks to Developing Countries | Jonathan E. Sanford, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | September 17, 1997 |
| Net capital flows to developing countries (new disbursements minus repayments or disinvestments) have increased substantially in recent years, rising from $101 billion in 1990 to more than $237 billion in 1995. Private capital has been the fastest growing element. Many have suggested that private capital can now provide the funds that the developing world needs to finance its development. They say that multilateral development bank loans are not needed in the new international environment. A close look at the data suggests that this may not be the case, particularly for low-income countries. | |||
| 97-514 (PDF, TXT) | Hemispheric Free Trade: Status, Hurdles, and Opposition | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | September 29, 1997 |
| Popular support in the United States for the goal of hemispheric free trade has not materialized. Sources of opposition within this United States can be seen in continuing debate on the benefits and costs of hemispheric free trade, as well as on the efficacy of regional free trade agreements per se. | |||
| 96-272 (PDF, TXT) | China: U.S. Economic Sanctions | Dianne E. Rennack, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 1, 1997 |
| Since 1989, U.S.-China relations have seesawed between cooperation and confrontation. Human rights, arms proliferation, the status to Taiwan and Tibet, and the use of prison labor for export goods, all have given cause to continue sanctions. As well, trade issues--intellectual property rights and Chinese markets closed by tariffs and other restrictions--raise the specter of trade sanctions. | |||
| 97-914 (PDF, TXT) | Superfund Cleanup Standards Reconsidered | Mark Reisch and David M. Bearden, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | October 2, 1997 |
| For Congress, the reauthorization of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, has particularly focused on two major areas of reform: liability and the selection of cleanup standards/remedies. This Congressional Research Service addresses the latter. | |||
| 96-517 (PDF, TXT) | Biosphere Reserves: Fact Sheet | Susan R. Fletcher, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated October 3, 1997 |
| "Biosphere Reserve" is a term denoting an area that has been nominated by the locality and the country in which it is located for participation in the worldwide Biosphere Reserve Program under the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), and accepted for such recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Areas are nominated and recognized on the basis of their significance for research and study of representative biological regions of the world. | |||
| 97-908 (PDF, TXT) | The Israeli Economy: Overview and Recent Developments | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | October 8, 1997 |
| The Israeli economy belies simple categorization. Based on a per capita income level of $16,783, a large services sector, and hundreds of dynamic high-tech companies, it is modern and advanced. Based on the large role the government still plays in the economy, it is interventionist and regulated. And based on the country's high defense requirements, chronic trade deficits, and political economy, it can be described as distinctive or unique. | |||
| 97-931 (PDF, TXT) | Budget Enforcement Act of 1997: Summary and Legislative History | Robert Keith Government Division | October 8, 1997 |
| In July, 1997, Congress completed action on two reconciliation bills--the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which reduced mandatory spending; and the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which reduced revenues, but included partially offsetting revenue increases. President Clinton signed the measures into law on August 5, as P.L. 105-33 and P.L 105-34, respectively. Together, the two reconciliation bills implemented most of the deficit reduction and tax relief policies underlying the bipartisan budget agreement between President Clinton and congressional leaders, reached in May, and the FY1998 budget resolution, adopted in June. | |||
| 97-932 (PDF, TXT) | China's Economic Development: An Overview | Wayne M. Morrison, Economics Division | October 10, 1997 |
| Many analysis predict that China's economy will likely continue to experience rapid growth in the near future, especially if economic reforms are expanded and deepened. As a result, the importance of China as a U.S. trading partner could be greatly enhanced. U.S.-Chinese economic relations have been a major issue in the annual congressional debate on extending China's most-favored-nation (MFN) status, as well as congressional oversight of the Administration's policy towards China's application to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). | |||
| 97-941 (PDF, TXT) | China-U.S. Summit, October 1.997 | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | October 16, 1997 |
| At this year's summit between Presidents Clinton and Jiang Zemin, several agreements may be reached, including the creation of a telephone hotline, and understandings on nonproliferation, nuclear cooperation, and military exchanges. | |||
| 97-947 (PDF, TXT) | The Appropriations Process and the Congressional Budget Act | James V. Saturno, Government Division | October 17, 1997 |
| Each year Congress considers a series of appropriations measures that provide funding for various federal programs. These measures consist of regular appropriations, supplemental appropriations, and continuing resolutions. The House and Senate have established procedures that make consideration of these measures distinct from other legislative matters. In particular, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344) provides a timetable for the consideration of appropriations, and allows Congress to establish limitations on the level of funding they supply. | |||
| 97-854 (PDF, TXT) | The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997: An Overview | David L. Brumbaugh, Economics Division | October 17, 1997 |
| On July 31, 1997, the House and Senate both passed the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (H.R. 2014). The President signed the measure on August 5, it became Public Law 105-34. The bill provides a tax cut of modest size in the aggregate that consists of a variety of measures applying to particular types of taxpayers, income, and activities. | |||
| 97-836 (PDF, TXT) | Analysis of Ten Selected Science and Technology Policy Studies | William C. Boesman, Science Policy Research Division | October 24, 1997 |
| Since the end of the Cold War, a number of reports have been prepared on a broad range of science and technology policy issues. Reports dealing with national research and development goals, priorities, and budgets, and university-government-industry relationships are among those of current interest to Congress. Ten science and technology reports dealing with those subjects, completed since 1991, were selected and analyzed for This Congressional Research Service. | |||
| 97-518 (PDF, TXT) | China and the Multilateral Development Banks | Jonathan E. Sanford, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | October 31, 1997 |
| The prospects for the future of multilateral development bank assistance in China are uncertain. In a few years, the World Bank will have to cut its level of International Bank for Reconstruction and Development lending or waive its rule against lending more than 10 percent of its funds to one country. If U.S. influence in the World Bank diminishes, Japan and some other countries may want to revisit the question of terminating International Development Association (IDA) assistance to China. Likewise, it is not evident what will replace IDA as a source of credit for social programs and non-commercial agricultural development. The Chinese government has not shown that it is willing to borrow market-rate money to fund these activities. | |||
| 97-999 (PDF, TXT) | Prison Litigation Reform Act: Survey of Post-Reform Act Prisoners' Civil Rights Cases | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | November 4, 1997 |
| This report summarizes the Prison Litigation Reform Act and surveys post-Reform Act court decisions interpreting the Act and other cases concerning prisoners' civil rights. | |||
| 97-208 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1998: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies | Paul F. Rothberg and Duane Thompson, Science Policy Research Division | November 13, 1997 |
| There are many "macro" issues or factor that are likely to influence the debate over the Administration’s FY1998 budget request. These include: the proposed reauthorization of the federal surface transportation programs; pressure to reduce discretionary outlays to achieve a balanced budget; a $100 million request for a Transportation Infrastructure Credit Program; the recommendations of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety; and the proposed deployment of new user fees to offset costs incurred in some of the safety programs. | |||
| 97-204 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY 1998: VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies | Dennis W. Snook, Education and Public Welfare Division | November 17, 1997 |
| The VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and a number of other independent agencies including the National Science Foundation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Program. | |||
| 97-205 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1998: Defense | Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | November 26, 1997 |
| Early discussion of the FY1998 defense request has focused on whether the FY1998 budget resolution should be adjusted to allow more room for congressional additions to the request and on trade-offs between defense and non-defense discretionary spending. The issue may be especially difficult to resolve because the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Administration's defense request will entail outlays $5.6 billion greater than the amount the Office of management and Budget projects. | |||
| 97-203 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY 1998: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education | Paul W. Irwin, Education and Public Welfare Division | December 3, 1997 |
| The appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies provides almost all discretionary funds for the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education, and related agencies including the Social Security Administration. | |||
| 96-889 (PDF, TXT) | China: Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) and Defense Industries | Shirley A. Kan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated December 3, 1997 |
| Congressional interest in the Chinese military, or People's Liberation Army (PLA), has increased as a result of the March 1996 tensions in the Taiwan Strait, continuing allegations of Chinese proliferation of technology useful in weapons of mass destruction, and reports that some Chinese defense-related corporations have circumvented U.S. export controls to acquire dual-use technology. The Commission of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND), an important, high-level PLA organization, plays a role in China's weapon programs, sales of civilian goods, acquisition of military technology, and arms sales and export controls. The purpose of this Congressional Research Service report is to examine the origins and command, roles, and influence of COSTIND. | |||
| 97-201 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1998: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | December 9, 1997 |
| This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Subcommittees on Agriculture Appropriations. It summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products. | |||
| 97-212 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY 1998: Legislative Branch | Paul E. Dwyer, Government Division | December 11, 1997 |
| Legislative funding proposals continue to receive close scrutiny this year. While the legislative budget is not particularly large, many Members believe that there are places to trim expenses. | |||
| 98-23 (PDF, TXT) | Bosnia Options After June 1998: Summary of a CRS/GAO Seminar | Julie Kim, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | December 23, 1997 |
| A seminar held on November 6, 1997, cosponsored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the General Accounting Office (GAO), considered options for the Bosnia peace operation after June 1998, the expiration date of the current NATO operation. On December 18, President Clinton announced his support in principle for a continued NATO presence in Bosnia, including U.S. troops, beyond June 1998. NATO is expected to decide on a post-SFOR force in early 1998. At the November seminar, speakers reviewed progress to date in implementing the Dayton peace agreement, the performance of the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR), and offered perspectives on U.S. and allied interests in Bosnia. This report summarizes some of the presentations and discussion themes from that seminar. | |||
| 97-206 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1998: Interior and Related Agencies | Alfred R. Greenwood, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | December 24, 1997 |
| The Interior and Related Agencies budget requests likely will be subjected this year to close scrutiny, particularly for those program increases above the FY1997 enacted level. | |||
| 98-32 (PDF, TXT) | ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST REVISIONS: A SUMMARY OF DELISTING AND DOWNSIZING | Robert J. Noecker, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated January 5, 1998 |
| This report outlines the process and reasons for delisting or downlisting, and summarizes the 27 species delisted due to extinction, recovery, or data revision; and the 22 species that have been downlisted from endangered to threatened status due to stabilized or improving populations. | |||
| 96-177 (PDF, TXT) | Bosnia: Civil Implementation of the Peace Agreement | Julie Kim, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 12, 1998 |
| Overall, many international policymakers have determined that the progress made in Bosnia after two years is still not irreversible, and not at a point where peace in Bosnia is self-sustaining. This premise forms the basic justification for some form of continued international military force to remain in Bosnia in order to provide a secure environment for continued peace consolidation efforts. | |||
| 98-39 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN INVESTMENT TREATIES: IMPACT ON DIRECT INVESTMENT | James K. Jackson, Economics Division | Updated January 12, 1998 |
| As prospects grow for a new multilateral investment agreement, some groups within the United States are examining foreign investment agreements to determine their impact on the domestic economy. In particular, they are concerned that the current regime of bilateral investment treaties is negatively affecting domestic investment spending by U.S. firms, the U.S. international trade position, and the growth of domestic U.S. jobs. | |||
| 98-40 (PDF, TXT) | THE FORAGE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997: AN ANALYSIS OF H.R. 2493 | Pamela Baldwin, American Law Division | Updated January 13, 1998 |
| This report analyzes most of the provisions of H.R. 2493, which addresses the grazing programs of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. The bill addresses primarily monitoring, cooperative management plans, and grazing fees. | |||
| 98-41 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY READINESS, OPERATIONS TEMPO (OPTEMPO) AND PERSONNEL TEMPO (PERSTEMPO): ARE U.S. FORCES DOING TOO MUCH? | Michael C. Ryan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 14, 1998 |
| Although the armed forces of the United States are meeting mission requirements while maintaining an acceptable level of readiness, indications are that under the current strategy, with existing forces postured and organized for high intensity conflict, the sustainment of both high levels of activity and high readiness will be difficult. | |||
| 98-56 (PDF, TXT) | THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND'S (IMF) PROPOSED QUOTA INCREASE: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | Patricia A. Wertman, Economics Division | Updated January 16, 1998 |
| The IMF is the international lender-of-last-resort. Each of the 182 members of the IMF have a "quota," which broadly reflects the size of its economy and its relative position in the world economy. Among other things, quotas determine the size of a country's contribution to the IMF's capital. This, they provide the funds out of which IMF makes its loans. The Eleventh General Quota Review has just been completed with a recommendation that quotas be increased by 45 percent. This would result in an $88 billion increase in total IMF quotas, to $283 billion. | |||
| 98-81 (PDF, TXT) | COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY: ISSUES INVOLVING THE "DOE-INTEL CRADA" | Wendy H. Schacht and Glenn J. McLoughlin, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated January 22, 1998 |
| In March 1997, a consortium of U.S. semiconductor companies (called the EUV LLC), led by Intel and including Motorola and Advanced Micro Devices, signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with three Department of Energy laboratories to develop commercial applications for a semiconductor manufacturing technology called extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The promise of EUV technology is to allow semiconductor chip manufacturers to make chips with more computing speed and memory capacity. | |||
| 97-948 (PDF, TXT) | DEFENSE EXPORT LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM (DELG) | Richard Grimmett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 26, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of the Defense Export Loan Guarantee Program (DELG). It discusses the major features of the program, which is aimed at assisting prospective foreign purchasers of U.S. defense equipment finance those purchases through private sector loans. | |||
| 98-66 (PDF, TXT) | MAQUILADORAS AND NAFTA: THE ECONOMICS OF U.S.-MEXICO PRODUCTION SHARING AND TRADE | J.F. Hornbeck, Economics Division | Updated January 27, 1998 |
| Debate continues over the benefits of U.s. trade with Mexico, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and particularly maquiladores, or cross-border production sharing plants. | |||
| 95-256 (PDF, TXT) | The Au Pair Program | Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 30, 1998 |
| Legislation passed late in the 103rd Congress granted the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) authority to design and implement more rigorous rules regulating the au pair program. In 1997, the au pair program received considerable media attention as a result of the Louise Woodward court case regarding possible involvement of an au pair in the death of a child in Massachusetts. The U.S. Information Agency amended existing federal regulations for the au pair program in September 1997 to underscore the cultural exchange aspect of the program and strengthen au pair recruiting and training. | |||
| 98-131 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA'S ECONOMY: FINDINGS OF A RESEARCH TRIP | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated February 9, 1998 |
| China's economic ascendancy has aroused great interest in the Congress. This report combines first-hand impressions of China's economy and U.S.-China commercial relations with an analysis of publicly available data and reporting. | |||
| 97-207 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1998: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT | Marc Humphries and Carl E. Behrens, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated February 10, 1998 |
| Key issues involving the Energy and Water appropriations programs include up-front funding for several construction projects proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Energy; DOE’s request to expand its privatization program for waste management and cleanup; spending for nuclear technology R&D, which involves electrometallurgical treatment of DOE spent nuclear fuel; and the Tennessee Valley Authority’s request to transfer authority over its nonpower appropriated programs and focus on its power programs in a deregulated market. | |||
| 98-102 (PDF, TXT) | NAFTA BINATIONAL PANEL SYSTEM: SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL SUIT DISMISSED | Jeanne J. Grimmett, American Law Division | Updated February 10, 1998 |
| Chapter 19 of the NAFTA allows parties to antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings to seek binational panel review of final agency determinations in lieu of judicial review in the country in which the determination was made. Some have argued that the process violates the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution and possesses other constitutional defects. | |||
| 98-180 (PDF, TXT) | MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS' ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND INFORMATION POLICIES: IMPACT OF THE PELOSI AMENDMENT | Jonathan Sanford, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated February 12, 1998 |
| In 1989, Congress passed legislation that included a provision known as the "Pelosi Amendment." It requires U.S. Executive Directors at the World Bank and all the regional multilateral development banks to abstain or vote against any proposed action with significant environmental effects if it has not received an appropriate environmental assessment, or if the assessment has not been available to the Executive Directors and the public for 120 days before a vote. This report describes the environmental assessment and information disclosure policies of the multilateral development banks that have been in effect since 1991, and actions taken by the U.S. government to implement it. | |||
| 97-213 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1998: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | Nonna A. Noto, Economics Division | Updated February 20, 1998 |
| The FY1998 appropriations bill reflects the substantial changes in the financial relationship between the federal government and the District of Columbia made by the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, enacted August 5, 1997. The Act eliminated the traditional federal payment and annual federal contribution to certain District of Columbia retirement funds. In exchange, the Act transferred financial responsibility for several governmental functions from the District’s budget to the federal budget and authorized a federal contribution to operations of government of the nation’s capital of $190 million for FY1998. | |||
| 97-210 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1998: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION | Mary T. Tyszkiewicz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated February 26, 1998 |
| For FY1998, the Administration has requested budget authority of $8.4 billion, comprised of $4.7 billion for military construction and $3.7 billion for family housing. The President’s request is 8 percent less than the FY1997 request and 16 percent less than Congress approved last year. | |||
| 97-668 (PDF, TXT) | NATO EXPANSION: COST ISSUES | Carl Ek, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated February 26, 1998 |
| During their December 1997 summit in Brussels, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed protocols that would add three countries--Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary--to the alliance. The national legislatures of the current 15 member countries must now approve the enlargement. One major question being considered is how much expansion might cost. | |||
| 98-186 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT: AN OVERVIEW OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, PROCEDURE, AND PRACTICE | Elizabeth B. Bazan, American Law Division | Updated February 27, 1998 |
| The Constitution places the responsibility and authority to determine whether to impeach and to draft articles of impeachment in the hands of the House of Representatives. A number of means have been used to trigger the House's investigation, but the ultimate decision in all instances as to whether or not impeachment is appropriate rests with the House. Should the House vote to impeach and vote articles of impeachment specifying the grounds upon which impeachment is based, the matter is then presented to the Senate for trial. | |||
| 97-211 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1998: Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs | Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | March 2, 1998 |
| For Foreign Operations programs, President Clinton seeks $13.324 billion in discretionary budget authority in FY1998, $1.056 billion, or 8.6 percent higher than currently available for this year. Most of the increases are concentrated in three activities: multilateral development bank contributions, especially payment of arrears; Partnership for Freedom, a new phase of U.S. aid to Russia and other former Soviet republics; and meeting emerging regional democracy, human rights, and peace making needs. | |||
| 98-214 (PDF, TXT) | NATO POLICY: SELECTED LEGISLATION IN THE 103RD, 104TH, AND 105TH CONGRESSES | Christopher Bell, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 4, 1998 |
| This report portrays the broad array of issues concerning the future of NATO--primarily, enlargement to include new members, burdensharing, and financial assistance--that Congress has considered during the past few years. | |||
| 98-189 (PDF, TXT) | TOBACCO ADVERTISING: THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF LIMITING ITS TAX DEDUCTIBILITY | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | Updated March 4, 1998 |
| Under the Internal Revenue Code, advertising is ordinarily deductible as a business expense (26 U.S.C. Section 162). It has been proposed, however, that the deductibility of the cost of advertising tobacco products be limited or eliminated. Since advertising is a form of speech, this raises the question of whether such a limitation would violate the provision of the First Amendment that "Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…." | |||
| 98-218 (PDF, TXT) | VERTICAL MAXIMUM PRICE FIXING: STATE OIL V. KHAN | Michael V. Seitzinger, American Law Division | Updated March 5, 1998 |
| Respondent Khan and his corporation entered into an agreement with petitioner State Oil to lease and operate a gas station owned by State Oil. Respondents agreed to obtain the station's gasoline supply from State Oil at a price equal to a suggested retail price set by State Oil. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to consider whether State Oil's conduct constituted a per se violation of the Sherman Act. The Court held that State Oil's conduct did not constitute a per se violation, thereby overruling an earlier Supreme Court case. | |||
| 98-215 (PDF, TXT) | THE PEACE CORPS: BACKGROUND AND ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 6, 1998 |
| The Peace Corps has made efforts in recent years to improve recruitment, including raising the number of minorities represented and recruiting volunteers with newly required skills, such as those with business backgrounds. It has also taken significant steps to meet health care concerns, including ensuring that post-service volunteers were well-informed regarding workers compensation benefits. | |||
| 98-250 (PDF, TXT) | WIRETAPPING, TAPE RECORDERS & LEGAL ETHICS: QUESTIONS POSED BY ATTORNEYINVOLVEMENT IN SECRETLY RECORDING CONVERSATION | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated March 6, 1998 |
| The American Bar Association considers recording a telephone or face to face conversation without the knowledge and consent of the parties to conversation contrary to the ethical standards of the legal profession. Some of the state court and bar association committees responsible for the regulation of the practice of law agree; some disagree; and some agree but with exceptions. | |||
| 98-233 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL TIMBER HARVESTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. TIMBER SUPPLY | Ross W. Gorte, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated March 10, 1998 |
| The importance of federal timber has been debated at length over many years. The federal government owns about 20 percent of U.S. timberlands, concentrated in the west, and about 30 percent of U.S. timber inventory (and 44 percent of the softwood inventory). Declines in federal harvests in recent years, and legislation to end federal harvests, have led to concerns about the impacts on forest health and on the economy. The national impacts appear to be relatively modest, but local and regional effects could be substantial. | |||
| 98-251 (PDF, TXT) | WIRETAPPING, TAPE RECORDERS & LEGAL ETHICS: QUESTIONS POSED BY ATTORNEYINVOLVEMENT IN SECRETLY RECORDING CONVERSATION | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated March 12, 1998 |
| The American Bar Association considers recording a telephone or face to face conversation without the knowledge and consent of the parties to conversation contrary to the ethical standards of the legal profession. Some of the state court and bar association committees responsible for the regulation of the practice of law agree; some disagree; and some agree but with exceptions. | |||
| 98-263 (PDF, TXT) | FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ACT MODERNIZATION ACT OF 1997--THE PROVISIONS | Richard Rowberg, B. Randall, Donnal Porter, Bernice Reyes-Akinbileje, and Donna Vogt, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated March 13, 1998 |
| This report presents a detailed summary of the provisions of the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997, P.L. 105-115. This Act is the first comprehensive revision of the nation's food, drug, and medical device laws in 30 years. For each section, a summary of previous policy or law is presented followed by a detailed description of the new law. An appendix provides a list and description of all of the deadlines for actions set in the Act. | |||
| 97-469 (PDF, TXT) | MULTILATERAL AGREEMENT ON INVESTMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES | James K. Jackson, Economics Division | Updated March 18, 1998 |
| The United States is negotiating with Ministers from the other developed economies on a Multilateral Agreement on Investment. U.S. negotiators are dissatisfied with the current draft of the agreement and oppose setting new deadlines for completing the long and divisive negotiations. Should the Ministers resolve the myriad outstanding issues, the measure will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration as a treaty. | |||
| 98-277 (PDF, TXT) | BANKRUPTCY AND CREDIT CARD DEBT: IS THERE A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP? | Mark Jickling, Economics Division | Updated March 19, 1998 |
| This report explores the relationship between credit card debt and the fast-growing rate of personal bankruptcy. Is the bankruptcy code so biased towards debtors that it encourages irresponsible and/or fraudulent credit card borrowing, or have lenders themselves been reckless in issuing credit cards to households with limited financial resources and sophistication? | |||
| 98-288 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL EXCISE TAXES AND STATUTORY EXEMPTIONS | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated March 20, 1998 |
| This report consists of a chart of selected federal excise taxes that apply to sales of goods and services. It covers how each tax is imposed and whether there are statutory exemptions from the tax. There is a special emphasis on whether there are exemptions for federal agencies. | |||
| 98-283 (PDF, TXT) | INDEPENDENT COUNSEL PROVISIONS: AN OVERVIEW OF THE OPERATION OF THE LAW | Jack Maskell, American Law Division | Updated March 20, 1998 |
| This report provides a brief overview and "walk through" of the statutory mechanisms of the independent counsel law, including the role in the independent counsel process of the Attorney General of the United States, and the special three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals. The current independent counsel law has a five-year "sunset," and will expire in June 1999. | |||
| 98-272 (PDF, TXT) | DRUG CERTIFICATION OF MEXICO IN 1998: ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL | K. Larry Storrs, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 20, 1998 |
| This report presents arguments for and against congressional resolutions which have been introduced to disapprove President Clinton's February 26, 1998 certification of Mexico as a fully cooperative country in efforts to control illicit narcotics. | |||
| 98-275 (PDF, TXT) | U.N. REFORM IN THE 1997 GENERAL ASSEMBLY | Lois B. McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 23, 1998 |
| This report provides background information and summarizes reforms considered and adopted by the 1997 U.N. General Assembly. | |||
| 97-670 (PDF, TXT) | AGRICULTURE AND EPA’S PROPOSED AIR QUALITY STANDARDS FOR OZONE AND PARTICULATES | James E. McCarthy and Jeffrey A. Zinn, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated March 24, 1998 |
| This report discusses potential impacts on agriculture of the new air quality standards for ozone and particulates promulgated by EPA on July 18, 1997. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate (HR. 1984/S. 1084) to block implementation of the new standards, and the Senate has approved an amendment to the surface transportation bill, S.Amdt. 1687, to address a limited set of implementation issues. At the request of agricultural interests, the amendment includes a requirement that EPA report to Congress on the ability of its sampling and analysis methods to differentiate types of fine particles. | |||
| 98-285 (PDF, TXT) | THE REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES ACT: DISCLOSURE OF FEES TO MORTGAGE BROKERS | Bruce E. Foote, Economics Division | Updated March 24, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of one of the issues involving the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA), which was enacted to prevent abuses in the settlement process for residential real estate. A current issue is whether certain compensation to mortgage brokers violates the anti-kickback provisions of RESPA. The present RESPA regulation is discussed, as well as the unsuccessful attempt to address the issues through a negotiated rulemaking. A summary and analysis of HUD's subsequent proposed rule is provided. | |||
| 98-289 (PDF, TXT) | THE PROPOSED WITNESS PROTECTION AND INTERSTATE RELOCATION ACT OF 1997: H.R. 2181 | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated March 25, 1998 |
| H.R. 2181 addresses the problem of gang-related witness intimidation by making it a federal offense to travel in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to delay or influence the testimony of a witness in a state criminal proceeding by bribery, force, intimidation, or threat. | |||
| 98-292 (PDF, TXT) | PROMULGATING PROCEDURAL RULES FOR THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS AND COURTS OF APPEALS | P.L. Morgan, American Law Division | Updated March 26, 1998 |
| By rules enabling acts, Congress has authorized federal courts to promulgate rules of procedure, but it has generally reserved the right to review proposed rules before they become effective. This report sketches the manner in which procedural rules for United States District Courts and Courts of Appeals are adopted or modified and the participants in the process. | |||
| 98-303 (PDF, TXT) | INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND POPULATIONS PROGRAMS: A SURVEY OF CURRENT ACTIVITY | Jonathan E. Sanford, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 27, 1998 |
| This report examines the population or family planning activities financed by the international financial institutions (IFIs), based on a survey of their activities. Only the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank current fund family planning projects. Reference is made to the international framework for family planning activity approved by the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994. Tables are included listing all family planning programs funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank between 1993 and 1997. | |||
| 98-330 (PDF, TXT) | SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS II, APRIL 18-19, 1998: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVES, AND EXPECTATIONS | K. Larry Storrs, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 2, 1998 |
| The 1998 Santiago Summit focused on four major items: (1) promoting education; (2) strengthening democracy and human rights; (3) promoting economic integration; and (4) eradicating poverty and discrimination. | |||
| 97-249 (PDF, TXT) | NATO Enlargement and the Former European Neutrals | Stanley R. Sloan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 8, 1998 |
| With the NATO enlargement process now underway, Europe's former neutral states--Austria, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ireland--are reevaluating the role they should play in the changing European security setting. Congress might wish to consider how the enlargement process might affect decisions by the former neutrals about their relationship to, and potential membership in, the Alliance. | |||
| 98-344 (PDF, TXT) | TOBACCO LITIGATION: CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RAISED BY PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO CAP ATTORNEYS' FEES | Henry Cohen, Robert Meltz, and Johnny H. Killian, American Law Division | Updated April 8, 1998 |
| Proposals have been made for Congress to enact a law placing a cap on the fees that states could pay attorneys they have retained to pursue litigation against tobacco companies to recover tobacco-related Medicaid expenditures or other causes of action. Such caps would apply to existing contracts. Consideration of a law imposing such caps has raised several constitutional issues: (1) Congress's commerce power, (2) due process, (3) the takings clause, and (4) federalism. | |||
| 98-358 (PDF, TXT) | BAN ON USE OF POLYGRAPH EVIDENCE DOES NOT AMOUNT TO ABRIDGEMENT OF MILITARY DEFENDANT'S RIGHT TO PRESENT A DEFENSE | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated April 13, 1998 |
| Military Rule of Evidence 707 excludes polygraph evidence in military trials. The Supreme Court on March 31, 1998, upheld the ban, holding that it did not violate the Sixth Amendment rights of defendants. The Court also said that the military ban on the use of such evidence "…does not unconstitutionally abridge the right to present a defense." | |||
| 98-365 (PDF, TXT) | Some Perspectives on the Changing Role of the U.S. Government in Science and Technology | William C. Boesman, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated April 14, 1998 |
| This report analyzes a number of factors bearing on the government's role in science and technology: the character of research and development supported by the government; the federal R&D missions involved; whether the government funds R&D in its own laboratories or in those of industry or academia; and the government's R&D budget and its management of, and planning for, science and technology. | |||
| 98-374 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN MILITARY TROOPS IN THE UNITED STATES | Edward F. Bruner, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 16, 1998 |
| This report discusses to what extent and why military personnel and forces from foreign nations are sometimes stationed in the United States. | |||
| 98-387 (PDF, TXT) | THE LAW OF CHURCH AND STATE: THE PROPOSED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AMENDMENT, H.J.RES. 78 | David M. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated April 20, 1998 |
| On March 4, 1998, the House Judiciary Committee voted to report H.J.Res. 78, the "Religious Freedom Amendment," to the House. The proposal is the latest in a long chain of constitutional amendments that have been introduced since the Supreme Court's school prayer decisions of Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v. Schempp. This report summarizes legislative developments on the proposal and briefly analyzes its likely legal effect if added to the Constitution. | |||
| 98-353 (PDF, TXT) | INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES: SUMMARY OF A REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE | Glenn J. McLoughlin, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated April 20, 1998 |
| This report is a summary of a comparative study on international science and technology, prepared at the request of the Committee on Science of the House of Represents. It provides a digest of analysis and findings on the science and technology policies, civilian research and development funding, and relevant policy issues of 13 countries and the European Union. It also provides a description of why these findings and issues may be of interest to U.S. policymakers, as well as an analysis of issues and concerns about U.S. data collection and information. | |||
| 98-402 (PDF, TXT) | NATO AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: ECONOMIC CAPACITY OF NEW MEMBER COUNTRIES AND OPPORTUNITY COSTS | John P. Hardt, and Milana I. Gorshkova, Economics Division | Updated April 23, 1998 |
| Formal accession agreements with the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joining NATO are scheduled for spring 1999, with accession to the European Union several years later. In tight budgets over the coming decade these security requirements for assuring integration into NATO structures and force modernization would have to compete with other incremental programs designed to further economic transition and meet European Union accession requirements. How well the likely new members to NATO and EU assess their opportunity costs in formulating their budgets in the decade ahead may be of special interest to the U.S. Congress in discharging its foreign and appropriations policy responsibilities. | |||
| 96-404 (PDF, TXT) | Bosnia War Crimes: The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and U.S. Policy | Margaret Mikyung Lee, Raphael Perl, and Steven Woehrel, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 23, 1998 |
| War crimes were an integral part of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. U.S. and European policymakers felt a need to respond to the emotional issue of war crimes, but did not want to be drawn into the Bosnian war as combatants or policemen. The U.N. Security Council established The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in May 1993. It is the first international tribunal for prosecution of war crimes since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials fifty years ago. U.S. policymakers are faced with difficult policy dilemmas on the issue of how to combine support for the Tribunal with progress on implementing the Bosnian peace accords. | |||
| 98-412 (PDF, TXT) | INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF): COSTS AND BENEFITS OF U.S. PARTICIPATION | Patricia A. Wertman, Economics Division | Updated April 29, 1998 |
| The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international lender-of-last-resort. As Congress considers major funding proposals for the IMF, the costs sustained and the benefits provided by U.S. participation in the IMF have become issues. This report examines both the quantifiable costs and the largely unquantifiable benefits. It also summarizes relevant budgetary conventions, which dictate that U.S. transactions with the IMF have no net impact on the budgetary position of the United States and do not require a compensatory cut in domestic spending. | |||
| 98-413 (PDF, TXT) | CRIMINAL LAW: THE "EXCULPATORY NO" DOCTRINE IS NOT A DEFENSE UNDER 18 U.S.C. 1001 | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated April 30, 1998 |
| In some judicial circuits, the "exculpatory no" doctrine has shielded from 18 U.S.C. 1001 liability an individual's denial of involvement in, or knowledge of criminal activity. In Brogan v. United States, the Supreme Court decided that there is no exception to 1001 criminal liability for a false statement consisting merely of an "exculpatory no." | |||
| 98-417 (PDF, TXT) | STATUTORY MODIFICATIONS OF THE APPLICATION OF NEPA | Pamela Baldwin, American Law Division | Updated May 1, 1998 |
| From time to time, Congress has considered the operation of the National Environmental Policy Act. While Congress has amended the statute itself only twice since its enactment, Congress has often enacted provisions that modify the application of the Act or specify the extent of the documents that need be prepared in particular instances or contexts. This report collects and lists examples of such provisions. | |||
| 98-419 (PDF, TXT) | ELECTRICITY RESTRUCTURING BACKGROUND: THE PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT OF 1978 AND THE ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 1992 | Amy Abel, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 4, 1998 |
| Electric utilities have been subject to comprehensive federal and state economic regulation since enactment of the Public Utilities Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA) and the Federal Power Act. This regulatory framework remained virtually unchanged until 1978. The oil embargoes of the 1970s created concerns about the security of the nation's electricity supply leading to enactment of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). For the first time, utilities were required to purchase power from outside sources. As the electric utility restructuring debate evolves, policy issues to be addressed may include federal-state jurisdictional roles, stranded cost recovery, industry structure, and non-economic regulatory factors. | |||
| 98-385 (PDF, TXT) | INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT: PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON UNIFORM DISCIPLINARY POLICIES | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated May 5, 1998 |
| An amendment to the disciplinary procedures under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been proposed. This amendment would allow state and local educational agencies to establish and implement uniform policies with respect to discipline for all children within their jurisdiction, including children with disabilities, and is identical to one offered and defeated during debate on IDEA reauthorization last year. | |||
| 98-430 (PDF, TXT) | ARMENIA: UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 5, 1998 |
| This report describes the recent change in the Armenian government and its possible consequences. The united States may need to adjust its policies in the region to meet new realities. | |||
| 98-432 (PDF, TXT) | MERCOSUR: FORMATION, STATUS, TRADE EFFECTS, POLICY CHALLENGES, AND U.S. INTERESTS | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 6, 1998 |
| Mercosur, consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is the third largest preferential trading group in the world. Since its inception in 1991, Mercosur has made considerable progress in integrating the economies of its members. The integration--an almost complete free trade area and a partial customs union--has been accompanied by a significant increase in U.S. exports and investment to the region. In general, the United States has viewed the evolution of Mercosur as being supportive of its political interests as well, although Mercosur is seen as favoring a slower approach to hemispheric economic integration. In the future, Mercosur faces challenges affecting the size of its membership, the depth of its integration, and the strength of its institutions. | |||
| 97-882 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA'S TREATMENT OF RELIGIOUS PRACTICES | Kerry Dumbaugh and Deborah Johnson, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 8, 1998 |
| Membership data on religious organizations in China supports the proposition that the practice of religion continues to increase despite official attempts to control religious observance through state run Religious Affairs Bureaus that operate at the provincial, county, and local levels. Since 1987, Beijing has promulgated regulations tightening state control over religious activities on the grounds that such activities could serve as cover for ethnic and political activists. | |||
| 98-442 (PDF, TXT) | THE KODAK-FUJI FILM CASE AT THE WTO AND THE OPENNESS OF JAPAN'S FILM MARKET | Dick K. Nanto, Economics Division | Updated May 8, 1998 |
| On March 31, 1998, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released a decision in a U.S.-initiated dispute involving access by Kodak to the photographic film and paper market in Japan. The WTO panel decided against the United States, but it did not address the more general question of market barriers in Japan. In the process of arguing its position at the WTO, Japan made representations that its market for photographic film and paper is open. Rather than appeal the case, one U.S. strategy is to hold Japan to its representations about the openness of its markets. In the 105th Congress, S.Con.Res. 88 and H.Con.Res. 233 call on Japan to establish and maintain an open, competitive market for consumer photographic film and paper and other products that face similar market access barriers there, such as autos and auto parts, glass, and telecommunications. | |||
| 98-456 (PDF, TXT) | LYING TO CONGRESS: THE FALSE STATEMENTS ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated May 12, 1998 |
| The False Statements Accountability Act of 1996, among other things, amends the federal code to specify its applicability to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government prohibiting anyone from knowingly and willfully making misrepresentations to these three branches, and by making it clear that one can corruptly obstruct Congressional proceedings personally as well as by influencing another person. | |||
| 97-434 (PDF, TXT) | LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF CONGRESS: A BRIEF REFERENCE GUIDE | George Costello, American Law Division | Updated May 13, 1998 |
| This report is designed to assist in identification of Congress’ legislative powers. It lists legislative powers, sets forth the constitutional text for each power, and provides commentary. | |||
| 98-466 (PDF, TXT) | TOBACCO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING RESTRICTIONS IN S. 1415, 105TH CONGRESS: FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | Updated May 15, 1998 |
| Sections 122-123 of S. 1415, 105th Congress, would prohibit, among other things, outdoor tobacco advertising on billboards, tobacco advertising with human or animal images of cartoon characters, and most tobacco advertising on the Internet. Although the First Amendment provides only limited protection to commercial speech, S. 1415's marketing and advertising restrictions, to the extent that they deny adults access to tobacco advertising more than is necessary to protect children, may be unconstitutional. | |||
| 98-520 (PDF, TXT) | "DIGITAL ERA COPYRIGHT ENHANCEMENT ACT": ANALYSIS OF H.R. 3048 | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated May 18, 1998 |
| The "Digital Era Copyright Enhancement Act" (H.R. 3048) would amend the Copyright Act to make changes in copyright law relating to use of materials in electronic, digital environments such as the Internet. The bill would make changes in the United States law to implement the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. Other amendments cover fair use, library reproduction of copyrighted works, the first sale doctrine, distance learning, ephemeral recordings, operational copying by computers, and shrink-wrap licensing of software. This report analyzes H.R. 3048 and compares its main provisions with the provisions of S. 2037, another WIPO treaties implementation bill, which passed the Senate in May 1998. | |||
| 98-481 (PDF, TXT) | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS: REPEAL OF SECTION 1706 OF THE TAX REFORM ACT OF 1986 FOR TECHNICAL SERVICE WORKERS: S. 1924 | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated May 19, 1998 |
| S. 1924, 105th Congress, would repeal section 1706 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 )which is section 530(d) of the Revenue Act of 1978, as amended). Entitled the "Technical Workers Fairness Act of 1998," S. 1924 was introduced on April 2, 1998. This report discusses the background and possible effects of S. 1924. Section 1706 took away the statutory safe harbor for firms that place technical service workers with companies that use the workers' services. | |||
| 98-478 (PDF, TXT) | AGRICULTURAL PROVISIONS IN THE FY1998 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT (P.L. 105-174) | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated May 19, 1998 |
| A $6.1 billion FY1998 supplemental appropriations bill (P.L. 105-174), signed into law on May 1, 1998, contains $175.6 million in additional spending for agricultural programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of this amount, $159.8 billion is provided to help agricultural producers recover from various natural disasters. Another $15.8 million is for non-emergency supplemental spending within USDA, primarily for farm loans and the Department's civil rights activities. Virtually all of the agricultural spending was offset by reductions in other programs. | |||
| 98-495 (PDF, TXT) | INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION PLATFORMS: SATELLITES, MANNED AIRCRAFT, AND UAVS | Michael F. Miller and Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated May 21, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of the role of imagery in policymaking and military planning, the capabilities and limitations of different imagery collection platforms, and the evolving organizational relationships that govern the acquisition and use of imagery. Special attention is given to past congressional concerns and legislative provisions that have had a major influence on imagery collection efforts. | |||
| 98-487 (PDF, TXT) | COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION ANTIPIRACY ACT: SUMMARY OF H.R. 2652 | Douglas Reid Weimer, American Law Division | Updated May 21, 1998 |
| H.R. 2652, 105th Congress, 1st Session, proposes to create a new body of copyright law which would be entitled "Misappropriation of Collections of Information." The bill would impose liability on anyone who extracted or used in commerce all or a substantial portion of a collection of information in such a way as to harm the market for the product or service that contained the information and is offered in commerce. The database collection would be protected for a term of fifteen years. The bill provides for civil and criminal remedies and sets time limitations for bringing actions for misappropriation. | |||
| 98-516 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES: AN ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF STATE INCENTIVES | James K. Jackson, Economics Division | Updated May 26, 1998 |
| This report focuses on several topics related to economic and financial incentives state and local governments offer firms, especially foreign firms, to invest in their jurisdictions. It examines empirical research on the role incentives and subsidies play in the decisions of firms to invest abroad and the competition between state and local governments to attract investments. It also examines recent international attempts to address the issue of incentives and subsidies offered by an increasing number of developing countries to attract multinational firms to invest within their borders. | |||
| 98-525 (PDF, TXT) | SOUTH ASIA CRISIS: EFFECTS ON THE MIDDLE EAST | Kenneth Katzman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 5, 1998 |
| The May 1998 nuclear tests by India and Pakistan have raised concerns that these countries, particularly Pakistan, might transfer nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction technology to Iran or other Middle Eastern states. Iran has developed military ties to both India and Pakistan, and has tried to acquire advanced technology from Pakistan, but political and other differences have limited these relationships. There is little evidence that other Middle Eastern countries have tried to acquire weapons of mass destruction technology from India or Pakistan. | |||
| 98-524 (PDF, TXT) | THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE FORMER PRESIDENTS ACT AND THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS | Elizabeth B. Bazan, American Law Division | Updated June 5, 1998 |
| Under the Former Presidents Act, as amended, 3 U.S.C. Section 102 note, former Presidents receive a monetary allowance for the remainder of their lives, except for those periods when they hold appointive or elective office or a position in or under the federal government or the District of Columbia government at other than a nominal rate of pay. The Act also provides for office staff and office space for former Presidents and for a monetary allowance for a former President's widow, under specified circumstances, should he predecease her. It appears that if a President is tried by the Senate in an impeachment trial, but not convicted and therefore not removed from office; or if he were to resign before or during an impeachment proceeding, but before being convicted on an article of impeachment; he would remain a "former President" for purposes of the Act. | |||
| 98-20 (PDF, TXT) | TAXPAYER PROTECTIONS IN THE IRS RESTRUCTURING BILL: ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND DAMAGES FOR IRS ABUSES | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated June 15, 1998 |
| Title III of the House-passed version of H.R. 2676 (105th Congress), the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1997, contains a number of provisions designed to strengthen taxpayer rights in dealings with the Internal Revenue Service. This is one of a series of report designed to discuss the taxpayer protection and rights provisions. It discusses the proposal to expand a court’s authority to award attorneys’ fees and costs in certain cases and the proposal to permit taxpayers to collect damages for negligent collection actions by IRS agents. | |||
| 98-554 (PDF, TXT) | ATTEMPT TO COMMIT A FEDERAL CRIME: S. 171, A PROPOSED GENERAL STATUTE | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated June 16, 1998 |
| There is no general federal statute proscribing criminal attempts; the federal criminal statutes are written in such a manner so as to include only the attempt to commit a specific substantive crime or substantive offense. As introduced, S. 171 would address this perceived problem in the current law by adding a general attempt provision to title 18 of the United States Code which would define what constitutes an attempt in all circumstances. It is also the intent of the legislation to fill in the gaps found in the current attempt statutes. | |||
| 97-945 (PDF, TXT) | NUCLEAR WEAPONS PRODUCTION CAPABILITY ISSUES: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, AND CHOICES | Jonathan Medalia, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated June 24, 1998 |
| Congress and the President have made clear that the United States will retain nuclear weapons for the foreseeable future whether or not the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, or CTBT, enters into force. To this end, the Department of Energy has a program of R&D and production. The role of R&D in maintaining the nuclear stockpile has attracted much attention, unlike that of production. This report seeks to help Congress understand production issues. | |||
| 98-579 (PDF, TXT) | AIRPORT FINANCE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW | Robert S. Kirk, Economics Division | Updated June 26, 1998 |
| Airports in the U.S. national system are nearly always public sector enterprises that operate under a city, county, regional, or other charter such as a port authority. Although these airports are public enterprises, they are typically managed as businesses. Most airport operating revenues come from airfield revenues, concession agreements, or rent from leased areas at the airport. For capital development needs airports rely on bonds, federal Airport Improvement Program grants, passenger facility charge revenues, state and local grants, and surplus airport revenue. Federal involvement in airport finance is mostly concerned with airport capital improvements intended to support policies concerning capacity, competition, noise, safety, and the availability of air service nationwide. | |||
| 98-617 (PDF, TXT) | TECHNOLOGY, TRADE, AND SECURITY ISSUES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: A TRIP REPORT, AUGUST 1997 | Glenn J. McLoughlin, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated June 30, 1998 |
| This is a trip report based on discussions held with both Chinese and U.S. officials and business leaders in China during 1997. This report provides an analysis of both U.S. and Chinese perspectives on technology, trade, and security issues relating to the two countries at the time of the visit as well as providing an update regarding issues since August 1997. | |||
| 98-586 (PDF, TXT) | FAILURE TO REPORT TRANSPORT OF CURRENCY OUT OF THE COUNTRY: FORFEITURE OF CURRENCY IN UNITED STATES V. BAJAKAJIAN CONSTITUTES A VIOLATION OF THE EXCESSIVE FINES CLAUSE | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated July 2, 1998 |
| In 1994, the grand jury in United States v. Bajakajian returned a three-count indictment against the defendant. One charged the defendant with violation of 31 U.S.C., 5316(a)(1)(A) and 5322(a) for transporting currency of more than $10,000 outside of the United States without filing a report with the U.S. Customs Service. The second count charged the defendant with making a false material statement to the U.S. Customs Service in violation of 18 U.S.C., 1001. The third sought the forfeiture of the $357,144 discovered by the Customs Service under 18 U.S.C., 982(a)(1). Following the appeals process, on June 22, 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that full forfeiture of $357,144 would violate the Excessive Fines Clause. | |||
| 98-602 (PDF, TXT) | THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT AND HEALTH CARE FRAUD: AN OVERVIEW | Kathleen S. Swendiman, American Law Division | Updated July 10, 1998 |
| The Federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C., 3729-3733, provides for judicial imposition of civil monetary penalties and treble damages for the knowing submission of false claims to the United States Government. Use of the False Claims Act for fraudulent health care claims has increased dramatically in the last few years. H.R. 352, and a companion bill, S. 2007, the Health Care Claims Guidance Act, would amend the False Claims Act to set forth special rules to be applied in cases where an action is brought under the False Claims Act based on claims submitted under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance program, and CHAMPUS. | |||
| 98-601 (PDF, TXT) | S. 2271: THE PROPERTY RIGHTS IMPLEMENTATION ACT OF 1998 | Robert Meltz, American Law Division | Updated July 10, 1998 |
| On July 7, 1998, Senator Hatch introduced S. 2271, the "Property Rights Implementation Act of 1998." The bill appears to be the likely replacement on the Senate floor for H.R. 1534. It retains the basic process approach of its predecessor, but makes numerous changes. Among these are a restriction of H.R. 1534's takings-ripeness provisions to real property rather than all types of property, a new definition of "futility," different restrictions on district court abstention, and new provisions as to attorneys fees and prior notice applicable to parties suing local governments for takings under 42 U.S.C. section 1983. | |||
| 98-599 (PDF, TXT) | THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: HIV INFECTION IS COVERED UNDER THE ACT | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated July 10, 1998 |
| 5 pages. July 10, 1998. In Bragdon v. Abbott, No. 97-156 (June 25, 1998), the Supreme Court held that the respondent's asymptomatic HIV infection was a physical impairment impacting on the major life activity of reproduction thus rendering the HIV infection a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision has been heralded as a significant decision advancing the rights of individuals who have asymptomatic HIV infection. It also has broader implications on the Americans with Disabilities Act coverage of reproductive disabilities. | |||
| 96-246 (PDF, TXT) | TAIWAN: TEXTS OF THE TAIWAN RELATIONS ACT, THE U.S.-CHINA COMMUNIQUES, AND THE "SIX ASSURANCES" | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 13, 1998 |
| U.S. policy on Taiwan is governed by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S. joint communiques with China, and so-called "Six Assurances" on Taiwan. This report provides a summary and the full texts of these documents. | |||
| 98-639 (PDF, TXT) | SUPREME COURT OPINIONS OCTOBER 1997 TERM | George Costello, American Law Division | Updated July 14, 1998 |
| This report provides a reference guide for Supreme Court opinions issued during the Court's 1997-1998 Term, which ended June 26, 1998. It contains summaries of all cases decided by signed opinion and of a few additional per curiam decisions. Voting alignments of Justices are identified, and a subject index is appended. | |||
| 98-3 (PDF, TXT) | THE NICARAGUAN ADJUSTMENT AND CENTRAL AMERICAN RELIEF ACT: HARDSHIP RELIEF AND LONG-TERM UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | Updated July 15, 1998 |
| The issue of how the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act’s new hardship rules were to affect Central Americans and others who were residing here when it was enacted was addressed in the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. This report describes its provisions and issues addressed. | |||
| 98-328 (PDF, TXT) | RESTRICTIONS ON MINORS' ACCESS TO MATERIAL ON THE INTERNET | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | Updated July 16, 1998 |
| On March 12, 1998, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation favorable reported two bills that would restrict material on the Internet deemed harmful to minors. This report summarizes and discusses interpretational issues in these two bills and addresses First Amendment issues that they raise. | |||
| 98-490 (PDF, TXT) | FIFTH AMENDMENT PRIVILEGE AGAINST SELF-INCRIMINATION: MAY IT BE EXTENDED IN CASES WHERE ONLY A FOREIGN PROSECUTION IS POSSIBLE? | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated July 16, 1998 |
| Several courts in the various circuits have considered whether the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination applies to fear of incrimination in foreign countries, and they have come to divergent conclusions. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in United States v. Balsys, and will decide the issue of whether a witness can invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in which only a foreign prosecution is possible. | |||
| 98-633 (PDF, TXT) | ISRAELI-TURKISH RELATIONS | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 17, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of unprecedented developments in the relations between two important U.S. allies, Israel and Turkey. It details both the significant military and growing civilian dimensions of the ties, summarizes the history of the ties, and analyzes each government's complex motivations to reach out to the other. It describes the mild domestic and generally harsh regional criticism of this growing association. The implications for other U.S. policies concerning Israel, Turkey, and the region, particularly the Arab-Israeli Free Trade Agreement (P.L. 99-47, June 11, 1985) and the Arms Export Control Act (P.L. 90-629, October 22, 1968). | |||
| 98-86 (PDF, TXT) | Iran: Relations With Key Central Asian States | Kenneth Katzman and Jim Nichol, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 23, 1998 |
| Iran sees the Central Asian region as an arena for reducing its own isolation. Hoping to make itself an attractive economic and political partner to the Central Asian states, Iran has been cautious in its support for radical Islamic opposition movements there. Several Central Asian countries are proceeding with or contemplating energy projects that transit Iran. These projects present the Administration and Congress with the dilemma of how to keep Iran contained while at the same time fostering economic and political development among the Central Asian states. | |||
| 98-620 (PDF, TXT) | WELFARE REFORM: FAMILY CAPS IN THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES PROGRAM | Shirene Hansotia and Carmen Solomon-Fears, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated July 23, 1998 |
| This report examines family cap policies implemented by states under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program. Most of the 22 states that have implemented a family cap policy stipulate that no additional TANF benefits will be provided for children born to a woman who is already receiving TANF benefits. This report describes family cap polices of the states and their plans to reduce nonmarital births, provides some background on the family cap approach, discusses fundings from a couple of studies on the effect of family caps on childbearing, and describes some of the legal issues concerning family caps. In addition, it provides a detailed discussion of family cap policies and nonmarital birth strategies for each of the 22 states. It also presents three tables that show the effect of a TANF family cap on combined TANF and food stamp benefits, by state, for a mother who has a second child after enrollment in TANF, and for one who has a third child after enrollment in TANF. | |||
| 98-51 (PDF, TXT) | NATO: A BRIEF HISTORY OF EXPANSION | Suzanne Stetzer, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 24, 1998 |
| NATO has admitted new members on three different occasions. Depending on the countries admitted, debates in Congress have concentrated upon strategic and political issues, including burdensharing. | |||
| 98-642 (PDF, TXT) | DEMOCRACY-BUILDING IN THE NEW INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION: PROGRESS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. INTERESTS | Jim Nichol, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated July 29, 1998 |
| This report provides a discussion and analysis of democratization efforts in the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union and U.S. democracy-building assistance. It lists benchmarks of democratization and groups NIS according to their apparent democratization progress. It discusses problems of democratization in the NIS and criticism of U.S. democracy-building efforts. The prominent recent concerns of many in Congress and elsewhere with the effects of NATO enlargement on Russia's democratization are presented. The paper highlights several issues for Congress in assessing U.S. democracy-building efforts in the NIS, including the propriety of such assistance, the kinds of assistance programs to promote, criteria to use in assessing who receives assistance, and the effectiveness of democracy-building. | |||
| 98-603 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA'S MOST-FAVORED-NATION STATUS: CONRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION, 1989-1997 | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 1, 1998 |
| This report provides detailed analysis of congressional legislative action on China's MFN status for each year from 1989 to present. It includes analysis of the legislative trends throughout the period, the political climate between the United States and China, and the dynamics between successive Congresses and the Bush and Clinton Administrations. It concludes with the implications of these trends for future actions on MFN status for China. | |||
| 98-111 (PDF, TXT) | AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS | Jeffrey A. Zinn and Betsy A. Cody, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated August 3, 1998 |
| President Clinton proposed a new American Heritage Rivers Initiative in his State of the Union message. The initiative will deliver federal resources more effectively and efficiently to support voluntary community efforts to enhance and protect 10 rivers or river segments to be designated. | |||
| 98-652 (PDF, TXT) | THE READY RESERVE MOBILIZATION INCOME INSURANCE PROGRAM | Lawrence Kapp, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 3, 1998 |
| This report describes the creation and failure of the Ready Reserve Mobilization Income Insurance Program, a program designed to help military reservists protect themselves from financial loss during an involuntary order to federal active duty. It also discusses and analyzes several alternative policy options for addressing the issue of income loss among reservists due to mobilization. | |||
| 97-591 (PDF, TXT) | Patent Reform: Overview and Comparison of S. 507 and H.R. 400 | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | August 4, 1998 |
| This report reviews the background of the major patent reform issues and summarizes and compares the main provisions of S. 507 with H.R. 400 as it passed the House of Representatives. | |||
| 98-671 (PDF, TXT) | A BALANCED BUDGET CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: PROCEDURAL ISSUES AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY | James V. Saturno, Government Division | Updated August 5, 1998 |
| This report examines the recent legislative history of proposed constitutional amendments to require a balanced budget. It provides a detailed description of committee and floor consideration during the 104th and 105th Congresses, as well as a brief account of previous consideration, and a list of recent hearings and committee reports on the subject. | |||
| 98-663 (PDF, TXT) | MOROCCO: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES AND U.S. POLICY | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 10, 1998 |
| This report describes the unprecedented strides in democratization and economic liberalization occurring in Morocco, where the first opposition-led government took power in February 1998. The government of this long-term U.S. ally is trying to address endemic economic and social problems while adhering to stringent International Monetary Fund guidelines. Active Islamist groups capitalize on societal ills and create a troubling context for the government's efforts. They and others are victims of human rights abuses. The overall human rights situation is deficient, yet the opposition's rise to power is an improvement in an important aspect of the record Morocco's foreign policy is preoccupied with the Western Sahara, but also focuses on North African affairs, the Arab-Israeli peace process, and Europe. Relations between the United States and Morocco have a long history and are very good. The House supports the referendum on self-determination for the Western Sahara, H.Res. 245, November 9, 1997. | |||
| 98-677 (PDF, TXT) | INDONESIA: U.S. RELATIONS WITH THE INDONESIAN MILITARY | Larry A. Niksch, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 10, 1998 |
| This report describes the history and the issues involved in the longstanding differences between Congress and the executive branch over U.S. policy toward the Indonesian military (ABRI). It describes two past episodes when these differences broke out: the period of Indonesian radicalism under President Sukarno in the early 1960s and the initial years of the Indonesian military occupation of East Timor in the late 1970s. It outlines the different views of the Indonesian military between its congressional critics and the executive branch officials who have promoted close U.S. relations with it. The issues between Congress and the Bush and Clinton Administration in the 1990s are discussed within this framework, culminating in American policy toward the ABRI in 1998 as Indonesia's economic-political crisis led to the downfall of President Suharto. Specific issues of the 1990s discussed in the report, including U.S. training of Indonesian military personnel and U.S. arms sales to Indonesia, likely will come to new legislative attention in the near future. | |||
| 98-669 (PDF, TXT) | NATO: SENATE FLOOR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACCESSION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, AND POLAND | Jonathan P. Robell and Stanley R. Sloan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 10, 1998 |
| This report summarizes the key issues in the 1998 Senate floor debate on NATO enlargement. It includes as appendices the Resolution of Ratification approved by the Senate on April 20, 1998, a record of the final vote on the Resolution, texts of key amendments considered in the debate, and a summary of executive reporting requirements included in the Resolution. | |||
| 98-672 (PDF, TXT) | U.S. INTELLIGENCE AND INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS: LESSONS LEARNED | Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 11, 1998 |
| The U.S. Intelligence Community did not have advance knowledge that India intended to conduct nuclear tests beginning on May 11, 1998. Although intelligence agencies cannon have foreknowledge of every significant development in world affairs, many observers (and senior intelligence officials) believe than, in view of the election of an Indian government committed to "inducting" nuclear weapons, much greater attention should have been given to indications of impending nuclear tests. A persisting problem is the tendency of analysts to discount seemingly irrational initiatives by other nations. | |||
| 98-636 (PDF, TXT) | INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT: PROPOSED AMENDMENT REGARDING INTERIM ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENTS | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated August 13, 1998 |
| An amendment to the interim alternative educational placement provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been proposed by Representative Livingston, added to the Department of Education appropriations bill, H.R. 4274, 105th Cong., 2d Sess., and reported out of the House Appropriations Committee on July 20, 1998. The amendment would change the current law by allowing the use of an interim alternative educational placement for the same amount of time that a child without a disability would be subject to discipline, eliminating the current limitation of 45 days. In addition, the amendment would add a new subsection allowing schools to place a child with a disability in an interim alternative educational placement if the child intentionally exhibits violent behavior that has resulted or could have resulted in physical injury to the child or others while at school or a school function. | |||
| 98-680 (PDF, TXT) | IRAQ: HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, IMPACT OF SANCTIONS, AND THE "OIL FOR FOOD" PROGRAM | Lois B. McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 13, 1998 |
| Much of the Iraqi civilian population is suffering from shortages of food, medical care, and infrastructure damaged by the 1991 Gulf war. This report discusses these shortages, and what the "oil for food" program is doing to alleviate them. It discusses the conflicting views about the extent and cause of the civilian suffering and the reliability of the available data. | |||
| 98-162 (PDF, TXT) | Credit Union Common Bond Ruling: NCUA v. First National Bank & Trust Co.--U.S.--(No. 96-843) | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | August 13, 1998 |
| On February 25, 1998, the Supreme Court ruled that federal credit unions may not consist of more than one occupational group having a single common bond. This ruling will be followed by an injunction defining how the ruling will limit federal credit union expansion. Meanwhile, Congress has before it several bills addressing the situation. | |||
| 98-691 (PDF, TXT) | LEGAL ANALYSIS OF E.O. 13087 TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT | Charles V. Dale, American Law Division | Updated August 14, 1998 |
| E.O. 13087, issued by President Clinton on May 28, 1998, amends a nearly 30-year executive order, E.O. 11478, to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in most federal civilian employment along with other forms of bias covered by the earlier order. | |||
| 97-662 (PDF, TXT) | The OECD Shipbuilding Agreement and Legislation in the 105th Congress | Lenore Sek, Economics Division | August 14, 1998 |
| In December 1994, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Korea, and Norway signed an agreement on shipbuilding that was negotiated under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The agreement prohibits most subsidies for shipbuilding, limits financing assistance, allows actions against injurious pricing, and establishes a dispute resolution process. Legislation to approve the agreement and make necessary statutory changes (S. 629 and S. 1216) has been reported out of Senate committees. | |||
| 98-219 (PDF, TXT) | ALGERIA: DEVELOPMENTS AND DILEMMAS | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 18, 1998 |
| This report provides background information on the civil strife in Algeria, updating developments since the government abandoned talks with the Islamist Salvation Front in 1995 and began a process of institution-building. | |||
| 98-690 (PDF, TXT) | LINE ITEM VETO ACT UNCONSTITUTIONAL: CLINTON V. CITY OF NEW YORK | Thomas J. Nicola, American Law Division | Updated August 18, 1998 |
| On June 25, 1998, the United States Supreme Court in Clinton, et al. v. City of New York, et al., held that the Line Item Veto Act violated the Presentment Clause of the Constitution. The Clause requires that every bill which has passed the House and Senate before becoming law must be presented to the President for approval or veto, but is silent on whether the President may amend or repeal provisions of bills that have passed the House and Senate in identical form. The Court interpreted silence on this issue as equivalent to an express prohibition. | |||
| 98-730 (PDF, TXT) | VICE PRESIDENTIAL VACANCIES: CONGRESSIONAL PROCEDURES IN THE FORD AND ROCKEFELLER NOMINATIONS | Thomas H. Neale, Government Division | Updated August 21, 1998 |
| This report reviews constitutional and legislative provisions for filling vacancies in the office of the Vice President of the United States. It provides historical context for vacancies and succession governed by the Succession Acts of 1792 (1 Stat. 240); 1885 (24 Stat. 1); and 1947 (61 Stat. 380). It reviews origins and passage of the 25th Amendment and examines the amendment's provisions relating to vice presidential vacancies. It examines action by the 93rd Congress in 1973 and 1974 to fill two vacancies, including context and precedents adopted at the time. | |||
| 98-739 (PDF, TXT) | Research and Development in Russia: An Important Factor for the Future | William C. Boesman, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated August 24, 1998 |
| This report assesses a number of recent changes in the Russian R&D system, and Russian R&D priorities under the new system. The report identifies issues for Congress, including whether U.S. cooperative R&D programs, recently established to assist Russia's peaceful transition to a market economy, are contributing to that goal and whether such programs should be continued in light of Russia's uncertain future and possible U.S. national security concerns. | |||
| 97-468 (PDF, TXT) | THE IMF'S PROPOSED NEW ARRANGEMENTS TO BORROW (NAB): AN OVERVIEW | Patricia A. Wertman, Economics Division | Updated August 24, 1998 |
| In the wake of the 1994-1995 Mexican financial crisis, the major industrial countries proposed the "New Arrangements to Borrow" (NAB). The NAB are an arrangement of medium-term credit lines that would provide additional funds to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the event of an international financial crisis. The U.S. share of $3.4 billion is under consideration by the 105th Congress. | |||
| 96-362 (PDF, TXT) | Landmines: Basic Facts and Congressional Concerns | Thomas Hawkins, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 26, 1998 |
| The global proliferation of anti-personnel landmines impedes the resettlement of refugees, threatens international peacekeepers, and endangers civilians who live on previously contested territory. Congress and the Clinton Administration have attempted to address the problem of global landmine proliferation through international treaty, improved landmine and countermine technology, and humanitarian assistance. Moreover, U.S. military doctrine clearly defines guidance for the conduct of mine warfare by the Armed Forces. | |||
| 98-722 (PDF, TXT) | TERRORISM: MIDDLE EASTERN GROUPS AND STATE SPONSORS, 1998 | Kenneth Katzman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 27, 1998 |
| This report analyzes developments in Middle Eastern terrorism in 1997 and the first half of 1998. It discusses Middle Eastern groups attempting to derail the Arab-Israeli peace process, those fighting to overthrow moderate, pro-U.S. governments, and those attempting to cause the United States to withdraw its troops from Middle Eastern countries. It contains an extensive section on Saudi exile terrorist financier Usama bin Ladin. It also analyzes the terrorist support activities of the five Middle Eastern countries on the U.S. terrorism list--Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Sudan. The report concludes with a discussion of U.S. counterterrorism policy over the past year, particularly U.S. efforts to coordinate policy with its European allies. | |||
| 98-720 (PDF, TXT) | Manual on the Federal Budget Process | Robert Keith, Government Division | Updated August 28, 1998 |
| This manual provides a comprehensive explanation of the federal budget process, including an overview and separate chapters on the framework for budget enforcement; the President's budget; the congressional budget resolution and reconciliation; revenues and borrowing; authorizations and direct spending; annual appropriations; and the implementation of spending laws. It is intended to assist users of federal budget information in understanding how the process works and how data are to be interpreted. Excerpts from legislation, standard forms, and other documentation developed at each stage of the budget process are exhibited. Appended material includes a listing of milestones in the federal budget process, citations to major budgetary laws, and a glossary of budgetary terms. | |||
| 98-725 (PDF, TXT) | RUSSIAN POLITICAL TURMOIL, AUGUST 1998 | Stuart D. Goldman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 28, 1998 |
| Russian President Yeltsin's dismissal of Premier Kirienko and his nomination of former Premier Chernomyrdin mark an intensification of political turmoil. This was triggered by a financial crisis and underlying economic depression. These political and economic developments have serious implications for Russia's stability, the post-Yeltsin succession, and U.S. interests in and policy toward Russia. | |||
| 97-866 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY READINESS: BACKGROUND TO CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE OVER TIERED READINESS | Michael A. Longoria and Michael C. Ryan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 31, 1998 |
| The Senate version of the FY1998 National Defense Authorization Act required the Department of Defense to prepare a second report on tiered readiness. The House version (H.R. 1119) opposed tiered readiness and specifically prohibited its implementation. In the final conference report, the differences between the two chambers remained sharp over the issue of reducing current force readiness of some units for cost savings--in this case to pay for force modernization. Given probable stringent budget realities in the future, this incident of difference of approach reflects a continuing tension among competing national defense budget priorities that remains difficult to resolve. | |||
| 97-475 (PDF, TXT) | BOSNIA STABILIZATION FORCE (SFOR) AND U.S. POLICY | Steven R. Bowman, Julie Kim, and Steven Woehrel, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 1, 1998 |
| In the 105th Congress, Members have continued to express concern about the possibility of a costly, open-ended U.S. commitment to Bosnia. Many appear to view the Bosnia issue chiefly through the prism of limiting the cost and duration of deployment. | |||
| 98-733 (PDF, TXT) | TERRORISM: U.S. RESPONSE TO BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND TANZANIA: A NEW POLICY DIRECTION? | Raphael F. Perl, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 1, 1998 |
| U.S. policymakers may be setting a new direction in counter-terrorism--a more proactive and global policy, less constrained when targeting terrorists, their bases, or infrastructure. | |||
| 98-742 (PDF, TXT) | TRADE WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: EFFECTS ON U.S. WORKERS | J.F. Hornbeck, Economics Division | Updated September 2, 1998 |
| U.S. trade patterns are continuing to change, revealing the likely irreversible drift toward global economic integration. Expanding trade with developing countries is one of the more troubling "globalization" issues because many fear that it leads to lost jobs or reduced incomes for the U.S. labor force, particularly unskilled workers. This report provides a summary of the major trends in U.S. trade with developing countries, the foundations of trade theory, a discussion of the empirical literature on employment and wage effects, and a summary of policy options. | |||
| 98-434 (PDF, TXT) | THE ASIAN (GLOBAL?) FINANCIAL CRISIS, THE IMF, AND JAPAN: ECONOMIC ISSUES | Dick K. Nanto, Economics Division | Updated September 3, 1998 |
| This report focuses on several economic aspects of the Asian financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Japan. It examines the origins, effects, and policy options with respect to the Asian financial crisis, provides information on the size of and actual disbursements under the IMF support packages to Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea, and discusses issues related to the IMF such as IMF resources, moral hazard, contagion, conditionality, prevention, and transparency. It also examines effects on the U.S. economy in terms of economic growth, the trade deficit, U.S. exports to Asia, and on specific sectors of the economy. Finally, it discusses Japan's economic weakness and how that weakness relates to the Asian financial crisis. | |||
| 98-749 (PDF, TXT) | THE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (TEA21) AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET | John W. Fischer, Economics Division | Updated September 4, 1998 |
| TEA21 creates a new and complex environment for federal transportation policy. This report discusses the dynamics of the new relationship between federal spending for surface transportation, the highway trust fund, and the budget. The report also focuses on the possible effects of revised budget procedures for all transportation programs, not just programs reauthorized by TEA21. | |||
| 97-444 (PDF, TXT) | WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION COPYRIGHT TREATY: AN OVERVIEW | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated September 10, 1998 |
| This report reviews the background of the WIPO Copyright Treaty, summarizes its main provisions, and notes possible legislative issues concerning implementation of the treaty obligations. | |||
| 97-523 (PDF, TXT) | WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCES AND PHONOGRAMS TREATY: AN OVERVIEW | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated September 10, 1998 |
| This report reviews the background of the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, summarizes its main provisions, and notes possible issues (such as the liability of Internet service providers, moral rights of performers, and the economic rights of non-author performers), which may arise during Senate consideration of the treaty or congressional consideration of any implementing legislation. | |||
| 96-759 (PDF, TXT) | PESTICIDE LEGISLATION: FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT OF 1996 (P.L. 104-170) | Linda-Jo Schierow, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated September 11, 1998 |
| This report summarizes the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), enacted by the 104th Congress as Public Law 104-170. It also analyzes issues in the regulation of pesticide sales and use and the potential impact of FQPA amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Appendix A describes the authorities and provisions of the FIFRA and FFDCA, as amended by FQPA. Appendix B provides a section-by-section summary of Public Law 104-170. | |||
| 98-765 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY YOUTH PROGRAMS: CHALLENGE AND STARBASE | Lawrence Kapp, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 11, 1998 |
| Military youth programs are a type of civil-military cooperation in which military resources are used to assist young American civilians in a variety of ways. Typically, the programs provide civilian youth with educational and leadership opportunities in order to help them succeed as students and adults. The programs are often targeted towards youth populations which are considered to be at disproportionately high risk for drug abuse, crime, academic failure, or unemployment. This report focuses primarily on two programs: the National Guard Challenge (ChalleNGe) program and the STARBASE (Science and Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic Aviation and Space Exploration) program. | |||
| 98-766 (PDF, TXT) | FOSSILS ON PUBLIC LANDS: CURRENT FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS | Pamela Baldwin, American Law Division | Updated September 11, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of current federal laws and regulations on the protection and removal of fossils from federal lands. It reviews the provisions of statutes of general application and compares the laws and regulations of the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Department of Defense. The analysis notes areas that are unclear and discusses relevant penalties. | |||
| 98-767 (PDF, TXT) | U.S. MILITARY PARTICIPATION IN SOUTHWEST BORDER DRUG CONTROL: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | Nina M. Serafino, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 14, 1998 |
| Among its counternarcotics activities in the United States, the U.S. military provides substantial assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) upon their request to control drug trafficking through the four southwest states that border Mexico. | |||
| 97-957 (PDF, TXT) | FAST-TRACK TRADE NEGOTIATING PROPOSALS: A COMPARISON OF 105TH CONGRESS LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS | Richard Grimmett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 15, 1998 |
| This report provides a side-by-side comparison of H.R. 2621 and S. 1269, 105th Congress bills that would provide the President with trade negotiating authority and accord certain resulting agreements and implementing bills expedited--or "fast-track"--legislative consideration. | |||
| 95-766 (PDF, TXT) | International Labor Organization: A Fact Sheet | Lois B. McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 21, 1998 |
| This paper provides basic information on the International Labor Organization (ILO) and issues of interest to Congress. | |||
| 98-463 (PDF, TXT) | WIPO COPYRIGHT TREATY IMPLEMENTATION LEGISLATION: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated September 24, 1998 |
| Two new treaties have been developed in the field of intellectual property which are named the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. The President has requested the advice and consent of the Senate to United States ratification of these treaties. S. 2037 and H.R. 2281, as passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, implement the changes in U.S. law to make t compatible with the Treaties. Both bills have been amended to address copyright policy issues concerning use of copyright works in digital, electronic environments, including provisions dealing with the copyright liability of online service providers, ephemeral copying, and fair use. This report updates the recent developments concerning the pending implementation bills. | |||
| 98-140 (PDF, TXT) | Satellite Television License of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. Section 119) and the 1997 Rate Adjustment | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | September 28, 1998 |
| This report summarizes the basic features of the satellite license, including the rate adjustment procedures, reviews the October 1997 rate adjustment setting the current 27-cent rate, and notes recent legislative proposals to stay further implementation of the rate adjustment. | |||
| 98-653 (PDF, TXT) | THE MARRIAGE PENALTY AND OTHER FAMILY TAX ISSUES | Jane G. Gravelle, Economics Division | Updated September 29, 1998 |
| This report estimates the effects of current tax policies on families of different types and sizes and analyzes proposals to address the marriage penalty and the child tax credit. It also contains a history of the development of tax provisions affecting the family. | |||
| 98-837 (PDF, TXT) | TAIWAN: THE "THREE NO'S," CONGRESSIONAL-ADMINISTRATION DIFFERENCES, AND U.S. POLICY ISSUES | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 1, 1998 |
| The controversy between the Clinton Administration and congressional critics over President Clinton's public affirmation in Shanghai on June 30, 1998 of the so-called "three no's" regarding U.S. policy toward Taiwan is the latest episode in over 20 years of arguments between the Administration and the Congress over appropriate U.S. policy in the U.S.-People's Republic of China (PRC)-Taiwan relationship. The "three no's" involve U.S. non-support for: Taiwan independence; one China, one Taiwan; and Taiwan representation in international organizations where statehood is a requirement. This report reviews the arguments in the current controversy against the backdrop of an analysis of past congressional-administration disputes over U.S. policy toward Taiwan. It provides questions for congressional consideration during the current controversy. | |||
| 98-819 (PDF, TXT) | DUAL CITIZENSHIP | Margaret Mikyung Lee, American Law Division | Updated October 1, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview of the legal requirements for dual citizenship and some of the issues concerning dual citizenship. The report discusses the legal basis for dual citizenship, the expatriation actions, the potentially conflicting obligations of holding citizenship of the U.S. and another nation, the dual citizenship laws and legislative activity of selected countries in which a significant number of U.S. citizens may be eligible for dual citizenship, and current legislative activity in the 105th Congress. | |||
| 98-320 (PDF, TXT) | TELEVISION SATELLITE AND CABLE RETRANSMISSION OF BROADCAST VIDEO PROGRAMMING UNDER THE COPYRIGHT ACT'S COMPULSORY LICENSES | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated October 5, 1998 |
| This report reviews the history and background of the cable and television satellite licenses of the Copyright Act (title 17 U.S.C., section 111(c)-(f) and 119, respectively), reviews the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1994, and notes recent developments, including the 1997 satellite license rate adjustment; pending bills relating to the compulsory licenses (H.R. 3210, H.R. 2821, S. 1720, and S. 1422); and the August 1997 report of the Copyright Office on these licenses. | |||
| 98-832 (PDF, TXT) | Obstruction of Justice Under Federal Law: A Review of Some of the Elements | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | October 5, 1998 |
| This report is a look at some of the elements and caselaw of the general federal obstruction of justice statutes, 18 U.S.C. 1503, 1505, 1512. | |||
| 98-831 (PDF, TXT) | OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE UNDER FEDERAL LAW: AN ABBREVIATED SKETCH | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 7, 1998 |
| Although in a given case the same misconduct may be punishable under other federal statutes, this report focuses on selected aspects of the general obstruction of justice provisions found in 18 U.S.C. 1503, 1505, and 1512. | |||
| 98-329 (PDF, TXT) | NAZI WAR CIMES RECORDS DISCLOSURE: S. 1379 | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated October 16, 1998 |
| S. 1379 would amend the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C, Section 552) to establish a presumption that Nazi war criminal records are to be made available to the public. | |||
| 98-855 (PDF, TXT) | I.N.S. V. AGUIRRE-AGUIRRE: ASYLUM FOR POLITICAL OFFENDERS | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | Updated October 16, 1998 |
| The Supreme Court has agreed to consider I.N.S. v. Aguirre-Aguirre, a case that focuses on granting asylum to participants in political protests and uprisings. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an alien who commits a serious nonpolitical offense abroad is barred from asylum in the U.S., but there is controversy over applying this bar to politically-motivated common crimes, such as assault and destruction of property. | |||
| 98-859 (PDF, TXT) | STATE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES: THE ROLE OF HIGH TECH CLUSTERS | Wendy H. Schacht, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated October 21, 1998 |
| This report provides a framework for exploring the feasibility of generating high tech clusters in states where they currently do not exist or are not easily identifiable. A summary of the lessons learned by the successes and failures of various jurisdictions is included. Also offered are selected options for consideration in designing next steps for the community. | |||
| 98-885 (PDF, TXT) | "HATCH ACT" AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS IN FEDERAL LAW ON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES | Jack Maskell, American Law Division | Updated October 23, 1998 |
| This report discusses and summarizes the restrictions on permissible political activities by civilian employees in the executive branch of the federal government, under the provisions of the law commonly known as the "Hatch Act," as amended and replaced by the "Hatch Act Amendments of 1993,) and under other provisions of federal law. The "Hatch Act" covers generally only civilian employees in the executive agencies and departments. | |||
| 98-877 (PDF, TXT) | BURUNDI: UPDATE | Theodros Dagne, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 26, 1998 |
| In recent months, President Pierre Buyoya's government has taken steps to strengthen democracy in Burundi in order to have the sanctions imposed by eight African nations lifted and bring greater stability to the small central African country. Buyoya has stepped up an international campaign to gain support for the lifting of sanctions, and most observers seem to agree that his government has met all the conditions for their lifting. | |||
| 98-904 (PDF, TXT) | COPYRIGHT TERM EXTENSION AND MUSIC LICENSING: ANALYSIS OF SONNY BONO COPYRIGHT TERM EXTENSION ACT AND FAIRNESS IN MUSIC LICENSING ACT, P.L. 105-298 | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated October 27, 1998 |
| Public Law 105-298 extends the term of copyright protection by an additional 20 years and makes two major reforms in music licensing practices. Title I of the law is also known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. In addition to term extension, Title I creates a new termination right during the 20-year added period and grants libraries and nonprofit educational institutions an exemption to reproduce works that are not commercially exploited and are not available at a reasonable price during the 20-year added period. Title II of the law is also known as the Fairness in Music Licensing Act. This Title expands the exemption from the music performing right for businesses playing music by turning on radios and televisions in public places, and requires local judicial review of the licensing rates set by the performing rights societies that license the performance of nondramatic music. This report explains the provisions of P.L. 105-298, reviews key aspects of the legislative history, and notes changes from prior law. | |||
| 98-207 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT | Marc Humphries and Carl Behrens, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated October 27, 1998 |
| The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill includes funding for civil projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, much of the Department of Energy, and a number o independent agencies, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the appropriated programs of the Tennessee Valley Authority. | |||
| 98-903 (PDF, TXT) | HOLOCAUST-RELATED LEGISLATION OF THE 105TH CONGRESS | Stuart D. Goldman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 29, 1998 |
| This report lists, describes, and analyzes a selection of Holocaust-related bills and resolutions of the 105th Congress. | |||
| 98-206 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES | Alfred R. Greenwood, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated October 29, 1998 |
| The Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes funding for agencies and program in four separate federal departments as well as numerous smaller agencies and diverse programs. | |||
| 98-882 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: A COLLECTION OF SELECTED MATERIALS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 29, 1998 |
| This is a sampling of the available material on the question of what constitutes impeachable conduct for the purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. | |||
| 98-897 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 4B: ARTICLES OF PAST IMPEACHMENTS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes summaries and excerpts of impeachments under this section. | |||
| 98-893 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART I: PRE-CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION MATERIALS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes excerpts from Blackstone, Wooddeson, and the impeachment clauses in pre-Constitutional Convention state constitutions. | |||
| 98-901 (PDF, TXT) | SHORT-RUN MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS OF FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM | Jane G. Gravelle, Economics Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This report discusses the short-run effects on output and prices from the imposition of difference forms of fundamental tax reform, including the value-added tax, the retain sales tax, and the flat tax. | |||
| 98-894 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 2: SELECTED CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION MATERIALS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes excerpts from the notes of the debates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and from a few of the state ratifying conventions. | |||
| 98-895 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 3: HAMILTON, WILSON AND STORY | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes excerpts from No. 65 of the Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, and from the writings of his contemporaries Supreme Court Justices James Wilson and Joseph Story. | |||
| 98-899 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 6: QUOTES FROM SUNDRY COMMENTATORS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes quotations from treatises and law reviews on the question. | |||
| 98-896 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 4A: ARTICLES OF PAST IMPEACHMENTS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes summaries and excerpts of impeachments under this section. | |||
| 98-868 (PDF, TXT) | PUBLIC HOUSING AND SECTION 8 REFORMS: THE QUALITY HOUSING AND WORK RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1998 | Richard Bourdon, Economics Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| The President signed the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, P.L. 105-276, part of the VA/HUD FY1999 appropriations bill, on October 21, 1998. This report highlights the major provisions of this Act, indicating its nature and scope. | |||
| 98-898 (PDF, TXT) | IMPEACHMENT GROUNDS: PART 5: SELECTED DOUGLAS/NIXON INQUIRY MATERIALS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution. It includes excerpts from material prepared in connection with the impeachment inquiries involving Justice Douglas and President Nixon. | |||
| 98-907 (PDF, TXT) | INTERNATIONAL CRIME: RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME'S ROLE AND U.S. INTERESTS | Francis T. Miko, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated October 30, 1998 |
| This report examines the serious problem of Russian-based transnational crime. It describes the make-up and activities of criminal groups in Russia, and government attempts to fight them. It analyzes the role of Russian organized crime internationally, its presence in the United States, and the threat it poses for broader U.S. foreign policy interests. The report looks at current U.S. and international efforts to combat the problem, and specific role of Congress. Finally, it discusses the options for strengthening the international response to Russian-based crime. | |||
| 96-223 (PDF, TXT) | The Telecommunications Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104): A Brief Overview | Angele A. Gilroy, Economics Division | Updated November 2, 1998 |
| Updated November, 1998. The melding of telecommunications, video, and computers is having an impact on telecommunications industry structure, as traditional telecommunications providers such as telephone and cable television companies expand their capabilities to become more generic multi-faceted "information providers." Digital technologies make it possible to distribute voice, data, and video on the same communications channel. Combined with new alternative telecommunications delivery systems, competition is developing in many markets previously considered to be monopolistic. Telecommunications market structures are responding through cable industry consolidations, telephone/cable alliances, wireless telecommunications mergers, and a variety of joint ventures. | |||
| 98-892 (PDF, TXT) | THE NEW VACANCIES ACT: CONGRESS ACTS TO PROTECT THE SENATE'S CONFIRMATION PREROGATIVE | Morton Rosenberg, American Law Division | Updated November 2, 1998 |
| This report provides an overview and discussion of the legislative and administrative events that precipitated passage a complete revision of the Vacancies Act by Congress in the FY1999 Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-277). The new provision is designed to provide the exclusive vehicle for temporarily filling vacant advice and consent positions and to prevent undue delay in the President's submission of nominees for Senate consideration. | |||
| 98-211 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS | Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 2, 1998 |
| The annual Foreign Operations appropriations bill is the primary legislative vehicle through which Congress reviews the U.S. foreign aid budget and influences executive branch foreign policy making generally. It contains the largest share--over two-thirds--of total U.S. international affairs spending. | |||
| 98-906 (PDF, TXT) | IMMIGRATION-RELATED PROVISIONS OF THE "INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT" (P.L. 105-292) | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | Updated November 4, 1998 |
| On October 27, 1998, President Clinton signed the "International Religious Freedom Act" (P.L. 105-292). The refugee and asylum provisions of this Act focus on assuring informed and accurate determinations of individual requests for safe haven. More particularly, the Act incorporates the results of newly required studies on religious persecution into the training of officials who determine refugee and asylum claims. | |||
| 98-905 (PDF, TXT) | THE ENCRYPTION DEBATE: INTELLIGENCE ASPECTS | Keith G. Tidball and Richard A. Best, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 4, 1998 |
| The 106th Congress is expected to resume an ongoing debate on restricting the export of sophisticated computer encryption systems. In the 105th Congress strong support for removing encryption export restrictions and allowing U.S. software firms to compete in the world marketplace was balanced by concern that widespread availability of such systems could undercut important law enforcement and intelligence interests. | |||
| 98-213 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | Nonna A. Noto, Economics Division | Updated November 5, 1998 |
| The District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1999, was included as Division A, Section 101(c) of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (H.R. 4328, P.L. 105-277). Other sections of the Omnibus Act also contain provisions relating to the District of Columbia. | |||
| 98-911 (PDF, TXT) | ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS: THE WYE RIVER MEMORANDUM | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 5, 1998 |
| On October 23, 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Arafat signed the Wye River Memorandum which delineates parallel, incremental steps to be taken over a 12-week period to complete implementation of prior agreements. Congress may be concerned about provisions that appear to expand the U.S. role, especially about unusually visible Central Intelligence Agency activity concerning implementation of security measures and U.S. aid commitments. | |||
| 97-400 (PDF, TXT) | IMMIGRATION-RELATED WELFARE PROVISIONS IN 105TH CONGRESS LEGISLATION | Joyce C. Vialet, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated November 6, 1998 |
| The 1996 changes in the rules governing noncitizen eligibility for public assistance proved controversial, particularly the termination of benefits for noncitizens already receiving them. P.L. 105-33 and P.L. 105-185 continue or restore SSI, Medicaid, and food stamps for some previous beneficiaries, and extend refugee eligibility for 2 years. While the estimated cost of these benefits is more than half the savings estimated by CBO for the noncitizen provisions of the 1996 welfare law, the basic policy set by that law remains in place for most noncitizens entering after its enactment date. | |||
| 97-538 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN POLICY AGENCY REORGANIZATION IN THE 105TH CONGRESS | Susan B. Epstein, Larry Q. Nowels, and Steven A. Hildreth, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 6, 1998 |
| Reorganization of the foreign policy agencies has been debated by both the 104th and 105th Congresses. H.R. 1757, among other things, would require consolidating the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) and the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) into the Department of State. It would require that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) be reorganized and would come under the authority of the Secretary of State. This report provides background on the foreign policy agency consolidation issue, discusses foreign policy implications, and tracks legislation. | |||
| 96-617 (PDF, TXT) | Alien Eligibility for Public Assistance | Joyce C. Vialet, Education and Public Welfare Division, and Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | November 6, 1998 |
| This Congressional Research Service report discusses the alien benefit eligibility for selected federal programs. | |||
| 98-917 (PDF, TXT) | CLEARCUTTING IN THE NATIONAL FORESTS: BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW | Ross W. Gorte, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated November 6, 1998 |
| Clearcutting is a controversial method of harvesting and regenerating stands of trees in which all trees are cleared from a site and a new even-aged stand is grown. It is a proven, efficient method of harvesting trees and establishing new stands, but is criticized for degrading soil and water quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. Clearcutting is still the primary timber management method used in the national forests, although its use has declined over the past decade. Legislation to ban clearcutting on federal lands has been introduced in the past few Congresses. This report provides background and an overview on clearcutting use and effects. | |||
| 98-924 (PDF, TXT) | THE TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY: BACKGROUND AND FUNDING | Susan B. Epstein and Chikako Ohara, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 9, 1998 |
| The Trade and Development Agency (TDA) is one of several government agencies involved in "aid for trade" programs, combining development assistance and export promotion. For TDA's FY1999 funding, the Administration had requested $50 million, up 20 percent from the FY1998 level of $41.5 million, but down 23 percent from its peak funding level of $65 million in FY1994. Congress enacted $44 million for FY1999 in the omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 4238, P.L. 105-277). This report provides TDA's background, budget history and ranks sector and state-by-state gains from TDA. | |||
| 98-204 (PDF, TXT) | Appropriations for FY1999: VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies | Dennis W. Snook, Education and Public Welfare Division | November 9, 1998 |
| The President's FY1999 budget requests a total of $93.43 billion in appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and several independent entities including the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. | |||
| 98-943 (PDF, TXT) | DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT, P.L. 105-304: SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated November 10, 1998 |
| The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, P.L. 105-304, was enacted October 28, 1998 by passage of H.R. 2281. The Act amends and updates the Copyright Act, title 17 U.S.C. with respect to use of copyrighted works on the Internet and in other digital, electronic contexts. Title I implements two new intellectual property treaties (the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty and the World Intellectual Property Organization Performances and Phonograms Treaty), to which the Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification on October 21, 1998. Title II establishes certain exemptions form copyright liability for online service and access providers. Title III exempts computer maintenance and repair companies from copyright liability for the reproduction of computer programs that occurs by mere activation of the computer. Title IV contains miscellaneous provisions relating to ephemeral recordings of digital broadcasts; exemptions for preservation activities of libraries and archives; new compulsory licenses to make ephemeral recordings of, and to transmit, digital sound recordings; the assumption of contractual obligations relating to motion picture collective bargaining agreements; and the rank and authority of the Register of Copyrights and the rank of the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. Title V creates federal design protection for vessel hulls, which is sunset after 2 years. This report summarizes and analyzes the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. | |||
| 98-210 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION | Mary T. Tyszkiewicz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 10, 1998 |
| This report reviews the appropriations and authorization process for military construction. The congressional debate perennially centers on the adequacy of the President's budget for military construction needs and the cases for and against congressional additions, especially for Guard and Reserve projects. This year, key Members of Congress have argued that the Pentagon has neither funded nor planned adequately for military construction. | |||
| 97-266 (PDF, TXT) | VETERANS ISSUES IN THE 105TH CONGRESS | Dennis Snook, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated November 11, 1998 |
| Issues considered by the 105th Congress included the FY1999 budget request, Persian Gulf War illnesses, access to medical care, adjudication of disability claims, and veterans preferences in federal jobs. | |||
| 95-150 (PDF, TXT) | Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) | Wendy H. Schacht, Science Policy Research Division | Updated November 17, 1998 |
| A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) is a mechanism established by P.L. 99-602, the Federal Technology Transfer Act, to allow the transfer of technology, knowledge, and expertise from government laboratories to the private sector for further development and commercialization. The government provides support in the way of overhead for research and development performed in the federal laboratory and is prohibited from providing funding directly to the partner in the collaborative effort. Currently, more than 5,000 CRADAs have been signed. As the 105th Congress determines its approach to science and technology policies, the role of CRADAs continues to be debated within the context of federal support for R&D. | |||
| 95-499 (PDF, TXT) | R&D Partnerships: Government-Industry Collaboration | Wendy H. Schacht, Science Policy Research Division | Updated November 17, 1998 |
| Efforts by the 104th Congress to eliminate several government-industry-university research and development partnership programs reflected some opposition to federally funded programs designed to facilitate the commercialization of technology. Within the context of the budget decisions, the 106th Congress is expected to again debate the government's role in promoting collaborative ventures focused on generating new products and processes for the marketplace. | |||
| 98-203 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION | Paul M. Irwin, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated November 19, 1998 |
| As enacted October 21, 1998, P.L. 105-277 (H.R. 4328) provides $83.3 billion in FY1999 discretionary funds for L-HHS-ED, 3.6 percent more than the FY1998 amount. | |||
| 98-493 (PDF, TXT) | VETERANS PREFERENCES: CURRENT LAW AND PROPOSED LEGISLATION | Dennis W. Snook, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated November 19, 1998 |
| This report provides information on current veterans preference law and discusses issues raised by two bills currently receiving attention. Veterans' advocates assert that a declining proportion of veterans among federal employees is indication that the policy of granting preferences to most veterans is not working as Congress intended. Two bills, H.R. 240 and S. 1021, addressed some of these concerns, and S. 1021, as amended, was enacted as P.L. 105-339. | |||
| 98-931 (PDF, TXT) | EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: ISSUES AT THE END OF THE 105TH CONGRESS | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 19, 1998 |
| This report examines selected congressional perceptions at the end of the 105th Congress on salient issues and their short term outlook concerning U.S. policy in East Asia and the Pacific. It does so against the backdrop of an assessment of congressional and other U.S. debate over U.S. policies in the region since the end of the cold war. The issues considered include an overall assessment of Clinton Administration regional policy; assessment of the role of Congress; and U.S. policy toward North Korea, China, the Asian economic crisis, Japan, and regional hot spots like Indonesia, Burma, and Cambodia. In addition to published sources cited in footnotes, the report is based on interviews conducted during September and October 1998 with 25 congressional staff of both parties who deal directly with issues involving U.S. policy toward East Asia and the Pacific. | |||
| 98-141 (PDF, TXT) | STATUTORY OFFICES OF INSPECTOR GENERAL: A 20TH ANNIVERSARY REVIEW | Frederick M. Kaiser, Government Division; and Diane T. Duffy, American Law Division | Updated November 20, 1998 |
| Despite their 20-year evolution and substantial statutory revisions in 1988, IGs still face a number of concerns and possibilities for change. These tie into their institutional arrangements, authority and powers, perceived effectiveness and orientation, reporting requirements, personnel practices, and use of and eligibility for incentive awards. | |||
| 98-846 (PDF, TXT) | REVENUE PROVISIONS IN ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS ACTS | Robert Keith, Government Division | Updated November 23, 1998 |
| Legislation affecting the revenues of the federal government usually is considered separately from legislation providing annual appropriations to federal agencies. Notwithstanding this general feature of the legislative process, revenue provisions are included in annual appropriations acts from time to time. This report discusses the procedural context of this practice and identifies several such provisions enacted during the 1980s and 1990s. | |||
| 98-570 (PDF, TXT) | INDIA-PAKISTAN NUCLEAR TESTS AND U.S. RESPONSE | Richard P. Cronin, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated November 24, 1998 |
| This report presents background and analysis of the nuclear tests conducted by India on May 11 and 13, 1998, and by Pakistan on May 28 and 30, 1998, including technical aspects of the tests and their effect on the global nuclear nonproliferation regime, particularly the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It examines the regional context, including the long-standing India-Pakistan rivalry and China's role as a perceived rival of India and a quasi-ally and supplier of nuclear and missile technology to Pakistan, as well as domestic considerations that may have contributed to the two nations' decisions to test. The final sections identify applicable U.S. sanctions under the Arms Export Control Act and other U.S. legislation, assess the implications for U.S. interests, and posit three broad policy options for the Administration and Congress. | |||
| 98-986 (PDF, TXT) | Television Satellite License: Retransmission of Network and Local Signals | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | November 30, 1998 |
| The satellite compulsory license of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. 119) authorizes retransmission of "superstation" and network television broadcast programming via satellite providers to satellite home dish owners for private home viewing, upon payment of statutory fees and compliance with other conditions. Copyright policy issues have arisen about the satellite license's restrictions on retransmission of network signals only to "unserved households," and about retransmission of local signals back to the community served by the local broadcast station. This report reviews the background of the satellite license, the policy issues concerning retransmission of network and local signals, and legislative proposals in response to those policy issues. | |||
| 92-56 (PDF, TXT) | The "Son of Sam" Case: Legislative Implications | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | Updated November 30, 1998 |
| In Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of the new York State Crime Victims Board, the U.S. Supreme Court held that New York State's "Son of Sam" law was inconsistent with the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and press. This report examines the Supreme Court decision and then considers whether its rationale renders the federal law unconstitutional. Concluding that it likely does, the report considers whether it would be possible to enact a constitutional Son-of-Sam statute. Finally, the report takes note of some state Son-of-Sam statutes that have been enacted since the Supreme Court decision. | |||
| 96-976 (PDF, TXT) | Older Americans Act: 105th Congress Issues | Carol Van O’Shaughnessy, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated December 1, 1998 |
| This report tracks Older Americans Act reauthorization issues, compares H.R. 4099 (Riggs) with current law, and describes other bills that were introduced in the 105th Congress, including S. 2295 (McCain). It also discusses issues in reauthorization. These include: consolidation and restructuring of programs; restructuring of the community service employment program; the interstate funding formula for supportive and nutrition services; targeting of services to low-income minority individuals; and cost-sharing for supportive and nutrition services. Authorization of the Act expired in 1995, but appropriations legislation has continued the program. | |||
| 98-208 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORATION AND RELATED AGENCIES | Duane A. Thompson, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated December 1, 1998 |
| For FY1999, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested total funding of $43.3 billion, a 1-percent increase over the FY1998 enacted level of $39 billion. The FY1999 budget request was similar in many respects to the FY1998 appropriation. New to the DOT budget process this year were the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62). GPRA has been described as a tool for budgeting--a framework within which government agencies, including DOT, establish long-term strategic goals and request funding accordingly. | |||
| 96-846 (PDF, TXT) | SCHOOL PRAYER: THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE, 1962-1998 | David M. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated December 1, 1998 |
| Since 1962 school prayer has been one of the most volatile issues in American politics. As a result, Congress has repeatedly been embroiled in debates on measures ranging from constitutional amendments to appropriations riders to restore or protect devotional exercises in the schools; and it has enacted four proposals into law. This report gives an overview of the measures considered and enacted and a Congress-by-Congress review of legislative action on the subject. | |||
| 98-959 (PDF, TXT) | VOLUNTEERS AT NON-PROFIT FOOD BANKS: TREATMENT UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT | William G. Whittaker, Economics Division | Updated December 2, 1998 |
| The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938, as amended, provides minimum wage, overtime pay, and related protections for covered workers. In August 1998, in order to clarify the distinction between an employee and a volunteer with respect to work in a non-profit food bank, the 105th Congress passed the "Amy Somers Volunteers at Food Banks Act," subsequently signed by President Clinton (P.L. 105-221). | |||
| 98-166 (PDF, TXT) | TEACHER QUALITY AND QUANTITY: PROPOSALS IN THE 105TH CONGRESS | James B. Stedman, Education and Public Welfare Division | Updated December 3, 1998 |
| This report provides background on the issues of teacher quality and quantity. It reviews relevant legislative proposals that were made in the 105th Congress and action on those proposals. It describes the new teacher programs enacted in the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and the class size reduction/teacher hiring program included in the FY1999 omnibus appropriations legislation. | |||
| 98-561 (PDF, TXT) | CHILD LABOR IN HAZARDOUS OCCUPATIONS: "ON-THE-JOB DRIVING" BY YOUTH WORKERS | William G. Whittaker, Economics Division | Updated December 4, 1998 |
| This report examines the joint manner in which Congress and the Secretary of Labor have approached the protection of young persons (16- and 17- year-olds) who drive vehicles as part of their regular work assignments. Reference is made to the Department of Labor's development of Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 (HO 2) which deals with such drivers and to the response from Congress--including consideration of H.R. 2327 of the 105th Congress. | |||
| 98-973 (PDF, TXT) | APPALACHIAN DEVELOPMENT HIGHWAY PROGRAM (ADHP): AN OVERVIEW | Robert S. Kirk, Economics Division | Updated December 7, 1998 |
| The Appalachian Development Highway Program (ADHP) is a road building program that is intended to break Appalachia's regional isolation and encourage Appalachian economic development. The ADHP is authorized to develop a network of 3,025 miles of corridor roads. At the end of 1997, 2,258 miles, comprising 75 percent of the approved corridor roads, were open to traffic. | |||
| 98-843 (PDF, TXT) | CENSURE OF THE PRESIDENT BY CONGRESS | Jack Maskell, American Law Division | Updated December 8, 1998 |
| Exploring a possible compromise between an impeachment and taking no congressional action, certain Members of Congress and congressional commentators have suggested a congressional "censure" of the President to express the Congress' disapproval of the President's conduct which has been the subject of an ongoing independent counsel investigation. This report provides an overview and discussion of the legal basis and congressional precedents regarding a congressional "censure" of the President. | |||
| 97-108 (PDF, TXT) | Child Nutrition Issues in the 105th Congress | Joe Richardson, Education and Public Welfare Division | December 8, 1998 |
| Authority to appropriate for, or carry out, several child nutrition programs and activities expires by the end of the 105th Congress. The major programs up for review are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (the WIC program); the Summer Food Service program; and State Administrative Expense assistance. Other child nutrition-related issues will also be considered. | |||
| 98-975 (PDF, TXT) | AN ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ISSUE FOR SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA: JOHNSON'S SEAGRASS | Eugene H. Buck, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated December 9, 1998 |
| Johnson's seagrass, a small marine plant growing in shallow estuaries and coastal lagoons only along the southeastern Florida coast, has been listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the first marine plant so listed. | |||
| RL30002 (PDF, TXT) | A Defense Budget Primer | Mary T. Tyszkiewicz and Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated December 9, 1998 |
| This report is a primer for those who wish to familiarize themselves with the defense budget process. The report defines basic defense budget-related terms, describes the structure of the defense budget, briefly reviews the budgeting process within the Department of Defense (DOD), and outlines the successive phases of the congressional defense budget process. It also provides a short review of the budget execution process. | |||
| 98-979 (PDF, TXT) | MORTGAGE ESCROW ACCOUNTS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUES | Bruce E. Foote, Economics Division | Updated December 10, 1998 |
| This report discusses the rationale for mortgage escrow accounts, limits on the accounts, recent changes in regulations covering escrow accounts on federally related mortgage loans, and the effect of the new regulations on borrowers and lenders. | |||
| 98-164 (PDF, TXT) | UNIFORM STANDARDS IN PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION: LIMITATIONS ON SHAREHOLDER LAWSUITS | Michael V. Seitzinger, American Law Division | Updated December 10, 1998 |
| The 104th Congress enacted the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, P.L. 104-67, to address the perceived problem of an increase in frivolous shareholder lawsuits. There are currently bills in Congress which would remove most state securities antifraud cases in federal courts. | |||
| 98-980 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL SALES OF NATURAL RESOURCES: PRICING AND ALLOCATION MECHANISMS | Ross W. Gorte, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated December 11, 1998 |
| Although the federal government ended FY1997 with a budget surplus, pressures to realize federal budget savings persist. Many question whether federal resource prices should be set to increase the public returns from the sale or use of those resources or at least to avoid financial losses. This report describes the systems used by the federal government to price its resources (timber, forage for livestock grazing, recreation uses, various categories of minerals, commercial fisheries, and water from federal water projects) and to determine who gets access to those resources. | |||
| 98-299 (PDF, TXT) | RUSSIAN MISSILE TECHNOLOGY AND NUCLEAR REACTOR TRANSFERS TO IRAN | Stuart D. Goldman, Kenneth Katzman, and Robert Shuey, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division; and Carl Behrens, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated December 14, 1998 |
| This report examines Russian ballistic missile and nuclear reactor technology transfers to Iran and U.S. responses to those transfers. It analyzes Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear power programs, the significance of Russia's contributions to those programs, resulting U.S. security concerns, and Russian-Iranian cooperation from the perspectives of Moscow, Tehran, and Washington. The report describes bills in the 105th Congress that addressed Russian transfers of sensitive technologies to Iran. | |||
| 98-537 (PDF, TXT) | BANK LOAN DENIAL FOR NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION UNDER SECTION 102(b) OF THE ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT AS APPLICABLE TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated December 16, 1998 |
| After the President has determined that a "non-nuclear-weapon state" has detonated a nuclear explosive device, section 102(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that a number of sanctions be placed on that state including the prohibition of private bank loans to the government of the country concerned. This report provides details on the Act as it applies, under current conditions, to India and Pakistan. | |||
| 98-205 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: DEFENSE | Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated December 18, 1998 |
| Congress completed action on FY1999 defense authorization and appropriations bills on October 1. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 105-262) on October 17. Later Congress approved additional funding for defense programs in the FY1999 Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-277), signed by the President on October 21. | |||
| 97-942 (PDF, TXT) | The International Labor Organization and International Labor Issues in the 105th Congress | Lois McHugh, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | December 18, 1998 |
| Congress is concerned about both the size of the International Labor Organization (ILO) budget and the size of the U.S. assessment, as it is with many U.N. system agencies. Beyond this budgetary issue, the ILO is part of the debate on future U.S. role in U.N. agencies in the post-cold war world, the use of labor standards as a measure of fairness in trade agreements, and the reduction of child labor around the world. Congress is currently considering fast-track trade agreement implementation legislation that seeks to expand the role of ILO in enforcing labor standards. This report provides an overview of these issues. | |||
| 98-201 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RELATED AGENCIES | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated December 21, 1998 |
| The President released his budget request for FY1999 on February 2, 1998. The proposed FY1999 budget contains $54.3 billion in total outlays for all programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), compared with estimated total outlays of $55.0 billion for FY1998. The agriculture subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have begun a series of hearings on the FY1999 USDA budget request. | |||
| 98-993 (PDF, TXT) | GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT | Carol Hardy Vincent, Government Division | Updated December 21, 1998 |
| President Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, by proclamation on September 18, 1996. The Monument contains geological, paleontological, archeological, biological, natural, and historical resources. The creation of the Monument was controversial. Issues include the President's use of the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the Monument; the Monument's general effect on land uses; the implications for development of minerals and school trust lands; and the bearing on the designation of wilderness. This report discusses these issue. | |||
| RS20002 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Land and Resource Management: A Primer | Ross W. Gorte, Environment and Natural Resources Division | Updated December 22, 1998 |
| This report summarizes the permitted and prohibited uses of lands managed by the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the BGureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service, as well as of the many special designations. | |||
| 98-952 (PDF, TXT) | THE EMERGENCY AGRICULTURAL PROVISIONS IN THE FY1999 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT | Ralph M. Chite, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated December 23, 1998 |
| The FY1999 Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-277) contains $5.9 billion in emergency spending for USDA programs, primarily to shore up farm income and to compensate farmers for natural disasters. More than one-half of this amount ($3.1 billion) is in the form of direct payments to grain, cotton, and dairy farmers for income assistance. Most of the balance ($2.6 billion) will be disbursed to farmers and ranchers who experienced production losses caused by natural disasters. | |||
| 98-393 (PDF, TXT) | IRAQ: U.S. POLICY OPTIONS | Kenneth Katzman, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated December 23, 1998 |
| In the face of repeated crises with Iraq over U.N. access to potential weapons production sites, U.S. policy toward Iraq faces a number of conflicting cross-currents. Many in Congress believe the crisis demonstrates that the long-term threat from Iraq can be eased only by removing Saddam Hussein from power. The Administration wants that outcome, but believes that achieving it would be difficult, and the U.S. policy should focus primarily on containing any threat from Iraq. | |||
| 97-871 (PDF, TXT) | SAMPLING FOR CENSUS 2000: A LEGAL OVERVIEW | Margaret Mikyung Lee, American Law Division | Updated December 30, 1998 |
| Sampling and statistical adjustment of the decennial population census taken for the purpose of apportioning the Representatives of Congress among the states, have become increasingly controversial during the past two decades. This report provides a look at the law affecting sampling and summarizes legislation concerning the use of sampling in the decennial census and the possible effect of such legislation. | |||
| RL30009 (PDF, TXT) | TAX-CUT LEGISLATION: APPLICABLE BUDGET ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES | Robert Keith, Government Division | Updated December 31, 1998 |
| Consideration of tax-cut legislation is subject to two different sets of budget enforcement procedures. First, under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the House and Senate are required to adopt an annual budget resolution, which is enforced by points of order when individual spending and revenue measures are considered. Second, under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, tax-cut legislation, as well as any other legislation affecting revenues or direct spending, is subject to a pay-as-you-go requirement tied to the sequestration process. This report assesses the application of these enforcement procedures to tax-cut legislation. | |||
| RL30010 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY: KEY ISSUES IN THE 106TH CONGRESS | Dianne E. Rennack, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 4, 1999 |
| This report lays out foreign and defense policy issues likely to receive attention in the 106th Congress. It discusses the U.S. role in the world, and addresses tools available to Members of Congress to affect foreign and defense policy, including: the use of military force, foreign assistance, foreign policy sanctions, export controls, participation in the United Nations, and oversight of the State Department. Foreign and defense policy issues are organized into categories of: global issues, defense policy, nonproliferation, treaties, and regional concerns. | |||
| RS20012 (PDF, TXT) | THE FUTURE OF CITIZEN SUITS AFTER STEEL CO. AND LAIDLAW | Robert Meltz, American Law Division | Updated January 5, 1999 |
| Two recent court decisions have called into question the viability of environmental citizen suits. In Steel Co., the Supreme Court denied plaintiff standing in a citizen suit where the defendant came into compliance after plaintiff sent its notice of intent to sue, but before it filed the complaint. Subsequently, the Fourth Circuit in Laidlaw invoked mootness doctrine to extend Steel Co. to where the citizen-suit defendant achieves compliance after the complaint is filed, but before entry of final judgment. | |||
| 98-845 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Government Information Technology Policy: Selected Issues | Glenn J. McLoughlin, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | January 5, 1999 |
| This report provides a review of current federal government information technology (IT) policy issues. Included are federal government IT spending, the year 2000 problem, encryption policies, information infrastructure and national security, the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA), the Clinger-Cohen Act, medical records and privacy, electronic commerce, and the federal role in the current and future development of the Internet. It provides summaries of these issues. At the end of each section, a list of relevant and more detailed CRS reports on the subject is provided. | |||
| RL30020 (PDF, TXT) | THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT TREATY: DESCRIPTION, POLICY ISSUES, AND CONGRESSIONAL CONCERNS | Ellen Grigorian, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 6, 1999 |
| The United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Court (ICC) concluded five weeks of negotiations on July 17, 1998 in Rome, Italy, by adopting an agreement to establish a permanent international war crimes court. This report discusses the events leading to the creation of a permanent international criminal tribunal and U.S. perspectives on the Court including: problematic provisions in the ICC Treaty, congressional considerations, and potential implications for U.S. foreign policy. | |||
| 98-539 (PDF, TXT) | RADIO FREE IRAQ AND RADIO FREE IRAN: BACKGROUND, LEGISLATION, AND POLICY ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 7, 1999 |
| In early 1998 after recurring conflicts with the Iraqi government on weapons sites inspections, Congress debated various nonmilitary actions to support removing Saddam Hussein from power. On May 1, 1998 the President signed the supplemental appropriation (H.R. 3579, P.L. 105-174) which provides funding for a new surrogate broadcasting service--Radio Free Iraq. This report tracks legislation and issues pertaining to these surrogate services. | |||
| RS20015 (PDF, TXT) | ELECTRICITY RESTRUCTURING BACKGROUND: PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935 (PUHCA) | Amy Abel, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated January 7, 1999 |
| This report provides background on PUHCA, including its history and impact. It also discusses how PUHCA reform fits into the current electric utility industry restructuring debate. | |||
| 98-990 (PDF, TXT) | STANDARD OF PROOF IN SENATE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS | Thomas B. Ripy, American Law Division | Updated January 7, 1999 |
| The Constitution gives the United States Senate the responsibility for trying impeachments, but does not address the standard of proof that is to be used in such trials. It concludes that an examination of the constitutional language, history, and the work of legal scholars provides no definitive answer to the question of what standard is to be applied. In the final analysis the question is one which historically has been answered by individual Senators guided by their own consciences. | |||
| 97-795 (PDF, TXT) | THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT: ITS RISE, FALL, AND CURRENT STATUS | David M. Ackerman, American Law Division | Updated January 21, 1999 |
| This report summarizes the Supreme Court decision, Employment Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Smith, the legislative history of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the Court's decision in City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores, and RFRA's current legal status, and notes introduction of the Religious Liberty Protection Act. | |||
| RS20024 (PDF, TXT) | STATE REGULATION OF THE INITIATIVE PROCESS: BUCKLEY v. AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW FOUNDATION, INC., ET AL. | T.J. Halstead, American Law Division | Updated January 21, 1999 |
| While the authority to regulate political expression is sharply circumscribed by the Constitution, states traditionally have been granted significant leeway in regulating the electoral process for the sake of efficiency and veracity. Due to an increase in state attempts to regulate petition initiatives, these two divergent bodies of law have given rise to a great deal of confusion as to the point at which state regulation of the electoral process becomes violative of the First Amendment freedoms. The Supreme Court addressed this conflict recently in Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc., et al., clarifying the debate by analyzing various provisions of Colorado laws regulating initiative petitions. | |||
| RL30031 (PDF, TXT) | ENVIRONMENTAL RISK AND COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: A REVIEW OF PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE MANDATES, 1993-1998 | Linda-Jo Schierow, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated January 22, 1999 |
| Between 1993 and 1998 Congress considered many proposals that aimed to increase or improve the use of risk analysis by federal agencies, especially in developing environmental rules. This report describes differences and similarities among selected provisions of key proposals: Senate-passed Johnston amendments to S. 171 and S. 2019 in the 103rd Congress; S. 343, as reported by the Committee on the Judiciary, in the 104th Congress, House-passed H.R. 9 in the 104th Congress; S. 981, as reported by the Committee on Governmental Affairs, in the 105th Congress, and S. 1728, as introduced, in the 105th Congress. | |||
| RS20017 (PDF, TXT) | COMMITTEE SYSTEM RULES CHANGES IN THE HOUSE, 106TH CONGRESS | Judy Schneider, Government Division | Updated January 22, 1999 |
| This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contained in H.Res. 5, the rules of the House for the 106th Congress. | |||
| RS20029 (PDF, TXT) | THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND RIGHTS TO COMMUNITY CARE: OLMSTEAD v. L.C. | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated January 25, 1999 |
| The Supreme Court granted certiorari on December 14, 1998 in Olmstead v. L.C. to address the issue of whether the public services portion of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compels the state of Georgia to provide treatment for the plaintiff mentally disabled persons in community placement when such treatment could be provided in a state mental institution. | |||
| RL30034 (PDF, TXT) | JOINT COMBINED EXCHANGE TRAINING (JCET) AND HUMAN RIGHTS: BACKGROUND AND ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | William C. Story, Jr., Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 26, 1999 |
| The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1992 allows U.S. special operation forces (SOF) to train under the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program in foreign countries, and does not prohibit training in nations where human rights violations have been reported. Such training includes instructing host government military units in lethal and nonlethal skills. Controversy has erupted over JCET missions in countries whose militaries are suspected or known to have committed human rights abuses. This report describes relevant legislation, SOF, JCET, alleged human rights abuses, and recent congressional initiatives and discusses further options and issues. | |||
| RS20030 (PDF, TXT) | TURKEY: GOVERNMENT UPDATE | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated January 27, 1999 |
| Capping three years of political instability, a fourth government since the December 1995 election has been formed in Turkey to lead the country to new elections on April 18, 1999. The maneuvering of politicians and the interference of the powerful Turkish military in politics have produced the governmental turnovers. The military continued to be wary of a possible strong showing by Islamists in the coming vote. Pending foreign policy issues of concern to Turkey that also concern the United States include Iraq, Cyprus, Greece, and Europe. | |||
| 97-312 (PDF, TXT) | SUPERFUND FACT BOOK | Mark Reisch and David M. Bearden, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division | Updated January 27, 1999 |
| The Superfund program is the principal federal effort for cleaning up inactive hazardous waste sites and protecting public health and the environment from releases of hazardous substances. This report is a compendium of data and other information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability act of 1980 (CERCLA) which established the Superfund program, followed by a glossary. | |||
| RL30042 (PDF, TXT) | COMPENDIUM OF PRECEDENTS INVOLVING EVIDENTIARY RULINGS AND APPLICATIONS OF EVIDENTIARY PRINCIPLES FROM SELECTED IMPEACHMENT TRIALS | Elizabeth B. Bazan, Nancy Lee Jones, Charles Doyle, and Jay R. Shampansky, American Law Division | Updated January 29, 1999 |
| This report is a compilation of evidentiary issues and rulings from the Senate impeachment trials of Judges Nixon, Hastings, Claiborne, Ritter, Louderback, and Swayne. A discourse on what evidentiary rules and principles are applicable in impeachment trials is appended. | |||
| RS20041 (PDF, TXT) | South Korea's Economic Prospects | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated February 1, 1999 |
| As South Korea has completed a full year of restructuring under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) imposed program, the prospects for a sustained economic recovery are mixed. To return the economy to a healthy growth trajectory, the government is attempting to reform the financial and corporate sectors, as well as to create more flexibility in labor markets. | |||
| RL30063 (PDF, TXT) | THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT: REAUTHORIZATION BY THE 105TH CONGRESS | James B. Stedman, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated February 2, 1999 |
| On October 7, 1998, the President signed the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (H. R. 6) into law (P.L. 105-244). This legislation reauthorizes the Higher Education Act (HEA), which includes the main federal programs of student assistance for postsecondary education. This report provides an overview of the main HEA programs, and summarizes the main provisions of the House and Senate bills and final HEA Amendments of 1998. | |||
| RL30050 (PDF, TXT) | AVIATION: DIRECT FEDERAL SPENDING, 1918-1998 | John W. Fischer and Robert S. Kirk, Economics Division | Updated February 3, 1999 |
| The federal government has provided large financial resources in support of commercial aviation since 1918. This report details the amounts and types of federal spending that have occurred over this 80 year period. It also discusses some of the issues that have shaped federal policy toward aviation and identifies some of the issues likely to affect federal spending in the future. | |||
| 98-301 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Holidays: Evolution and Application | Stephen W. Stathis, Government Division | February 8, 1999 |
| Congress has statutorily established 11 permanent federal holidays, which are legally applicable only to federal employees and the District of Columbia. Neither Congress nor the President has asserted the authority to declare a "national holiday" which would be binding on the 50 states. This report discusses the history of each federal holiday and explains the rationale where a public record exists. | |||
| RL30067 (PDF, TXT) | STATE REGULATION OF THE INITIATIVE PROCESS: BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS OF ISSUES IN BUCKLEY V. AMERICAN CONSITUTIONAL LAW FOUNDATION, INC., ET AL. | T.J. Halstead, American Law Division | Updated February 16, 1999 |
| This report discusses Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc., et al., where the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of various restrictions imposed by Colorado on the petition process for ballot initiatives. The Court struck down regulations requiring that circulators be registered voters and that all circulators wear identification badges, as well as provisions requiring the disclosure of paid circulators and amounts disbursed to each. In reading this decision, the Court noted that other permissible regulations served Colorado's interest in protecting the integrity of the initiative process. As such, the Court determined that the aforementioned provisions could not be justified in light of their violation of the right to anonymous political expression and subsequent chilling effect on free speech. | |||
| RL30072 (PDF, TXT) | TEMPORARY WORKERS AS MEMBERS OF THE CONTINGENT LABOR FORCE | Linda Levine, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated February 16, 1999 |
| This report opens with a discussion of the contingent work force and the public policy issues associated with this labor market development. The focus of the report then narrows to analyze in detail one component of the contingent labor force, namely, temporary workers. Who and how many are they? Why have firms increased their use of temps supplied through staffing companies? Does temporary status in and of itself confer relatively low wages and few benefits? What policy responses have been advocated? | |||
| RL30065 (PDF, TXT) | SOMALIA: PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND U.S. INVOLVEMENT | Theodros Dagne, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated February 17, 1999 |
| This report offers a background to the current situation in Somalia, including the U.S. and U.N. missions in the early 1990s, and gives an overview of conditions since international forces withdrew from Somalia. The report then analyzes the peace initiatives underway and assesses the prospects of the local administrations emerging in several regions. The report also offers an explanation for U.S. disengagement from Somalia and summarizes suggested contributions that the U.S. could make to the prospects for peace and greater regional stability without committing extensive resources. | |||
| RS20064 (PDF, TXT) | JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ETHICS AND THE MCDADE-MURTHA CITIZENS PROTECTION ACT | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated February 17, 1999 |
| Section 801 of the omnibus appropriations law, passed in October of 1998 (P.L. 105-277), requires federal prosecutors to follow state and federal rules of professional ethics in effect in the states where they conduct their activities. | |||
| 98-578 (PDF, TXT) | The Russian Financial Crisis of 1998: An Analysis of Trends, Causes, and Implications | William H. Cooper, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated February 18, 1999 |
| Since May of 1998, Russia has been in the midst of the latest--and probably the most serious--in a series of economic crises. The crisis occurs as the Congress considers legislation to authorize funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and as economies in Asia and Latin America suffer financial reversals. This report examines the major economic indicators of the crisis, its direct and indirect causes, and the implications for the Russian economy and Russian economic reform. It also analyzes the main options available to Russia in resolving the crisis. | |||
| RL30070 (PDF, TXT) | INDEPENDENT COUNSEL LAW: DERIVATION OF MAJOR CHANGES TO PROVISIONS | Jack Maskell, American Law Division | Updated February 22, 1999 |
| This report traces the changes and derivation of the major amendments to the provisions of federal law authorizing the appointment of what is now called an "independent counsel. The original 1978 language of the law, enacted as part of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521), is provided in fill in the left-hand column of the chart. The entire text of the current provisions of law (from the 1994 reauthorization, P.L. 103-270) is set out in the far right-hand column of the chart. The statutory text of significant changes in the act is placed in the other columns corresponding to the major amendments and reauthorizations in which such language was first adopted. Descriptions of some of the major changes are placed in the charts for explanation purposes in italics and brackets. All of the actual statutory language appears in regular print. | |||
| RS20084 (PDF, TXT) | RIGHT TO A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT PROVISIONS IN STATE CONSTITUTIONS, AND ARGUMENTS AS TO A FEDERAL COUNTERPART | Robert Meltz, American Law Division | Updated February 23, 1999 |
| The issue arises occasionally whether it might be desirable to amend the U.S. Constitution to add an environmental provision--such as one declaring an individual right to a clean environment. A federal provision, echoing state provisions, would implicate federalism concerns if its scope exceeded that of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. | |||
| RL30056 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS SUPPLEMENTAL FOR FY1999: EMERGENCY FUNDING IN P.L. 105-277 FOR AGRICULTURE, EMBASSY SECURITY, Y2K PROBLEMS, DEFENSE, AND OTHER ISSUES | Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated February 25, 1999 |
| During the final days of the 105th Congress, the House and Senate considered a series of emergency supplemental initiatives providing funds for American farmers affected by natural disasters and low commodity prices, embassy security and counterterrorism programs in the wake of the August embassy bombings, year 2000 (Y2K) computer requirements, the costs of maintaining U.S. troops in Bosnia, defense readiness, counter-narcotics interdiction initiatives, and domestic natural disaster related needs. Supplementals officially requested by the President totaled about $8.9 billion. Following the addition of several new congressional initiatives, some of which were endorsed by the White House, the final amount included in the omnibus supplemental appropriation measure (P.L. 105-277; H.R. 4328) climbed to $20.76 billion. | |||
| RS20097 (PDF, TXT) | CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW): A FACT SHEET | Chikako Ohara, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 1, 1999 |
| The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has been pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since its submission by President Carter in 1980. The treaty requires States parties to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in political and public life, law, education, employment, health care, commercial transactions, and domestic relations. While the Committee briefly considered the treaty in 1994, the full Senate has never done so. The Clinton Administration has repeatedly expressed support for ratification and asked the Senate to give its approval to ratification. This report provides an overview of the Convention and U.S. position on possible adherence. | |||
| RL30077 (PDF, TXT) | MANAGED CARE: RECENT PROPOSALS FOR NEW GRIEVANCE AND APPEALS PROCEDURES | Jon O. Shimabukuro, American Law Division | Updated March 1, 1999 |
| This report discusses recent proposals for new grievance and appeals procedures in managed care plans. This report considers specifically the work of the President's Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, legislative proposals, and proposed regulations of the Department of Labor. Several bills have already been introduced in the 106th Congress to address this issue. The Patients' Bill of Rights, H.R. 358/S. 6, the Patients' Bill of Rights Plus Act, S. 300, and the Patients' Bill of Rights Act, S. 326 each provide for new grievance and appeals procedures. | |||
| RS20090 (PDF, TXT) | TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS 3: 1998 TAX LAW, PART 1 -- NEW RULES FOR INNOCENT AND EX-SPOUSES | Thomas B. Ripy, American Law Division | Updated March 1, 1999 |
| This is the first in a series of reports designed to analyze changes to tax law made in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3, enacted as Title III of the IRS Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-206). This report describes and analyzes the liability of spouses for taxes due on joint returns, the recent changes in that law, and its historical development. | |||
| 98-220 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA'S RESPONSE TO THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. ECONOMIC INTERESTS | Wayne M. Morrison, Economics Division | Updated March 3, 1999 |
| China's response to the Asian financial crisis has important ramifications for U.S. economic interests. A Chinese currency devaluation could further destabilize other currencies of several East Asian economies, which could significantly affect U.S. trade with the region. China might also choose to respond to the crisis by putting a hold on its plans to liberalize its economy and lower trade barriers. This would likely further complicate China's attempt to join the World Trade Organization and would further strain U.S.-China economic relations. | |||
| RL30079 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT | Michael V. Seitzinger, American Law Division | Updated March 3, 1999 |
| The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 was intended to prohibit bribery of foreign officials by American corporations. This report discusses the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the major 1988 amendments, and the 1988 amendments bringing the Act into conformance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's agreement on bribery. | |||
| RL30080 (PDF, TXT) | MEXICO AND DRUG CERTIFICATION IN 1999: CONSEQUENCES OF DECERTIFICATION | K. Larry Storrs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 4, 1999 |
| This report summarizes the drug certification requirements mandated by Congress, and indicates the types of U.S. assistance that could be suspended if Mexico were to be decertified. It also indicates the types of assistance that could be exempted from suspension, or be provided by the President anyway, using special authorities. It also indicates how the negative votes of U. S. representatives would affect multilateral development bank lending to Mexico. | |||
| RS20104 (PDF, TXT) | CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT V. GARRET F.: THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT AND RELATED SERVICES | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated March 5, 1999 |
| The Supreme Court in Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F. held that the related services provision in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required the provision of certain supportive services for a ventilator-dependent child despite arguments from the school district concerning the costs of the services. Relying on a previous Supreme Court decision, Irving Independent School District v. Tatro, 468 U. S. 883 (1984), the Court in a seven to two decision continued to support the "bright line" rule stating that only medical services which must be provided by a physician are not required to be supplied by the school districts. This decision has been hailed by disability advocates as a substantial victory for families of children with disabilities while the Court's dissent noted that the decision "blindsides unwary states. The Court's decision has increased interest in IDEA funding. Amendments have been offered to S. 280, the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 to increase IDEA funding. | |||
| 97-415 (PDF, TXT) | CRIMINAL ALIENS: EXPANDED DETENTION, RESTRICTED RELIEF FROM REMOVAL | Larry M. Eig, American Law Division | Updated March 9, 1999 |
| In the 1980s, Congress began to target criminal aliens as an immigration enforcement priority. The 104th Congress expanded this effort in terrorism legislation, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) (P.L. 104-132), and in immigration legislation, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) (Division C of P.L. 104-208). | |||
| RS20108 (PDF, TXT) | TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS 3: 1998 TAX LAW PART 3: ATTORNEYS' FEES AND DAMAGES FOR IRS ABUSES | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated March 9, 1999 |
| This is one of a series of reports designed to analyze taxpayer protection and rights provisions made by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3, enacted as Title III of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, P.L. 105-206. This report discusses the provisions expanding a court's authority to award attorneys' fees and costs in certain cases and permitting a taxpayer to collect damages for negligent collection actions by IRS agents. Specific statutory changes include an increase in the previous statutory cap on attorney's fees, the provision of fees to accountants and enrolled agents, and the authority to pay fees for successful pro bono representation. These provisions are found in sections 3101 and 3102 of the statute and in IRC sections 7430, 7433, and 7426 | |||
| RS20109 (PDF, TXT) | TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS 3: 1998 TAX LAW PART 2: BURDEN OF PROOF | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated March 9, 1999 |
| This is one of a series of reports designed to analyze taxpayer protection and rights provisions made by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3, enacted as Title III of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, P.L. 105-206. This report summarizes the common law justifications for placing the burden of proof on the taxpayer in noncriminal tax cases, mentions the possible reasons for shifting the burden of proof to the government in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3, and discusses the possible impact of the provision shifting the burden of proof to the government in cases where the taxpayer has introduced credible evidence on a factual issue. The provision is found in section 3001 of the Act and is codified at IRC section 7491. | |||
| 98-212 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH | Paul Dwyer, Government Division | Updated March 11, 1999 |
| On October 21, 1998, President Clinton signed H.R. 4112, the FY1999 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, into P.L. 105-275. The act contains $2.350 billion, a 2.7 percent increase over the FY1998 appropriation of $2.288 billion. Later the same day, the President signed into law an omnibus appropriations bill that contains FY1999 emergency funding of $223.7 million for legislative branch activities. | |||
| 98-938 (PDF, TXT) | Defense Acquisition Workforce: Issues for Congress | Valerie Bailey Grasso, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 11, 1999 |
| This report discusses recent congressionally mandated reductions in the Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition workforce. It reviews DOD's varied efforts to define who belongs to this workforce, and examines potential issues for Congress in identifying and downsizing, the workforce. It includes defense acquisition workforce definitions and estimates by the Congress, General Accounting Office, and various defense management reports. Consequent issues for Congress are identified. Congressional action concerning the defense acquisition workforce was taken in the FY1999 defense authorization and appropriation bills. | |||
| RL30090 (PDF, TXT) | CREDIT UNION MEMBERSHIP ACT IMPLEMENTATION: LEGAL ISSUES | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated March 12, 1999 |
| Regulations implementing the Credit Union membership Act of 1998 are being challenged in court as impermissively expansive. This report examines the background and issues of this litigation. | |||
| RL30081 (PDF, TXT) | CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES: FEDERAL GRANTS AND TAX BENEFITS FOR WORKING FAMILIES | Thomas Gabe, Bob Lyke, and Karen Spar, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated March 15, 1999 |
| To help working parents with child care expenses, Congress has authorized both federal grants and tax provisions. Grants are provided through a consolidated Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and the tax provisions are the child and dependent care tax credit (DCTC) and the dependent care assistance program (DCAP). The latter allows families to exclude from their gross income employer assistance for child care. This report describes these federal provisions, including their histories and policy justifications, and examines the subsidies that families might receive under the combination of the CCDF and DCTC (the more common tax benefit). The report concludes by identifying potential issues for further analysis. | |||
| RL30104 (PDF, TXT) | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION FOR DATABASES AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL: COPYRIGHT AND SUI GENERIS FORMS OF PROTECTION | Dorothy Schrader, American Law Division | Updated March 17, 1999 |
| Copyright law protects both traditional print and computer-automated databases that exhibit original, creative expression through the selection, arrangement, or coordination of their component elements. Noncreative databases are not subject to protection against copying under the copyright laws of most countries. Since database products have great economic significance and electronic versions are frequently transmitted across national borders, appropriate international standards for the protection of databases have assumed great importance and have received attention in several venues in recent years. This report reviews and analyzes recent international developments relating to the protection of both creative and noncreative databases, including issuance of a Directive on the Legal Protection of Databases by the European Union; development of minimum standards of protection for creative databases under both the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Standards through the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty; and consideration of a possible new treaty on the protection of noncreative databases. | |||
| RL30093 (PDF, TXT) | THE PERSIAN GULF: ISSUES FOR U.S. POLICY, 1999 | Kenneth Katzman, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 17, 1999 |
| This report is an annual analysis of current issues for U.S. policy toward the volatile Persian Gulf region. The paper discusses the threats to U.S. interests from Iran and Iraq, attempts by the Gulf states to cope with internal and external threats to their stability, and U.S. responses to the threats posed by Iran and Iraq. | |||
| RS20031 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA AND U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE PROPOSALS: REACTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 17, 1999 |
| The Chinese government has strongly criticized U.S. announcements that it will develop or assist in deploying missile defense systems involving cooperation with U.S. allies in East Asia, and reports of such possible U.S. cooperation with Taiwan. Though the U.S. government may attempt to reassure China that it is not the target of the new systems, initial Chinese reactions suggest that the United States may face serious difficulties with China if on balance it sees U.S. interests well served by current plans and goes ahead with them, and especially if it supports ballistic missile defense efforts in Taiwan. | |||
| RL30101 (PDF, TXT) | TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS 3: 1998 TAX LAW PART 4 SUMMARY OF THE NEW LAW | Marie B. Morris and Thomas B. Ripy, American Law Division | Updated March 24, 1999 |
| This one of a series of reports designed to analyze changes in tax law made in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 3, enacted at Title III of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-206). This report is intended to provide a summary of the major provisions of the law. | |||
| RL30106 (PDF, TXT) | ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY ACT, TITLE II OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT OF 1998, P.L. 105-220 | Paul M. Irwin, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated March 25, 1999 |
| This report summarizes the federal adult education and literacy programs authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L. 105-220 (WIA). WIA was enacted when the President signed H.R. 1385 into law August 7, 1998; it also includes major amendments to job training and rehabilitation programs. This report summarizes current federal adult education and literacy programs. It then analyzes the major provisions of the AEFLA and compares them to prior law. | |||
| RS20102 (PDF, TXT) | Caribbean Basin Enhancement Legislation | Raymond J. Ahearn, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 26, 1999 |
| Legislation has been introduced to provide Caribbean Basin countries similar tariff benefits afforded Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As in the past, the outlook in the 106th Congress for passage of some sort of enhancement bill remains uncertain. | |||
| RS20118 (PDF, TXT) | NURSING HOME EVICTIONS OF MEDICAID PATIENTS FOLLOWING VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MEDICAID PROGRAM: CURRENT ISSUES AND CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE | Kathleen S. Swendiman, American Law Division | Updated March 29, 1999 |
| Nursing facilities that choose to participate in the Medicaid program must comply with specific requirements relating to patients' rights, including transfer and discharge procedures. However, once a facility has voluntarily withdrawn from the Medicaid program, transfer and discharge protections no longer apply to residents in the facility. In 1998, the Vencor Corporation evicted large numbers of Medicaid residents from its nursing homes pursuant to its decision to withdraw from the Medicaid program. Congressional response following the Vencor case included consideration of H.R. 540 and S. 494, 106th Congress companion bills prohibiting transfers or discharges of residents of nursing facilities as a result of a voluntary withdrawal from participation in the Medicaid program. The House passed H.R. 540 on March 10th. On March 15th the Senate voted unanimously to pass S. 494, President Clinton signed the measure into law on March 25, 1999. | |||
| 98-823 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY CONTINGENCY FUNDING FOR BOSNIA, SOUTHWEST ASIA, AND OTHER OPERATIONS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | Nina M. Serafino, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated March 29, 1999 |
| Congress' unprecedented funding in the annual budget of two large scale on-going operations--the NATO operation in Bosnia and the coalition operation in Southwest Asia--beginning in FY1996 has not resolved the problem because changes in the plans for those operations have required the Administration to draw on funds planned for other activities. Supplemental appropriations, which require recission of previously-approved funding if they are not to increase the budget, continue to play a large part in funding these operations. | |||
| RS20127 (PDF, TXT) | DRUG CERTIFICATION OF MEXICO IN 1999: ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTIONS OF DISAPPROVAL | K. Larry Storrs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 30, 1999 |
| This report presents arguments for and against a congressional resolution to disapprove President Clinton's February 26, 1999 certification of Mexico as a fully cooperative country in efforts to control illicit narcotics. This resolution (H. J. Res. 35), which must be approved within 30 calendar days of the President's certification, would disapprove the President's certification but would permit him to avoid withholding of assistance if he determined that vital national interests required such assistance. Supporters of the resolution might argue that Mexico's performance does not justify certification, that Mexico has failed to take adequate action against corruption and drug traffickers, and that passage would send a message of seriousness that would encourage greater Mexican efforts. Opponents might argue that the action would be seen as a unilateral and punitive approach that disapproval of Mexico might have negative effects within the United States and might fail to encourage greater Mexican cooperation in counter-narcotics efforts, and that disapproval may negatively affect other areas of bilateral cooperation. | |||
| RS20135 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA-U.S. SUMMITRY: PREMIER ZHU RONGJI'S APRIL 1999 VISIT | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated March 30, 1999 |
| On April 8, 1999, Premier Zhu Rongji will begin his first official visit to the United States since his selection as China's Prime Minister in March 1998. Zhu's visit is another important step in a seemingly perennial effort to improve U.S.-China relations. Although U.S. policymakers have tried to lower expectations about the visit's potential achievements, there is widespread speculation that a deal maybe in the works that could pave the way for China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), a matter under negotiation for over a decade now. Premier Zhu has been candid about his hopes for such an agreement. But both U.S. and Chinese government officials remain hamstrung by domestic political constraints that may make it difficult to reach accommodation on substantive matters. President Clinton is already under fire for his China policy, which some critics allege has made too many concessions to Beijing and has even compromised U.S. national security. Although Zhu is in a stronger position at home, his ability to make concessions sufficient for WTO accession is constrained by China's growing economic, political, and social problems, some of which are the result of new, painful reforms championed by Zhu himself. Any agreement on WTO that may come out of the Zhu visit is therefore likely to be challenged by key constituencies in both countries. | |||
| RS20126 (PDF, TXT) | GUN INDUSTRY LIABILITY: LAWSUITS AND LEGISLATION | Henry Cohen, American Law Division | Updated March 30, 1999 |
| A number of cities have recently filed suit or plan to file suit against gun manufacturers and gun marketers. These suits are based on different legal theories, but they all seek to recover the cities' expenses resulting from the use of guns. About 20 states, however, are considering legislation to prevent their cities from suing the gun industry, and, on February 9, 1999, Georgia became the first state to enact such a law. Members of the 106th Congress, meanwhile, have introduced bills to permit and to preclude suits against the gun industry. | |||
| RL30127 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO CONFLICT CHRONOLOGY: SEPTEMBER 1998-MARCH 1999 | Julie Kim, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated April 6, 1999 |
| This report chronicles major events regarding the violent conflict in Kosovo, a region in Serbia with a majority ethnic Albanian population, from September 1998 through March 1999. During this period, a cease-fire was brokered in October 1998, but was frequently violated by both sides. In mid-January 1999, a massacre of ethnic Albanian civilians by Serbian police prompted renewed international attention to the Kosovo problem, and led to peace talks in February and March. NATO planned to deploy a peacekeeping force in Kosovo once an agreement was reached. Continued Serbian rejection of the agreement led NATO to launch an extended air strike campaign against Yugoslav targets on March 24. Air strikes did not deter Serb forces from their onslaught in Kosovo, driving hundreds of thousands of refugees into neighboring countries. | |||
| RL30145 (PDF, TXT) | CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: SUMMARY OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS DURING THE 1997-98 TERM | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated April 19, 1999 |
| This report summarizes five capital punishment cases which were decided during the 1997-98 term of the Supreme Court. The cases reveal two distinct characteristics: (1) they did not break any new ground insofar as capital punishment sentencing procedures are concerned and (2) instead of preeminence at the federal level, the Court gives considerable recognition to the traditional powers of the state to regulate crime. | |||
| 98-451 (PDF, TXT) | Animal Waste Management and the Environment: Background for Current Issues | Claudia Copeland and Jeffrey Zinn, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated April 26, 1999 |
| Waste for animal agriculture is an increasingly prominent environmental quality issue. This background report describes the livestock production industry today along with public health and environmental concerns related to the industry. It summarizes policies and programs of the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency and recent Clinton Administration initiatives; state laws and programs concerning animal waste management; and dialogues on problems and solutions initiated by some segments of this industry. It reviews congressional responses to the issues and outlines policy questions likely to shape congressional action. | |||
| 97-696 (PDF, TXT) | RUSSIA'S RELIGION LAW: ASSESSMENTS AND IMPLICATIONS | Jim Nichol, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated April 29, 1999 |
| This report provides an overview and assessment of the Russian religion law. The Administration and Congress have raised concerns that the new law may restrict religion and have urged Russia to uphold its international commitments to religious freedom. The FY1998 Foreign Aid Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-118) prohibits Freedom Support Act aid to Russia unless the President determines and certifies that the Russian government has not discriminated against religious groups in violation of its international commitments. The determination was released on May 26, 1998, funding that Russia has not violated such commitments, but that U.S. officials would continue to monitor the situation. | |||
| RS20187 (PDF, TXT) | Taiwan's Defense: Assessing The U.S. Department of Defense Report, "The Security Situation in the Taiwan Strait" | Robert O. Sutter, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated April 30, 1999 |
| The 106th Congress is being called on to consider legislation on U.S. support for Taiwan's military defense needs, based in part on a congressionally-mandated U.S. Defense Department (DOD) report released in February 1999 on "The Security Situation in the Taiwan Strait." This CRS document is an analysis of the 28-page DOD report. | |||
| RL30161 (PDF, TXT) | RUSSIA: PRIMAKOV'S ECONOMIC POLICY DILEMMA AND U.S. INTERESTS | John P. Hardt, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 3, 1999 |
| This report focuses on two divergent scenarios faced by Russia in the wake of its financial crisis of August 1998. Prime Minister Yevgenii Primakov expected either a vicious cycle of decline and possible collapse in government or an economic management scenario following outlines of an agreed action program that makes imperative fundamental changes in the Russian financial system. The success or failure of Russia in dealing with this crisis may have more effect on the pursuit of peace and prosperity by the United States than any other foreign policy crisis. | |||
| 97-885 (PDF, TXT) | FAST-TRACK LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES FOR TRADE AGREEMENTS: THE GREAT DEBATE OF 1991 | Lenore Sek, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 3, 1999 |
| The last debate on whether or not to grant the President authority to negotiate trade agreements with "fast-track" legislative procedures was in 1991. Many issues that were raised in that debate are the same as those still being considered, including the rule of labor and the environment in trade negotiations and whether legislation to implement trade agreements should be amendable. The result of the debate in 1991 was that Congress allowed the President an extension of negotiating authority with fast-track legislative procedures. At the same time, however, it gave strong directives to the Administration on issues to be addressed in the negotiations and threatened to withdraw the fast-track procedures if its directives were not followed. | |||
| RL30112 (PDF, TXT) | RUSSIA'S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL TRANSITION: U.S. ASSISTANCE AND ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 5, 1999 |
| The adoption by Russia of a democratic political system and free market economic system is an objective of U. S. foreign policy facilitated by the foreign aid program funded under the New Independent States (NE) account of the foreign operations appropriations. Since 1992, an estimated $2.3 billion has been obligated to assist this transition. This report reviews the history of the program, focusing on the more recent Partnership for Freedom and Regional Investment Initiative. It considers several issues of possible interest to Congress, including the impact on the aid program of the August 1998 financial crisis and of legislative conditionality. | |||
| RS20191 (PDF, TXT) | TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION POLICY | Dick K. Nanto, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 10, 1999 |
| International competition policy is aimed at prohibiting private activities that restrict or distort competition-particularly as they affect trade. It is both a process of harmonizing national competition policies and a goal of negotiating a multinational agreement on antitrust policy. Although every industrialized nation has national antitrust and competition laws, there is no consensus on the need for, shape of. or reach of an international competition policy. The World Trade Organization is exploring the possibility of including competition policy in its negotiating agenda, Congressional action on competition policy centers mainly on its oversight of trade, economic, and antitrust relations with foreign countries. | |||
| RS20081 (PDF, TXT) | Justice Department Ethics: Legislative Activity in the 106th Congress | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | May 11, 1999 |
| Three bills have been introduced in the Senate that focus on issues of federal prosecutorial ethics addressed in the Citizens Protection Act (McDade-Murtha) enacted as part of the omnibus appropriations package on October 21, 1998 (Section 801 of P.L. 106-277) and effective six months thereafter. The McDade-Murtha provision requires Justice Department litigators to abide by the ethical standards of the states and local federal courts where they conduct their activities. One of the bills, S. 755 (introduced by Senator Hatch), would have simply delayed the effective date of the McDade-Murtha provision an additional six months. The other two bills, S. 250 (also offered by Senator Hatch) and S. 855 (introduced by Senator Leahy), repeal McDade-Murtha. S. 855 replaces it with a call for a "no contact" standard applicable to Justice Department litigators and promulgated as an amendment to the federal rules of civil and criminal procedure. S. 250 permits the Attorney General to release Department litigators from otherwise applicable ethical standards that interfere with the effectuation of federal law or policy. | |||
| RS20132 (PDF, TXT) | INSURANCE PROVISIONS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES MODERNIZATION BILLS IN THE 106TH CONGRESS: ANTECEDENT SUPREME COURT DECISIONS | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated May 13, 1999 |
| Part of the background against which financial services modernization legislation is proceeding involves the way the courts have treated insurance powers of national banks. Recent Supreme Court decisions have upheld regulatory interpretations establishing the ability of national banks to conduct various kinds of insurance activities. NationsBank of North Carolina, N.A. v. Variable Annuity Life Insurance Co. opened the way for national banks to sell insurance nationwide from towns of under 5,000, under the authority of section 92 of the National Bank Act. Barnett Bank of Marion County, N.A. vs. Nelson held that section 92 preempts state laws to the extent that they "prevent or significantly interfere with the national bank's exercise of its powers." | |||
| RL30100 (PDF, TXT) | U.S.-Taiwan Relations Under the Taiwan Relations Act: Lessons and Options-Findings of a CRS Workshop | Robert O. Sutter, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 20, 1999 |
| This report summarizes a CRS workshop on U.S.-Taiwan relations. It begins with a section examining the history of U.S. relations with Taiwan over the past two decades. It delves into U.S. government-supported interaction with Taiwan, U.S. approaches to cross-Strait relations, unofficial or "Track II" U.S. efforts to deal with cross-Strait tensions, options and goals for U.S. policy, and more. | |||
| RS20203 (PDF, TXT) | THE EXPANDED THREAT REDUCTION INITIATIVE FOR THE FORMER SOVIET UNION: ADMINISTRATION PROPOSALS FOR FY2000 | Amy F. Woolf and Curt Tarnoff, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 20, 1999 |
| Responding to the impact of Russia's financial crisis, President Clinton's budget requests $1 billion for FY2000 and $4.5 billion over five years for nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons threat reduction programs in the former Soviet Union. The added funds in this Expanded Threat Reduction Initiative (ETR) - 35 percent over FY1999 levels - will augment many ongoing programs funded under Department of Defense, Energy and Water, and Foreign Operations appropriations and significantly expand efforts in science and technology nonproliferation. Some members of Congress may question the initiative's new priorities and some may question whether it serves U.S. national security and nonproliferation objectives. | |||
| RL30184 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY INTERVENTIONS BY U.S. FORCES FROM VIETNAM TO BOSNIA: BACKGROUND, OUTCOMES, AND "LESSONS LEARNED" FOR KOSOVO | Nina M. Serafino, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 20, 1999 |
| This report provides basic information on nine cases where the U.S. military has intervened, either unilaterally or together with other nations, and a summary, for each operation, of assessments of the operation relevant to the use of force, particularly for cases such as Kosovo. The cases are Vietnam Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, and Bosnia. Information includes: the situation in which U.S. military forces were deployed, the size and length of deployment, the number of U. S. military personnel killed in or as a result of hostilities, the situation in which U.S. troops were deployed, the rationales, purposes, and/or interests involved in a deployment, and whether there was an international mandate and a congressional authorization for the action. The introductory overview includes a synopsis of the "lessons learned" for the use of force from all operations, and a brief discussion of the implications for future operations. | |||
| RS20205 (PDF, TXT) | WORLD CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, JUNE 26-JULY 1, 1999: PURPOSE AND ISSUES | Genevieve J. Knezo, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated May 24, 1999 |
| The World Conference on Science, June 26-July 1, 1999, is cosponsored by the International Council for Science and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Over 120 mixed public/private national delegations will discuss controversial issues and will be asked to support a framework for action that focuses on doing more "ethical" and "relevant" science; rectifying gaps between developed and developing countries relating to the conduct of research technology transfer, ownership of intellectual property rights including indigenous biological resources, and compensation for brain drain, and implementing follow-up by UNESCO. The National Academy of Sciences has proposed a private InterAcademy Center for international scientific advice. The U. S. delegation is unlikely to support programs that require new funds or that conflict with U.S. policies. This report addresses issues relevant to formulating U.S. science policy and programs for developing nations. | |||
| 97-532 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL REGULATION OF WORKING HOURS: CONSIDERATION OF THE ISSUES | William G. Whittaker, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated May 24, 1999 |
| Legislation to modify the overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act to permit more flexible work scheduling for private sector workplaces has been under consideration through the 104th and 105th Congresses. This report summarizes hearings, floor debates and related documents produced during those two congresses. | |||
| 96-570 (PDF, TXT) | Federal Regulation of Working Hours: An Overview Through the 105th Congress | William G. Whittaker, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated May 24, 1999 |
| Through nearly two centuries, American workers and their employers have been concerned with the structure and regulation of workhours. Early humane concerns gave way, during the 1920s and 1930s, to economic factors: i.e., spreading available work to the jobless. Since the 1960s, attention has focused upon alternative work patterns: an effort to balance work with family responsibilities and other concerns. This report presents a brief introduction to the workhours issue and then traces the legislative history of this question through the 104th and 105th Congresses. | |||
| RL30192 (PDF, TXT) | NATO: CONGRESS ADDRESSES EXPANSION OF THE ALLIANCE | Paul E. Gallis, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 24, 1999 |
| This report analyzes NATO enlargement policy from the mid-1990s through May 1999. It discusses legislation offered in Congress during the 105th Congress, analyzes how enlargement might affect NATO's mission, examines the various cost studies on enlargement, reviews Russia's position on NATO expansion, then briefly discusses developments in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland. | |||
| RL30187 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO'S FUTURE STATUS: ALTERNATIVE MODELS | Francis T. Miko, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 26, 1999 |
| This report focuses on the question of Kosovo's future status after the immediate crisis is ended. It looks at broader U.S. interests which may be at stake in any Kosovo settlement and against which Congress is likely to judge any outcome. It presents alternative long-term solutions that have been suggested for Kosovo and looks at possible strengths and weaknesses of each model, in light of historical experiences with each. | |||
| RL30083 (PDF, TXT) | SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY1999: CENTRAL AMERICA DISASTER AID, MIDDLE EAST PEACE, AND OTHER INITIATIVES | Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 26, 1999 |
| Congress is considering several FY1999 supplemental appropriation requests early in the 106th Congress, including those for Central America hurricane relief, Middle East assistance, and agriculture farm loans. A major issue in the debate is whether to declare the supplemental proposals as emergencies or offset their costs with cuts in existing program funding. This report reviews the President's supplemental requests, discusses the offset issue, and tracks congressional action. | |||
| RS20149 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO: GREEK AND TURKISH PERSPECTIVES | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 27, 1999 |
| Western governments have cited a danger of the Kosovo conflict spreading to NATO allies Greece and Turkey as justification for military intervention in Kosovo. These two eastern Mediterranean neighbors have had difficult bilateral relations, which have worsened in recent years. Their overarching goals for Kosovo are strikingly similar, but their views of NATO's military campaign differ sharply. Greece opposes NATO's approach for reasons based on history, culture, competing foreign policy goals, and public opinion. Its sympathies lie with the Serbs. Turkey supports NATO's policy out of alliance loyalty and because of its shared history, culture, and attendant sympathies with the Kosovar Albanians. Turkey is participating in the military operation; Greece is not. Greece denies the possibility that a war with Turkey might result from the Kosovo conflict, but admits that a refugee crisis may contain politically destabilizing elements. Turkey, too, rejects the possibility that a war with Greece might arise from the current crisis. The Greek government is concerned about the implications of its position on Kosovo on U.S.-Greek relations. Turkey does not accept an analogy between the Kosovars and the Turkish Kurds. | |||
| RL30195 (PDF, TXT) | ALTERNATIVE TRADING SYSTEMS: WILL COMPUTERS REPLACE STOCK EXCHANGES? | Mark Jickling, Government and Finance Division | Updated May 27, 1999 |
| Computer systems that perform all the transaction functions of a traditional stock exchange, called "alternative trading systems" (ATSs), now account for about 15% of U.S. stock volume and are growing rapidly. Benefits to ATS investors include lower trading costs and better information about market conditions. However, traditional exchanges are not just trading mechanisms; they are regulators. There are concerns of a "regulatory gap" - the ATS may not provide the same level of investor protection and market integrity. In December 1998, the SEC issued rules for ATSs: they may now choose to register as exchanges or to be regulated by a new Regulation ATS. This report presents background information on the ATS markets and on the new SEC rules. | |||
| RL30216 (PDF, TXT) | SMALL, HIGH TECH COMPANIES AND THEIR ROLE IN THE ECONOMY: ISSUES IN THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM | Wendy H. Schacht, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated May 28, 1999 |
| The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a government-wide effort to increase that portion of the federal research and development budget provided to small firms for work associated with the mission responsibilities of federal departments and agencies. This activity is due to sunset on October 1, 2000. In anticipation of expected congressional efforts to reauthorize the SBIR program, this paper focuses on the role small high tech enterprises--those that provide high value added goods, services, and jobs--play in the nation's economic growth. It provides background on related legislative initiatives to facilitate innovation and explores issues associated with achieving the goals of the SBIR activity within the context of other federal technology development endeavors. | |||
| RL30132 (PDF, TXT) | INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) REFORM: PAST SOLUTIONS, CURRENT PROPOSALS | Patricia A. Wertman, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated May 28, 1999 |
| This report examines past reforms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as expressed in amendments to the IMF's Articles of Agreement, or basic charter. It also summarizes the legislation passed by the 105th Congress with regard to the IMF. Finally, it discusses current proposals to reform the IMF. | |||
| RL30193 (PDF, TXT) | FOREIGN POLICY ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS | Richard F. Grimmett, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 1, 1999 |
| The United States Constitution divides foreign policy powers between the President and the Congress so that both share in the making of foreign policy. This report reviews and illustrates 12 basic ways that the United States can make foreign policy. The practices illustrated in this report indicate that making foreign policy is a complex process, and that the support of both branches is required for a strong and effective U.S. foreign policy. | |||
| RS20161 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO MILITARY OPERATIONS: COSTS AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON FUNDING | Stephen Daggett, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 3, 1999 |
| On April 19, the White House sent Congress a request for emergency supplemental funding of $6.05 billion to cover costs of U.S. military operations against Yugoslavia, humanitarian assistance to Kosovo refugee, and some expenses of ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq. Congress is expected to act quickly on the funding either as a freestanding bill or added to H.R. 1141, a bill providing supplemental appropriations for Central America and Caribbean disaster relief aid to Jordan, farm programs, and some other domestic programs. H.R. 1141 is currently under consideration by a House-Senate conference. While there appears to be widespread support in Congress for supplemental funding, several potentially contentious issues have arisen. Some defense advocates have argued that funding should be provided not only to cover the immediate costs of military operations against Yugoslavia, but also to address perceived shortfalls in military readiness worldwide. The Administration has requested that funds be designated as emergency appropriations, which will raise caps on discretionary spending by the amounts provided. Some legislators, however, may propose offsetting rescissions for some or all of the supplemental funds. If H.R. 1141 is the vehicle, outstanding issues on that bill will have to be resolved, including offsets to which the Administration has objected. | |||
| RS20218 (PDF, TXT) | ASPARTAME | Donna V. Porter, Science, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated June 3, 1999 |
| Recent information broadcast on the internet, suggesting that there are health hazards associated with use of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, has precipitated constituent mail to congressional offices. Since it was first approved for use as a food additive in 1981, aspartame has been linked by its critics to a number of health problems. However, federal officials report that, after more than a decade of monitoring, there is no clinical evidence that this aspartame sweetener poses a hazard to the average consumer. Individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic metabolic disorder, should avoid aspartame because it contains phenylalanine which they can not metabolize. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aspartame for use in all food and beverages, following one of the most rigorous testing programs and regulatory reviews in food additive history. Food labels are required to identify the presence of aspartame both on the ingredient label and the warning statement for individuals with PKU. Bills were introduced in the 98th and 99th Congresses to address maximum concentrations, labeling, and consumer education issues, but no final action was taken. In 1987, the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources (since renamed Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)) held the most recent aspartame hearing. | |||
| RS20213 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE CURRENT CONFLICT | Steven J. Woehrel, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 3, 1999 |
| This report discusses the historical background to the current conflict in Kosovo. It also includes a suggested reading list. | |||
| RS20220 (PDF, TXT) | BIOSPHERE RESERVES AND THE U.S. MAB PROGRAM | Susan R. Fletcher, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated June 4, 1999 |
| Since 1972, the United States has participated in the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), coordinated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Each participating nation establishes its own domestic MAB program, which includes a wide variety of ecosystem and biological research. As part of the U.S. MAB program; 47 biosphere reserves have been established in the United States. These sites are part of a network of 356 such areas worldwide, in which scientists conduct research and communicate about their findings. Biosphere reserves are nominated by the country in which they arc located. They are usually areas protected for domestic purposes, such as national parks, and no change in jurisdiction or sovereignty occurs as a result of recognition as biosphere reserves. However, controversy has arisen over the connection to the United Nations and fears by some commentators and organizations that U.S. sovereignty could be affected. The American Land Sovereignty Protection Act has been introduced in the 104th, 105th, and 106th Congresses to address these concerns by requiring congressional approval of nominations of federal lands for recognition under international programs, including the MAB program, and by placing other conditions on U.S. participation in the program. The American land Sovereignty Protection Act passed the House in 1997 (H.R. 901) and on May 20, 1999 (H.R. 883), and the Senate held hearings on S. 510, a companion bill, on May 26, 1999. The legislation would also affect U.S. participation in the World Heritage Convention, under which World Heritage sites are recognized, and which include some of the sites recognized as biosphere reserves. | |||
| RS20226 (PDF, TXT) | INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT: AMENDMENT CONTAINED IN S. 254, 106TH CONGRESS | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated June 8, 1999 |
| The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq., provides federal funds to the states to assist them in providing an education for children with disabilities. As a condition for the receipt of these funds, IDEA contains requirements on the provision of services and detailed due process procedures. In 1997 Congress amended IDEA in the most comprehensive and controversial reauthorization since IDEA's original enactment in 1975. One of the most contentious issues addressed in the 1997 legislation related to the disciplinary procedures applicable to children with disabilities. This issue was raised again in Amendment 355 to S. 254, 106th Congress, the Violent and Repeat Juvenile Accountability and Rehabilitation Act of 1999, which passed the Senate on May 20, 1999. | |||
| RL30220 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA'S TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITIONS: COX COMMITTEE'S REPORT--FINDINGS, ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS | Shirley A. Kan, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 8, 1999 |
| On May 25, 1999, the House Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China (Cox Committee) released the declassified version of its January 3, 1999 classified report on its investigation of U.S. technology transfers to China. The 3-volume, 871-page unclassified report discussed findings related to Chinese acquisition of U.S. nuclear weapon information, missile technology through satellite exports, high-performance computers, and other dual-use technology. The report made 38 recommendations. This report summarizes the major findings of the Cox committee's recommendations. | |||
| RL30232 (PDF, TXT) | SYSTEMIC RISK AND THE LONG-TERM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT RESCUE | Mark Jickling, Government and Finance Division | Updated June 10, 1999 |
| Systemic risk is generally defined as the possibility that a financial problem in one firm or market may spread by "contagion" to others, and that, if panic spreads far enough, general confidence in financial institutions may be impaired, the flow of funds from lenders and investors to borrowers may be disrupted, and the real economy may suffer a loss of jobs and productive investment. Economists are divided on the nature, and even the existence of systemic risk but in the wake of the recent global financial turmoil, congressional interest has increased. Several committees and subcommittees have held hearings, and legislation affecting hedge funds may be considered by the 106th Congress. | |||
| RS20229 (PDF, TXT) | NAFTA: ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON THE UNITED STATES AFTER FIVE YEARS | Arlene Wilson, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 10, 1999 |
| NAFTA has had a positive, but small, effect on U.S. trade with Mexico and that U.S. direct investment in Mexico remains small relative to total U.S. investment abroad. The number of workers displaced by import competition with Canada and Mexico or production shifts of those countries is estimated to be small compared with total U.S. employment. | |||
| RL30238 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL EXCISE TAXES ON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: A SUMMARY OF PRESENT LAW AND A BRIEF HISTORY | Thomas B. Ripy, American Law Division | Updated June 15, 1999 |
| This report summarizes present law governing federal taxation of alcoholic beverages and provides a history of its development. | |||
| RL30233 (PDF, TXT) | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: COAL USE IN CHINA AND OTHER ASIAN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | Marc Humphries, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated June 16, 1999 |
| China leads the world in coal use and CO2 emissions from coal. Coal use in China and other Asian developing countries is expected to increase significantly over the next 20 years. The 1997 Kyoto Agreement on global climate change imposes binding reductions in emissions of CO2 and other major greenhouse gases on developed nations, but not on China and other developing nations. With China's increases projected to surpass U.S. emissions by 2020, the Clinton Administration says it will not send the agreement to the Senate for advice and consent without meaningful participation by developing countries. This report discusses the factors behind China's planned reliance on coal for future energy growth and provides statistics on coal use and CO2 emissions in Asia.\ | |||
| 98-693 (PDF, TXT) | THE U.S. TRADE DEFICIT: TRENDS, THEORY, POLICY, AND SUSTAINABILITY | Dick K. Nanto, Economics Division | Updated June 17, 1999 |
| This report surveys recent trends in the U.S. trade deficit and the economic theory and policies surrounding it. The Trade Deficit Review Commission was organized in June 1999 to develop trade policy recommendations. This report points out some problems with and recent advances in traditional economic approaches to trade theory and policy, particularly with respect to inter-industry trade, strategic trade, macroeconomic trade theory, the twin deficits, the exchange rate, and intertemporal savings and investment. It also examines the sustainability of the trade deficit and its relationship to employment. | |||
| RS20237 (PDF, TXT) | COMMERCE CLAUSE ISSUES IN BRZONKALA V. VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY | T.J. Halstead, American Law Division | Updated June 17, 1999 |
| In Brzonkala v. Polytechnic Institute and State University, an en banc Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit considered the constitutionality of 43 U.S.C. Section 13981, which creates a federal cause of action against any person who commits a crime of violence motivated by gender animus. Analyzing section 13981 according the framework delineated in Lopez v. United States, the Fourth Circuit determined that gender motivated violence is not a commercial activity and is not substantially connected to interstate commerce, rendering the statute invalid under the Commerce Clause. | |||
| RL30242 (PDF, TXT) | NATURAL RESOURCES: ASSESSING NONMARKET VALUES THROUGH CONTINGENT VALUATION | Joseph Breedlove, Resources, Science, and Industry Division Intern | Updated June 21, 1999 |
| This report provides background on the nonmarket value of natural resources and the strengths and weaknesses of contingent valuation for estimating such values. Nonmarket values are increasingly being recognized as important in natural resource damage assessments and decisionmaking. This report describes contingent valuation, a survey technique often used to estimate nonmarket values, and examines its strengths and weaknesses. | |||
| RL30245 (PDF, TXT) | MILITARY CHANGES TO THE UNIFIED COMMAND PLAN: BACKGROUND AND ISSUES FOR CONGRESS | William C. Story, Jr., Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated June 21, 1999 |
| Changing threats to U.S. national security concern Members and committees in Congress; terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, national missile defense, and space issues are new challenges the Department of Defense faces. A key tool to address these concerns has been the Unified Command Plan (UCP), which organizes U.S. military forces geographically and functionally for activities in peace and war. Congress has played a role in shaping this executive document in the past, and may wish to do so again in the future. This report describes the UCP, relevant past legislation, emerging threats, and options and issues for Congress. | |||
| RL30249 (PDF, TXT) | THE SEPARATION OF POWERS DOCTRINE: AN OVERVIEW OF ITS RATIONALE AND APPLICATION | T.J. Halstead, American Law Division | Updated June 23, 1999 |
| This report discusses the philosophical underpinnings, constitutional provisions, and judicial application of the separation of powers doctrine. In the United States, the doctrine has evolved to entail the identification and division of three distinct governmental functions, which are to be exercised by separate branches of government, classified as legislative, executive, and judicial. The goal of this separation is to promote governmental efficiency and prevent the excessive accumulation of power by any single branch. This has been accomplished through a hybrid doctrine comprised of the separation of powers principle and the notion of checks and balances. This structure results in a governmental system which is independent in certain respects and interdependent in others. | |||
| RL30248 (PDF, TXT) | THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE: THE FEDERAL-STATE PUBLIC LABOR EXCHANGE SYSTEM | Ann Lordeman, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated June 24, 1999 |
| This report describes the federal-state system of public employment service (ES) offices which was authorized by the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933. The central mission of the ES is to facilitate the match between individuals seeking employment and employers seeking workers. The ES system is jointly operated by the U.S. Department of Labor and state employment security agencies, and currently consists of more than 1,800 local offices. This report begins with a history of the ES, and also describes the methods of service delivery, the populations served, the ES role in the One-Stop delivery system under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, several products of America's Labor Market Information System, ES performance measurement, and funding under tie Wagner-Peyser Act. The report ends with a description of Alien Labor Certification programs, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit the Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit, and the Federal Bonding Program. | |||
| 96-869 (PDF, TXT) | CRIME AND FORFEITURE: THE INNOCENT THIRD PARTY | Paul S. Wallace, Jr., American Law Division | Updated June 29, 1999 |
| Forfeiture has survived through time in American law, and since 1984, the use of forfeiture statutes to divest felons of their spoils has increased substantially. This report reviews the case law which raises the issue concerning many relative to whether some civil forfeiture proceedings constitute punishment which may violate the Eighth Amendment's excessive fines clause. | |||
| RS20253 (PDF, TXT) | TURKEY: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE AFTER ELECTIONS | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated July 6, 1999 |
| The April 18, 1999 election in Turkey reflected growing nationalism, a weakening of the political center, and a desire for more honest leadership.. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit of the Democratic-Left Party (DSP) is continuing in office, joined by the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and Motherland Party (ANAP). Ecevit and ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz have prior government experience. MHP's Devlet Bahceli does not, and his purported success in moderating the ultra-right MHP is being tested. The government may last longer than its immediate predecessors, given its hefty majority, but multi-party coalitions are inherently unstable and the historic distrust between DSP and MHP could dim its prospects. There are many issues to engage U.S. and Turkish officials: democratization, human rights, Greece, Cyprus, pipelines, the European Union, Iraq, and arms transfers. | |||
| RS20260 (PDF, TXT) | PRESIDENTIAL DISABILITY: AN OVERVIEW | Thomas H. Neale, Government and Finance Division | Updated July 12, 1999 |
| In the original document, Article II, section 1, clause 6 of the Constitution provided that, in the event of the President's "Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties" of his office, "the Same shall devolve on the Vice President." This language was superseded by the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1967. | |||
| RS20163 (PDF, TXT) | SULFUR IN GASOLINE AND THE 106TH CONGRESS | Stephen Thompson and James E. McCarthy, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated July 12, 1999 |
| Sulfur in gasoline reduces the effectiveness of catalytic converters in vehicles, thus increasing tailpipe emissions that adversely affect human health and the environment. Mobile sources of air pollution, including light-duty vehicles and trucks, contribute 49 percent of total nitrogen oxides inventory, 40 percent of volatile organic compounds including hydrocarbons, about one-quarter of particulate matter smaller than 10 microns, and nearly 80 percent of carbon monoxide. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is studying whether to limit the level of sulfur in gasoline in order to protect vehicle catalytic converters and vehicle on-board diagnostic systems, and as away of facilitating lower vehicle emission standards in the future. EPA sent proposed regulations imposing limits on sulfur in gasoline to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. Bills introduced during the 106th Congress would limit sulfur- in gasoline. Reports indicate that EPA wants a nationwide, year-round standard of 40 ppm of sulfur in gasoline or, alternatively at the discretion of each gasoline producer, 80 ppm so long as the average over a year is no higher than 30 ppm. Auto manufacturers and states support setting that standard, while petroleum refineries seek less stringent and more localized limits. | |||
| RS20098 (PDF, TXT) | INSURANCE PROVISIONS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES MODERNIZATION BILLS IN THE 106TH CONGRESS | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated July 13, 1999 |
| With banks increasingly dependent on non-deposit products, including insurance sales, for profitability, the federal banking regulators have authorized, and the courts have upheld, expanded insurance powers. Current financial services modernization proposals would continue state regulation of the insurance business and would generally approve expanded insurance powers for banks. In the 105th Congress, one of the chief impediments to enacting financial services modernization legislation was resolving the bank sale of insurance issue. In the opening months of the 106th Congress, House Banking Committee Chairman Leach's H.R. 10, House Banking Committee Minority Ranking Member LaFalce's H.R. 665, and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Gramm's committee staff draft legislation take distinct approaches to balancing state authority over insurance with preservation of federally authorized insurance powers for banks, bank subsidiaries, and bank and financial holding company affiliates. | |||
| 97-316 (PDF, TXT) | DEFENSE RESEARCH: A PRIMER ON THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION (RDT&E) PROGRAM | John D. Moteff, Science, Technology, and Medicine Division | Updated July 14, 1999 |
| This report describes the basic elements and issues of the Department of Defense's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Program. It defines basic activities supported by the program, presents budget trends, discusses the management of the program, and describes the infrastructure in which the program is implemented. | |||
| RL30040 (PDF, TXT) | CAPITAL GAINS TAXES, INNOVATION AND GROWTH | Jane G. Gravelle, Government and Finance Division | Updated July 14, 1999 |
| This study addresses the role of capital gains tax reductions in stimulating new firm formulation, innovation and growth through venture capital investments and tax-favored stock options. The historical relationship between venture capital investment and changes in the capital gains tax rate is examined. The target efficiency of general capital gains tax cuts as a method of stimulating investment in new and innovative firms is also considered, along with the desirability of reallocating investment to risky enterprises. Finally, the role of lower capital gains taxes in attracting talented individuals through executive stock options is discussed. | |||
| RL30271 (PDF, TXT) | SUPREME COURT OPINIONS OCTOBER 1998 TERM | George Costello, American Law Division | Updated July 15, 1999 |
| This report provides a reference guide for Supreme Court opinions issued during the Court's 1998-99 Term, which ended June 23, 1999. It contains summaries of all cases decided by signed opinion, and of a few additional per curiam decisions. Voting alignments of Justices are identified, and a subject index is appended. | |||
| RS20270 (PDF, TXT) | RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY RESTRUCTURING | Fred Sissine, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated July 20, 1999 |
| Several electricity industry restructuring bills propose to eliminate the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), which has been key to the growth of renewable power facilities. This report provides an overview of the debate over renewable energy provisions in federal legislation to restructure the electric power industry. | |||
| 97-52 (PDF, TXT) | Radio Free Asia: Background, Funding, and Policy Issues | Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | July 21, 1999 |
| In response to some Asian countries' human rights violations and to promote democracy in countries such as China and North Korea, the Administration and the 103rd Congress agreed that the United States should increase broadcasting to this part of the world. For FY2000, the President's budget request for Radio Free Asia and the Senate appropriation (S. 1217) are $23 million. On October 1, 1999, as a result of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, the Broadcasting Board of Governors will become an independent agency in order to maintain its journalistic integrity while the rest of USIA will merge into the Department of State. | |||
| RL30265 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO: REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF POLICY OBJECTIVES, 1998-JUNE 1999 | Julie Kim, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated July 21, 1999 |
| This report provides an overview of U.S. and international policy objectives in Kosovo from 1998 to mid-1999, when NATO ended an 11-week air strike operation against Yugoslavia and began to deploy a U.N.-authorized peacekeeping force in Kosovo. It reviews stated objectives at various points during this period. It provides an analysis of how certain policy objectives evolved and discusses the extent to which they were or were not achieved. | |||
| RS20243 (PDF, TXT) | DOE SECURITY: PROTECTING NUCLEAR MATERIAL AND INFORMATION | Zachary S. Davis, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated July 23, 1999 |
| Congress is focusing on problems with security at the Department of Energy's national security facilities, especially the nuclear weapon laboratories. Problems include espionage from within the labs and protection of nuclear material and facilities from outside attack. This report describes the main components of DOE's security system and reviews current efforts to address shortcomings. | |||
| RL30268 (PDF, TXT) | U.S. FOREIGN-TRADE ZONES: CURRENT ISSUES | Mary Jane Bolle, Economics Division | Updated July 28, 1999 |
| This report provides an overview of the U.S. foreign-trade zone system. The report covers what zones are and how they function, the history of the U.S. zone system, how the zone system has evolved from its original intent, and policy issues and legislative issues relating to zones. Twelve tables and figures provide a list of zones and subzones by state, and information on zone or subzone application, cost savings available to zone users, winners and losers from zone use, and major zone legislation in the 105th and 106th Congresses. | |||
| RL30270 (PDF, TXT) | THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS | Arlene Wilson, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated July 30, 1999 |
| Future trade negotiations will be launched at the World Trade organization's (WTO) Ministerial Conference to be held in Seattle from November 30 to December 3, 1999. At the very least, negotiations will include agriculture and services, which are required to begin by the year 2000 in the Uruguay Round Agreement. Other issues that may be addressed are intellectual property rights, government procurement, reduction of industrial tariffs, and reform of the WTO. Some WTO members also want to include investment, competition policy, and the environment in the negotiations. This report provides an overview of the possible scope and structure of the negotiations, and an analysis of negotiations on the build-in-agenda issues (agriculture and services), new issues (investment and competition policy) and the social dimensions of trade (environment and labor). | |||
| RS20291 (PDF, TXT) | WORLD CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE, JUNE 26 TO JULY 1, 1999: OUTCOME | Genevieve J. Knezo, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated August 3, 1999 |
| The World Conference on Science was attended by almost 150 national delegations which endorsed a nonbonding declaration and a framework for action. No funding pledges for science aid or minimum national budget commitments for science were adopted. The action guidelines focused on such issues as improving science infrastructure; using science for development; gender and ethnic equality in science; conducting ethical and relevant science; ownership of intellectual property rights, including indigenous biological resources; and suggesting that developing countries apply some of the debt relief offered by the G8 industrial nations to spending on science and education. This report addresses issues relevant to formulating science policy and development assistance. | |||
| 98-662 (PDF, TXT) | COMMEMORATIVE LEGISLATION: EVOLUTION AND PROCEDURES | Stephen W. Stathis, Government and Finance Division | Updated August 9, 1999 |
| This report provides an overview of the evolution of commemorative legislation. It also summarizes the various laws, rules, and procedures Congress has adopted in establishing criteria for the consideration and enactment of commemorative legislation. | |||
| RS20128 (PDF, TXT) | CONSUMER PROVISIONS IN THE BANKRUPTCY REFORM ACT OF 1999: H.R. 833 AND S. 625 | Robin Jeweler, American Law Division | Updated August 9, 1999 |
| Bankruptcy was a significant item on the legislative agenda of the 105th Congress. Although the major reform bill, H.R. 3150, which was agreed to by a House-Senate conference committee, was passed by the House in the closing days of the 105th Congress, it was not brought up for a vote by the Senate. Comparable legislation has been reintroduced. H.R. 833, which is almost identical to the conference version of H.R. 3150, was introduced on Feb. 24, 1999. The Senate version, S. 625, was introduced on March 16, 1999. Both bills would effect wide-ranging amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. With respect to consumer bankruptcy, H.R. 833 would impose a means test to determine debtor eligibility to liquidate under chapter 7. Debtors who do not qualify would be required to reorganize under chapter 13, or refrain from filing. S. 625 is not identical to H.R. 833. Senate sponsors point to a more liberal means test for chapter 7 filers and additional provisions intended to protect consumers. | |||
| RS20196 (PDF, TXT) | COMPARISON OF SELECTED CONSUMER PROVISIONS IN H.R. 833 AND S. 625, THE BANKRUPTCY REFORM ACTS OF 1999 | Robin Jeweler, American Law Division | Updated August 9, 1999 |
| The senate Judiciary committee reported S. 625 favorably on April 27, 1999 by a vote of 14-4. Many of the controversial issues were not addressed in committee and are likely to be debated on the floor and resolved through amendments to the bill. The House passed its version of bankruptcy reform, H.R. 833, on May 5, 1999. | |||
| 97-476 (PDF, TXT) | LONG BEACH: PROPOSED LEASE BY CHINA OCEAN SHIPPING COMPANY (COSCO) AT FORMER NAVAL BASE | Shirley A. Kan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated August 11, 1999 |
| At issue is a proposal by the City of Long Beach, California, to lease a terminal, to be built at property occupied by a closed naval station, to China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO). COSCO is a commercial shipping company owned by China. Issues raised concern smuggling of guns by Chinese defense-related companies, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, intelligence collection, and access to U.S. and Panamanian ports. In response, senior Clinton Administration officials wrote that COSCO's use of a terminal to be built on former Naval property would not adversely affect national security. The Navy will be transferring its closed facilities to Long Beach in 1999 and 2000. | |||
| 98-699 (PDF, TXT) | HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR AND HEIR LAWSUITS TO RECOVER SWISS BANK DEPOSITS | M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division | Updated August 12, 1999 |
| In the wake of all the adverse publicity and with the threat of economic sanctions by various state and local governments, a settlement was reached on August 13, 1998, without a binding court decision, by which Credit Suisse and Union Bank of Switzerland agreed to pay $1.25 billion in four installments. The question of how the settlement funds are to be allocated will be decided after the court appointed Special Master completes a process of notifying potential claimants worldwide and solicits their proposals. | |||
| RL30281 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCING STATUTES: A LIST OF CITATIONS WITH CAPTIONS, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated August 14, 1999 |
| This is a list of citations to the federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes, accompanied by a description of their varieties, history, and relationship to sentencing guidelines, as well as a discussion of some of the constitutional challenges they have faced. | |||
| 96-222 (PDF, TXT) | National Endowment for Democracy: Policy and Funding Issues | Susan B. Epstein, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | August 16, 1999 |
| The National Endowment for Democracy, a private nonprofit organization, provides grants to private organizations to promote democracy in more than 90 countries around the world. It is funded by the federal government. | |||
| RL30283 (PDF, TXT) | THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND THE POTENTIAL SUPPLY OF LABOR | Linda Levine, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated August 16, 1999 |
| This report examines alternatives to the official unemployment rate to ascertain the pool of labor potentially available to meet rising employer demand during the more than 8-year-old economic expansion. The analysis provides one explanation for the current low-inflation environment despite an official unemployment rate that is below the full employment rate of non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment. | |||
| 98-240 (PDF, TXT) | IRAQ: COMPENSATION AND ASSETS ISSUES | Kenneth Katzman, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated August 19, 1999 |
| A U.N. process to compensate the victims of Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait is proceeding, aided by revenues generated by the U.N. "oil-for-food" program in Iraq. However, the amount of money available relative to outstanding claims suggests that the compensation process will not be completed in the foreseeable future. On a related issue, progress to decide the disposition of frozen Iraq assets held by U.S. banks has been hampered by differences over which claimants should have priority. A bill that gives priority to members or veterans of the U.S. armed forces was incorporated into the House version of the FY2000 State Department authorization bill (H.R. 2415), passed by the House July 21, 1999. | |||
| RS20306 (PDF, TXT) | FEDERAL MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCING STATUTES: INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS TO A LIST WITH CAPTIONS | Charles Doyle, American Law Division | Updated August 19, 1999 |
| Federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes demand that execution or incarceration follow criminal conviction. They cover drug dealing, murdering federal officials, and using a gun to commit a federal crime. They circumscribe judicial sentencing discretion, although they impose no limitations upon prosecutorial discretion or upon the President's power to pardon. They have been criticized as unthinkingly harsh and incompatible with a rational sentencing guideline system; yet they have also been embraced as hallmarks of truth in sentencing and a certain means of incapacitating the criminally dangerous. | |||
| RL30288 (PDF, TXT) | INFORMAL CONGRESSIONAL GROUPS AND MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, 106TH CONGRESS: AN INFORMATIONAL DIRECTORY | Sula P. Richardson, Government Division | Updated August 20, 1999 |
| This report compiles information on 185 informal congressional groups and Member organizations commonly known as caucuses and identifies 75 of the groups that were registered with the Committee on House Administration as congressional Member organizations as of May 17, 1999. | |||
| RL30285 (PDF, TXT) | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: LOWERING COST ESTIMATES THROUGH EMISSIONS TRADING-SOME DYNAMICS AND PITFALLS | Larry Parker, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated August 20, 1999 |
| With the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol, international emissions trading has become the centerpiece of efforts to minimize costs of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A review of existing cost analyses of U.S. compliance with the Kyoto Protocol indicates consensus that the potential for international emission trading to reduce compliance cost is substantial and indisputable. However, this report also indicates that potential for turning that potential into fact is problematic and that other alternatives may deserve a hearing. | |||
| RS20309 (PDF, TXT) | INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT: HOUSE AND SENATE AMENDMENTS TO JUVENILE JUSTICE LEGISLATION | Nancy Lee Jones, American Law Division | Updated August 20, 1999 |
| The Senate on May 20, 1999 and the House on June 17, 1999 passed substantially similar amendments to the due process provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA provides federal funds to the states to assist them in providing an education for children with disabilities. | |||
| RS20280 (PDF, TXT) | PREEMPTION LANGUAGE IN FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES | Robert Meltz, American Law Division | Updated August 23, 1999 |
| This report compiles the provisions in federal environmental statutes that explicitly state whether Congress intended to preempt state law. The provisions are arranged in four categories, from least preemption to greatest. | |||
| RL30210 (PDF, TXT) | APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY2000: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION | Mary T. Tyszkiewicz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated August 23, 1999 |
| This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity. | |||
| RL30291 (PDF, TXT) | Economic and Policy Developments in the Apparel and Textiles Sector | Josh Bivens, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated August 24, 1999 |
| This report analyzes recent economic developments in the apparel and textiles industries and their future prospects as a large employer in the U.S. manufacturing sector. The impact on these industries of various trade and innovation policies are evaluated. | |||
| RL30289 (PDF, TXT) | CHINA AND THE REVERSION OF MACAU: BACKGROUND AND IMPLICATIONS | Kerry Dumbaugh, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated August 24, 1999 |
| This report examines factors which might be relevant for U.S. policy toward Macau after it reverts to Chinese administration on December 20, 1999. It includes a background to the reunification, followed by the discussion of economic and social factors which make the case of Macau different for China than that of Hong Kong, as well as Macau's economic relevance to the United States. It includes an examination of the political status of Macau as a Special Administrative Region of China and of possible areas where controversy might arise concerning Chinese administration. It also discusses some implications for U.S.-Macau relations. | |||
| 97-599 (PDF, TXT) | PATENTS AND INNOVATION: ISSUES IN PATENT REFORM | Wendy H. Schacht, Science Policy Research Division | Updated August 24, 1999 |
| This paper looks at the role of patents in innovation and provides a discussion of the proposed alterations to current practices within the context of issues associated with the commercialization of new products and processes. | |||
| RS20312 (PDF, TXT) | ALGERIA: A NEW PRESIDENT AND HIS POLICIES | Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated August 24, 1999 |
| The powerful Algerian army appears to have sought President Liamine Zeroual's early departure from office and, in elections held in April 1999, Abdulaziz Bouteflika was elected to replace him. The outlook for U.S.-Algerian relations appears positive, as modest bilateral military contacts solidify ties that have a firm commercial foundation and Bouteflika seems open to improvements. | |||
| RL30279 (PDF, TXT) | Medicare: The President's Reform Proposal | Jennifer O'Sullivan, Madeleine Smith, and Sibyl Tilson, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated August 30, 1999 |
| On June 29, 1999, President Clinton announced the President's Plan to Modernize and Strengthen Medicare for the 21st Century. This report provides a summary of the President's plan. | |||
| RS20154 (PDF, TXT) | KOSOVO: REFUGEE ASSISTANCE AND TEMPORARY RESETTLEMENT | Lois B. McHugh, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division; and Joyce C. Vialet, Domestic Social Policy Division | Updated September 1, 1999 |
| The State Department estimates that 90% of Kosovar Albanians fled or were driven from their homes since March 1998 by Yugoslav forces, with the majority leaving between March and June of 1999. At the height of the crisis, over 780,000 of them were in camps in the region, primarily Albania and Macedonia, two countries with little capacity for providing for them. Another 150,000 were scattered around Europe, principally in Germany and Switzerland, and 29 countries are providing temporary refuge to 91,000 outside of the region. On April 16, the Administration requested an emergency supplemental which included money for humanitarian assistance in Kosovo. On April 21, Vice President Gore announced 20,000 Kosovars would be resettled in the United States. The 20,000, with close family ties or in vulnerable circumstances, would come from Macedonian camps, and be admitted to the United States under the refugee provisions of the immigration law. The actual number is expected to be 14,850. P.L. 106-31 (H.R. 1141), signed on May 21, appropriates more than $1 billion in humanitarian programs for Kosovo. With the peace agreement of June 9, the refugees returned quickly and the donor countries are focusing on temporary humanitarian aid and long-term reconstruction aid to Kosovo. Most of the reconstruction aid is expected to come born the Europeans. Additional U.S. assistance is expected to be appropriated in the regular foreign aid and defense appropriation legislation. | |||
| RS20324 (PDF, TXT) | SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR RELIGION IN THE TAX CODE | Marie B. Morris, American Law Division | Updated September 1, 1999 |
| Scattered throughout the Internal Revenue Code are special provisions designed to accommodate either religious organizations or the beliefs and practices of the members of those organizations. This report lists a number of code sections which contain exemptions or special treatment for religion. | |||
| 97-29 (PDF, TXT) | NEW ZEALAND: POLITICAL/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS AND RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES | Robert G. Sutter, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division | Updated September 8, 1999 |
| Since 1984, New Zealand has restructured its economy that has been largely agrarian and highly dependent on guaranteed access to the British market, and now is a more industrialized and balanced market economy. The reforms have been so comprehensive that New Zealand is now rated as one of the most open and unregulated economies in the world. The reforms, however, also have entailed painful adjustment costs as the expected increases in production have taken about a decade to materialize. In the process, popular dissatisfaction with both major political parties has emerged and resulted in a much more complex domestic political situation. At the same time, despite differences over nuclear weapons, U.S. relations with New Zealand remain quite strong. | |||
| RL30309 (PDF, TXT) | INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION CONVENTION IMPLEMENTATION ACT OF 1999: SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF S. 682 | Douglas Reid Weimer, American Law Division | Updated September 14, 1999 |
| This report summarizes and analyzes the provisions of S. 682, 106th Congress, 1st Session (1999), the proposed "Intercountry Adoption Act of 1999." If enacted, S. 682 would implement certain requirements of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption ("Convention"), of which the United States is a signatory. To implement the provisions of the Convention, each signatory country must enact domestic legislation to fulfill its treaty requirements. | |||
| 98-751 (PDF, TXT) | MISSILE DEFENSE: THEATER HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENSE (THAAD) FLIGHT TESTING | Steven A. Hildreth, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division | Updated September 14, 1999 |
| The Army scratched the May 25, 1999 THAAD test because of a problem with the target missile. In its most recent test (March 29, 1999), the THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense) program again failed to validate the concept of a high-speed, high-altitude hit-to-kill intercept. THAAD must now successfully intercept three of the next four tests by the end of 1999. Lockheed-Martin, the THAAD contractor, will be penalized for failing to achieve these results sooner rather than later in the year. The next test is scheduled for May, to be followed by another before the end of June 1999. Since its inception, the THAAD test program has experienced numerous delays, as Well as various technical and fight problems in unsuccessful attempts to intercept a ballistic missile over a controlled test range. Congress has appropriated about $3.8 billion for the THAAD effort since 1989. The Administration is requesting $4.4 billion for Fiscal Years 2000-2005. The total program acquisition cost is estimated at $14.7 billion. Despite long-standing congressional support, THAAD test results have escalated criticism of the program within Congress and by others. Further development of THAAD may be in jeopardy. | |||
| RL30310 (PDF, TXT) | THE MINING LAW MILLSITE DEBATE | Marc Humphries, Resources, Science, and Industry Division | Updated September 14, 1999 |
| This report provides background and analysis on the debate over whether the millsite language (30 USC 42) in the Mining Law of 1872 allows only one five-acre millsite per mining claim. In practice, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has allowed for as many millsites as can be justified for developing the orebody. | |||