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International Disasters and Humanitarian Assistance: U.S. Governmental Response [January 3, 2005]
"The President can provide emergency humanitarian assistance through several sources whose funding is authorized and appropriated by Congress. These are: funds appropriated to the Office of Foreign Disaster Administration (OFDA) in the Agency for International Development (USAID); U.S. Department of Agriculture food aid programs under P.L. 480 Food for Peace and section 416 (b) of the Agriculture Act of 1949; the State Department Emergency Refugee and Migration Account (ERMA) a contingency account which can contain as much as $100 million for assistance to refugees fleeing persecution; and funds appropriated to the Department of Defense, Overseas Humanitarian and Disaster and Civic Aid (OHDACA). These funds are also available for some non-emergency programs. In addition, the President has the authority to draw down defense equipment and direct military personnel to respond to disasters and provide space-available transportation on military aircraft and ships to private donors who wish to transport humanitarian goods and equipment in response to a disaster. Finally, the President can request other government agencies to assist within their capabilities. In FY2004 the United States contributed more than $2.4 billion to disaster relief worldwide."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda
2005-01-03
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U.S. Military Overseas Basing: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress [November 17, 2004]
"On August 16, 2004, the Bush Administration announced a proposal to significantly alter the U.S. overseas military basing posture. The proposal would, if implemented, establish new overseas operating sites, and transfer up to 70,000 U.S. troops, plus 100,000 family members and civilians, from Europe and Asia back to the United States. The Administration argues that current U.S. global basing arrangements are a product of World War II and the Korean War. With the end of the Cold War, these basing arrangements need to be updated to ensure that U.S. forces are optimally positioned to respond to potential 21st-Century military threats. The Administration's proposal has received mixed reactions from non-DOD observers. A May 2004 Congressional Budget Office report raises questions concerning the potential cost effectiveness of changing the current Army overseas basing posture. The Administration's proposal raises several potential oversight issues for Congress. This report will be updated as necessary."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Klaus, Jon D.
2004-11-17
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Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): An Overview [Updated January 10, 2005]
"The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is an agreement among member states to provide assistance after disasters overwhelm a state's capacity to manage the consequences. The compact, initiated by the states and coordinated by the National Emergency Management Association, provides a structure for requesting emergency assistance from party states. EMAC also resolves some, but not all, potential legal and administrative obstacles that may hinder such assistance. EMAC also enhances state preparedness for terrorist attacks by ensuring the availability of resources for fast response and facilitating multi-state cooperation in training activities and preparedness exercises. Congress approved EMAC as an interstate compact in 1996
(P.L. 104-321). This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bea, Keith
2005-01-10
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Senate Consideration of Treaties [Updated April 10, 2003]
"The consideration of treaties and nominations constitutes the executive business of the Senate. When the President submits a treaty to the Senate, the treaty and any supporting materials are referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Paragraph 3 of Senate Rule XXIX requires that all treaties and 'all remarks, votes, and proceedings thereon shall also be kept secret, until the Senate shall, by their resolution, take off the injunction of secrecy.' At the time the treaty is referred to committee, the Senate typically agrees by unanimous consent to remove the 'injunction of secrecy.' Treaties, unlike bills and other legislative measures, may remain before the Senate from one Congress to the next. Paragraph 2 of Rule XXX states in part that 'all proceedings on treaties shall terminate with the Congress, and they shall be resumed at the commencement of the next Congress as if no proceedings had previously been had thereon.' Thus, if the Foreign Relations Committee fails to report a treaty before the end of a Congress, the treaty remains on the committee calendar during the next Congress. If the committee has reported a treaty but the Senate has not completed floor consideration of it when the Congress ends, the treaty is recommitted to the committee, and the committee must report it again before the Senate may consider it on the floor."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rundquist, Paul S.; Bach, Stanley
2003-04-10
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Steel: Price and Policy Issues [Updated October 31, 2007]
From the Summary: "The rapid growth of steel production and demand in China is widely considered as a major cause of continued high steel prices and prices of steelmaking inputs. Steel companies have achieved much greater pricing power, in part through an ongoing consolidation of the industry. High prices persist, despite the revocation in 2003 of President Bush's broad safeguard order on imports. U.S. steel production in 2006 was 108 million tons. The integrated side of the industry continues to lose share domestically to the minimills. Imports rebounded in 2006 to reach the highest tonnage level ever, though they declined in 2007. Input prices, especially ferrous scrap and iron ore, remain high, meaning higher costs, which have been largely passed along to industrial consumers. China now produces 40% of the world's steel and is the world's largest steelmaker and steel consumer. This contributed to a large global increase in demand for both steel and steelmaking inputs. China has become a large net exporter as well. In 2006, its steel exports to the U.S. market more than doubled, and it became the second-largest import source. […] Internationally, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has abandoned the effort to achieve an international agreement to ban subsidies for steel mills. In April 2006 the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body ruled against the 'zeroing' methodology used by the U.S. Commerce Department in calculating dumping margins."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cooney, Stephen
2007-10-31
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Homeland Security: Federal Assistance Funding and Business Opportunities [Updated December 23, 2004]
From the Summary: "With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and increased federal spending on homeland security products and services, comes increased interest in doing business with the federal government and obtaining federal funds. Small and large businesses, universities, and research organizations throughout the country want to provide the needed products and services. State and local governments desire federal funds to assist with their homeland security needs. Generally, the larger companies or organizations and state and local governments that have regularly done business with the federal government in the past are familiar with the often complex process of selling to the government or obtaining federal funds through grants. However, smaller companies and government officials who are new to the process may have a difficult time quickly identifying the resources and information needed to pursue grant or contract monies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Riehl, James R.
2004-12-23
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Electric Reliability: Options for Electric Transmission Infrastructure Improvements [Updated December 23, 2004]
From the Summary: "The electric utility industry is inherently capital intensive. At the same time, the industry must operate under a changing and sometimes unpredictable regulatory system at both the federal and state level. The transmission system was developed to fit the regulatory framework established in the 1920 Federal Power Act: utilities served local customers in a monopoly service territory. The transmission system was not designed to handle large power transfers between utilities and regions. Enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 created tension between the regulatory environment and existing transmission system: the competitive generation market encouraged wholesale, interstate power transfers across a system that was designed to protect local reliability, not bulk power transfers. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 introduced competition to wholesale electric transactions without a comprehensive plan to address reliability issues and the development of efficient wholesale markets. In addition, approximately half of the states have passed legislation or had regulatory orders to introduce retail competition, each with its own set of rules for utilities to follow. The blackout of 2003 in the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada has highlighted the need for infrastructure improvements and greater standardization of operating rules. Until the electric power industry reaches a new equilibrium with more regulatory certainty, many observers predict, investment in transmission infrastructure and technology will continue to be inadequate."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Abel, Amy
2004-12-23
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Underground Carbon Dioxide Storage: Freuently Asked Questions [October 24, 2007]
From the Summary: "This report answers frequently asked questions about the geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The questions are broadly representative of typical inquiries regarding the process and mechanics of storing CO2 underground, how much might be stored, and what might happen to CO2 once it is injected underground. Geologic storage is one step in a process termed 'carbon capture and storage', or CCS. Following capture and transportation, CO2 would be injected into geologic formations that have suitable volume, or pore space, to retain large quantities of the captured gas. Currently, the most promising reservoirs for storing CO2 are oil and gas fields, deep saline reservoirs, and unmineable coal seams. Preventing CO2 from escaping would require careful reservoir characterization. Knowledge gained from over 30 years of injecting CO2 underground to enhance oil recovery would be applied to storing CO2 for CCS purposes. Given the complexity of most geologic reservoirs, and the potentially huge volumes of CO2 that may be injected, risk of some CO2 leakage over time may never completely be eliminated. A variety of techniques are available for monitoring leaks from a reservoir; however, the long-term (hundreds to thousands of years) fate of CO2 stored underground is not thoroughly understood."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin)
2007-10-24
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EU-U.S. Economic Ties: Framework, Scope, and Magnitude [Updated October 17, 2007]
From the Summary: "The United States and the European Union (EU) economic relationship is the largest in the world -- and it is growing. The modern U.S.-European economic relationship has evolved since World War II, broadening as the six-member European Community expanded into the present 27-member European Union. The ties have also become more complex and interdependent, covering a growing number and type of trade and financial activities. […] It is a relationship that is likely to grow in importance assuming the trends toward globalization and the enlargement of the EU continue, forcing more trade and investment barriers to fall. Economists indicate that an expanded relationship would bring economic benefits to both sides in the form of wider choices of goods and services and greater investment opportunities. But increasing economic interdependence brings challenges as well as benefits. As the U.S. and EU economies continue to integrate, some sectors or firms will 'lose out' to increased competition and will resist the forces of change. Greater economic integration also challenges long-held notions of 'sovereignty,' as national or regional policies have extraterritorial impact. Similarly, accepted understanding of 'competition,' 'markets,' and other economic concepts are tested as national borders dissolve with closer integration of economies. U.S. and EU policymakers are likely to face the task of how to manage the increasingly complex bilateral economic relationship in ways that maximize benefits and keep frictions to a minimum. For Members of Congress it could mean weighing the benefits of greater economic integration against the costs to constituents in the context of overall U.S. national interests. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cooper, William H., 1949-
2007-10-17
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Taiwan in 2004: Elections, Referenda, and Other Democratic Challenges [Updated January 10, 2005]
From the Summary: "In a low voter turnout in legislative elections on December 11, 2004, the opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) increased its legislative majority against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This means that DPP President Chen Shui-bian, who was reelected to a second term on March 20, 2004, again will not be able to count on legislative support for his policies in his second and final term. In both the presidential and legislative election campaigns, Chen emphasized gaining a separate international identity for Taiwan -- an emphasis to which Beijing strenuously objected as dangerously close to declaring Taiwan independence from China. While Chen's strategy appeared to gain the DPP electoral momentum in March, it may have had the opposite electoral effect in December. In response to his party's defeat at the polls, Chen resigned as DPP party chair on December 15, 2004. He is expected to have to moderate his policies and move closer to the political center for the rest of his term in order to regain public support and in an effort to ensure legislative support for his economic and other policy initiatives. Any move to dial down pro-independence rhetoric could ease tensions with Beijing and the concerns of U.S. policymakers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dumbaugh, Kerry
2005-01-10
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China's Currency: A Summary of the Economic Issues [Updated October 9, 2007]
From the Summary: "Many Members of Congress charge that China's policy of accumulating foreign reserves (especially U.S. dollars) to influence the value of its currency constitutes a form of currency manipulation intended to make its exports cheaper and imports into China more expensive than they would be under free market conditions. They further contend that this policy has caused a surge in the U.S. trade deficit with China and has been a major factor in the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs. Threats of possible congressional action led China to make changes to its currency policy in 2005, which has since resulted in a modest appreciation of the yuan. However, many Members have expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of China's currency reforms and have warned of potential legislative action. This report summarizes the main findings CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL32165, 'China's Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy', by Wayne M. Morrison and Marc Labonte and will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.; Labonte, Marc
2007-10-09
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Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview [Updated October 23, 2007]
From the Summary: "China is the second largest source of U.S. imports, a major supplier of consumer products (such as toys), and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations and will be updated as events warrant. (For an overview of issues concerning U.S. food imports from China, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL34080, 'Food and Agricultural Imports from China', by Geoffrey S. Becker)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2007-10-23
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Iraq: U.S. Casualties [Updated October 4, 2007]
From the Summary: "The following casualty data was compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), as tallied from the agency's press releases. 'Table 1' provides statistics on fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003, and is ongoing, as well as on the number of fatalities since May 1, 2003, plus statistics on those wounded, but not killed, since March 19, 2003. Statistics may be revised as circumstances are investigated and as all records are processed through the U.S. military's casualty system. More frequent updates are available at DOD's website at [http://www.defenselink.mil/ news/] under 'OIF/OEF [Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom] Casualty Update.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Bryant, JoAnne
2007-10-04
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Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy, and Implementation [Updated August 7, 2003]
"The nation's health, wealth, and security rely on the production and distribution of certain goods and services. The array of physical assets, processes and organizations across which these goods and services move are called critical infrastructures (e.g. electricity, the power plants that generate it, and the electric grid upon which it is distributed). Computers and communications, themselves critical infrastructures, are increasingly tying these infrastructures together. There has been growing concern that this reliance on computers and computer networks raises the vulnerability of the nation's critical infrastructures to 'cyber' attacks. On November 22, 2002, Congress passed legislation creating a Department of Homeland Security. The Department consolidates into a single department a number of offices and agencies responsible for implementing various aspects of homeland security. One of the directorates created by the legislation is responsible for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. Issues include whether to segregate cyber protection from physical protection organizationally, mechanisms for sharing information shared between the government and the private sector, costs, the need to set priorities, and whether or not the federal government will need to employ more direct incentives to achieve an adequate level of protection by the private sector and states, and privacy versus protection. This report will be updated as warranted."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Moteff, John D.
2003-08-07
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Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (P.L. 107-188): Provisions and Changes to Preexisting Law [Updated August 21, 2002]
"Last fall's anthrax attacks, though small in scale compared to the scenarios envisioned by bioterrorism experts, strained the public health system and raised concern that the nation is insufficiently prepared to respond to bioterrorist attacks. Improving public health preparedness and response capacity offers protection not only from bioterrorist attacks, but also from naturally occurring public health emergencies. On June 12, 2002, the President signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-188, H.R. 3448), which is intended to bolster the nation's ability to respond effectively to bioterrorist threats and other public health emergencies. The act builds on the programs and authorities established in Title III of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act by the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-505, Title I). The anti-bioterrorism legislation also includes provisions to protect the nation's food and drug supply and enhance agricultural security, including new regulatory powers for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to block the importation of unsafe foods. To protect the drinking water supply, the act requires community water systems to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop emergency response plans. P.L. 107-188 also reauthorizes the Prescription Drug Use Fee Act through FY2007."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Redhead, C. Stephen
2002-08-21
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First Responder Initiative: Policy Issues and Options [Updated September 29, 2003]
"In its FY2004 budget request, the Bush Administration proposed a new grant program called the 'First Responder Initiative' to help first responders prepare for possible terrorist attacks. Under the proposal, the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), within the Department of Homeland Security, would administer program components of the initiative. The program's primary purpose would be to improve the ability of first responders (including police, firefighters, emergency medical, and hazardous materials personnel) to respond to terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. The program would fund a range of activities in the areas of planning, training, exercises, and equipment. The Administration proposal is one of several proposals to restructure first responder preparedness grants before the 108th Congress. Recently, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved S. 1245, the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003, which seeks to simplify and streamline existing grant programs for first responder preparedness. This report will be updated as the 108th Congress takes action on proposals to create or modify first responder preparedness programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canada, Ben
2003-09-29
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Export Administration Act of 1979 Reauthorization [Updated January 2, 2003]
"In debates on export administration legislation, parties often fall into two camps: those who primarily want to liberalize controls in order to promote exports, and those who are apprehensive that liberalization may compromise national security goals. While it is widely agreed that exports of some goods and technologies can adversely affect U.S. national security and foreign policy, many believe that current export controls are detrimental to U.S. business, that the resultant loss of competitiveness, market share, and jobs can harm the U.S. economy, and that the harm to particular U.S. industries and to the economy itself can negatively impact U.S. security. Controversies arise with regard to the cost to the U.S. economy, the licensing system, foreign availability of controlled items, and unilateral controls as opposed to multilateral regimes. In the last few years, congressional attention has focused on high-performance computers, encryption, stealth technology, precision machine tools, satellites, and aerospace technology. Congress has several options in addressing export administration policy, ranging from approving no new legislation to rewriting the entire Export Administration Act. Among the options presented in this report are: allow the President to continue export controls under emergency authority, restore the EAA 1979 with increased penalties, or, rewrite the Export Administration Act to account for changing national security concerns and a globalized economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Jeanne J.; Fergusson, Ian F.; Elwell, Craig Kent, 1947-
2003-01-02
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Sudan: The Darfur Crisis and the Status of the North-South Negotiations [October 22, 2004]
"The ongoing crisis in Darfur in western Sudan has led to a major humanitarian disaster, with an estimated 1.5 million people displaced and more than 200,000 refugees forced into neighboring Chad. While there are no reliable estimates of the number of people killed as a result of the conflict, some observers estimate that up to 70,000 people have been killed from 2003 to the present. The government of Sudan has denied or severely restricted access to international relief officials in Darfur, although some aid is now flowing to the area. Violence against civilians, however, continues unabated, according to United Nations officials. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officials assert that up to 320,000 could die by the end of 2004, irrespective of the international response. In September, the Council passed Resolution 1564, calling on the government of Sudan to cooperate with an expanded AU force and threatened sanctions if the government fails to meet the Council's demands. This report will be updated as the situation warrants."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dagne, Theodore S.; Everett, Bathsheaba
2004-10-22
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FY2005 Defense Budget: Frequently Asked Questions [July 12, 2004]
"Using figures taken primarily from the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) 'Budget of the United States Government', Fiscal Year 2005: 'Historical Tables' (February 2004), this report answers frequently asked questions that fall within four categories: (1) trends in defense spending over time, from World War II through OMB's FY2009 budget projections (questions 1, 2, 3, and 4); (2) the impact of defense on the economy (questions 5, 6, and 7); (3) costs of wars and supplemental appropriations (questions 8 and 9); (4) trends in force structure (questions 10, 11, and 12). This report is designed to provide facts and figures about the United States defense budget in order to help answer frequently asked questions about defense spending. The answers to these questions are based on analysis of recent and historical trends in the defense budget up to and including the fiscal year (FY) 2005 budget request. This report will be updated as necessary."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chamberlin, Jeffrey
2004-07-12
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Homeland Security: Banking and Financial Infrastructure Continuity [Updated September 5, 2003]
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has many responsibilities for ensuring the continuity of the 'real' economy: production, distribution, and consumption of public and private goods and services Other agencies, however, have long had similar responsibilities for the 'financial' sectors of the economy, which interact with the sectors DHS oversees pursuant to P.L. 107-296. DHS has some responsibilities for financial sectors through Treasury Department links. Financial agencies carry out recovery and security activities independently but also coordinately with DHS. For additional information on homeland security, please consult the CRS current legislative issue 'Homeland Security,' on congressional web site [http://www.crs.gov/products/browse/is-homelandsecurity.shtml]. This report outlines the existing recovery modes to mitigate disasters in financial markets that events have tested in recent experience, and recovery arrangements. (Such disasters for the financial economy are of two kinds: inability to conduct transactions, and large losses of asset value.) Homeland security requires the financial institutions that are important in supporting and maintaining both domestic and international commerce to take steps to safeguard their ability to carry out basic functions. The backbone of the financial economy - the payment system - comes through banks, and monetary policy affects them immediately."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, William
2003-09-05
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Global Climate Change: The Kyoto Protocol [Updated October 27, 2004]
"Negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) were completed December 11, 1997, committing the industrialized nations to specified, legally binding reductions in emissions of six 'greenhouse gases.' This treaty would commit the United States to a target of reducing greenhouse gases by 7% below 1990 levels during a 'commitment period' between 2008-2012. Because of the fact that 'sinks,' which remove and store carbon from the atmosphere, are counted and because of other provisions discussed in this report, the actual reduction of emissions within the United States that would be required to meet the target was estimated to be lower than 7%. The United States signed the Protocol on November 12, 1998. However, the Clinton Administration did not submit the Protocol to the Senate for advice and consent, acknowledging that one condition outlined by S.Res. 98, passed in mid-1997 - meaningful participation by developing countries in binding commitments limiting greenhouse gases - had not been met. In late March 2001, the Bush Administration rejected the Kyoto Protocol. The United States continues to attend the annual conferences of the parties (COPs) to the UNFCCC, but does not participate in Kyoto Protocol-related negotiations. This report is intended to provide background on the Kyoto Protocol. It will be updated annually or as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fletcher, Susan R.
2004-10-27
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Andean Regional Initiative (ARI): FY2003 Supplemental and FY2004 Assistance for Colombia and Neighbors [Updated January 30, 2004]
From the Summary: "In 2003, Congress considered President Bush's requests for FY2004 and FY2003 supplemental assistance for Colombia and six regional neighbors in a continuation of the Andean Regional Initiative (ARI) launched in 2001. ARI was proposed as an expansion of support for Plan Colombia, under the Clinton Administration, with more funding for social and economic development programs for Colombia and its neighbors, who are affected by Colombia's struggle against guerrillas and drug traffickers. From FY2000 through FY2003, Colombia and other ARI recipients have received more than $3 billion in U.S. funding. In early 2003, an FY2003 Emergency Wartime Supplemental bill (H.Rept. 108-76/P.L. 108-11) provided $105 million in additional assistance for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative and related programs. This included $34 million for the State Department's International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement account, $34 million for the Department of Defense's Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities account, and $37.1 million in Foreign Military Financing Program funds. The President submitted his FY2004 budget request to Congress on February 3, 2003, including $990.7 million for countries comprising the Andean Regional Initiative, including military funding for Colombia. Of the $990.7 million requested, $731 million is for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative, $133.5 million for the Foreign Military Financing Program, with the remainder of the overall figure in development, economic, and health programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Veillette, Connie; Storrs, K. Larry (Keith Larry), 1937-
2004-01-30
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Colombia: Issues for Congress [Updated January 19, 2005]
From the Summary: "Congress has expressed concern with respect to a number of Colombia related issues including human rights, the aerial eradication of illicit drug crops, interdiction programs, the situation of U.S. hostages, and funding levels for Plan Colombia. Moreover, Congress has debated U.S. policy options in Colombia on the basis of the country's prominent role in drug production, and the effects that drug trafficking has with regard to terrorism, regional security and oil production. U.S. policy in Colombia remains controversial, but inroads have been made with regard to the eradication of illicit drug crops and improved security conditions. However, nongovernmental organizations argue that U.S. policy does not rigorously promote human rights, provide for sustainable economic alternatives for drug crop farmers, or provide protections for Colombian nationals in the United States who fear returning to their homes. In 2005, Congress will likely consider the progress of U.S. programs in light of an anticipated Administration request to continue funding for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Veillette, Connie
2005-01-19
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Military Base Closures: A Historical Review from 1988 to 1995 [Updated October 18, 2004]
From the Summary: "This report discusses a concerted effort to close unneeded military bases as part wide-ranging efforts during the 1980s and 1990s to balance the budget. This effort had been supported by a broad consensus that, among the approximately 3,800 military bases (1990 est.) in the United States, many could be closed without significant detrimental effect to national security. This view became more pronounced in the wake of the Soviet Union's breakup and collapse of the Warsaw Pact military threat. While most analysts agreed that the Department of Defense's DOD's) base structure was larger than necessary to meet the department's needs, there were differences concerning which, if any, additional bases should be closed, what speed, and what criteria should be used for making those decisions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lockwood, David E.; Siehl, George H.
2004-10-18
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Colombia and Aerial Eradication of Drug Crops: U.S. Policy and Issues [Updated August 28, 2003]
From the Summary: "Aerial eradication is a key counternarcotics element of U.S. assistance to Colombia under Plan Colombia and the Andean Regional Initiative (ARI). The United States has allocated approximately $265 million to finance aerial eradication since 2000 when U.S. counternarcotics funding and involvement in Colombia expanded. For aerial eradication, the United States finances spray aircraft, maintenance, fuel, herbicide, and related operational expenses, using civilian contractors to carry out missions. The U.S. Congress has conditioned U.S. funding on a determination from the Secretary of State that the herbicide used complies with U.S. and Colombian regulatory requirements, and poses no reasonable risks to human health and the environment. Congress has also required the Secretary to determine that adequate mechanisms exist to process complaints of those who claim harm to health and licit crops due to fumigation. In addition, funds may not be used for fumigation if alternative development programs, that encourage small farmers to abandon illicit crops in exchange for government assistance for alternative crops, are not being implemented. Alternative development is seen as a key component of aerial eradication partly because it builds political support for fumigation and provides incentives that ensure permanent eradication. Since 2000, the United States has allocated $150.2 million for alternative development programs, administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Veillette, Connie; Arvelo-Velez, Jose E.
2003-08-28
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Azerbaijan: Current Developments and U.S. Interests [Updated May 10, 2004]
From the Summary: "This report discusses political, economic, and security challenges facing Azerbaijan, including faltering democratization, poverty, crime and corruption, and the unsettled conflict in Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno Karabakh region. Oil and natural gas resources and pipelines are briefly examined. A table provides basic facts and biographical information. This report may be updated. Related products include CRS Issue Brief IB95024, 'Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia,' updated regularly."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2004-05-10
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India-U.S. Economic Relations [Updated February 10, 2005]
From the Document: "India is a country with a long history and a large population (more than one billion people, nearly half living in poverty). Given that it is the world's most populous democracy, a U.S. ally in anti-terrorism efforts, and a potentially major export market, India's economic development and its trade relations with the United States are of concern to Congress. India's economic growth has been relatively robust over the past few years. Real GDP grew by 8.2% in 2003 and by an estimated 5.7% in 2004. Global Insight, an economic forecasting firm, projects India's real GDP will rise by 6.3% in (FY) 2005 and 6.0% in 2006. By some measurements, India is among the world's largest economies. While on a nominal U.S. dollar exchange rate basis, India's 2003 GDP was $577 billion. However, on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis (which factors in differences in prices across countries), India's GDP is estimated at close to $3 trillion. By this measurement, India is the world's fourth-largest economy (after the United States, China, and Japan). However, its per capita GDP on a PPP basis (a common international measurement of a nation's living standards) was $2,780, equal to only 7.4% of U.S. levels. Poverty is perhaps India's greatest problem. According to the World Bank, India has 433 million people (44.2% of the population) living below the international poverty measurement of less than $1 per day. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan; Morrison, Wayne M.
2005-02-10
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Serbia: 2004 Presidential Elections [Updated June 29, 2004]
From the Summary: "Serbia, the larger republic within the Serbia and Montenegro union, held presidential elections on June 13 and 27, 2004. While the actual powers of the republican presidency are not very extensive, the election outcome was expected to signal the political direction of Serbia and its prospects for closer relations with the international community. In the first round of voting, Tomislav Nikolic, leader of the extremist Serbian Radical Party, and Boris Tadic, candidate of the opposition Democratic Party, came in first and second place in front of 13 other candidates. In the second round, Tadic defeated Nikolic, 54% to 45%. Calling the results a victory for 'a European future' over radical nationalism, Tadic pledged to guide the country closer to European Union membership. However, Tadic's victory may trigger still more political changes, including early parliamentary elections. A related CRS [Congressional Research Service] product is CRS Report RL30371, 'Serbia and Montenegro: Current Situation and U.S. Policy,' by Steven Woehrel."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kim, Julie
2004-06-29
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Dual-Use Biological Equipment: Difficulties in Domestic Regulation [Updated January 22, 2004]
From the Summary: "Dual-use technologies, technologies with both civilian and military use, are often cited as lowering technical barriers to terrorist development of chemical and biological weapons. Export of these technologies is regulated through both domestic law and international agreement, but domestic sales are not. Dual-use biological equipment, whose military use includes the production of biological weapons, is employed in many different civilian and commercial applications, including academic research and the pharmaceutical, medical, and manufacturing industries. Consequently, regulating such equipment might have a marked economic impact and prove to be infeasible. Possible approaches to controlling this equipment include voluntary self-regulation and use of industry best practices by suppliers, licensing of equipment purchasers, registration of equipment, and application of civil penalties to suppliers for inappropriate end-use of equipment. This report will not be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shea, Dana A.
2004-01-22
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Authorization and Appropriations for FY2005: Defense [Updated December 14, 2004]
"The annual consideration of appropriations bills (regular, continuing, and supplemental) by Congress is part of a complex set of budget processes that also encompasses the consideration of budget resolutions, revenue and debt-limit legislation, other spending measures, and reconciliation bills. In addition, the operation of programs and the spending of appropriated funds are subject to constraints established in authorizing statutes. Congressional action on the budget for a fiscal year usually begins following the submission of the President's budget at the beginning of each annual session of Congress.
Congressional practices governing the consideration of appropriations and other budgetary measures are rooted in the Constitution, the standing rules of the House and Senate, and statutes, such as the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense. It summarizes the status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity, and is updated as events warrant. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Belasco, Amy; Daggett, Stephen
2004-12-14
