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• National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) Coding Manual

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  The NVDRS [National Violent Death Reporting System] Coding Manual is a reference document to be used by state health departments for defining cases, entering data, and checking data once it is entered pertaining to violent deaths. NVDRS is a recent initiative to provide nation-wide surveillance of violent deaths. LLIS Core Capability: Public Health

  National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (U.S.)

  2003
• Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action

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  "Research and experience in communities show it is possible to prevent youth violence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 'Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action' and its companion guide will help communities use strategies that are known to work. We have the knowledge, experience, and scientifically supported strategies to take steps today that can make real and lasting differences in our communities. Part of what we have learned is that we can all be part of the solution. Suggested actions are provided for all members of a community who can help make neighborhoods safer and reduce youth violence. […] Everyone has a role to play in preventing youth violence. 'Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action' provides information and action steps that can help public health and other community leaders work with partners to prevent youth violence. This resource also describes actions that young people, families, caregivers, adults who work with youth, and other community members can take to reduce youth violence. A companion document, titled 'Taking Action to Prevent Youth Violence,' is available to help these groups better understand the steps they can take."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (U.S.)

  David-Ferdon, Corinne; Simon, Thomas R.

  2014-06
• Training Professionals in the Primary Prevention of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence: A Planning Guide

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  From the Executive Summary: "Sexual violence and intimate partner violence are complex, multifaceted issues that affect all sectors of our communities. Preventing sexual violence and/or intimate partner violence requires a comprehensive approach involving many individuals, organizations, and sectors. We know from our experience with other public health issues that primary prevention strategies that take place before violence occurs can work (CDC, 2004). [...] The Guide is intended for use by state-level entities providing training to community based organizations (CBOs) or to other state-level entities as well as for CBOs providing training within their own organizations or to other professionals in their communities. The Guide can help plan, deliver, and evaluate trainings whether you initiate the trainings yourself or are asked by others to provide trainings."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (U.S.)

  Fisher, Deborah; Lang, Karen S.; Wheaton, Jocelyn

  2010
• ICE Faces Challenges in Its Efforts to Assist Human Trafficking Victims

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  From the Highlights: "We determined the extent to which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identifies and tracks human trafficking crimes to assist victims. Human trafficking involves a trafficker compelling a victim to engage in labor or services or a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion. Anyone under 18 years old compelled to engage in a commercial sex act is a victim of child sex trafficking. [...] ICE did not adequately identify and track human trafficking crimes. Specifically, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) did not accurately track dissemination and receipt of human trafficking tips, did not consistently follow up on tips, and did not maintain accurate data. Additionally, HSI special agents did not consistently and properly maintain human trafficking case files from initiation to closure. Finally, we found several examples of incomplete and inaccurate victim assistance data."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  O'Malley, Patrick; Brand, Stephanie; Meehan, Christine . . .

  2021-06-04
• COVID-19 and the State of K-12 Schools: Results and Technical Documentation from the Spring 2021 American Educator Panels COVID-19 Surveys

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  From the Preface: "This report provides additional information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveys that were administered to principals and teachers in spring 2021 via the RAND Corporation's American Educator Panels (AEP). This survey is part of a series that included spring 2020 and fall 2020 COVID-19 surveys. Technical documentation and reports based on those surveys are available at RAND Corporation, undated-b. The results of these surveys are intended to inform policy and education practice related to educators' and students' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond."

  RAND Corporation

  Kaufman, Julia H.; Diliberti, Melissa; Hunter, Gerald Paul . . .

  2021
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2195, Protecting the Employment Rights of Servicemembers Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on May 4, 2021. From the Document: "The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) generally prohibits employment discrimination based on service in the armed forces, provides reemployment rights after qualifying service in the armed forces, and protects employees from retaliation for exercising their rights under the act. H.R. 2195 would specify that agreements to arbitrate claims under the act are unenforceable if they predate the date on which claims are filed in court. Reducing the number of arbitration agreements could increase the number of cases that are referred to the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for enforcement of USERRA."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-06-10
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2980, Cybersecurity Vulnerability Remediation Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on May 18, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 2980 would authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to disseminate information to the public about vulnerabilities in the software and hardware of information systems. The bill would authorize CISA to establish an award program to encourage researchers to disclose such vulnerabilities to the agency. The bill also would require CISA to assess and report to the Congress on the effectiveness of its vulnerability disclosure programs. [...] CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2980 would cost $55 million over the 2021-2026 period. CBO also estimates that providing the required report to the Congress would cost less than $500,000; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriations."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-06-10
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 3283, to Repeal the Joint Resolution Entitled 'A Joint Resolution to Promote Peace and Stability in the Middle East'

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on May 19, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 3283 would repeal Public Law 85-7, which, enacted in 1957, authorized a program of military and economic support to Middle Eastern nations threatened by international Communism. The law also authorized the President to deploy armed forces to defend U.S. allies in the region against Communist aggressors. No administration ever cited the legal authorities of P.L. 85-7 as the basis for military operations. Because of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the diminished security threat currently posed by international Communism, CBO does not anticipate the Administration will justify military deployments under the authority of P.L. 85-7. CBO estimates that repealing the authorizing legislation would not affect spending to support military operations in the Middle East; thus enacting the bill would not affect the federal budget."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-06-10
• Terrorism: Near Eastern Groups and State Sponsors, 2001 [September 10, 2001]

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  Signs continue to point to a decline in state sponsorship of terrorism, as well as a rise in the scope of threat posed by the independent network of exiled Saudi dissident Usama bin Ladin. Although Iran continues to actively sponsor terrorist groups, since 1997 some major factions within Iran have sought to change Iran's image to that of a more constructive force in the region. Usama bin Ladin's network, which is independently financed and enjoys safe haven in Afghanistan, poses an increasingly significant threat to U.S. interests in the Near East and perhaps elsewhere. The primary goals of bin Ladin and his cohort are to oust pro-U.S. regimes in the Middle East and gain removal of U.S. troops from the region. U.S. allegations of past plotting by the bin Ladin network suggest that the network wants to strike within the United States itself. The Arab-Israeli peace process is a longstanding major U.S. foreign policy interest, and the Administration and Congress are concerned about any terrorist groups or state sponsors that oppose the Arab-Israeli peace process. There is no consensus on the strategies for countering terrorism in the Near East. The United States, in many cases, differs with its allies on how to deal with state sponsors of terrorism; most allied governments believe that engaging these countries diplomatically might sometimes be more effective than trying to isolate or punish them. The United States is more inclined than its European allies to employ sanctions, military action, and legal pressure to compel state sponsors and groups to abandon terrorism.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2001-09-10
• Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1993-2000

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  This report is prepared annually to provide unclassified quantitative data on conventional arms transfers to developing nations by the United States and foreign countries for the preceding eight calendar years. Some general data are provided on worldwide conventional arms transfers, but the principal focus is the level of arms transfers by major weapons suppliers to nations in the developing world. Developing nations continue to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by weapons suppliers. During the years 1993-2000, the value of arms transfer agreements with developing nations comprised 67.7% of all such agreements worldwide. More recently, arms transfer agreements with developing nations constituted 67.6% of all such agreements globally from 1997-2000, and 69% of these agreements in 2000.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Grimmett, Richard F.

  2001-08-16
• U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement [Updated May 1, 2001]

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  On June 6, 2000, President Bill Clinton and King 'Abdullah II announced that the United States and Jordan would commence negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The two sides signed the FTA on October 24, 2000, and President Clinton submitted the FTA to the 107th Congress on January 6, 2001. Bills to implement the FTA were introduced in the Senate (S. 643) on March 28, 2001, and in the House (H.R. 1484) on April 4, 2001. In the past, Congress has shown an interest in developing free trade relations between the United States and select Middle East countries. In 1985, Congress approved the U.S.-Israel FTA and amended it in 1996 to include the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as qualifying industrial zones (QIZs) between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and Egypt. Since 1994, when Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty, Congress and the Clinton Administration also undertook several initiatives designed to assist the Jordanian economy. These initiatives included increased levels of foreign assistance, debt forgiveness, and the QIZ program. In addition to a modest increase in the bilateral trade of goods, a U.S.-Jordan FTA could have several economic and political implications. These include the possibility of increased levels of trade in services, greater foreign direct investment (FDI) to Jordan both from U.S. and foreign-based companies, and reinforced momentum for further economic reform in Jordan. If approved by Congress and the Jordanian parliament, the U.S.-Jordan FTA will also mark the first U.S. free trade agreement with an independent Arab country, thereby reflecting the strength of U.S.- Jordanian bilateral relations and the importance that the United States attaches to these relations.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Ruebner, Joshua

  2001-05-01
• Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas: Energy Security and Other Major Issues [Updated March 14, 2003]

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  The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) contains significant energy resources. The principal authority for OCS development is the OCS Lands Act of 1953, as amended (43 USC 1331). The OCS is made available for oil and gas exploration and development subject to environmental protection and competing public needs.1 A number of OCS issues have been addressed through the annual appropriation process, including offshore leasing moratoria, lease sale 181 (a controversial Florida lease sale), and the royalty-in-kind program. The leasing moratoria, which began in Congress with the FY1982 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 97-100), prohibited new offshore California leases. The moratoria were imposed because many coastal states and environmental groups convinced Congress that leasing tracts in environmentally sensitive areas might lead to activities that could cause economic or irreversible environmental damage. Eventually the moratoria were expanded to include New England, the Georges Bank, the mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, much of Alaska, and a portion of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental concerns from offshore oil and gas development generally include oil spills, drilling discharges, seismic surveys, and onshore damage. New technology has led to greater exploration and development into deeper water made possible by advances in high-quality 3-dimensional seismic surveying and processing. New drilling technology and new drilling rigs allow for increased drilling at greater depths and accuracy, resulting in higher production rates and lower-cost production.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Humphries, Marc

  2003-03-14
• Terrorism: Background on Chemical, Biological, and Toxin Weapons and Options for Lessening Their Impact [Updated June 30, 2003]

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  The catastrophic terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax mailings have sensitized the nation to acts of domestic terror. The confirmation of terrorist interest in weapons of mass destruction and the vulnerability of the United States to such attack have highlighted the potential that these weapons may be used as weapons of terror. The framework of weapons of mass destruction includes chemical, biological, and toxin weapons. Chemical, biological, and toxin weapons can produce mass casualties if effectively disseminated, but have varying and different effects. Chemical weapons, predominantly man-made chemicals, require the largest amounts of material to be effective and cause their effects in minutes to hours. Biological weapons made of naturally occurring pathogens require the least material to be effective, but generally have an incubation period of several days before symptoms show themselves. Toxin weapons, chemical agents formed by biological processes, are intermediate between the two in both amount and timescale. Treatment protocols for chemical, biological, and toxin weapons vary on a per-agent basis, ranging from weapons with effective treatment and prophylaxis to weapons which have no known cure nor protection. Potential options to further decrease the odds of chemical, biological, and toxin terrorism include regulating and registering domestic purchase of "dual-use" equipment; further development of the public health system; federal incentives for research and development into chemical, biological, and toxin medicines, vaccines, countermeasures and detectors; informational public outreach programs to properly inform the public about the risks involved; and voluntary media codes. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Shea, Dana A.

  2003-06-30
• Assistance to Firefighters Program [Updated February 7, 2008]

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  From the Summary: "The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also known as the FIRE Act grant program, was established by Title XVII of the FY2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106-398). The program provides federal grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. A related program is the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) program, which provides grants for hiring, recruiting, and retaining firefighters. The Administration is proposing $300 million for fire grants in FY2008, a 45% cut from the FY2007 level. No funding is proposed for SAFER grants. The total request for Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) is 55% below the FY2007 level for fire and SAFER grants combined. On June 15, 2007, the House passed the FY2008 Department of Homeland Security appropriations (H.R. 2638), providing $570 million for fire grants and $235 million for SAFER. On July 26, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. 2638, providing FY2008 levels of $560 million for fire grants and $145 million for SAFER. This report will be updated as events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kruger, Lennard G.

  2008-02-07
• Privacy Protection: Mandating New Arrangements to Implement and Assess Federal Privacy Policy and Practice [May 27, 2004]

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  "When Congress enacted the Privacy Act of 1974, it established a temporary national study commission to conduct a comprehensive assessment of privacy policy and practice in both the public and private sectors and to make recommendations for better protecting the privacy of individuals. While the panel subsequently produced a landmark July 1977 report, its recommendations were not legislatively implemented. Nonetheless, interest in creating new arrangements for better implementing and assessing federal privacy policies and practices continued, the most recent proposal offered in the 108th Congress being legislation (H.R. 4414) to designate a Chief Privacy Officer within the Office of Management and Budget, as well as privacy officers in each principal department and the independent agencies, and establish a temporary commission to examine privacy issues related to the government's anti-terrorism efforts. This report will be updated as events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Relyea, Harold

  2004-05-27
• Congress and the Fusion Energy Sciences Program: A Historical Analysis [January 31, 2000]

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  The U.S. government has been funding research into controlled thermonuclear fusion since 1951. Since 1957, when the program was declassified, a public record is available in the form of appropriations and authorization reports presenting congressional decisions about fusion research. This report analyzes that record in order to assess how the program may fare in the future. The program recently underwent a major restructuring at the direction of Congress, and is currently establishing plans about how to proceed toward the goal of developing a practical fusion powerplant. These plans are likely to be the subject of close congressional scrutiny during review of the FY2001 budget request from the Department of Energy. The report should be helpful, to Members and staff who will be part of that review, in putting the program's budget request into perspective. It supplements a CRS Issue Brief, IB91039, on the DOE Fusion Energy Sciences Program. This report will be updated as appropriate.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Rowberg, Richard

  2000-01-31
• Homeland Security: Standards for State and Local Preparedness [Updated October 8, 2003]

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  Some Members of Congress, as well Administration officials and other observers, believe that state and local governments should be held to established standards for terrorism preparedness. They argue that standards could improve the capability of first responders to deal with terrorist attacks, particularly those involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Preparedness standards can be categorized by such attributes as scope, development process, and user community. They can include broad performance goals, as well asmore specific operational procedures and equipment specifications. Traditionally, nongovernmental organizations develop preparedness standards, sometimes with the participation of federal agencies. Since the terrorist attacks of September 2001, however, a number of federal agencies have initiated efforts to develop preparedness standards, among which are the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, now in DHS), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are a number of policy approaches Congress could take, should it desire to address preparedness standards. Encouraging the development and implementation of standards could give states and localities discretion in adapting standards to their unique preparedness needs, but may not lead to nationwide adoption.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Canada, Ben

  2003-10-08
• Semiconductor Industry and South Korea's Hynix Corporation [Updated May 27, 2003]

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  In 2001, a trade dispute developed between the United States and South Korea over allegations that the Seoul government was propping up Hynix Semiconductor Inc., presently the world's third-largest producer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) semiconductor chips. Since late 2000, the entire semiconductor industry has been mired in its worst slump ever, especially for manufacturers of DRAMs. Where once there were many DRAM producers, now only four companies, two of them from Korea, account for over 80% of worldwide sales. Global DRAM sales had reached nearly $30 billion in 2000, but have declined by almost two-thirds since then. The U.S. industry has been winnowed from over ten DRAM producers to one: Micron Technology Inc., the world's second-largest producer. Over the past two years, Micron, Members of Congress, and the Bush Administration protested when Hynix's leading creditors - most of which are owned by the Korean government - orchestrated a series of rescue packages that have kept Hynix in business by enabling it to restructure its debt of 8.6 trillion won (more than $7 billion). Critics of the support packages have argued that they amounted to government-sponsored bailouts, and that by keeping Hynix in business they were contributing to the oversupply of DRAM chips in world markets. In early December 2001, the impetus for the dispute was apparently reduced by the announcement that Micron and Hynix had begun negotiating a possible strategic alliance. In April 2002, the two sides announced that Micron would acquire Hynix's DRAM business. Hynix's board, however, vetoed the deal. This report examines the Hynix controversy. It assesses the status of the DRAM industry and the impact of the issue on U.S.-Korea relations. The report will be updated, especially as legal actions against Hynix proceed.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Manyin, Mark E.

  2003-05-27
• Workplace Codes of Conduct in China and Related Labor Conditions [April 23, 2003]

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  This report provides an overview of U.S. interests and policies regarding China's labor conditions. It compares a cross section of labor codes of conduct utilized by U.S. corporations and their suppliers that manufacture toys, shoes, apparel, and other labor intensive merchandise in China for export. Many consumer goods imported from China to the United States are produced by Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and South Korean factories in China for U.S. brands. Serious labor rights abuses have been reported in many of these factories. All of the codes sampled in this report mandate labor standards that are consistent with International Labor Organization core covenants and China's Labor Law. The standards compared in this report pertain to: child labor, forced labor, disciplinary actions, discrimination, health and safety, and the environment. However, many of the codes do not provide extensive guidelines for monitoring and verifying compliance. This report will be updated as warranted.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-

  2003-04-23
• North Korean Crisis: Possible Military Options [July 29, 2003]

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  North Korea has confronted the United States with its decision, failing other security accommodations, to pursue production of nuclear weapons. The Bush Administration has stated that, although the situation is unacceptable, it will pursue its resolution through diplomatic means. Military means, however, could be considered at some point and become a serious issue for Congress. This short report discusses the geography and military balance on the Korean Peninsula, presents the range of military options that might be applied there to specific U.S. political objectives, and assesses possible consequences. Military options discussed are: status quo, improved defensive posture, enforce sanctions, preemptive strike against nuclear facilities, and preemptive war. Also see CRS Issue Brief IB98045 on U.S.-Korean relations and CRS Issue Brief IB91141 on North Korea's nuclear weapons. This report will be updated if major changes occur.

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Bruner, Edward F.

  2003-07-29
• North Korea-Japan Relations: The Normalization Talks and the Compensation/Reparations Issue [Updated June 13, 2001]

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  From the Summary: "Japan and North Korea have not established official relations since North Korea was founded in 1948. In 2000, the two countries held three rounds of normalization talks, which had been frozen since 1992. The talks, however, have been stalled since November 2000. One of Pyongyang's key demands is that Tokyo compensate North Korea for Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945. Though Japan has resisted using terms such as 'compensation' and 'reparations,' Tokyo has offered to provide North Korea with a large-scale economic aid package, much as it gave South Korea economic assistance when Tokyo and Seoul normalized relations in 1965. North Korea, however, insists that it will only accept 'compensation.' This disagreement over terminology has contributed to the current deadlock in the normalization negotiations. The 1965 Japan-South Korean settlement consisted of a $300 million grant, $200 million in low-interest long-term government loans, and $300 million in private credits from Japanese financial institutions. There are a number of estimates for the present value of the 1965 Japan-South Korea settlement, ranging from as low as $3.4 billion to over $20 billion. One methodology that adjusts for inflation in Japan and for inter-Korean population differences yields a 1999 value of approximately $3.8 billion. Reportedly, Japanese officials are discussing a package on the order of $5-$10 billion. This report will be updated periodically to track developments in the Japan-North Korea normalization talks."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Manyin, Mark E.

  2001-06-13
• Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated April 16, 2004]

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  From the Summary: "Although Cambodia has made some progress in establishing democratic institutions, developing its economy, improving labor conditions, and nurturing a civil society, U.S.-Cambodian relations remain strained. The United States has restricted bilateral assistance to non-government organizations in Cambodia. This is in response to strong-arm political tactics by the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, incidents of politically motivated violence against opposition activists and supporters, and other human rights problems. This report discusses major issues in U.S.-Cambodian relations, including political developments in Cambodia, bilateral trade, foreign aid, and terrorism. On March 25, 2004, H.Con.Res. 399 was introduced, which urges the President to promote the ratification, establishment, and financing of a tribunal for the prosecution of surviving leaders of the former Khmer Rouge regime. This report will be updated as warranted."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-

  2004-04-16
• Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2012 Appropriations [November 3, 2011]

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  "This report provides an overview of actions taken by Congress to provide FY2012 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. On November 1, 2011, the Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 2112, which included the Senate's proposed funding for the agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual CJS appropriations bill. H.R. 2112, as passed by the Senate, would provide $60.664 billion for CJS. This includes $8.192 billion for the Department of Commerce, $26.925 billion for the Department of Justice, $24.643 billion for the science agencies, and $903.9 million for the related agencies. On October 5, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-36). The act continues appropriations for the agencies and bureaus funded under the annual CJS bill at 1.503% below the FY2011-enacted levels until November 18, 2011, or until the FY2011 CJS bill is passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. […] On April 15, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (P.L. 112-10). The act provided a total of $61.092 billion for agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual appropriation for CJS for FY2011. The $61.092 billion provided by the act includes $7.578 billion for the Department of Commerce, $27.281 billion for the Department of Justice, $25.315 billion for the science agencies, and $917.9 million for the related agencies. The source for the FY2011-enacted amounts, the FY2012-requested amounts, and the House Committee on Appropriations-recommended amounts is H.Rept. 112-169. The Senate-passed amounts were taken from H.R. 2112, as passed by the Senate."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  James, Nathan; Williams, Jennifer Dingledine, 1945-; Sargent, John F.

  2011-11-03
• Defense: FY2012 Budget Request, Authorization and Appropriations [November 25, 2011]

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  "President Obama's FY2012 budget request, sent to Congress on February 14, 2011, included $670.9 billion in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD), of which $553.1 billion was for the so-called 'base budget' of the department (that is, the cost of routine, peacetime operations excluding the cost of ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan). The remaining $117.8 billion in the DOD budget request was to cover the cost of so-called 'overseas contingency operations (OCO),' including operations in those two countries. However, the Budget Control Act (BCA) enacted in early August set ceilings on FY2012 discretionary budget authority that would require a reduction of $35.7 billion from the total amount the Administration had requested for so-called 'security agencies'--a category that includes the DOD base budget, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, and the Energy Department's Nuclear National Security Agency, as well as the Department of State and various international activities funded by other federal agencies. […] That reduction included $5.0 billion that was cut from the budget request for war costs to take account of President Obama's announcement on June 22, 2011 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be reduced by 33,000 by the end of FY2012. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved on November 15, 2011 a revised version of the FY2012 defense authorization bill (S. 1867) that would reduce the FY2012 national defense authorization by an additional $21 billion, on top of the reduction of more than $6 billion that would have been made by the committee's earlier bill (S. 1253). All told, S. 1867--which the Senate began to debate on November 17--would cut $27.3 billion from the Administration's FY2012 national defense authorization request."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Towell, Pat

  2011-11-25
• Coast Guard Deepwater Acquisition Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress [November 23, 2011]

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  "The term Deepwater has referred to more than a dozen separate Coast Guard acquisition programs for replacing and modernizing the service's aging fleet of deepwater-capable ships and aircraft. Until April 2007, the Coast Guard pursued these programs as a single, integrated acquisition program that was known as the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) program or Deepwater program for short. Since April 2007, the Coast Guard has pursued them as separate acquisition programs. These acquisition programs include plans for, among other things, 91 new cutters, 124 new small boats, and 247 new or modernized airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Coast Guard's proposed FY2012 budget submission proposes to eliminate the use of 'Deepwater' as a term for grouping or referring collectively to these acquisition programs. The budget submission states that 'Consistent with the dissolution of Integrated CG Systems and the disaggregation of the Deepwater Acquisition into asset-based Acquisition Program Baselines, the proposed changes align projects that were formerly grouped under Integrated Deepwater Systems (IDS) with the existing authorized structure for Vessels, Aviation, Shore, Other Equipment, and Personnel and Management.' […] The Coast Guard's management of these acquisition programs, including implementation of recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), is a topic of continuing congressional oversight. Additional oversight issues include reporting of information to Congress on these programs; cost growth in, and budget planning for, these acquisition programs; a Coast Guard fleet mix analysis that could lead to changes in planned asset quantities; and execution of individual acquisition programs. The Coast Guard's FY2012 budget appears to request $975.5 million in acquisition funding for these programs, including $289.9 million for aircraft, $512.0 million for surface ships and boats, and $173.6 million for other items."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2011-11-23
• Federal Capital Offenses: An Overview of Substantive and Procedural Law [November 17, 2011]

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  "Murder is a federal capital offense if committed in any of more than 50 jurisdictional settings. The Constitution defines the circumstances under which the death penalty may be considered a sentencing option. With an eye to those constitutional boundaries, the Federal Death Penalty Act and related statutory provisions govern the procedures under which the death penalty is imposed. Some defendants are ineligible for the death penalty regardless of the crimes for which they are accused. Children and those incompetent to stand trial may not face the death penalty; pregnant women and the mentally retarded may not be executed. There is no statute of limitations for murder, and the time constraints imposed by the due process and speedy trial clauses of the Constitution are rarely an impediment to prosecution. On the other hand, the decision to seek or forgo the death penalty in a capital case must be weighed by the Justice Department's Capital Review Committee and approved by the Attorney General. […] The Federal Death Penalty Act permits consideration of any relevant mitigating factor, and identifies a few, such as the absence of prior criminal record or the fact that a co-defendant, equally or more culpable, has escaped with a lesser sentence. The Federal Death Penalty Act recognizes other capital offenses that do not necessarily involve murder: treason, espionage, large-scale drug trafficking, and attempted murder to obstruct a drug kingpin investigation. The constitutional standing of these is less certain or at least different. This report is available in an abridged form as CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R42096, 'Federal Capital Offenses: An Abridged Overview of Substantive and Procedural Law', without the footnotes or attribution of authority or for quotations found here."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Doyle, Charles

  2011-11-17
• Brazil's WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program [November 22, 2011]

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  "The so-called 'Brazil cotton case' is a long-running World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement case (DS267) initiated by Brazil--a major cotton export competitor--in 2002 against specific provisions of the U.S. cotton program. In September 2004, a WTO dispute settlement panel found that certain U.S. agricultural support payments and guarantees--including (1) payments to cotton producers under the marketing loan and counter-cyclical programs, and (2) export credit guarantees under the GSM-102 program--were inconsistent with WTO commitments. In 2005, the United States made several changes to both its cotton and GSM-102 programs in an attempt to bring […] The framework agreement--which lays out a number of 'steps and discussions'--represents a path forward toward the ultimate goal of reaching a negotiated solution to the dispute, while avoiding WTO-sanctioned trade retaliation by Brazil against U.S. goods and services. As a result, Brazil has suspended trade retaliation pending U.S. compliance with the framework agreement measures. Key aspects of the framework agreement include (1) payment by the United States of a $147.3 million annual fund to a newly created 'Brazilian Cotton Institute' to provide technical assistance and capacity-building for Brazil's cotton sector, (2) quarterly discussions on potential limits of trade-distorting U.S. cotton subsidies (recognizing that actual changes will not occur prior to the 2012 farm bill), and (3) near-term modifications to the operation of the GSM-102 program coupled with a semi-annual review of whether U.S. GSM-102 program implementation satisfies certain performance benchmarks. These U.S. commitments are intended to delay any trade retaliation until after the 2012 farm bill, when potential changes to U.S. cotton programs will be evaluated. However, in the interim, several failed legislative attempts have been made to ban U.S. payments to the Brazil Cotton Institute."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-

  2011-11-22
• Brazil-U.S. Relations [November 22, 2011]

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  "As its economy has grown to be the seventh largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America, extended its influence to the broader region, and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration's national security strategy regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged, Brazil and the United States continue to engage on a number of issues, including counternarcotics, counterterrorism, energy security, trade, human rights, and the environment. […] The 112th Congress has maintained interest in U.S.-Brazil relations. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced, including bills that would suspend foreign assistance to Brazil (H.R. 2246) and the issuance of visas to Brazilian nationals (H.R. 2556) until the country amends its constitution to allow for the extradition of its citizens, and bills (H.R. 3039 and S. 1653) designed to accelerate visa processing for citizens of Brazil and other countries. Additionally, the House initially adopted a provision (H.Amdt. 454), which was dropped from the final legislation (H.R. 2112), that would have prevented the United States from providing payments to the Brazil Cotton Institute as it agreed to do to temporarily resolve a World Trade Organization dispute with Brazil. This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the world and its relationship with the United States."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Meyer, Peter J.

  2011-11-22
• Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress [ November 28, 2011]

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  "The Navy is conducting development and design work on a planned class of 12 next-generation ballistic missile submarines, or SSBN(X)s, which the service wants to procure as replacements for the 14 Ohio-class boats. The SSBN(X) program is also known as the Ohio replacement program (ORP). The Navy's proposed FY2012 budget requests $1,067 million in research and development funding for the program. Navy plans call for procuring the first SSBN(X) in FY2019, with advance procurement funding for the boat beginning in FY2015. […] Options for reducing the cost of the SSBN(X) program or its potential impact on other Navy shipbuilding programs (other than the Navy's current cost-reduction effort) include procuring fewer than 12 SSBN(X)s; reducing the number of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) to be carried by each SSBN(X) from 16 to a lower number, such as 12; stretching out the schedule for procuring SSBN(X)s and making greater use of split funding (i.e., two-year incremental funding) in procuring them; and funding the procurement of SSBN(X)s in a part of the Department of Defense (DOD) budget that is outside the Navy's budget. On September 1, 2011, it was reported that the Navy, in response to anticipated reductions in planned levels of defense spending, is considering the option of reducing the planned number of SSBN(X)s from 12 to 10 and deferring the start of SSBN(X) procurement. This report focuses on the SSBN(X) as a Navy shipbuilding program. CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL33640, 'U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues', by Amy F. Woolf, discusses the SSBN(X) as an element of future U.S. strategic nuclear forces in the context of strategic nuclear arms control agreements."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2011-11-28
• Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding [November 21, 2011]

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  "Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) provide federal funds to states, territories, and tribes for distribution to local agencies to support a wide range of community-based activities to reduce poverty. Smaller related programs--Community Economic Development (CED), Rural Community Facilities, Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI), and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)--also support anti-poverty efforts. CSBG and some of these related activities trace their roots to the War on Poverty, launched in the 1960s. Today, they are administered at the federal level by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). […] Representative Rehberg, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education, introduced an FY2012 spending bill on September 29 (H.R. 3070). This bill also would reject the Administration's proposed reduction for CSBG and would maintain the block grant and Rural Community Facilities at FY2011 levels. The bill would increase CED to $20 million and cut IDAs from $24 million to $9 million. It would eliminate funding for JOLI. According to the latest data, the nationwide network of more than 1,000 CSBG grantees served nearly 21 million people in more than 8 million low-income families in FY2009. The network reported spending $14.9 billion of federal, state, local, and private resources. Of the total, $623 million came from regular federal CSBG funds and $344 million from a one-time appropriation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). About $9 billion came from other federal programs and $1.2 billion came from additional federal spending under ARRA."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Spar, Karen

  2011-11-21