Advanced search Help
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Trade Remedies: Antidumping [March 31, 2020]
From the Document: "Economists have generally seen antidumping [AD] laws and policies as economically inefficient. Some, however, have acknowledged the role that these economically inefficient policies have played in making trade liberalization more politically feasible by providing protection for industries that might otherwise oppose such measures. In recent years, U.S. exports have increasingly become a target of AD measures by several major emerging economies, including India and China. Antidumping laws and policies have also been at the center of dozens of trade disputes between the United States and its trading partners in the WTO [World Trade Organization]. Reports issued by the WTO's Appellate Body (AB) on the subject have been one of the primary targets of the U.S. Trade Representative's criticisms of the AB mechanism in the broader WTO dispute settlement system. If Congress wishes to maintain a functional dispute settlement system at the WTO it may consider either directing the President to seek amendments to underlying WTO agreements such that U.S. practices are internationally compliant or direct the ITA [International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce] to bring its AD policies into conformity with the AB's interpretation of the WTO's Antidumping Agreement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Christopher A.
2020-03-31
-
International Trade and Finance: Overview and Key Issues for the 117th Congress [February 3, 2021]
From the Introduction: "International trade and finance shape the everyday material life of people in the United States. How goods, services, and money crisscross the globe can determine the success of U.S. industry and agriculture, the financial security of U.S. households, the goods and services available to U.S. consumers, the strength of the U.S. dollar, and the health of the global environment. International trade and finance are also tools for securing U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. Since World War II, the United States has used trade policy to promote overall global economic growth and strengthen links to its allies, sanctions to isolate its adversaries, and participation in international institutions to establish an open rules-based global economy intended to encourage peaceful, stable, and expanding economic engagement in the world. Congress is in a unique position to set U.S. trade policy given its constitutional authority for legislating and overseeing international commerce."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schwarzenberg, Andres B.; Casey, Christopher A.
2021-02-03
-
U.S. Tariff Policy: Overview [Updated January 11, 2021]
From the Document: "A tariff is a customs duty levied on imported and exported goods and services. Historically, countries used tariffs as a primary means of collecting revenue. Today, other taxes account for most government revenue in developed countries. Tariffs are now typically used to protect domestic industries or as leverage in trade negotiations and disputes. The U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to set tariffs, a power that Congress has partially delegated to the President. The United States is also a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a party to a number of trade agreements, which include specific tariff-related commitments. Congress and the President thus create U.S. tariff policy within the context of a rules-based global trading system. [...] For more than 80 years, Congress has delegated extensive tariff-setting authority to the President. This delegation insulated Congress from domestic pressures and led to an overall decline in global tariff rates. However, it has meant that the U.S. pursuit of a low-tariff, rules-based global trading system has been the product of executive discretion. While Congress has set negotiating goals, it has relied on Presidential leadership to achieve those goals. The Trump Administration was openly critical of low-tariff policies and made extensive use of the authorities delegated to the President to increase tariffs on certain goods imported from key U.S. trading partners with little congressional input. Congress may want to consider whether the current restrictions on such delegated authorities adequately protect congressional interests."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Christopher A.
2021-01-11
-
Presidential Authority to Address Tariff Barriers in Trade Agreements [Updated January 13, 2021]
From the Document: "The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and to lay and collect duties. Since the 1930s, Congress has periodically authorized the President to negotiate trade agreements and, among other actions, proclaim changes to U.S. tariff rates- known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). Currently, Section 103(a) of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (TPA-2015) authorizes the President to enter into trade agreements with foreign countries to reduce 'duties or other import restrictions' that the President determines are 'unduly burdening and restricting' the United States' foreign trade and to proclaim limited changes to U.S. tariff rates without further congressional action. In December 2020, President Donald Trump implemented a trade agreement with the European Union regarding tariff barriers using his proclamation authority under Section 103(a). This authority is currently set to expire on July 1, 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Christopher A.; Murrill, Brandon J.
2021-01-13
-
Trade Remedies: Antidumping and Countervailing Duties [Updated January 11, 2021]
From the Overview: "What are they? Antidumping (AD) and Countervailing Duties (CVD) address unfair trade practices by providing relief to U.S. industries and workers that are 'materially injured,' or threatened with injury, due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value (AD), or subsidized by a foreign government or public entity (CVD). What is the relief provided? At the end of an investigative process, in AD cases, the remedy is an additional duty placed on the imported merchandise to offset the difference between the price (or cost) in the foreign market and the price in the U.S. market. In CVD cases, a duty equivalent to the amount of subsidy is placed on the imports."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jones, Vivian Catherine; Casey, Christopher A.
2021-01-11
-
Section 307 and U.S. Imports of Products of Forced Labor: Overview and Issues for Congress [Updated May 21, 2021]
From the Summary: "The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that as of 2016, nearly 25 million adults and children worked in forced labor, also known as labor trafficking. Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. §1307) prohibits U.S. imports of any product that was mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part by forced labor, including forced or indentured child labor. Amid concerns in recent decades over the statute's lack of use and increasing interest in combatting human trafficking, Congress amended Section 307 in 2015 to make it easier to block the entry of products of forced labor by removing the 'consumptive demand' exception. This exception had permitted imports of goods that were not domestically produced in such quantities as to meet U.S. consumption needs. Since 2016, enforcement of Section 307 has increased in frequency and scope, and to date U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued nearly 30 'withhold release orders' (WROs), which bar entry of certain goods made by forced labor. While WROs were typically limited to specific manufacturers and producers, CBP recently has issued broader industry- and countrywide orders. [...] This report provides background and analysis on Section 307 and CBP processes, trends regarding its use, and key issues for Congress regarding Section 307 enforcement and U.S. trade policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Casey, Christopher A.; O'Regan, Katarina C.
2021-05-21
-
House Office of Congressional Ethics: History, Authority, and Procedures [Updated June 2, 2021]
From the Summary: "The House Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) was established on March 11, 2008, with the passage of H.Res. 895. It was most recently reauthorized by the House as part of the rules package (H.Res. 8, §4(c)) adopted by the 117 th Congress on January 4, 2021. The office's establishment followed years of efforts by groups within and outside Congress to create an independent entity to investigate allegations of misconduct by Members, officers, and employees of Congress. During the 110th Congress (2007-2008), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner created the bipartisan Special Task Force on Ethics Enforcement, chaired by Representative Michael Capuano, to consider whether the House should create an 'outside' ethics-enforcement entity. The task force worked for nearly a year before issuing its recommendations for the creation of the OCE. [...] This report describes the history and rationale behind the creation of the OCE, its operations, its relationship with the House Committee on Ethics, and options potentially available for Congress if further amendments to the House ethics process are desired."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straus, Jacob R.
2021-06-02
-
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scenarios: Background, Issues, and Policy Relevance [June 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "Projecting future climate change, and what drives it, is difficult, with many uncertainties. Computer models, however, can be useful tools for exploring the long-term implications of climate change and evaluating policy options. For example, models can help construct plausible scenarios of future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on socioeconomic, environmental, and technological trends and drivers. Integrated assessment models (IAMs), coupled models of the economy, energy, land use, and climate systems, are used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the main international scientific body for assessing global climate change. This report explores the results of a selected set of IAM scenarios consistent with keeping the increase in global mean surface temperature to 1.5°C or 2°C above preindustrial levels in 2100, the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Westphal, Michael I.
2021-06-03
-
Shipping, Ports, and the Federal Maritime Commission [June 11, 2021]
From the Document: "Since summer 2020, U.S. overseas containerized trade has risen to record levels as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led households to spend less on services such as vacation trips and restaurant meals and more on imported goods. The demand surge has resulted in transport delays, higher freight rates, and increased tension between shippers and ocean carriers over ancillary fees and the availability of containers. These controversies have drawn attention to the role of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), a federal agency with jurisdiction over ports and ocean shipping. [...] Two FMC commissioners recently reminded liner carriers about their 'common carrier obligation,' under which they may not 'unreasonably refuse to deal or negotiate' (46 U.S.C. [United States Code] §41104(a)(10)). This reminder followed complaints by exporters of low-value agricultural goods that ocean carriers are not supplying them with enough empty containers to ship their goods. The exporters are seeking FMC's assistance in obtaining firmer commitments from carriers regarding container supply. Because the United States imports more containerized goods than it exports, the ocean rates for exports are much lower than for imports. In the number of days it takes for a U.S. exporter to load a container and for the purchaser of the goods in Asia to unload the container, a carrier could return the container empty to Asia and have the container start earning the much higher Asia-to-United States freight revenue. This may be a consideration when container supply becomes tight."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Frittelli, John
2021-06-11
-
Juneteenth: Fact Sheet [Updated June 7, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, many slave owners continued to hold their enslaved people captive after the announcement, so Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the 'Congressional Record,' presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Erin M.; Higgins, Molly
2021-06-07
-
Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) [Updated June 4, 2021]
From the Document: "Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) concept to connect sensors from all of the military services--Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force--into a single network. Traditionally, each of the military services developed its own tactical network that was incompatible with those of other services (i.e.,Army networks were unable to interface with Navy or Air Force networks).DOD officials have argued that future conflicts may require decisions to be made within hours, minutes, or potentially seconds compared with the current multiday process to analyze the operating environment and issue commands. They have also stated that the Department's existing command and control architecture is insufficient to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). Congress may be interested in the concept because it is being used to develop many high-profile procurement programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoehn, John R.
2021-06-04
-
National Guard and Reserve Eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill [June 7, 2021]
From the Document: "The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a popular educational assistance program designed for servicemembers and veterans and their family members. In FY2021, almost 725,000 individuals are anticipated to receive average benefits of $16,230 each. Since enactment of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008, the eligibility of National Guard and Reserve (G&R) members has been the subject of ongoing debate that has produced several amendments that expand their eligibility. This In Focus provides background on G&R eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and describes questions for Congress to consider as G&R eligibility continues to be at issue."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dortch, Cassandria; Kapp, Lawrence
2021-06-07
-
Marine Corps Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) [Updated June 10, 2021]
From the Document: "According to the Marine Corps, the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) aims to be a new armored vehicle family to replace the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV): Since the 1980s, the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) has supported Marine Air-Ground Task Force missions on the battlefield. While the LAV remains operationally effective, the life cycle of this system is set to expire in the mid-2030s…. The Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) [the LAV's replacement] will be highly mobile, networked, transportable, protected, and lethal. The capability will provide, sensors, communication systems and lethality options to overmatch threats that have historically been addressed with more heavily armored systems. The ARV will be an advanced combat vehicle system, capable of fighting for information that balances competing capability demands to sense, shoot, move, communicate and remain transportable as part of the naval expeditionary force."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2021-06-10
-
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) [Updated June 3, 2021]
From the Background: "According to the Army, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Family of Vehicles (FoV) is an Army-led, joint-service program designed to replace a portion of each service's light tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. The JLTV FoV consists of two variants: the four-seat Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) and the two-seat Combat Support Vehicle (CSV). The CTV is to support the General Purpose, Heavy Gun Carrier, and Close Combat Weapon Carrier missions. The CSV is to support the Utility/Shelter Carrier mission. The JLTV is transportable by a range of lift assets, including rotary-wing aircraft. Its maneuverability enables activities across the spectrum of terrain, including urban areas, while providing inherent and supplemental armor against direct fire and improvised explosive device threats."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Feickert, Andrew
2021-06-03
-
International Emergency Economic Powers Act: Origins, Evolution, and Use [Updated July 14, 2020]
From the Summary: "The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) provides the President broad authority to regulate a variety of economic transactions following a declaration of national emergency. IEEPA, like the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) from which it branched, sits at the center of the modern U.S. sanctions regime. Changes in the use of IEEPA powers since the act's enactment in 1977 have caused some to question whether the statute's oversight provisions are robust enough given the sweeping economic powers it confers upon the President during a declared emergency."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Casey, Christopher A.; Fergusson, Ian F.; Rennack, Dianne E. . . .
2020-07-14
-
U.S. Trade Policy Primer: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated February 4, 2021]
From the Summary: "Congress plays a major role in U.S. trade policy through its legislative and oversight authority. Since the end of World War II, U.S. trade policy has focused on fostering an open, rules-based global trading system, liberalizing markets by reducing trade and investment barriers through negotiations and agreements, and enforcing trade commitments and related laws. International trade and investment issues can affect the overall health of the U.S. economy and specific sectors, the success of U.S. businesses, U.S. employment opportunities, and the overall standard of living of Americans. The benefits and costs of international trade and the future direction of trade policy are active areas of interest for many in Congress. This report addresses frequently asked questions regarding U.S. trade policy and is intended to assist Members and staff who may be new to trade issues. The report provides context for basic trade concepts and data on key U.S. trade and investment trends. It also addresses how U.S. trade policy is formulated and describes the trade and investment policy tools used to advance U.S. objectives."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.; Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Casey, Christopher A. . . .
2021-02-04
-
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Oversight Issues and Options for Congress [Updated October 5, 2007]
From the Summary: "The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a small, fast surface combatant that is to be equipped with modular mission packages, including unmanned vehicles (UVs). The basic version of the LCS, without any mission packages, is referred to as the LCS sea frame. The first LCS (LCS-1) was procured in FY2005, another three (LCSs 2, 3, and 4) were procured in FY2006, and two more (LCSs 5 and 6) were procured in FY2007. The Navy's proposed FY2008 budget, submitted to Congress in February 2007, requested $910.5 million in procurement funding for three more LCSs. Navy plans call for procuring a total of 55 LCSs. In response to significant cost growth in the building of the first LCSs, the Navy in January 2007 placed a 90-day stop-work order on LCS-3 and in March 2007 announced a proposed plan for restructuring the LCS program. […] On April 12, 2007, the Navy announced that the Navy and Lockheed had not reached an agreement on a restructured contract for LCS-1 and LCS-3, and that the Navy consequently was terminating construction of LCS-3. On May 10, 2007, it was reported that the Navy would ask Congress to increase the procurement cost cap for the fifth and sixth LCSs to $460 million each in FY2008 dollars. A primary issue for Congress at this point is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's proposed restructuring plan. Congress has several potential options regarding the LCS program. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2007-10-05
-
Endangered Species Act and 'Sound Science' [Updated September 27, 2007]
From the Summary: "The adequacy of the science supporting implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is receiving increased congressional attention. While some critics accuse agencies responsible for implementing the ESA of using 'junk science,' others counter that decisions that should rest on science are instead being dictated by political concerns. Under the ESA, certain species of plants and animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) are listed as either 'endangered' or 'threatened' according to assessments of the risk of their extinction. Once a species is listed, powerful legal tools are available to protect the species and its habitat. Efforts to list, protect, and recover threatened or endangered species under the ESA can be controversial. Some of this controversy stems from the substantive provisions of this law, which can affect the use of both federal and nonfederal lands. The scientific underpinnings of decisions under the ESA are especially important, given their importance for species and their possible impacts on land use and development. […] Several bills affecting science as used in the ESA have been introduced in recent Congresses, but to date none have been enacted. [...] This report provides a context for evaluating legislative proposals through examples of how science has been used in selected cases, a discussion of the nature and role of science in general, and its role in the ESA process in particular, together with general and agency information quality requirements and policies, and a review of how the courts have viewed agency use of science. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne (Mary Lynne), 1946-; Baldwin, Pamela
2007-09-27
-
Direct Carbon Sequestration: Capturing and Storing CO2 [Updated September 13, 2007]
From the Summary: "Direct sequestration is capturing carbon at its source and storing it before its release to the atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage -- also known as CCS -- is attracting interest as a measure for mitigating global climate change, because potentially large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel use in the United States could be eligible for sequestration. Electricity-generating plants may be the most likely initial candidates for direct sequestration because they are predominantly large, single-point sources, and they contribute approximately one-third of U.S. CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Congressional interest is growing in direct sequestration as part of legislative strategies addressing climate change. In the 110th Congress, the House and Senate have each passed bills that contain provisions expanding the current Department of Energy (DOE) carbon capture research and development program and creating new programs to accelerate R&D [research and development] for CO2 storage. The bills would require at least seven large-volume underground sequestration tests. DOE is planning to spend almost $100 million on carbon sequestration R&D in FY2007. The House- and Senate-passed bills would sharply increase that amount, doubling or tripling R&D spending on carbon sequestration within two years compared to FY2007 levels. […] DOE's carbon sequestration research program will be facilitating field tests for carbon sequestration, with seven regional partners, across the United States. DOE is also undertaking a 10-year, $1.5 billion project -- known as FutureGen -- to build a power plant that integrates carbon sequestration and hydrogen production while producing 275 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 150,000 average U.S. homes. DOE estimates direct sequestration costs of between $100 and $300 per metric ton (2,200 pounds) of carbon emissions avoided using current technologies. Power plants with CCS would require more fuel, and costs per kilowatt-hour would likely rise compared to plants without CCS."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin)
2007-09-13
-
Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance [Updated September 26, 2007]
From the Summary: "Post-Taliban Afghanistan has adopted a constitution and elected a president and a parliament; that body is emerging as a significant force and sometimes challenger to President Hamid Karzai. However, the government's limited writ and its perceived corruption are helping sustain a Taliban insurgency. See CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL30588, 'Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy', by Kenneth Katzman."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-26
-
Iran's Influence in Iraq [Updated September 12, 2007]
From the Summary: "Iran is actively assisting the major Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq, most of which have longstanding ideological, political, and religious sectarian ties to Tehran. A more pressing U.S. concern is that Iran is purportedly arming militias fielded by those factions, militias that are committing sectarian violence and attacking U.S. forces. The Administration is trying to reverse Iranian influence in Iraq while also engaging Iran diplomatically on Iraq. This report will be updated. See CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL32048, 'Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-12
-
Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview [Updated September 19, 2007]
From the Summary: "China is the second largest source of U.S. imports, a major supplier of consumer products (such as toys), and an increasingly important supplier of various food products. Reports of unsafe seafood, pet food, toys, tires, and other products imported from China over the past year have raised concern in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products. This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations and will be updated as events warrant. (For an overview of issues concerning U.S. food imports from China, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL34080, 'Food and Agricultural Imports from China', by Geoffrey S. Becker)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2007-09-19
-
Iraq: Government Formation and Benchmarks [Updated September 20, 2007]
From the Summary: "Elections in 2005 produced a permanent constitution and a broad-based but Shiite-led government that has been unwilling or unable to take major steps to reduce Sunni popular resentment and is showing signs of fragmentation. An FY2007 supplemental appropriation (P.L. [Public Law] 110-28) mandated Administration reports by July 15 and September 15, 2007, and a GAO [Government Accountability Office] report by September 1, 2007, assessing Iraqi government progress on eighteen 'benchmarks' that are intended to promote political reconciliation. See CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL31339, Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security, by Kenneth Katzman."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-20
-
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program: Current Issues, Legislation, and Background [Updated September 20, 2007]
From the Summary: "After September 11, 2001, many businesses were no longer able to purchase insurance protecting against property losses that might occur in future terrorist attacks. Addressing this problem, Congress passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA), creating a temporary three-year program to share future insured terrorism losses with the property-casualty insurance industry and commercial policyholders. The act required insurers to offer terrorism insurance to their commercial policyholders, preserved state regulation of this type of insurance, and directed the Secretary of the Treasury to administer a program for sharing terrorism losses. Once certain conditions were met, the initial program covered 90% of insurer losses up to $100 billion each year. Responding to concerns that three years was insufficient time to allow the private sector to develop the capacity to insure terrorism risk, the 109th Congress passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 (TRIEA) to extend the program two additional years. TREIA left the program essentially intact while increasing the private sector's exposure to terrorism risk through a higher trigger, higher deductibles, greater industry loss sharing and exclusion of certain lines of insurance. With less than one year left in the extended program, concerns are again being expressed that the private market will be unable to provide terrorism insurance without a government backstop. The House passed TRIA extension legislation (H.R. 2761) by a vote of 312-110 on September 19, 2007. Similar legislation has yet to be introduced in the Senate. This report provides an overview of the current TRIA program, general background on the issue, and a summary of current legislation. It will be updated as legislation is introduced, hearings are held, or other legislative events occur."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird
2007-09-20
-
Iraqi Civilian Deaths Estimates [Updated September 5, 2007]
From the Summary: "This report presents various governmental and nongovernmental estimates of Iraqi civilian fatalities. The Department of Defense (DOD) regularly updates total U.S. military death and wounded statistics from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), as reflected in CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RS21578, 'Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties'. However, no Iraqi or U.S. government office regularly releases statistics on Iraqi civilian deaths. Statistics on Iraqi civilian deaths are sometimes available through alternative sources, such as nonprofit organizations, or through statements made by officials to the press. Since the start of the U.S.-led 'troop surge,' or Operation 'Fardh al-Qanoon' (FAQ), on February 14, 2007, a number of sources have released estimates of monthly, rather than annual or total, Iraqi civilian deaths. This report has therefore been split into two sections: estimates of total or annual Iraqi deaths and estimates of post-Operation FAQ Iraqi civilian deaths. Because these estimates are based on varying time periods and have been created using differing methodologies, readers should exercise caution when using these statistics and should look on them as guideposts rather than as statements of fact. See also CRS Report RS22532, 'Iraqi Police and Security Forces Casualty Estimates'. This report will be updated as needed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fischer, Hannah
2007-09-05
-
U.S Forces in Afghanistan [Updated September 20, 2007]
From the Summary: "As interest in troop level deployments continues, President Bush announced in a February 15, 2007 speech the Administration's plans for an increase in U.S. forces in Afghanistan, including a planned gradual increase of 3,200 U.S. troops on the ground in the coming several months. This report provides official Department of Defense (DOD) statistical information on U.S. forces now serving in Afghanistan with comparisons to earlier force levels. It also provides brief official information on the military units extended or scheduled for the next rotation of duty into Afghanistan. As of September 1, 2007, according to DOD, the United States had 24,056 troops stationed in Afghanistan -- 20,775 active component and 3,281 National Guard or Reserves. They are serving in two missions -- a NATO-led peacekeeping mission and a separate U.S.-led combat effort called Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). For security reasons, DOD does not routinely report the composition, size, or specific destination of military forces deployed to the Persian Gulf. This report will be updated upon receipt of new DOD data. For additional information on U.S. forces, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL30588, 'Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security and U.S. Policy' by Kenneth Katzman, and CRS Report RL33503, 'U.S. and Coalition Military Operations in Afghanistan: Issues for Congress', by Andrew Feickert."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Bryant, JoAnne; Waterhouse, Michael
2007-09-20
-
Total Information Awareness Programs: Funding, Composition, and Oversight Issues [Updated March 21, 2003]
Late last year controversy erupted about a Department of Defense (DOD) R&D
effort called Total Information Awareness (TIA) under an office headed by retired
Admiral John D. Poindexter within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA). By integrating various new tools designed to detect, anticipate, train for,
and provide warnings about potential terrorist attacks, DARPA hopes to develop a
prototype Total Information Awareness system. This system would integrate a
number of ongoing R&D efforts, referred to in this paper as Total Information
Awareness programs. While concern has centered primarily on privacy issues,
accounts of the program's funding have also differed. This report covers the funding,
composition, oversight, and technical feasibility of TIA programs. The privacy
implications are addressed in CRS Report RL31730, Privacy: Total Information
Awareness Programs and Related Information Access, Collection, and Protection
Laws, by Gina Marie Stevens.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Belasco, Amy
2003-03-21
-
How Large is China's Economy? Does it Matter? [February 13, 2008]
"China's rapid economic growth since 1979 has transformed it into a major economic power. Over the past few years, many analysts have contended that China could soon overtake the United States to become the world's largest economy, based on estimates of China's economy on a 'purchasing power parity' (PPP) basis, which attempts to factor in price differences across countries when estimating the size of a foreign economy in U.S. dollars. However, in December 2007, the World Bank issued a study that lowered its previous 2005 PPP estimate of the size of China's economy by 40%. If these new estimates are accurate, it will likely be many years before China's economy reaches U.S. levels. The new PPP data could also have an impact on U.S. and international perceptions over other aspects of China's economy, including its living standards, poverty levels, and government expenditures, such as on the military. This report will not be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.; Martin, Michael F.
2008-02-13
-
Qualifications for President and the 'Natural Born' Citizenship Eligibility Requirement [November 14, 2011]
"The Constitution sets out three eligibility requirements to be President: one must be 35 years of age, a resident 'within the United States' for 14 years, and a 'natural born Citizen.' There is no Supreme Court case which has ruled specifically on the presidential eligibility requirements (although several cases have addressed the term 'natural born' citizen), and this clause has been the subject of several legal and historical treatises over the years, as well as more recent litigation. […] Although the eligibility of native born U.S. citizens has been settled law for more than a century, there have been legitimate legal issues raised concerning those born 'outside' of the country to U.S. citizens. From historical material and case law, it appears that the common understanding of the term 'natural born' in England and in the American colonies in the 1700s may have included both the strict common law meaning as born in the territory ('jus soli'), as well as the 'statutory' laws adopted in England since at least 1350, which included children born abroad to British fathers ('jus sanguinis', the law of descent). The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term 'natural born' citizen would mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship 'by birth' or 'at birth,' either by being born 'in' the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for U.S. citizenship 'at birth.' Such term, however, would not include a person who was not a U.S. citizen by birth or at birth, and who was thus born an 'alien' required to go through the legal process of 'naturalization' to become a U.S. citizen."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Maskell, Jack
2011-11-14
-
Antisemitism in Europe: Implications for U.S. Policy
From the Executive Summary: "Are Jews able to live openly and freely as Jews, in whatever manner they wish? The answer to this question is fundamental for judging antisemitism in any country. The factors that go into that assessment include: (1) Prevalence of antisemitic attitudes among the general population; (2) Number and nature (or severity) of antisemitic incidents; (3) Tolerance for antisemitic rhetoric in public, whether in politics or media; and (4) Actions (or inaction) by governments to counter and prevent antisemitism. This latter category may include physical security for Jewish institutions, public denunciations of antisemitism by political leaders, prosecution of antisemitic hate crimes, and education against antisemitism. For the purpose of this study, researchers asked questions on those topics of Jewish community leaders and government officials in 11 countries. These inquiries were informed and complemented by desk research to develop profiles of how antisemitism manifests in each country and how governments are addressing antisemitism. Those 11 country profiles constitute Part I of this report."
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
Weinberg, David A.; Srulevitch, Andrew
2021-04-14?
