Category «Congress»

Potential Macroeconomic Effect of Debt Ceiling Brinksmanship

U.S. Department of the Treasury: The Potential Macroeconomic Effect of Debt Ceiling Brinksmanship. October 3, 2013 “The United States has never defaulted on its obligations, and the U S. dollar and Treasury securities are at the center of the international financial system. A default would be unprecedented and has the potential to be catastrophic: credit …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Legislation

Federal Innovation Policy: The Current Context and Some Possible Changes

“CBO Director Doug Elmendorf spoke on September 30, 2013 at a conference on “Federal Tax Policy and Entrepreneurship” sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation and hosted by the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institution. [His] presentation explored a wide array of possible changes in federal policy that might bolster innovation, including increased spending on research and development, increased support for …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Government Documents, Patent and Trademark

New GAO Reports – Budget Issues, Defense Health Care, Federal User Fees, Medicaid Managed Care, Nuclear Terrorism Response Plans

BUDGET ISSUES – Key Questions to Consider When Evaluating Balances in Federal Accounts, GAO-13-798, Sep 30, 2013 DEFENSE HEALTH CARE – Evaluation of TRICARE Pharmacy Services Contract Structure Is Warranted, GAO-13-808, Sep 30, 2013 FEDERAL USER FEES – Fee Design Options and Implications for Managing Revenue Instability, GAO-13-820, Sep 30, 2013 MEDICAID MANAGED CARE, Use of Limited Benefit Plans to Provide Mental …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Health Care

Explaining Trends in SNAP Enrollment

Explaining Trends in SNAP Enrollment – Peter Ganong, Harvard University; Jeffrey B. Liebman, Harvard University, and NBER. “Approximately 1-in-7 people and 1-in-4 children received benefits from the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in July 2011, both all-time highs. We analyze changes in SNAP take-up over the past two decades. From 1994 to 2001, coincident …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legislation

What will happen if Congress fails to enact a Continuing Resolution by October 1, 2013

The Atlantic – The Odd Story of the Law That Dictates How Government Shutdowns Work, by Andrew Cohen “If rogue Republicans do not relent over the budget impasse by October 1, whatever pandemonium happens next will largely be governed by a federal statute you likely have never heard of: the Antideficiency Act. You can call …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research

Latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report – Twelfth Session of Working Group I – Approved Summary for Policymakers. IPCC WGI AR5 SPM-2 27. September 2013 Working Group I Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment -Report Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Summary for Policymakers – A. Introduction “The Working Group I contribution to the …

Subjects: Climate Change, Congress, Government Documents

Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power

Federalism, State Sovereignty, and the Constitution: Basis and Limits of Congressional Power. Kenneth R. Thomas, Legislative Attorney. September 23, 2013 “The lines of authority between states and the federal government are, to a significant extent, defined by the United States Constitution and relevant case law. In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has decided a …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Government Shutdown: Operations of DOD During a Lapse in Appropriations

Government Shutdown: Operations of the Department of Defense During a Lapse in Appropriations. Pat Towell, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget; Amy Belasco, Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget. September 26, 2013 “Through most of the second half of FY2013, funding for the Department of Defense (DOD), as for most other federal agencies, …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

CRS – Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Michelle D. Christensen, Analyst in Government Organization and Management; Frederick M. Kaiser, Visiting Scholar. September 9, 2013 “This report provides a primer on some of the fundamental aspects of the security clearance process, using a “Frequently Asked Questions” format. A security clearance is a determination …

Subjects: Congress, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Legal Research, Privacy

National Prisoner Statistics, 1978-2011

United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Prisoner Statistics, 1978-2011. ICPSR34540-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-06-25. doi:10.3886/ICPSR34540.v1 “The National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) data collection began in 1926 in response to a congressional mandate to gather information on persons incarcerated in state …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research

Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects

CRS – Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects. Clinton T. Brass, Coordinator, Specialist in Government Organization and Management. August 6, 2013 “When federal agencies and programs lack appropriated funding, they experience a funding gap. Under the Antideficiency Act, they must cease operations, except in certain emergency situations or when law authorizes continued …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

New GAO Reports – Community Policing, DHS, Human Capital, Human Rights, Performance Auditing

Community Policing Hiring Grants: Grant Application and Monitoring Processes Could Be Improved to Further Ensure Grantees Advance Community Policing. GAO-13-521, September 25, 2013  Department of Homeland Security: Opportunities Exist to Better Evaluate and Coordinate Border and Maritime Research and Development. GAO-13-732, September 25, 2013 Human Capital: Opportunities Exist to Further Improve DOD’s Methodology for Estimating …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legislation