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High Performance Computers and Export Control Policy: Issues for Congress [Updated May 5, 2005]
"Congress has a strong interest in export control policy and technologies that may have both commercial and military applications outside of the United States. Through its constitutionally delegated authority to regulate foreign commerce, it has the authority to control exports for national security or foreign policy purposes. The 107th Congress is closely examining issues of national export control policy, including reauthorization of the Export Administration Act (EAA), and control policies concerning key technologies...Congressional interest in HPCs has primarily, but not exclusively, been focused on the dual-use applications of HPCs...The 108th Congress likely will again consider the the reauthorization of the EAA...There are several issues that congressional policymakers are addressing concerning reauthorization of the Export Administration Act. One is proliferation-- who obtains this technology and how they use it. In response to concerns about proliferation, Congress legislated licensing, post-shipment verification and Congressional notification of exports and changes in licensing thresholds for HPCs. However, some contend that these safeguards and restrictions have not been effective. Another issue is the notification process, in which the executive branch not only notifies the legislative branch of HPC export control changes, but describes the national security implications as well...The U.S. computer industry has raised concerns about another issue-that restrictions only hurt U.S. commercial interests...Yet, there is no consensus as to what should replace MTOPS, if anything. Among the issues facing the 108th Congress are whether to maintain HPC export controls by using MTOPS, revise them by using a benchmark other than MTOPS, or completely eliminate controls in recognition of the worldwide availability of certain technology and rapid technological innovation." - From Summary
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fergusson, Ian F.; McLoughlin, Glenn J.
2005-05-05
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Berry Amendment: Requiring Defense Procurement to Come from Domestic Sources [Updated April 21, 2005]
From the Summary: "In the spring of 2001, Congress revisited the Berry Amendment largely in response to a controversy involving the Army's procurement of black berets. DOD had granted the Defense Logistics Agency authority to waive the Berry Amendment in order to purchase berets from foreign sources. However, it was reported that DOD had known for 25 years that no U.S. firm produced a solely domestic beret; this suggested that other violations of the Berry Amendment may have been overlooked or under-reported. This procurement event raised important questions: (1) If the U.S. does not produce a solely domestic item, should DOD procurement be restricted from access to foreign sources? (2) Do procurement policies under the Berry Amendment adequately provide the best value to DOD and the federal government? (3) To what extent do U.S. national security interests justify waivers of the Berry Amendment?"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grasso, Valerie Bailey
2005-04-21
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Gangs in Central America [May 10, 2005]
From the Summary: "In the past year, there has been increasing attention by the press and policymakers on the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America, and its spillover effects on the United States. The February 2005 arrest of some 103 members of the violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in several cities across the United States ' including a man charged in connection with a December 2004 bus massacre in Honduras that killed 28 people ' raises concerns about the transnational activities of Central American gangs. Citizens in several Central American countries have identified crime and gang violence among the top issues of popular concern, and Honduras and El Salvador have recently enacted tough anti-gang legislation. Gang violence may threaten political stability, inhibit social development, and discourage foreign investment in Central America. Many analysts predict that illicit gang activities may accelerate illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and trafficking in persons and weapons to the United States. Some analysts maintain that contact between gang members in both regions is increasing, and that this tendency may serve to increase gang-related violent crime in the United States. Others assert that unless the root causes of gang violence, which include poverty, joblessness, and the social exclusion of at-risk youth, are addressed in a holistic manner, the problem will continue to escalate. This report will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2005-05-10
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Free Trade Area of the Americas: Major Policy Issues and Status of Negotiations [Updated July 15, 2008]
This CRS [Congressional Research Service] report covers policy issues concerning a free trade area of the Americas. From the Summary: "In 1994, 34 Western Hemisphere nations met at the first Summit of the Americas, envisioning a plan to complete a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by January 1, 2005. Nine years later, at the November 2003 Miami trade ministerial, the United States and Brazil, the FTAA co-chairs, brokered a compromise. It moved the FTAA away from the comprehensive, single undertaking principle, toward a two-tier framework comprising a set of 'common rights and obligations' for all countries, combined with voluntary plurilateral arrangements with country benefits related to commitments. So far, defining this concept has proven elusive, causing the FTAA talks to stall and the January 1, 2005 deadline to be missed. At the fourth Summit of the Americas held in November 2005, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela blocked an effort to restart negotiations, and should Venezuela become a full member of Mercosur, resistence to resuming FTAA negotiations may harden. This report follows the FTAA process and will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.)
2008-07-15
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SAFE Acts of 2005: H.R. 1526 and S. 737 - A Sketch [May 9, 2005]
From the Summary: "Somewhat different SAFE [Security and Freedom Ensured] Acts have been introduced in both the House and Senate: S. 737, the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act of 2005 (introduced by Senator Craig) and H.R. 1526, the Security and Freedom Ensured Act of 2005 (introduced by Representative Otter). Although the Senate bill is more detailed, they address many of the same issues, most of which relate to the USA PATRIOT Act--roving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) wiretaps, delayed notification of sneak and peek search warrants, library and similar exemptions from FISA tangible item orders and communications related to national security letters, the definition of domestic terrorism, and expansion of the sunset provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2005-05-09
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Homeland Security and House Committees: Analysis of 109th Congress Jurisdiction Changes and Their Impact on the Referral of Legislation [August 30, 2005]
"The creation by the House of the standing Homeland Security Committee in the 109th Congress (H.Res. 5) has led to changes in the referral of bills and joint resolutions on a wide range of subjects under the broad rubric of homeland security. The House vested the new committee with jurisdiction over 'overall homeland security policy,' 'organization and administration of the Department of Homeland Security' (DHS), and, with certain exceptions, over six DHS functions: border and port security, customs, homeland security information, domestic preparedness and response to terrorism, research and development, and transportation security. During House debate on H.Res. 5, Rules Committee Chairman Dreier inserted in the Congressional Record a document ('Legislative History') explaining the meaning and scope of the new committee's jurisdiction and the jurisdictional relationship between the new committee and 10 existing committees. The Legislative History is a complex document. It is a guideline to the Speaker in his referral of legislation and to all the affected committees on their potential claim to jurisdiction over specific subject matter. This report analyzes the Legislative History to explain how it allocates jurisdiction between the new committee and the 10 existing committees by retaining jurisdiction over some subject matter in one or more of the existing committees, by sharing jurisdiction over other subject matter between the new committee and one or more of the existing committees, and by defining the primary claim of the Homeland Security Committee to yet other subject matter."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schneider, Judy; Koempel, Michael L.
2005-08-30
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Hurricane Katrina: Insurance Losses and National Capacities for Financing Disaster Risk [September 15, 2005]
"In the aftermath of Katrina, policy makers, disaster experts, and insurance companies have expressed concerns about the financial costs and challenges of recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Further, they note the potential vulnerability of the insurance industry to a future mega-catastrophic event, and raise questions about what role, if any, the federal government should play in financing catastrophe risks. [...] Although the insurance industry will likely emerge largely intact from Hurricane Katrina and is better capitalized now than ever, it simply does not have sufficient capital to fund a mega-catastrophe. This fact is not new. Insurers and financial market experts knew after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 that outside capital was needed to supplement industry capacity. Since then, new capital has entered the catastrophe insurance market. As Members of Congress explore ways to respond to Hurricane Katrina, they may be called upon to consider federal policy alternatives to build national capabilities for disaster risk management. Among measures that might be explored are various legislative proposals to pre-fund the cost of disasters with insurance or capital market instruments (risk securitization). This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
King, Rawle O.
2005-09-15
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Supplemental Appropriations for the 2004 Hurricanes and Other Disasters [Updated September 1, 2005]
"After a series of devastating hurricanes struck Florida and other states in the summer of 2004, the 108th Congress passed two emergency supplemental appropriations statutes that provided an estimated $16.475 billion to areas stricken by the hurricanes and other natural disasters. The House and Senate quickly approved legislation (H.R. 5005) the day after President Bush submitted a request on September 6, 2004, for $2 billion in FY2004 funding, largely in response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley and Frances in Florida. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 108-303) on September 7. All of the $2 billion was for assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bea, Keith; Chite, Ralph M.
2005-09-01
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Public Diplomacy: A Review of Past Recommendations [September 2, 2005]
Public diplomacy has been officially acknowledged as a tool in the foreign policy arsenal since World War I. Later, during World War II, it became part of the U.S. government structure when in 1942 the President issued an executive order to create the Office of War Information (OWI). OWI aired the first Voice of America program on February 24, 1942, in Europe. These activities were carried out without any authority or recognition by Congress. More recently, during the post-Cold War era of the 1990s, public diplomacy was viewed as a low priority, and was often seen by lawmakers as a source of funds to tap for other programs. This culminated in 1999 when Congress abolished the agency primarily concerned with public diplomacy--the U.S. Information Agency (USIA)--and merged its public diplomacy functions into the Department of State. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, U.S. government officials, foreign policy experts, and academicians began to elevate the status of public diplomacy through numerous studies, op-ed pieces, and journal articles. This report looks at 29 articles and studies on public diplomacy that have been identified by the Department of State as being credible reports with valuable suggestions. Various recommendations from these studies are similar. This report organizes the recommendations and provides a brief discussion of them. CRS takes no position on the recommendations. This report will not be updated.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Epstein, Susan B.; Mages, Lisa
2005-09-02
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Homeland Security: Protecting Airspace in the National Capital Region [September 1, 2005]
"Since September 11, 2001, several actions have been taken to monitor and protect the airspace around Washington, DC. However, many general aviation (GA) interests have protested that extensive airspace restrictions and complex procedures exceed what is necessary to protect critical assets from possible terrorist attacks using aircraft. Policymakers have struggled to address airspace protection needs without unduly impeding air commerce or compromising safety. While the administration is currently seeking to make the airspace restrictions in the National Capital Region permanent, Congress has pushed for an easing of restrictions on GA aircraft at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and nearby GA airports through legislation and oversight. However, a few high profile airspace breaches have prompted some in Congress to seek stiffer penalties for violators and mandatory training for pilots (see H.R. 3465). Better pilot training and technologies to improve pilot situational awareness may help curtail inadvertent airspace violations that complicate surveillance and protection efforts. Further assessment of airspace design and special flight procedures around Washington, DC, may be undertaken to determine whether an appropriate balance exists between homeland security and defense requirements and air commerce and safety. This report will be updated as needed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Elias, Bartholomew
2005-09-01
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Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) [May 26, 2011]
"The Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) program provides income support to individuals who become unemployed as a direct result of a major disaster and who are not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits. DUA is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) through each state's UC agency. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5, ARRA, or 'the 2009 stimulus package') contained one provision affecting unemployment DUA benefits. ARRA temporarily increased unemployment benefits by $25 per week for all recipients of regular UC, Extended Benefits (EB), Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs, and DUA. DUA beneficiaries are not eligible to receive EUC08 benefits. This report contains information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for DUA benefits. The report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Shelton, Alison M.
2011-05-26
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Hurricane Katrina: The Response by the Internal Revenue Service [September 14, 2005]
"After Hurricane Katrina, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced several tax relief measures to aid affected individuals and businesses. They cover a range of subjects, from postponing deadlines for paying taxes and filing returns for individuals, employee benefit plans and tax-exempt bond issuers, to waiving penalties for certain fuel excise taxes. This report summarizes these measures and discusses the statutory authority for the IRSs actions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lunder, Erika
2005-09-14
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Hurricane Katrina: Activities of the Social Security Administration [September 9, 2005]
"Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the Social Security Administration (SSA) implemented procedures to assist affected beneficiaries. These procedures are designed to ensure an uninterrupted stream of retirement, disability and survivors benefits as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits during the immediate aftermath of this crisis. This report will outline these procedures and also discuss SSA procedures after September 11, 2001, to facilitate new disability, SSI, survivors, and death benefit applications. This report provides links to additional information from SSA and other federal agencies. Because of the dynamic nature of the situation, staff are encouraged to contact the Congressional Research Service (CRS) or consult the links provided at the end of this report for updated information."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2005-09-09
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Coup in Kyrgyzstan: Developments and Implications [April 14, 2005]
From the Summary: "Many people both inside and outside Kyrgyzstan were hopeful that the national legislative election on February 27, 2005 would strengthen political pluralism, easing the way for a peaceful handover of executive power in late 2005 when President Akayev was expected to step down. The legislative race proved highly contentious, however, and necessitated a second round of voting on March 13. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe tentatively concluded that serious irregularities took place in the first round. After the February 27 vote, protestors occupied government offices in the southern part of the country, and protests spread throughout the rest of the country after the second round of voting. On March 24, thousands of protesters stormed the presidential and other offices in the capital of Bishkek and Akayev and his family fled. He resigned as president on April 4. Acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev has pledged to focus on combating corruption that siphons away investment capital, and stressed that foreign policy would not change, including Kyrgyzstan's close relations with Russia and the United States. Looming challenges to Kyrgyzstan's stability include a planned presidential election, possible legislative by-elections to fill seats under dispute, and a possible referendum to adopt democratic changes to the constitution."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2005-04-14
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U.S. Assistance to the Former Soviet Union [April 14, 2005]
From the Summary: "Under the control of the State Department's Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia and encompassing all U.S. policy objectives, the FSA account has been a special interest of Congress since its creation in 1992. About $10.5 billion of the $26 billion in total U.S. aid provided between 1992 and 2004 has come from the FSA account. In its FY2006 foreign operations budget, the Administration requested $482 million for the FSA account, a 13% decrease from the FY2005 appropriation. The request for Department of Defense (DOD) Cooperative Threat Reduction programs was $415.5 million, and the Department of Energy's (DOE) various FSU nonproliferation programs would add up to $525.7 million in FY2006, both slight increases from the previous year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tarnoff, Curt
2005-04-14
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China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues [Updated April 5, 2005]
From the Summary: "Congress has long been concerned about whether U.S. policy advances the U.S. interest in reducing the role of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could deliver them. Recipients of China's technology include Pakistan and countries that the State Department says support terrorism, such as Iran, North Korea, and Libya. This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report discusses the national security problem of China's role in weapons proliferation and issues related to the U.S. policy response, including legislation, since the mid-1990s. A table summarizes the U.S. sanctions imposed on PRC entities for weapons proliferation. This CRS Report will be updated as warranted. Since 1991, China has taken some steps to mollify concerns about its role in weapons proliferation. Nonetheless, supplies from China have aggravated trends that result in ambiguous technical aid, more indigenous capabilities, longer range missiles, and secondary (retransferred) proliferation. As the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) has reported, China remains a 'key supplier' of weapons technology -- particularly missile or chemical technology."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kan, Shirley
2003-04-05
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Border and Transportation Security: Overview of Congressional Issues [Updated April 7, 2005]
From the Summary: "Enhancing border and transportation security (BTS) are essential strategies for improving and maintaining homeland security. Border security entails regulating the flow of traffic across the nations borders so that dangerous and unwanted goods and people are detected and denied entry. This requires a sophisticated border management system that balances the need for securing the nations borders with facilitating the essential free flow of legitimate commerce, citizens, and authorized visitors. Transportation security involves securing the flow of people and goods along the nations highways, railways, airways, and waterways. (For more information on the complexity of the BTS challenge, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL32839, 'Border and Transportation Security: the Complexity of the Challenge,' by Jennifer E. Lake.) While in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 efforts primarily concentrated on an expanded federal role in aviation security (in particular on the heightened screening of passengers and baggage), increasingly attention is being turned towards other modes of transportation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lake, Jennifer E.
2005-04-07
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Freedom of Information Act Amendments: 109th Congress [Updated May 16, 2005]
From the Summary: "Enacted in 1966 after 11 years of investigation, legislative development, and deliberation in the House and half as many years of such consideration in the Senate, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) displaced the ineffective public information section of the Administrative Procedure Act. The FOIA was designed to enable any person -- individual or corporate, regardless of citizenship -- to request, without explanation or justification, presumptive access to existing, identifiable, unpublished, executive branch agency records on any topic. The statute specified nine categories of information that may be permissibly exempted from the rule of disclosure. Disputes over the accessibility of requested records could be ultimately settled in court."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Relyea, Harold
2005-05-16
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Iraq Oil: Reserves, Production, and Potential Revenues [Updated April 13, 2005]
From the Summary: "Iraq's potential oil wealth remains largely unrealized. Substantial proven reserves exist and there are likely more resources awaiting discovery. But oil production has been slow to recover from the recent war, and many obstacles stand in the way of increasing exports beyond current minimal levels. And refineries are in need of rehabilitation, resulting in shortages of gasoline and cooking fuel within Iraq. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the existence of vast resources suggests easy exploitation and lucrative export earnings that could help fund Iraq's redevelopment. But the sheer resource size masks the difficulty, described in this paper, of generating near-term export revenues that could offset the Bush Administration's $87 billion request for FY2004 supplemental appropriations to fund operations and reconstruction in Iraq. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kumins, Lawrence C.
2005-04-13
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House Select Committee on Intelligence: Leadership and Assignment Limitations [April 25, 2005]
From the Summary: "Both House rules and respective party rules address committee assignments and leadership selection. Several of those rules apply specifically to select committees, and in some cases, are unique to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This report identifies House rules, Republican Conference rules, and Democratic Caucus rules that affect the makeup of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It will be updated if events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schneider, Judy
2005-04-25
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Country Applicability of the U.S. Normal Trade Relations (Most-Favored-Nation) Status [Updated March 24, 2005]
From the Summary: "The United States accords permanent normal-trade-relations (NTR) (formerly called most-favored-nation (MFN)) treatment to all its trading partners except two countries to which it is denied by law and ten countries whose NTR status is temporary and subject to the conditions of Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Pregelj, Vladimir N.
2005-03-24
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Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance [Updated April 26, 2005]
From the Document "Operation Iraqi Freedom accomplished a long-standing U.S. objective, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, but replacing his regime with a stable, moderate, democratic political structure has run into significant difficulty. That outcome would contribute to preventing Iraq from becoming a sanctuary for terrorists, a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission report (Chapter 12, Section 2). During the1990s, U.S. efforts to covertly change the regime failed because of limited U.S. commitment, disorganization of the Iraqi opposition, and the vigilance of Iraq's several overlapping security services. Previous U.S. Administrations had ruled out a U.S. military invasion to change the regime, believing such action would be risky and that Iraq did not necessarily pose a level of threat that would justify doing so. President George W. Bush characterized Iraq as a grave potential threat to the United States because of its refusal to abandon its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and its potential to transfer WMD to terrorist groups. After a November 2002-March 2003 round of U.N. WMD inspections in which Iraq's cooperation was mixed, on March 19, 2003, the United States launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to disarm Iraq and change its regime. The regime fell on April 9, 2003. Although acknowledging that the insurgency is adversely affecting U.S. policy, the Bush Administration asserts that U.S. policy in Iraq will ultimately succeed as U.S., NATO, and other trainers build Iraq's various security bodies. Some believe the United States should add significant numbers of troops to the current level of about 150,000, plus about 26,000 foreign military personnel. Others believe the United States needs to take new steps to recruit major international force contributors, and yet some others believe that the United States should end its presence in Iraq."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2005-04-26
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Andean Counterdrug Initiative (ACI) and Related Funding Programs: FY2005 Assistance [Updated May 10, 2005]
From the Summary: "In 2004, Congress considered a number of issues relating to the Andean region and drug trafficking. The Administration requested $731 million for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative for FY2005, and $114 million for economic assistance programs. Congress also changed the level of U.S. military and civilian contractor personnel allowed to be deployed in Colombia, in response to an Administration request. Congress continues to express concern with the volume of drugs readily available in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The three largest producers of cocaine are Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, with 90% of the cocaine in the United States originating in, or passing through, Colombia. Regional security issues have also come into sharper focus after the attacks of September 11, 2001.The United States has made a significant commitment of funds and material support to help Colombia and the Andean region fight drug trafficking since the development of Plan Colombia in 1999. In the first session of the 108th Congress, the House passed and the Senate considered the FY2004 Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 1950/S. 925) with provisions relating to Colombia and drug interdiction programs in the Andean region. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported out the FY2004 Foreign Assistance Authorization Act (S. 1161/S.Rept. 108-56) with several modifications on assistance to ACI countries. Neither of these bills received final approval. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Veillette, Connie
2005-05-10
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Defense: FY2006 Authorization and Appropriations [May 17, 2005]
From the Summary: "On February 7, 2005, the Administration released its FY2006 federal budget request. The request includes $441.8 billion in new budget authority for national defense, of which $421.1 billion is for military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), $17.5 billion for atomic energy defense activities of the Department of Energy, and $3.2 billion for defense-related activities of other agencies. The FY2006 request does not include funding for ongoing military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. On May 5, the House, and on May 10, the Senate, approved a conference agreement on a bill (H.R. 1268, P.L. 109-13) providing FY2005 supplemental appropriations for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, of $76 billion for the Department of Defense."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Daggett, Stephen
2005-05-17
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Iraq: Recent Developments in Reconstruction Assistance [Updated May 12, 2005]
From the Summary: "Many reconstruction efforts on the ground are underway, but security concerns have slowed progress considerably. Most reconstruction funding is targeted at infrastructure projects -- roads, sanitation, electric power, oil production, etc. Aid is also used to train and equip Iraqi security forces. A range of programs are in place to offer expert advice to the Iraqi government, establish business centers, rehabilitate schools and health clinics, provide school books and vaccinations, etc. However, of the $18.4 billion appropriated by Congress in October 2003, only $11.5 billion had been obligated and $3.5 billion spent by mid-February 2005. Congress approved on September 29 an Administration-proposed re-allocation of $3.5 billion in previously appropriated reconstruction funds to give greater emphasis to security, employment generation, and debt relief."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tarnoff, Curt
2005-05-12
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International Government-Procurement Obligations of the United States: An Overview [Updated May 17, 2005]
From the Summary: "This report contains an overview of the major procurement agreements to which the United States is a party, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement, the procurement chapter of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and provisions from other free trade agreements. In addition, this report highlights major federal laws that relate to the government-procurement obligations of the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tatelman, Todd
2005-05-17
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Security and Freedom Ensured Act (SAFE Act) (H.R. 1526) and Security and Freedom Enhancement Act (SAFE Act) (S. 737): Section By Section Analysis [May 9, 2005]
From the Summary: "Two SAFE Acts, S. 737 and H.R. 1526 address some of the issues raised by the USA PATRIOT Act. They amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to require that FISA surveillance orders particularly identify either the target or the facilities or places targeted. They limit delayed notification of sneak and peek searches to cases involving exigent circumstances (injury, flight, destruction of evidence, witness intimidation risks) and cap the extent of permissible delay. Both bills restrict FISA access orders to instances where there are specific and articulable reasons to believe that the records pertain to a foreign power or one or more of its agents."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2005-05-09
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Combat Aircraft Sales to South Asia: Potential Implications [May 19, 2005]
From the Summary: "In March 2005, the Bush Administration announced a willingness to resume sales of F-16 combat aircraft to Pakistan. Potential sales to India are also being considered. These potential sales have political, military, and defense industrial base implications for the United States and the South Asia region. H.R. 1553 and S. 12 would impose nonproliferation conditions on these sales. This report will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Richard F.; Bolkcom, Christopher C.; Kronstadt, K. Alan
2005-05-19
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International Financial Institutions: Funding U.S. Participation [May 3, 2005]
From the Summary: "Since 1945, the United States has contributed $98 billion to the IMF and the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and it has subscribed an additional $96.6 billion in callable capital. The procedures the United States uses to fund its financial support for these institutions varies from organization to organization and are described in this report. The report will not be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sanford, Jonathan E.
2005-05-03
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Organization and Mission of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate: Issues and Options for the 109th Congress [September 7, 2005]
"On July 13, 2005, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff released an assessment of departmental functions known as the second stage review, or 2SR. The recommended changes, planned for implementation on October 1, 2005, include one to dismantle the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Directorate of DHS, also referred to as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA would remain within DHS but become a smaller entity reporting directly to the Secretary and would be responsible for consequence management. [...] Congress would have to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) if all aspects of the Secretary's recommendation were to be implemented. [...] Perhaps of greatest significance, some Members of Congress are reportedly considering new legislation in the wake of the tragic events at the end of August, 2005, that occurred after Hurricane Katrina. For example, S. 1615, the text of which is not currently available, would establish FEMA as an independent agency. [...] This report provides information on the authorities and missions of EPR and reviews actions taken since the establishment of DHS to modify the directorates functions. In addition, the report examines the homeland security and emergency management authorities that Congress has assigned to federal entities other than DHS. It presents as comprehensive a picture as possible of relevant authorities and administrative issues. The report concludes with options that Congress might elect to consider as it evaluates the merits of Secretary Chertoff's 2SR proposal."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bea, Keith
2005-09-07
