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CRS – Foreign Surveillance and the Future of Standing to Sue Post-Clapper – Andrew Nolan, Legislative Attorney, July 10, 2013 “Recent news accounts (and government responses to those news accounts) have indicated that the government is reportedly engaged in a surveillance program that gathers vast amounts of data, including records regarding the phone calls, emails, …
Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues for Congress – Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces; Paul K. Kerr, Analyst in Nonproliferation, July 9, 2013 “Cluster munitions are air-dropped or ground-launched weapons that release a number of smaller submunitions intended to kill enemy personnel or destroy vehicles. Cluster munitions were developed in World War II and …
Rich Morin: “Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to have received food stamps at some point in their lives—a participation gap that echoes the deep partisan divide in the U.S. House of Representatives, which on Thursday produced a farm bill that did not include funding for the food stamp program. Overall, a Pew …
The Economics of Student Debt, Hamilton Place Strategies, July 2013. “As Congress returns from the Fourth of July recess, one of the first pieces of unfinished business it hopes to address is the rising interest rate on federal student loans. Specifically, the interest rate for newly originated subsidized Stafford Loans loans provided interest free until six …
The Economic Benefits of Fixing Our Broken Immigration System – Executive Office of the President, July 2013: “The Senate’s Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) represents the best chance that our country has had in years to modernize our immigration system. The President urges the House of Representatives to take action …
NSA Surveillance Leaks: Background and Issues for Congress. Marshall Curtis Erwin, Analyst in Intelligence and National Security; Edward C. Liu, Legislative Attorney. July 2, 2013 “Recent attention concerning National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance pertains to unauthorized disclosures of two different intelligence collection programs. Since these programs were publicly disclosed over the course of two days …
China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States – Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in Asian Trade and Finance. July 3, 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 …
“That essential Congressional reference book, American Enterprise Institute/Brookings’ Vital Statistics on Congress is now free and online – as downloadable Excel & PDF files.” [via Jennifer Manning]
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress – Ronald O’Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs. July 5, 2013 “The question of how the United States should respond to China’s military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning. The question is of …
CRS – Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Overview and Discussion of Proposed Revisions – Eric A. Fischer, Senior Specialist in Science and Technology. June 20, 2013. “For more than a decade, various experts have expressed increasing concerns about cybersecurity, in light of the growing frequency, impact, and sophistication of attacks on information systems in the …
CRS – Independent Counsels, Special Prosecutors, Special Counsels, and the Role of Congress. Jack Maskell – Legislative Attorney, June 20, 2013 This report provides information on the procedure for the appointment of an “independent counsel,” a “special prosecutor,” or a “special counsel” to investigate and prosecute potential or possible violations of federal criminal law by …
Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations – Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs – June 27, 2013: “This report provides a brief overview of the key issues for Congress related to Egypt and information on U.S. foreign aid to Egypt. The United States has provided significant military and economic assistance to Egypt since the …
