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Criminal Prohibitions on the Publication of Classified Defense Information – Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney, June 24, 2013 “The publication of classified information related to National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance activity is the latest in a series of leaks to the press that has riveted Congress’s attention. Press reports describing classified U.S. operations abroad have …
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Background and Current Issues – Rena S. Miller – Analyst in Financial Economics, June 24, 2013 “The CFTC witnessed a major expansion of its role in overseeing derivatives markets following passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010. This act br ought previously unregulated over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, called swaps, under the …
Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions – Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy. June 19, 2013. “Although “too big to fail” (TBTF) has been a perennial policy issue, it was highlighted by the near-collapse of several large financial firms in 2008. Financial firms are said to be TBTF when policymakers judge that …
Transforming Government Acquisition Systems: Overview and Selected Issues – L. Elaine Halchin – Specialist in American National Government, June 20, 2013. “Increasingly, the federal government uses technology to facilitate and support the federal acquisition process. Primary beneficiaries of this shift to online systems (websites and databases) are the government’s acquisition workforce and prospective and incumbent …
“For every day Congress is in session, Capitol Words visualizes the most frequently used words in the Congressional Record, giving you an at-a-glance view of which issues lawmakers address on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Capitol Words lets you see what are the most popular words spoken by lawmakers on the House and …
Follow up to previous posting, Council on Foreign Relations Backgrounder – U.S. Domestic Surveillance, a new CDT Paper: “The FBI and NSA have abused Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act to compel disclosure of phone records of calls made to, from, and within the United States. This surveillance is not permitted by the statute, and was …
“The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) [on May 22, 2013] released End Too-Big-To-Fail, a report that examines the impact of too-big-to-fail financial institutions on the U.S. economy and why too-big-to-fail must be brought to an end now. In the report, ICBA also highlights the Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act of 2013 (TBTF Act, …
EPIC: “Senator Rand Paul issued a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller seeking answers about the FBI’s domestic use of drones. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI oversight, Director Mueller admitted that the FBI uses drones for domestic surveillance. Mueller also stated there were no guidelines in place to regulate the FBIs use …
Outsourcing and Insourcing Jobs in the U.S. Economy: Evidence Based on Foreign Investment Data. James K. Jackson Specialist in International Trade and Finance, June 21, 2013 “The United States is the largest foreign direct investor in the world and the largest recipient of such investment funds. This active role in foreign investment continues to drive a national debate …
“The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744) would revise laws governing immigration and the enforcement of those laws, allowing for a significant increase in the number of noncitizens who could lawfully enter the United States on both a permanent and temporary basis. Additionally, the bill would create a process for many …
Armed Conflict in Syria: U.S. and International Response. Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs; Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. June 14, 2013 “The popular-uprising-turned-armed-rebellion in Syria is in its third year, and seems poised to continue, with the government and a bewildering array of militias locked in a bloody struggle …
Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, May 31, 2013: “The use or loss of control of chemical weapons stocks in Syria could have unpredictable consequences for the Syrian population and neighboring countries as well as U.S. allies and forces in the region. Congress may wish to assess the Administration’s plans to respond to possible scenarios …
