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The Debt Limit Since 2011, D. Andrew Austin, Analyst in Economic Policy. March 9, 2015. “The Constitution grants Congress the power to borrow money on the credit of the United States—one part of its power of the purse—and thus mandates that Congress exercise control over federal debt. Control of debt policy has at times provided …
Criminal History Records: Additional Actions Could Enhance the Completeness of Records Used For Employment-Related Background Checks, GAO-15-162: Published: Feb 12, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2015. Geospatial Data: Progress Needed on Identifying Expenditures, Building and Utilizing a Data Infrastructure, and Reducing Duplicative Efforts, GAO-15-193: Published: Feb 12, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2015. Homeland Security …
EPIC – “In a closed-door meeting, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence approved the Cyber Information Sharing Act of 2015. The bill would allow the government to obtain user information from private companies without judicial oversight. Companies would receive immunity for their disregard of existing privacy law. Senator Wyden, who opposed the measure, stated, “If …
“The Open Internet Order: Preserving and Protecting the Internet for All Americans – The Commission has released the full and final text of the Open Internet Order, which will preserve and protect the Internet as a platform for innovation, expression and economic growth. An Open Internet means consumers can go where they want, when they …
“Nearly 20 years after Congress passed the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (E-FOIA), only 40 percent of agencies have followed the law’s instruction for systematic posting of records released through FOIA in their electronic reading rooms, according to a new FOIA Audit released today by the National Security Archive at http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB505/ to mark Sunshine Week. …
“The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires that we study arbitration agreements and provide a report to Congress of our findings. Companies provide almost all consumer financial products and services under written contracts. Arbitration agreements, in those contracts, can require that parties resolve any subsequent disputes through privately-appointed individuals (arbitrators), rather than …
“As it typically does after the President’s budget is released, CBO has updated the baseline budget projections it published earlier in the year. CBO now estimates that if the laws that currently govern federal taxes and spending generally remain in place, the federal budget deficit will total $486 billion in fiscal year 2015, about the …
Statement for the Record Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, Senate Armed Services Committee, James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence February 26, 2015. Cyber Strategic Assessment – “Cyber threats to US national and economic security are increasing in frequency, scale, sophistication, and severity of impact. The ranges of cyber threat actors, methods …
CRS Report – Freedom of Information Act Legislation in the 114th Congress: Issue Summary and Side-by-Side Analysis. Daniel J. Richardson, Research Assistant, Wendy Ginsberg, Analyst in American National Government. February 26, 2015. “Both the House and Senate are currently considering legislation that would make substantive changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). FOIA was …
“The largest U.S.-based bank holding companies continue to build their capital levels and to strengthen their ability to lend to households and businesses during a period marked by severe recession and financial market volatility, according to the results of supervisory stress tests announced by the Federal Reserve on Thursday. The most severe hypothetical scenario projects …
Pew – Partial Recovery Seen in Jobs, Household Incomes: “The public makes sharp distinctions about which groups have benefited – and which have not – from the economic policies the government has put in place since the start of the recession. Majorities say that large banks, large corporations and the wealthy have been helped a …
“Consumer Watchdog today joined 13 other public interest groups in a letter to President Obama outlining the shortcomings of the draft Consumer Privacy Bill Of Rights Act and pledging to work with the Administration and Congress to strengthen the “In 2 2012, you released your vision of the founding principles of consumer privacy — the …
