Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery With Daily Postings Since 2002
“A bipartisan group of Senators, including the Chairman and Ranking Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have called for a full-scale review of the use of surveillance authorities by the intelligence community. The Senators emphasized that the findings and conclusions of this review be made public to “help promote greater oversight, transparency, and public accountability.” …
Reaching the Debt Limit: Background and Potential Effects on Government Operations, September 19, 2013 “The gross federal debt, which represents the federal government’s total outstanding debt, consists of (1) debt held by the public and (2) debt held in government accounts, also known as intragovernmental debt. Federal government borrowing increases for two primary reasons: (1) …
CRS – Synthetic Drugs: Overview and Issues for Congress, September 16, 2013. “Synthetic drugs, as opposed to natural drugs, are chemically produced in a laboratory. Their chemical structure can be either identical to or different from naturally occurring drugs, and their effects are designed to mimic or even enhance those of natural drugs. When produced …
“If the federal government shuts down because Republicans and the Obama administration fail to agree on a budget, there will be plenty of blame to go around. About as many say they would blame the Republicans (39%) for such a standoff as say they would blame Obama (36%), with 17% volunteering that both would be …
CRS – Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress. Valerie Bailey Grasso, Specialist in Defense Acquisition. September 17, 2013 “Some Members of Congress have expressed concern over U.S. acquisition of rare earth materials composed of rare earth elements used in various components of defense weapon systems. Rare earth elements consist of 17 elements on …
CRS – Rebuilding Household Wealth: Implications for Economic Recovery – Craig K. Elwell, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy, September 13, 2013 “The pace of economic recovery from the 2007-2009 recession has been historically slow. Over four years of recovery, the annual rate of growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) has averaged 2%, well below the …
“Between 2009 and 2012, the federal government recorded the largest budget deficits relative to the size of the economy since 1946, causing federal debt to soar. Federal debt held by the public is now about 73 percent of the economy’s annual output, or gross domestic product (GDP). That percentage is higher than at any point …
China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States. Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance, September 5, 2013 “Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 34 years ago, China maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally controlled, vastly inefficient, and relatively isolated from …
CRS – Climate Change and Existing Law: A Survey of Legal Issues Past, Present, and Future, Robert Meltz, Legislative Attorney, August 28, 2013 “This report surveys existing law for legal issues that have arisen, or may arise in the future, on account of climate change and government responses thereto. At the threshold of many climate-change-related …
Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement: Performance Measures, Andorra Bruno, Specialist in Immigration Policy, August 7, 2013 “In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new guidance on immigration related worksite enforcement. Under the guidelines, DHS “will use all available civil and administrative tools, including civil fines and debarment, to penalize and deter illegal employment.” According to …
September 2013: Quarterly Report To Congress “SIGIR’s successive congressional expansions and extensions proved profitable. Over nine-plus years of existence, the organization cost about $245 million to operate, while providing more than $1.8 billion in financial benefits, including nearly $645 million in direct savings from SIGIR’s audits and more than $192 million in seizures and court-ordered monetary …
“The Commission on Long-Term Care met on September 12, 2013 and voted in favor of putting the Final Report forward as the broad agreement of the Commission. A summary of the recommendations is available here. The Call to Action is available here. A press release on the Committee vote is available here. The full Final …
