CRS Reports

Discretionary Spending Limits for FY2002: A Procedural Assessment

This report discusses discretionary spending, which is provided in annual appropriations acts, is constrained in part by limits set in the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

May 23, 2002

The Origination Clause of the U.S. Constitution: Interpretation and Enforcement

May 6, 2002

The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals

This report provides a brief overview of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, discusses the issues associated with the current system, and describes current legislation to amend the AMT. The report will be updated as legislative action warrants.

Apr 19, 2002

Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is expressly authorized within the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 5, clause 2) to discipline or “punish” its own Members. This authority of the institution of the House to discipline a Member for “disorderly Behaviour” is in addition to any criminal or civil liability that a Member of the House may incur for particular misconduct, and is a device or procedure designed not so much as merely a punishment of the individual Member, but rather ultimately as a measure to protect the institutional integrity of the House of Representatives, its proceedings and its reputation.

Apr 16, 2002

Appropriations for FY2002: Legislative Branch

Conferees on the FY2002 legislative branch appropriations bill agreed to $2.97 billion for legislative branch operations, an 8.9% increase over the FY2001 funding level of $2.73 billion ( P.L. 107-68 ). Total FY2002 funding made available for the legislative branch is $3.23 billion, when including emergency response funds transferred pursuant to P.L. 107-117 , the FY2002 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks (in Division B, chapter 9). P.L. 107-68 contains funds for 79 new Capitol Police positions, funds for Capitol Police training programs, language providing comparability in the pay of the Capitol Police with the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service and the Park Police, an 18.1% increase in the police budget, an additional $70 million for construction of the Capitol visitors' center, and several measures to recruit and retain employees of the Senate and the congressional support agencies. In July, 2001, Congress also agreed to a $79.5 million FY2001 legislative branch supplemental appropriation ( P.L. 107-20 ), containing $61.7 million for House internal operations, $1 million for the Capitol Police, and $15.9 million for the Government Printing Office. The terrorists' attacks of September 11, 2001, prompted moves toward an even more stringent security environment on Capitol Hill, which affected the legislative branch budget. On September 21, September 28, and December 3, the President released $376.9 million for Capitol Hill security measures. These funds were part of a $40 billion FY2001 terrorism emergency supplemental bill approved by Congress on September 14, and signed into P.L. 107-38 on September 18. The President proposed, and Congress approved, an additional allocation for Capitol complex security of $265.1 million, which, unlike the other allocations for security, required approval by Congress. The $265.1 million supplemental was contained in P.L. 107-117 , the FY2002 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, signed by the President on January 10, 2002. Among elements considered by Congress were proposals to: merge the Capitol Hill, Library of Congress, and Government Printing Office police into a consolidated force; Senate report language directed the General Accounting Office to study the issue; authorize and fund programs to enhance staff retention and recruitment, such as repayment of student loans, and implementation of performance-based recognition and compensation proposals; P.L. 107-68 contains language authorizing student loan repayments for employees of the Senate and Congressional Budget Office; and approve $42.5 million for repair of the Capitol dome; P.L. 107-68 contains $1.6 million for painting.

Apr 10, 2002

Free Trade Agreements: Impact on U.S. Trade and Implications for U.S. Trade Policy

Apr 9, 2002

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Background and Issues for the 107th Congress

Apr 2, 2002

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues

Apr 2, 2002

Tax Cuts and Economic Stimulus: How Effective Are the Alternatives?

Apr 2, 2002

Special Order Speeches and Other Forms of Non-Legislative Debate in the House

Mar 19, 2002

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Selected Statistics and Information Guide

This report provides current and historical information on the budget resolution. It provides a list of the budget resolutions adopted and rejected by Congress since implementation of the CBA, including the Statutes-at-Large citations and committee report numbers, and describes their formulation and content.

Mar 18, 2002

The Peace Corps: USA Freedom Corps Initiative

Mar 8, 2002

Sources of Legislative Proposals: A Descriptive Introduction

Mar 8, 2002

House Standing Committee Chairs: Rules Governing Selection Procedures

Mar 5, 2002

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Appropriations Process: A Brief Explanation

Mar 4, 2002

Inflation: Causes, Costs, and Current Status

Mar 1, 2002

Navy CVNX Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Feb 19, 2002

Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY1990-2002

Feb 14, 2002

Party Leaders in Congress, 1789-2002: Vital Statistics

Feb 4, 2002

SSI Income and Resource Limits: A Fact Sheet

Jan 28, 2002

Suits Against Terrorist States

Jan 25, 2002

Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law

This report presents a summary of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or Clean Water Act, describing the essence of the statute without discussing its implementation.

Jan 24, 2002

Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy

Jan 22, 2002

The World Trade Organization

Jan 21, 2002

Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and Issues

Jan 11, 2002

International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001, Title III of P.L. 107-56 (USA PATRIOT Act)

Title III, of the USA PATRIOT Act, P.L. 107-56 ( H.R. 3162 ), 115 Stat. 272 (2001), the "International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001," contains three subtitles that deal with: International Counter Money Laundering and Related Measures; Bank Secrecy Act Amendments and Related Improvements; and, Currency Crimes and Protection. It contains a list of 10 findings and 13 purposes, relating the scope of international money laundering to the financing of global terrorism and focusing on problems in the international banking system that have facilitated money laundering. Among the purposes of the legislation are: increasing the strength of U.S. measures to prevent, detect, and prosecute international money laundering and the financing of terrorism, to provide a national mandate for subjecting to special scrutiny foreign jurisdictions, financial institutions operating outside the United States, and classes of international transactions or types of accounts that pose particular opportunities for criminal abuse, and to ensure that all appropriate elements of the financial services industry are subject to appropriate requirements to report potential money laundering transactions to proper authorities. The legislation contains over forty separate sections, each of which is summarized in this report. Some of them are technical in the sense that they address criminal and civil judicial or administrative proceedings; others enhance criminal penalties for various types of financial crimes. Among the provisions that have garnered the most attention are those that affect financial institutions such as the grant of authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to impose special measures, including requiring the closure of certain accounts with foreign banks. To impose these special measures, the Secretary must find that a jurisdiction, class of transactions, or institution is of "primary money laundering concern." In addition, there are provisions that specifically address and specify increased due diligence for correspondent accounts, payable-through accounts, and private banking accounts for non-U.S. persons as well as accounts with off-shore or foreign shell banks. There are requirements and standards for increased cooperation by financial institutions in responding to government requests for information and new requirements for regulations mandating standards for identifying persons opening accounts. The legislation also requires financial institutions to institute anti-money laundering programs, and the Secretary of the Treasury, within 3 months, to issue regulations setting minimum requirements. Some of the provisions of the legislation went into effect with the President's signature. Some need no implementing regulations. Much of the legislation, however, requires implementing regulations. The full impact, therefore, will emerge over the course of time. By including many requirements for studies and reports, Congress has indicated that it is prepared to conduct fine tuning should the need arise.

Dec 4, 2001

Afghanistan: Current Issues and U.S. Policy Concerns

The United States and its allies are helping Afghanistan emerging from more than 22 years of warfare, although substantial risk to Afghan stability remains. Before the U.S. military campaign against the orthodox Islamist Taliban movement began on October 7, 2001, Afghanistan had been mired in conflict since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The defeat of the Taliban has enabled the United States and its coalition partners to send forces throughout Afghanistan to search for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters and leaders that remain at large, including Osama bin Laden. As the war against remaining Al Qaeda and Taliban elements winds down, the United States is shifting its military focus toward stabilizing the interim government, including training a new Afghan national army, and supporting the international security force (ISAF) that is helping the new government provide security.

Nov 15, 2001

Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Legislative Initiatives in the 107th Congress

Since the United States imposed a comprehensive trade embargo against Cuba in the early 1960s, there have been numerous policy changes to restrictions on travel to Cuba. The embargo regulations do not ban travel itself, but place restrictions on any financial transactions related to travel to Cuba, which effectively result in a travel ban. This report reflects legislative or other major developments , including a listing and discussion of legislative initiatives in the 107th Congress.

Oct 29, 2001

Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs

Some policymakers, believing that disparities in broadband access across American society could have adverse economic and social consequences on those left behind, assert that the federal government should play a more active role to avoid a “digital divide” in broadband access. One approach is for the federal government to provide financial assistance to support broadband deployment in underserved areas. Others, however, believe that federal assistance for broadband deployment is not appropriate. Some opponents question the reality of the “digital divide,” and argue that federal intervention in the broadband marketplace would be premature and, in some cases, counterproductive.

Oct 24, 2001

Special Operations Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom: Background and Issues for Congress

Oct 15, 2001

Latin America: Terrorism Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy

Oct 13, 2001

Tax-Exempt Bonds: A Description of State and Local Government Debt

Oct 10, 2001

Disapproval of Regulations by Congress: Procedure Under the Congressional Review Act

The Congressional Review Act of 1996 established expedited (or “fast track”) procedures by which Congress may disapprove a broad range of regulatory rules issued by federal agencies by enacting a joint resolution of disapproval. For initial floor consideration, the Act provides an expedited procedure only in the Senate. (The House would likely consider the measure pursuant to a special rule.) The Senate may use the procedure for 60 days of session after the agency transmits the rule to Congress. In both houses, however, to qualify for expedited consideration, a disapproval resolution must be submitted within 60 days after Congress receives the rule, exclusive of recess periods. Pending action on a disapproval resolution, the rule may go into effect, unless it is a “major rule” on which the President or issuing agency does not waive a delay period of 60 calendar days. If a disapproval resolution is enacted, the rule may not take effect and the agency may issue no substantially similar rule without subsequent statutory authorization. If a rule is disapproved after going into effect, it is “treated as though [it] had never taken effect.” If either house rejects a disapproval resolution, the rule may take effect at once. If the President vetoes the resolution, the rule may not take effect for 30 days of session thereafter, unless the House or Senate votes to sustain the veto. If a session of Congress adjourns sine die less than 60 days of session after receiving a rule, the full 60-day periods for action begin anew on the 15th day of session after the next session convenes. Except for submission of disapproval resolutions and final congressional action thereon, the expedited procedures under the Act apply only to Senate consideration. The House would consider a disapproval resolution under its general procedures, very likely as prescribed by a special rule reported from the Committee on Rules. In the Senate, once the resolution has been before committee for 20 calendar days, the panel is discharged if 30 Senators submit a petition for the purpose. Once the committee has reported or been discharged, a motion to proceed to consider the resolution would in practice be nondebatable, and the Act prohibits various other possible dilatory actions in relation to the motion and the resolution. Floor debate on the resolution is limited to 10 hours, and no amendment is in order. The Act does not preclude amendment of a disapproval resolution in the House, and means may exist of overcoming the prohibition on amendment in the Senate. For these reasons, and because the initial texts could differ, the resolutions initially adopted by the two houses might not be identical. The Act enables Congress to avoid the need to resolve differences between the two versions by providing that, when either house adopts a disapproval resolution, the other shall first consider its own disapproval resolution and then vote on the resolution received from the first. As long as the substantive effect of both is similar, the difference in text should not affect the ultimate effect of the legislation. If the substantive effects differ, presumably the two measures could not be linked in this way by using the expedited procedures of the Act.

Oct 10, 2001

Lobbying Congress: An Overview of Legal Provisions and Congressional Ethics Rules

Sep 14, 2001

Water Infrastructure Funding: Review and Analysis of Current Issues

Aug 30, 2001

Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2001

This report identifies the committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) districts of the 209 women Members of Congress.

Aug 20, 2001

Submission of the President’s Budget in Transition Years

Jul 31, 2001

Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate

Jul 27, 2001

Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives

Jul 27, 2001

The Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA)

Jul 20, 2001

Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions

Jul 20, 2001

Black Members of the United States Congress: 1789-2001

Thirty-nine black Members serve in the 107th Congress, all in the House of Representatives. In 210 years of congressional history, there have been 107 black Members of Congress: 103 elected to the House and four to the Senate. This report includes alphabetical listing of black members, selected biographical information, and committee assignments during their tenure in office.

Jul 12, 2001

The President Pro Tempore of the Senate: History and Authority of the Office

Jun 19, 2001

A Free Trade Area of the Americas: Status of Negotiations and Major Policy Issues

At the second Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile (April 1998), 34 Western Hemisphere nations agreed to initiate formal negotiations to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005. The negotiating groups completed a draft agreement in January 2001, which was presented at the third Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City on April 20-22, 2001. President Bush expressed strong support for the FTAA and concrete progress has been made in moving it forward. Yet, differences in priorities among the countries are becoming increasingly evident, suggesting that the FTAA faces many policy hurdles in both the U.S. Congress and the hemisphere.

May 21, 2001

Colombia: U.S. Assistance and Current Legislation

This report provides an overview of U.S. assistance before the Plan Colombia proposal, describes the Clinton Administration Plan Colombia proposal, and tracks Congressional action on it. It also covers the Bush Administration’s Andean Regional Initiative (ARI), which incorporated the Bush Administration’s Andean Counterdrug Initiative (ACI). Table 2 provides a breakdown of the ARI by country, purpose, and account. Table 1 provides an overview of U.S. assistance from FY1999-FY2001, Tables 3 and 4 compare the Clinton Administration’s Plan Colombia proposal with House, Senate, and conference action on it, and Table 5 charts U.S. assistance from FY1989-FY1998. Discussion of conference action includes a list of certification and reporting requirements, and Clinton Administration responses.

May 15, 2001

Elections Reform: Overview and Issues

This report discusses several issues as the Congress considers legislation to reform the voting process, a number of issues have emerged as part of the debate: the reliability of different types of voting technologies; voting problems and irregularities in the 2000 election; problems for militaryand overseas voters; the electoral college; and early media projections of election results.

Apr 30, 2001

North-South Korean Relations: A Chronology of the "New" Dialogue

Apr 30, 2001

House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison

This report compares selected House and Senate rules of procedure for various stages of the legislative process: referral of legislation to committees; scheduling and calling up measures; and floor consideration.

Apr 19, 2001

The Supreme Court Upholds EPA Standard- Setting Under the Clean Air Act: Whitman v. American Trucking Ass'ns

On February 27, 2001, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Whitman v. American Trucking Associations , a challenge to EPA's promulgation in 1997 of revised national ambient air quality standards for ozone and particulates under the Clean Air Act. On the broader issues, the Court ruled that (1) the Act's provisions governing the setting of primary (health-protective) ambient standards did not transgress the "nondelegation doctrine," a moribund constitutional principle that the court below had resurrected, and (2) the Act bars EPA from considering implementation costs when it sets primary national ambient standards. On a narrow issue, the Court held that EPA had not been justified, in promulgating its ozone implementation plan, in applying only the Act's nonattainment-area subpart of general application, rather than a subpart specific to ozone nonattainment. As a result, the Court charged the agency with developing a "reasonable interpretation" accommodating both subparts. Such accommodation is likely to prove a difficult task, however, and almost certainly once adopted will generate further legal challenges.

Mar 28, 2001

Major Decisions in the House and Senate on Social Security: 1935-2000

Mar 26, 2001