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NSTAC Report to the President on Communications Resiliency
From the Executive Summary: "Nearly a decade has passed since the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) last reviewed the Nation's communications resiliency posture. In its 2011 NSTAC Report to the President on Communications Resiliency (Communications Resiliency Report), the committee examined the then-current communications resiliency landscape and provided recommendations to the U.S. Government on how to enhance the survivability and availability of networks. Recent wide-scale emergencies, like the coronavirus [disease 2019] (COVID-19) pandemic, extreme natural disasters, and broadly impactful security events, demonstrate the need to reexamine the resiliency and national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) of the Nation's communications networks."
United States. President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
2021-05-06
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Residential Building Fires (2017-2019)
From the Document: "These topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context. [...] As part of a series of topical reports that address fires in types of residential buildings, this report addresses the characteristics of all residential building fires as reported to NFIRS. The focus is on fires reported from 2017 to 2019, the most recent data available at the time of the analysis. NFIRS data is used for the analyses throughout this report."
United States Fire Administration; National Fire Data Center (U.S.); United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Iran Sanctions [Updated November 15, 2019]
From the Overview and Objectives: "This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran. CRS [Congressional Research Service] has no way to independently corroborate whether any individual or other entity might be in violation of U.S. or international sanctions against Iran. The report tracks implementation of the various U.S. laws and executive orders. Some sanctions require the blocking of U.S.-based property of sanctioned entities, but no information has been released from the executive branch indicating the extent, if any, to which any such property has been blocked."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-11-15
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Telecommunications: FCC Assisted in Hurricane Maria Network Restoration, but a Clarified Disaster Response Role and Enhanced Communication Are Needed, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017, causing great physical harm to residents and severely damaging the islands' critical infrastructure, including telecommunications networks (see photo). Federal agencies faced unprecedented challenges in the hurricane's aftermath that complicated efforts to address telecommunications outages. While DHS is the lead agency in federal disaster response, FCC [Federal Communications Commission] has a supporting role related to telecommunications issues. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review FCC's response to telecommunications outages after Hurricane Maria. This report examines (1) FCC's actions to support telecommunications restoration after Hurricane Maria and the extent to which FCC's disaster response role is clearly defined, and (2) FCC's efforts to identify lessons learned with public input and the extent to which FCC publicly communicated those efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-04
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Modernization of the Conventional Ammunition Production Industrial Base, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, September 22, 2020
This is the September 22, 2020 hearing on "Modernization of the Conventional Ammunition Production Industrial Base," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces of the Committee on Armed Services. From the opening statement of Donald Norcross: "The topic of today's hearing is intended to be a start, an assessment, where we are, what I hope will be a productive conversation between the committee and the Army on improving the state of conventional ammunition production facilities across the country. The ammunition that our Army trains and takes into combat comes from production lines scattered across the great heartland of this Nation. In fact, most of it is manufactured in the same facilities that produced the ammunition used to bring victories to the allies in World War II--shocking to me and certainly anybody listening. Those facilities look, operate much like they did in the 1940s." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Edward M. Daly and Bruce D. Jette.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021
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Imported Agriculture: Updated Planning and Communication Could Enhance Agency Coordination of Inspections, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "USDA estimates that over 50,000 invasive species are already in the U.S., costing almost $120 billion annually in environmental damages and losses. Federal inspectors at U.S. ports of entry help prevent threats from invasive species by inspecting agricultural products (e.g., plants, seeds, and animals) entering the U.S. CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] conducts the majority of inspections, APHIS [Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service] sets inspection standards, and FWS [Fish and Wildlife Service] inspects imported wildlife. The Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 authorized $221.6 million in appropriations to increase CBP staffing levels for inspectors for fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The act includes a provision that GAO [Government Accountability Office] review federal efforts to address risks to the agricultural supply. This report examines, among other things, how federal agencies coordinate responsibilities for inspection of imported agriculture."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Small Business Administration: Use of Supplemental Funds for Administering COVID-19-Related Programs, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic disrupted small businesses and generated an immediate need for emergency funding to keep businesses operating. In response, Congress dramatically increased the amount of loans, grants, and other financial assistance available from SBA [Small Business Administration]. To help SBA manage the large volume of assistance, Congress provided the agency additional funds for administrative expenses. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on SBA's use of supplemental appropriations provided in fiscal year 2020 for administrative expenses. This report discusses (1) the amount of supplemental appropriations SBA received in fiscal year 2020 for administrative expenses and SBA's planned uses for these funds, and (2) the extent to which SBA had obligated and expended these funds as of January 31, 2021, and for what purposes."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-06
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Civil Monetary Penalties: Federal Agencies' Compliance with the 2020 Annual Inflation Adjustment Requirements
From the Document: "Civil monetary penalties provide federal agencies with the ability to punish willful and egregious violators, deter future violations, and enforce regulatory policies government-wide. However, if agencies do not periodically adjust these penalties for the effects of inflation, the penalties may lose their effectiveness and agencies may lose opportunities to collect significant federal receipts. Thus, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 to allow for agencies to adjust their covered civil monetary penalties for inflation, to promote compliance, and to improve the collection of penalties. The act, as amended, hereinafter referred to as the Inflation Adjustment Act (IAA), includes a provision added in 2015 for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually submit to Congress a report assessing the compliance of agencies with the required civil monetary penalty adjustments. This fifth annual review responds to the statutory provision for us to assess agencies' compliance with the civil monetary penalty adjustments for inflation as required by the IAA. Specifically, our objective was to determine if each agency subject to the IAA published 2020 civil monetary penalty inflation adjustments in the 'Federal Register' as of December 31, 2020, and reported information about civil monetary penalties within the agency's jurisdiction in its 2020 agency financial report (AFR) submitted under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-136. This circular provides guidance to agencies that produce either AFRs or performance and accountability reports and government corporations that produce annual management reports."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-05-27
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Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues [November 17, 2009]
From the Summary: "The closure of the Guantanamo detention facility may raise a number of legal issues with respect to the individuals formerly interned there, particularly if those detainees are transferred to the United States for continued detention, prosecution, or release. The nature and scope of constitutional protections owed to detainees within the United States may be different from the protections owed to persons held outside the United States. This may have implications for the continued detention or prosecution of persons who are transferred to the United States. The transfer of detainees to the United States may also have immigration consequences. This report provides an overview of major legal issues likely to arise as a result of executive and legislative action to close the Guantanamo detention facility. It discusses legal issues related to the transfer of Guantanamo detainees (either to a foreign country or into the United States), the continued detention of such persons in the United States, and the possible removal of persons brought into the country. It also discusses selected constitutional issues that may arise in the criminal prosecution of detainees, emphasizing the procedural and substantive protections that are utilized in different adjudicatory forums (i.e., federal civilian courts, court-martial proceedings, and military commissions)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bazan, Elizabeth B.; Garcia, Michael John; Mason, R. Chuck
2009-11-17
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2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues [October 29, 2009]
From the Summary: "On June 11, in response to the global spread of a new strain of influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the level of influenza pandemic alert to phase 6, the highest level, which indicates the start of an actual pandemic. This change in alert level reflected the spread of the new virus, not its severity. In late April 2009, human cases of infection with a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus were identified. Since then, the virus has become widespread. Although currently the pandemic is of moderate severity with the majority of patients experiencing mild symptoms and making a rapid and full recovery, the virus and its effects may change over time. This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jones, Nancy Lee; Swendiman, Kathleen S.
2009-10-29
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Guinea's 2008 Military Coup and Relations with the United States [November 5, 2009]
From the Summary: "Guinea is a Francophone West African country on the Atlantic coast, with a population of about 10 million. It is rich in natural resources but characterized by widespread poverty and limited socioeconomic growth and development. While Guinea has experienced regular episodes of internal political turmoil, it was considered a locus of relative stability over the past two decades, a period during which each of its six neighbors suffered one or more armed internal conflicts. Guinea entered a new period of political uncertainty on December 23, 2008, when a group of junior and mid-level military officers seized power, hours after the death of longtime president and former military leader Lansana Conté. The junta, calling itself the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD, after its French acronym), named as the interim national president a previously relatively unknown figure, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara. [...] This report analyzes developments since the military's seizure of power in December 2008, Guinea's relations with the United States, and U.S. policy in the wake of the coup. It also provides background on Guinean history and politics."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cook, Nicolas; Arieff, Alexis
2009-11-05
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U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress [November 5, 2009]
From the Summary: "India and the United States announced July 27, 2007, that they had reached agreement on the text of a nuclear cooperation agreement. P.L. 109-401, the Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006, which President Bush signed into law December 18, 2006, allows the President to waive such an agreement with India from several requirements of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954, as amended. President Bush submitted the text of the proposed agreement to Congress September 10, 2008. Additionally, the President submitted a written determination (also required by the AEA) 'that the performance of the proposed agreement will promote and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security.' In addition, President Bush submitted several documents, including classified and unclassified versions of a Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS), which is required by section 123 of the AEA. The Department of State also submitted a report, which is required by section 104 of P.L. 109-401, on various aspects of the agreement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kerr, Paul K.
2009-11-05
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Congressional Oversight and Related Issues Concerning International Security Agreements Concluded by the United States [October 1, 2009]
From the Summary: "The United States is a party to numerous security agreements with other nations. [...]. Some international security agreements entered by the United States, such as those obliging parties to come to the defense of another in the event of an attack, involve substantial commitments and have traditionally been entered as treaties, ratified with the advice and consent of the Senate. Other agreements dealing with more technical matters, such as military basing rights or the application of a host country's laws to U.S. forces stationed within, are entered more routinely and usually take a form other than treaty (i.e., as an executive agreement or a nonlegal political commitment). Occasionally, the substance and form of a proposed security agreement may become a source of dispute between Congress and the executive branch. [...] Regardless of the form a security arrangement may take, Congress has several tools to exercise oversight regarding the negotiation, form, conclusion, and implementation of the agreement by the United States. This report begins by providing a general background on the types of international agreements that are binding upon the United States, as well as considerations affecting whether they take the form of a treaty or an executive agreement. Next, the report discusses historical precedents as to the role that security agreements have taken, with specific attention paid to past agreements entered with Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Iraq. The report discusses the oversight role that Congress exercises with respect to entering and implementing international agreements involving the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garcia, Michael John; Mason, R. Chuck
2009-10-01
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United States Relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) [November 16, 2009]
From the Summary: "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is Southeast Asia's primary multilateral organization. Established in 1967, it has grown into one of the world's largest regional fora, representing a strategically important group of 10 nations that spans critical sea lanes and accounts for 5% of U.S. trade. This report discusses U.S. diplomatic, security, trade, and aid ties with ASEAN, analyzes major issues affecting Southeast Asian countries and U.S.-ASEAN relations, and examines ASEAN's relations with other regional powers. Much U.S. engagement with the region occurs at the bilateral level, but this report focuses on multilateral diplomacy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-; Manyin, Mark E.; Dolven, Ben
2009-11-16
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Guantanamo Detention Center: Legislative Activity in the 111th Congress [November 6, 2009]
From the Summary: "The detention of alleged enemy combatants at the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the potential transfer of such individuals away from the Guantanamo detention facility, have been the focus of significant legislative activity during the 111th Congress. Several enacted authorization and appropriations measures affect the treatment of Guantanamo detainees and restrict the use of federal funds to transfer or release Guantanamo detainees into the United States. [...] This report analyzes relevant provisions in enacted legislation and selected pending bills. For more detailed explorations of the legal issues related to the potential closure of the detention facility and the transfer, release, and treatment of detainees, see CRS Report R40139, 'Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues,' by Michael John Garcia et al., and CRS Report RL33180, 'Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court,' by Jennifer K. Elsea, Kenneth R. Thomas, and Michael John Garcia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Henning, Anna C.
2009-11-06
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U.S. Economy in Recession: Similarities to and Differences from the Past [November 10, 2009]
From the Summary: "According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the U.S. economy entered a recession in December 2007. It is now the longest recession of the post-World War II era. The recession can be separated into two distinct phases. During the first phase, which lasted for the first half of 2008, the recession was not deep as measured by the decline in gross domestic product (GDP) or the rise in unemployment. It then deepened from the third quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009. The economy continued to contract slightly in the second quarter of 2009, before beginning to grow in the third quarter. This recession features the largest decline in output, consumption, and investment, and the largest increase in unemployment, of any post-war recession."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc
2009-11-10
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FY2010 Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities [November 5, 2009]
From the Summary: "Since FY2002, Congress has appropriated more than $33 billion for homeland security assistance to states, specified urban areas and critical infrastructures (such as ports and rail systems), the District of Columbia, and U.S. insular areas. The Grant Programs Directorate and the National Preparedness Directorate, within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, administer these programs for the Department of Homeland Security. Each assistance program has either an all hazards purpose or a terrorism preparedness purpose. These programs are primarily used by first responders, which include firefighters, emergency medical personnel, emergency managers, and law enforcement officers. Specifically, the appropriations for these programs provide for grants, training, exercises, and other support to states, territories, and tribal and joint jurisdictions to prepare for terrorism and major disasters. This report provides information on enacted FY2009 and FY2010 funding for these grant programs. It also identifies potential issues Congress may wish to address. The report will be updated when congressional or executive branch actions warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Reese, Shawn
2009-11-05
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U.S. Nuclear Cooperation with India: Issues for Congress [December 17, 2009]
From the Summary: "India, which has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and does not have International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards on all nuclear material in peaceful nuclear activities, exploded a 'peaceful' nuclear device in 1974, convincing the world of the need for greater restrictions on nuclear trade. The United States created the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a direct response to India's test, halted nuclear exports to India a few years later, and worked to convince other states to do the same. India tested nuclear weapons again in 1998. [...]. U.S. nuclear cooperation is governed by the Atomic Energy Act (AEA). P.L. 109-401, which President Bush signed into law on December 18, 2006, provides waivers of several provisions of the AEA (Sections 123 a. (2), 128, and 129). It requires that several steps occur before nuclear cooperation can proceed. [...]. On September 27, 2008, the House passed H.R. 7081, which approved the agreement. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved identical legislation, S. 3548, September 23[...]. However, several steps remain before U.S. companies can start nuclear trade with India. [...]. Furthermore, U.S. firms will likely be very reluctant to engage in nuclear trade with India if the government does not become party to the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, which has not yet entered into force. India also is reportedly insisting that New Delhi and Washington conclude an agreement on a reprocessing facility in India before New Delhi signs contracts with U.S. nuclear firms."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kerr, Paul K.
2009-12-17
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Venezuela: Issues in the 111th Congress [November 17, 2009]
From the Summary: "The United States traditionally has had close relations with Venezuela, the fourth major supplier of foreign oil to the United States, but there has been friction with the Chávez government. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about human rights, Venezuela's military arms purchases, its relations with Cuba and Iran, and its efforts to export its brand of populism to other Latin American countries. Declining cooperation on anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts has also been a concern. In September 2008, bilateral relations worsened when President Chávez expelled the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, and the United States responded in kind. Under the Obama Administration, Venezuela and the United States reached an agreement for the return of respective ambassadors in July 2009. While some observers are hopeful that the return of ambassadors will mark an improvement in relations, others emphasize continued U.S. concerns about the Venezuelan government's treatment of the news media and political opposition and about interference in the affairs of other countries in the region."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2009-11-17
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Iran's Nuclear Program: Status [November 12, 2009]
From the Summary: "Although Iran claims that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes, it has generated considerable concern that Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. Indeed, the UN Security Council has responded to Iran's refusal to suspend work on its uranium enrichment and heavy-water nuclear reactor programs by adopting several resolutions which imposed sanctions on Tehran. Despite this pressure, Iran continues to enrich uranium, install and operate additional centrifuges, and conduct research on new types of centrifuges. Tehran has also continued to produce centrifuge feedstock, as well as work on its heavy-water reactor and associated facilities. [...] Although Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to an extent, the agency says that Tehran has not gone far enough to alleviate all of the IAEA's concerns about Iran's enrichment and heavy-water reactor programs. The IAEA continues to investigate the program, particularly evidence that Tehran may have conducted procurement activities and research directly applicable to nuclear weapons development. This report expands and replaces CRS Report RS21592, Iran's Nuclear Program: Recent Developments, by Sharon Squassoni, and will be updated as necessary."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kerr, Paul K.
2009-11-12
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Chemical Facility Security: Reauthorization, Policy Issues, and Options for Congress [November 10, 2009]
From the Document: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has statutory authority to regulate chemical facilities for security purposes. This authority expires in October 2010. The 111th Congress is taking action to reauthorize this program, but the scope and details of its reauthorization remains an issue of congressional debate. Some Members of Congress support an extension, either short or long-term, of the existing authority. Other Members call for revision and more extensive codification of chemical facility security regulatory provisions. The tension between continuing and changing the statutory authority is exacerbated by questions regarding its effectiveness in reducing chemical facility risk and the sufficiency of federal funding for chemical facility security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shea, Dana A.
2009-11-10
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Gangs in Central America [December 4, 2009]
From the Summary: "The 111th Congress has maintained an interest in the effects of crime and gang violence in Central America, and on the expanding activities of transnational gangs with ties to that region operating in the United States. The violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and its main rival, the '18th Street' gang (also known as M-18) continue to threaten citizen security and challenge government authority in Central America. Gang-related violence has been particularly acute in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, which have among the highest homicide rates in the world. [...]. Between February 2005 and September 2009, U.S. officials arrested some 2,572 alleged MS-13 members in cities across the United States, many of whom were subsequently deported. Evidence suggests, however, that previously deported members of both the MS-13 and the M-18 often reenter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Mexico border. Several U.S. agencies have been actively engaged on both the law enforcement and preventive side of dealing with Central American gangs. An inter-agency committee worked together to develop a U.S. Strategy to Combat Criminal Gangs from Central America and Mexico, first announced at a July 2007 U.S.-Central American Integration System (SICA) summit on security issues. The strategy, which is now being implemented, states that the U.S. government will pursue coordinated anti-gang activities through five broad areas: diplomacy, repatriation, law enforcement, capacity enhancement, and prevention. [...]. This report describes the gang problem in Central America, discusses country and regional approaches to deal with the gangs, and analyzes U.S. policy with respect to gangs in Central America."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2009-12-04
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Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate over Government Policy [November 5, 2009]
From the Summary: "There is ongoing interest in the pace of U.S. technological advancement due to its influence on U.S. economic growth, productivity, and international competitiveness. Because technology can contribute to economic growth and productivity increases, congressional attention has focused on how to augment private-sector technological development. Legislative activity over the past 25 or more years has created a policy for technology development, albeit an ad hoc one. Because of the lack of consensus on the scope and direction of a national policy, Congress has taken an incremental approach aimed at creating new mechanisms to facilitate technological advancement in particular areas and making changes and improvements as necessary. [...] The proper role of the federal government in technology development and the competitiveness of U.S. industry continues to be a topic of congressional debate. Current legislation affecting the R&D environment have included both direct and indirect measures to facilitate technological innovation. In general, direct measures are those which involve budget outlays and the provision of services by government agencies. Indirect measures include financial incentives and legal changes (e.g., liability or regulatory reform; new antitrust arrangements). As the 111th Congress develops its budget priorities, the manner by which the government encourages technological progress in the private sector again may be explored and/or redefined "
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schacht, Wendy H.
2009-11-05
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Cooperative R&D: Federal Efforts to Promote Industrial Competitiveness [November 4, 2009]
From the Summary: "In response to the foreign challenge in the global marketplace, the United States Congress has explored ways to stimulate technological advancement in the private sector. The government has supported various efforts to promote cooperative research and development activities among industry, universities, and the federal R&D [Research and Development] establishment designed to increase the competitiveness of American industry and to encourage the generation of new products, processes, and services. [...] Given the increased popularity of cooperative programs, questions might be raised as to whether they are meeting expectations. Among the issues before Congress are whether joint ventures contribute to industrial competitiveness and what role, if any, the government has in facilitating such arrangements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schacht, Wendy H.
2009-11-04
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Pakistan-Internal Stability and U.S. Response: CRS Experts [November 5, 2009]
From the Document: "The following table provides access to names and contact information for CRS [Congressional Research Service] experts on policy concerns relating to Pakistan's internal stability and the U.S. response. Policy areas identified include: Governance and political stability; War on terrorism; Pakistan as a nuclear power; Democratization; International policy responses; U.S. support; and International support."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2009-11-05
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United Nations Reform: U.S. Policy and International Perspectives [December 15, 2009]
From the Summary: "Congress has maintained a significant interest in the overall effectiveness of the United Nations. Some Members are particularly interested in U.N. Secretariat and management reform, with a focus on enhanced accountability and internal oversight. In the past, Congress has enacted legislation that links U.S. funding of the United Nations to specific U.N. reform benchmarks. Opponents of this strategy argue that tying U.S. funding to U.N. reform may negatively impact diplomatic relations and could hinder the United States' ability to conduct foreign policy. Supporters contend that the United Nations has been slow to implement reforms and that linking payment of U.S. assessments to progress on U.N. reform is the most effective way to motivate member states to efficiently pursue comprehensive reform."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchfield, Luisa
2009-12-15
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United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress [December 14, 2009]
From the Summary: "Congress maintains an ongoing interest in the credibility and effectiveness of the Council in the context of both human rights and broader U.N. reform. In the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Division H, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2009 of P.L. 111-8), for example, Congress prohibited U.S. contributions to support the Council unless (1) the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that funding the Council is 'in the national interest of the United States' or (2) the United States is a member of the Council. A similar provision was included in Division J of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161). Withholding Council funds in this manner would be a largely symbolic policy action because assessed contributions finance the entire U.N. regular budget and not specific parts of it. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchfield, Luisa
2009-12-14
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U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions [December 16, 2009]
From the Summary: "The U.S. Secret Service has two missions--criminal investigations and protection. Criminal investigation activities, which have expanded since its inception as a small anti-counterfeiting operation at the end of the Civil War, now encompass financial crimes, identity theft, counterfeiting, computer fraud, and computer-based attacks on the nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure, among other areas. Protection activities, which have expanded and evolved since the 1890s, include the safety and security of the President, Vice President, their families, and other identified individuals and locations. In March 2003, the U.S. Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security as a distinct entity. [...] During an April 2008 hearing on the FY2009 budget request for the U.S. Secret Service, Members of Congress raised questions related to the missions and organizational location of the Service, and on December 2, 2009, the House Homeland Security Committee conducted a hearing on and questioned U.S. Secret Service presidential protection operations following a White House security breach. Are the two missions of the Service compatible and how should they be prioritized? Is the Department of Homeland Security the most appropriate organizational and administrative location for the Secret Service? These, and other policy questions, have been raised and addressed at different times by Congress and various administrations during the long history of the Service. Additionally, there has been increased interest in the Service due to the recent inaugural security operations and the protection of President Barack Obama."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Reese, Shawn; Corcoran, David
2009-12-16
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Tsunami Detection and Warnings for the United States [September 25, 2008]
From the Summary: "With respect to tsunami disaster warnings for the United States, discussions ensued between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] about developing a multi-hazard warning and response system and, perhaps, eventually contributing to a global tsunami early warning system. Experts acknowledge that formidable challenges lay ahead in adopting standardized communications protocols and ensuring the interoperability, scope, and purpose of the diverse emergency warning alert systems used by the United States and other countries."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrissey, Wayne A.
2008-09-25
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Public and Private Expenditures for Health Care, 2007 [December 1, 2009]
From the Document: "This memorandum responds to your request for information on total national health expenditures for health care and the proportion funded by the federal, state and local governments. In particular you are interested in incorporating tax expenditures into the estimate of the proportion of national health expenditures coming from public sources. It can be argued that some private health expenditures should be attributed to the public sector because of tax subsidies available for health care spending."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hungerford, Thomas L.
2009-12-01
