GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as confirmation of political appointees, wildland fire management, and federal farm programs. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Confirmation of Political Appointees: Eliciting Nominees' Views on Management Challenges within Agencies and across Government. GAO-09-194, November 17.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-194
• Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to Prevent Payments to Individuals Who Exceed Income Eligibility Limits. GAO-09-67, October 24.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-67
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0967high.pdf
• Foreign Assistance: Continued Efforts Needed to Strengthen USAID's Oversight of U.S. Democracy Assistance for Cuba. GAO-09-165, November 24.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-165
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09165high.pdf
  
• Human Capital: Diversity in the Federal SES And Processes for Selecting New Executives. GAO-09-110, November 26.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-110
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09110high.pdf
• Northern Border Security: DHS's Report Could Better Inform Congress by Identifying Actions, Resources, and Time Frames Needed to Address Vulnerabilities. GAO-09-93, November 25.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-93
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0993high.pdf
• Wildland Fire Management: Interagency Budget Tool Needs Further Development to Fully Meet Key Objectives. GAO-09-68, November 24.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-68
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0968high.pdf

Correspondence

• Defense Management: Preliminary Observations on DOD's Plans for Developing Language and Cultural Awareness Capabilities. GAO-09-176R, November 25.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-176R

Thanksgiving day free-for-all

271 million turkeys are estimated to be raised in 2008 and I wonder how many million will be eaten tomorrow? This is just one of the fun facts on Thanksgiving you can find on the Census Bureau's Facts for Features web page. This is just one of the sites from the US government to go to for questions on Thanksgiving (or Turkey Day as my family calls it). You can find a list of resources from USA.gov's Thanksgiving Day page.

I think another perennial favorite (see last year's blog post) is the pardoning of the turkey. You can see this year's ceremony and read all about Pumpkin and Pecan at the White House site. This year Pumpkin and Pecan get to go live out the rest of their lives at Disneyland, which sounds good to me.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Waxman Becomes Chair of House Energy & Commerce Committee

Last week U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) became chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He took the reigns from Representative John Dingell, who had chaired or served as ranking Democrat on the committee for nearly three decades. The Washington Post described this changing of the guard as a blow to the auto industry and a boon for environmentalists.

The Committee on Energy and Commerce handles legislation on a wide variety of topics. Its subcommittees include Consumer, Trade and Consumer Protection; Energy and Air Quality; Environment and Hazardous Materials; Health; Oversight and Investigations; and Telecommunications and the Internet. Colorado is accounted for by Representative Diana DeGette, who currently serves as vice chair of the committee.

See Representative Waxman's website to read his statement after being elected to chair the Committee. You can access Representative Dingell's website here. To find out which bills the representatives have sponsored or co-sponsored in the House, go to the Library of Congress's Thomas website and conduct a search under the heading "Browse Bills by Sponsor." This helpful website provides you with bill numbers, titles, summaries, full text of the legislation, current status of the bill, and other helpful congressional information associated with the legislation.

To find further resources about congressional committees and legislation, see our guide.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week only brings us a number of CRS reports on Argentina, the presidential transition, economic crisis, and much more. While these reports are in the public domain there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your Senator or Representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• "Fast Track" Parliamentary Procedures of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
• The President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy: Issues for Congress
• Human Rights in China: Trends and Policy Implications
• Privacy: An Overview of Federal Statutes Governing Wiretapping and Electronic Eavesdropping
• Privacy: An Abbreviated Outline of Federal Statutes Governing Wiretapping and Electronic Eavesdropping
• North Korea: Terrorism List Removal?
• Statutory Interpretation: General Principles and Recent Trends
• The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy
• China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
• Reporting Requirements in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
• The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and Current Financial Turmoil: Issues and Analysis
• Russia’s Economic Performance and Policies and Their Implications for the United States
• ‘Political’ Activities of Private Recipients of Federal Grants or Contracts
• Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations
• Federal Evacuation Policy: Issues for Congress
• Homeland Emergency Preparedness and the National Exercise Program: Background, Policy Implications, and Issues for Congress
• Midnight Rulemaking: Considerations for Congress and a New Administration
• Argentina: Background and U.S. Relations
• Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
• Cellulosic Biofuels: Analysis of Policy Issues for Congress
• Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2009 (P.L. 110-329): An Overview
• The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor
• The International Space Station and the Space Shuttle
• The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIG TARP)
• The Specialty Metal Provision and the Berry Amendment: Issues for Congress
• Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: a Possible Role for Congress
• U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia: Selected Recipients
• U.S. Trade and Investment Relationship with Sub-Saharan Africa: The African Growth and Opportunity Act and Beyond
• U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Background and Issues for Congress
• DOD Leases of Foreign-Built Ships: Background for Congress
• Drilling in the Great Lakes: Background and Issues
• Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data FY1989 to FY2005
• Environmental Activities of the U.S. Coast Guard
• Federal Civil Rights Statutes: A Primer
• Federal Loans to the Auto Industry Under the Energy Independence and Security Act
• Federal Reserve Interest Rate Changes: 2000-2008
• Financial Turmoil: Federal Reserve Policy Responses
• General Management Laws: A Compendium
• Intellectual Property Rights Violations: Federal Civil Remedies and Criminal Penalties Related to Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents
• Quarantine and Isolation: Selected Legal Issues Relating to Employment
• Statutory Construction: General Principles and Recent Trends
• Temporary Farm Labor: The H-2A Program and the U.S. Department of Labor's Proposed Changes in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR)
• The False Claims Act, the Allison Engine Decision, and Possible Effects on Health Care Fraud Enforcement
• Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy
• Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers
• Military Pay and Benefits: Key Questions and Answers
• Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions
• NAFTA and the Mexican Economy
• Navy Ship Names: Background For Congress
• Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress
• Pakistan's Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy
• Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

A Current Assessment of U.S.-China Relations

Yesterday the Washington Post reported that when president-elect Barack Obama enters the White House next year, he will have to contend with a new foreign-relations dynamic between the United States and China that is more focused on economics than on human rights. The article states that "China now owns over half-a-trillion dollars in U.S. government bonds, more than any other country, and Washington needs Beijing to continue buying them to help finance the national debt and the $700 billion financial industry bailout."

The Post's report is timely when you consider that the U.S.-China Economic and Security Commission released its 2008 Report to Congress on November 20. If you're unsure whether you want to dive into this entire 405-page PDF, you can read the Commission's press release first. It summarizes China's economic policies as follows: "China relies on heavy-handed government control over its economy to maintain an export advantage over other countries. The result: China has amassed nearly $2 trillion in foreign exchange and has increasingly used its hoard to manipulate currency trading and diplomatic relations with other nations."

For further resources, see our online guides to China and Trade.

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as nuclear safety, health information technology, and the Small Business Administration. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Department of Labor: Better Cost Assessments and Departmentwide Performance Tracking Are Needed to Effectively Manage Competitive Sourcing Program. GAO-09-14, November 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-14
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0914high.pdf
• Defense Acquisitions: Timely and Accurate Estimates of Costs and Requirements Are Needed to Define Optimal Future Strategic Airlift Mix. GAO-09-50, November 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-50
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0950high.pdf
• Department of Homeland Security: A Strategic Approach Is Needed to Better Ensure the Acquisition Workforce Can Meet Mission Needs. GAO-09-30, November 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-30
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0930high.pdf
  
• Department of Homeland Security: Billions Invested in Major Programs Lack Appropriate Oversight. GAO-09-29, November 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-29
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0929high.pdf
• Federal Real Property: Government's Fiscal Exposure from Repair and Maintenance Backlogs Is Unclear. GAO-09-10, October 16.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-10
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0910high.pdf
• Financial Audit: Securities and Exchange Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007. GAO-09-173, November 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-173
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09173high.pdf
• Health Information Technology: More Detailed Plans Needed for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Redesigned BioSense Program. GAO-09-100, November 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-100
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09100high.pdf
  
• Highway Safety Improvement Program: Further Efforts Needed to Address Data Limitations and Better Align Funding with States' Top Safety Priorities. GAO-09-35, November 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-35
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0935high.pdf
• International Environmental Oversight: U.S. Agencies Follow Certain Procedures Required by Law, but Have Limited Impact. GAO-09-99, November 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-99
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0999high.pdf
• Nuclear Safety: Department of Energy Needs to Strengthen Its Independent Oversight of Nuclear Facilities and Operations. GAO-09-61, October 23.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-61
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0961high.pdf
• Small Business Administration: Agency Should Assess Resources Devoted to Contracting and Improve Several Processes in the 8(a) Program. GAO-09-16, November 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-16
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0916high.pdf

Correspondence

• Approaches to Mitigate Freight Congestion. GAO-09-163R, November 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-163R
• Contract Management: DOD Developed Draft Guidance for Operational Contract Support but Has Not Met All Legislative Requirements. GAO-09-114R, November 20.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-114R
• Defense Acquisitions: Status of the Safety, Performance, and Reliability of the Expeditionary Fire Support System. GAO-09-189R, November 18.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-189R
• Foreign Assistance: State Department Foreign Aid Information Systems Have Improved Change Management Practices but Do Not Follow Risk Management Best Practices. GAO-09-52R, November 21.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-52R
• Mandate on the Department of Defense's Contract Award Procedures for Directed Spending Items. GAO-09-113R, November 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-113R

Testimonies

• Federal Judgeships: General Accuracy of District and Appellate Judgeship Case-Related Workload Measures, by William O. Jenkins, Jr., director, homeland security and justice, before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. GAO-08-928T, June 17.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-928T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08928thigh.pdf
• State and Local Fiscal Challenges: Rising Health Care Costs Drive Long-term and Immediate Pressures, statement for the record by Stanley J. Czerwinski, director, strategic issues, for the Senate Committee on Finance. GAO-09-210T, November 19.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-210T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09210thigh.pdf

Presidental Poets

It is Wednesday and rather then discuss the latest economic numbers, why not read some poetry of questionable quality? The Library of Congress has a section of their web site devoted to presidential poetry.

They just recently added some poems from President-elect Barack Obama's college days. Harold Bloom states that "Obama's poetry, Bloom makes clear, is much superior to the poetry of former President Jimmy Carter," whom Bloom considers "literally the worst poet in the United States." Which is interesting since he has actually published a book of poems called Always a Reckoning, and Other Poems (New York: Times Books, 1995). Want to read a copy? We have a copy here at CU-Boulder or you can check out your local library using WorldCat.

Still want more information on literature? While the Govpubs library doesn't have a guide, there are a quite a few from other areas of the CU-Boulder library.

Disagreement over Royalty Rates for Oil Shale

An article in today's Denver Post reports that lawmakers and oil producers are at odds over the 12 percent royalty rate that the U.S. Department of the Interior has set for commercial oil-shale production--some think the rate is too low, while others consider it to be too high. Yesterday's news release from the Interior Department suggests that its final regulations "establish a commercial oil shale program that could result in the addition of up to 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from lands in the Western United States." You can read the full text of the final rules in today's Federal Register.

The Post article mentions that the rules on oil shale will affect the states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The Colorado Geological Survey's website features facts about oil production as well as maps of Colorado's oil fields.

You can find additional resources on our Energy guide.

Iraqi Cabinet Approves U.S. Troop Withdrawal

On Sunday Iraq's cabinet gave its approval of a security agreement proposal calling for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country by the end of 2011. The pact still requires approval by the Iraqi Parliament. You can read about this pact in the New York Times. The agreement, which is the result of Iraq's negotiations with the United States, also calls for new limitations on American combat operations in Iraq starting January 1 and requires that the U.S. military withdraw from urban areas by June 30.

The Government Publications Library posts a weekly list of the latest reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the research agency of the U.S. Congress, and today I thought I'd tie the latest news on the Iraq war to some of the most recent CRS reports on the topic (just in case you haven't had time to check out every single report in our long CRS lists) . Some 2008 CRS reports about the Iraq war include "The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11," "Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security," and "Iraq: U.S. Casualties."

For additional resources about the conflict in Iraq, see our guide.

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as energy efficiency, aviation and the environment, and nonproliferation. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Aviation and the Environment: Initial Voluntary Airport Low Emissions Program Projects Reduce Emissions, and FAA Plans to Assess the Program's Overall Performance as Participation Increases. GAO-09-37, November 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-37
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0937high.pdf
• Bureau of Land Management: Effective Long-Term Options Needed to Manage Unadoptable Wild Horses. GAO-09-77, October 9.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-77
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0977high.pdf
• Federal Land Management: Use of Stewardship Contracting Is Increasing, but Agencies Could Benefit from Better Data and Contracting Strategies. GAO-09-23, November 13.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-23
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0923high.pdf
• Financial Audit: IRS's Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007 Financial Statements. GAO-09-119, November 10.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-119
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09119high.pdf
• Force Structure: The Army Needs a Results-Oriented Plan to Equip and Staff Modular Forces and a Thorough Assessment of Their Capabilities. GAO-09-131, November 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-131
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09131high.pdf
• Nonproliferation: U.S. Agencies Have Taken Some Steps, but More Effort Is Needed to Strengthen and Expand the Proliferation Security Initiative. GAO-09-43, November 10.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-43
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0943high.pdf
• Public Health and Border Security: HHS and DHS Should Further Strengthen Their Ability to Respond to TB Incidents. GAO-09-58, October 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-58
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0958high.pdf
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Management and Integration of DOD Efforts to Support Warfighter Needs. GAO-09-175, November 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-175
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09175high.pdf

Special Publication

• U.S. Government Accountability Office: Performance and Accountability Report, Fiscal Year 2008. GAO-09-1SP, November 14.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-1SP

Correspondence

• Energy Efficiency: Potential Fuel Savings Generated by a National Speed Limit Would Be Influenced by Many Other Factors. GAO-09-153R, November 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-153R

Comptroller General Forums

• Highlights of a Forum: Ensuring Opportunities for Disadvantaged Children and Families. GAO-09-18SP, November 13.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-18SP
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0918sphigh.pdf

Accountability for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

Today the Washington Post reported,"In the six weeks since lawmakers approved the Treasury's massive bailout of financial firms, the government has poured money into the country's largest banks, recruited smaller banks into the program and repeatedly widened its scope to cover yet other types of businesses . . . . Yet for all this activity, no formal action has been taken to fill the independent oversight posts established by Congress when it approved the bailout to prevent corruption and government waste." You can read the full article here. The Treasury Department responded with it's own press release, "Setting the Record Straight," that outlines the steps it is taking to ensure accountability in its implementation of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA). In addition to this short missive, the Treasury has created its own website containing a variety of information related to the EESA.

The Post article quotes Treasury Inspector General Eric M. Thorson criticizing the lack of oversight of the EESA program. You can access the inspector general's audit reports on this web page. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is also required to provide oversight of the EESA program, and you can go here to find a list of its reports about financial markets and housing.

If you're trying to find additional links to government resources relevant to EESA, see our guides to Business and Economic Information and Banking, Banks, and Credit Unions.

African Leaders Meet to Address War in Congo

Tuesday the New York Times reported that members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Johannesburg, insisting on a cease-fire and the necessity for safe passages so that aid could reach Congolese refugees in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can read the article here. Go to the SADC's website to read the communique that it issued after the Johannesburg summit.

Political unrest in the DRC goes back decades. You can find a good profile of the country's political history, geography, and demographics in the CIA World Factbook. To find out how the United Nations is responding to the strife in the Congo, see the website of MONUC, the UN mission in the DRC. If you read French, you can go straight to the website of the DRC's President Joseph Kabila for his account of the state of Congolese affairs.

To find further resources about the DRC, see our guide to this country.

Congressional Research Service reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week only brings us a number of CRS reports on Iraq, Congress, economic issues, and much more. While these reports are in the public domain there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your Senator or Representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• "Political" Activities of Private Recipients of Federal Grants or Contracts
• Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• Azerbaijan's October 2008 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications
• Committee Assignment Process in the U.S. Senate: Democratic and Republican Party Procedures
• Committee Numbers, Sizes, Assignments, and Staff: Selected Historical Data
• Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts
• Emergency Economic Stabilization Act: Preliminary Analysis of Oversight Provisions
• Federal Research and Development Funding: Possible Impacts of Operating under a Continuing Resolution
• Haiti: Post-Hurricane Conditions and Assistance
• House Committee Organization and Process: A Brief Overview
• House Committees: Assignment Process
• House Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments
• House Leadership Structure: Overview of Party Organization
• House Subcommittees: Assignment Process
• Inequality in the Distribution of Income: Trends and International Comparisons
• Iran's Influence in Iraq
• Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties
• Military Airlift: C-17 Program Background
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2009 Appropriations
• NATO in Afghanistan: A Test of the Transatlantic Alliance
• Particulate Matter (PM2.5): National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Implementation
• Party Leaders in the House: Election, Duties, and Responsibilities
• Polygraph Use by the Department of Energy: Issues for Congress
• Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations
• Section 811 and Other HUD Housing Programs for Persons with Disabilities
• Senate Committees: Categories and Rules for Committee Assignments
• Social Security: Calculation and History of Taxing Benefits
• Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Recent Developments and Their Policy Implications
• The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities
• The Overseas Private Investment Corporation: Background and Legislative Issues
• Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Background and Analysis
• Who Are the "Middle Class"?

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

GAO Releases This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week they investigated a variety of issues, such as energy markets, oil and gas leasing, and drug trafficking reduction. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Energy Markets: Refinery Outages Can Impact Petroleum Product Prices, but No Federal Requirements to Report Outages Exist. GAO-09-87, October 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-87
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0987high.pdf
  
• Federal Research: Opportunities Exist to Improve the Management and Oversight of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. GAO-09-15, October 8.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-15
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0915high.pdf
• Financial Audit: Bureau of the Public Debt's Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007 Schedules of Federal Debt. GAO-09-44, November 7.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-44
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0944high.pdf
• Oil and Gas Leasing: Interior Could Do More to Encourage Diligent Development. GAO-09-74, October 3.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-74
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0974high.pdf
• Plan Colombia: Drug Reduction Goals Were Not Fully Met, but Security Has Improved; U.S. Agencies Need More Detailed Plans for Reducing Assistance. GAO-09-71, October 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-71
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0971high.pdf

Correspondence

• Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Fiscal Year 2008 Airport and Airway Trust Fund Excise Taxes. GAO-09-90R, November 3.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-90R
• Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Fiscal Year 2008 Highway Trust Fund Excise Taxes. GAO-09-91R, November 3.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-91R
• The Nation's Long-Term Fiscal Outlook: September 2008 Update. GAO-09-94R, November 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-94R
• National Applications Office Certification Review. GAO-09-105R, November 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-105R

Presentations By The Acting Comptroller General

• "Transforming DOD Business Operations," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Defense Finance 2008 conference. GAO-09-160CG, October 27, 2008 [slides]
  http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09160cg.pdf
• "The Upcoming Transition: GAO's Efforts to Assist the 111th Congress and the Next Administration," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, at the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service, City College of New York. GAO-09-159CG, October 23, 2008 [slides]
  http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09159cg.pdf
• "Upcoming Transition Includes Key Information Technology Challenges," by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the INPUT Fed Focus 2009 conference. GAO-09-158CG, October 21, 2008 [slides]
  http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d09158cg.pdf

Unemployment numbers

It is Friday, but it is probably time to bring some more economic figures into the light. Today brought us unemployment numbers. The number of unemployed persons rose by 603,000 to 10.1 million people, with an unemployment rate of 6.5% in October. Here are some places to read more:

• Employment Situation Summary This is the page with all these figures and more on the latest unemployment figures.
• Employment Situation FAQ This answers some of those questions you might have about these numbers, such as "Why are there two monthly measures of employment?"
• "Job Losses Soar, Unemployment Rate at 14-Year High" This is a Washington Post article that helps put these numbers in context.
• Labor and Employment This is a guide in case you need even more information on labor and employment.
  

FCC Approves New Use of TV Spectrum

While most Americans were spending Tuesday voting for their next president and other government representatives and issues, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was making important decisions about public use of the broadcast spectrum. The FCC decided to "set aside a disputed slice of radio spectrum for public use . . . hoping it would lead to low-cost, high-speed Internet access and new wireless devices," the New York Times reported.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 5 to 0 to approve the new use for the unlicensed frequencies, known as "white spaces." You can go here to read the FCC's press release about the decision. To read separate statements by the five commissioners, go to the FCC home page and scroll down to "11/4/08: FCC Adopts Rules for Unlicensed Use . . . "

If you need additional resources, see our Telecommunications guide.

Congressional Research Service reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress's request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week only brings us a number of CRS reports on China, retirement, flu, and much more. While these reports are in the public domain there is no central database available to the public. To get a copy of a CRS report you can request it from your Senator or Representative. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• Administering Green Programs in Congress: Issues and Options
• America COMPETES Act: Programs, Funding, and Selected Issues
• Annuities and the Securities and Exchange Commission Proposed Rule 151A
• Are Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rising More Rapidly Than Expected?
• Bahrain: Key Issues for U.S. Policy
• Brazil-U.S. Relations
• China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy
• China-U.S. Trade Issues
• Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal
• Congress and U.S. Policy on North Korean Human Rights and Refugees: Recent Legislation and Implementation
• Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2000-2007
• Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy, and Implementation
• Ebbs and Flows of Federal Debt
• Economic Development Assistance for Communities Affected by Employment Changes Due to Military Base Closures
• FY2009 Appropriations for State and Local Homeland Security
• Gangs in Central America
• Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
• Jordan: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues
• Military Airlift: The Joint Cargo Aircraft Program
• Natural Gas Passenger Vehicles: Availability, Cost, and Performance
• Navy Aegis Cruiser and Destroyer Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy DD(X) and LCS Ship Acquisition Programs: Oversight Issues and Options for Congress
• Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Perchlorate Contamination of Drinking Water: Regulatory Issues and Legislative Actions
• Potential Trade Effects of Adding Vietnam to the Generalized System of Preferences Program
• Presidential Transitions
• Public-Private Partnership Options for Managing Wireless Networks
• Reporting Issues Under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
• Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress
• Retirement Savings Accounts: Early Withdrawals and Required Distributions
• Russia
• Telework Legislation Pending in the 110th Congress: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Provisions
• Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues
• The America COMPETES Act and the FY2009 Budget
• The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act: Implementation and Proposed Amendments
• The Federal Protective Service and Contract Security Guards: A Statutory History and Current Status
• The Global Financial Crisis: The Role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• The Gulf Security Dialogue and Related Arms Sale Proposals
• Veterans' Benefits: Issues in the 110th Congress
• Winter Fuels Markets
• Would an Influenza Pandemic Qualify as a Major Disaster Under the Stafford Act?

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Last-Minute Election Questions, Anyone?

Tomorrow is Election Day, and record numbers of Americans have voted early or cast their votes via mail-in ballots. The Denver Post stated today that county clerks' offices throughout Colorado were "prepared for the deluge of mail-in ballots that will pour into the offices in the last two days of the election." TV/radio news program Democracy Now! reported that "more votes have been cast before Election Day than ever before" and that problematic situations such as long lines, inadequate amounts of back-up paper ballots, and irregularities with electronic voting machines have already arisen.

If you're curious about Colorado procedures, laws, and regulations addressing the election, don't hesitate to visit the Colorado Secretary of State Elections Center. In a September blog post we recommended this site for those researching state ballot measures, but the Elections Center also provides election laws, rules, and advisory information; voter registration drive information; campaign finance filings; news updates on election issues; and voter/ballot status verification. If you want to examine Title 1 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the law pertaining to elections, you can find it here.

For additional election resources, on Colorado as well as the United States, check out our guide to Elections and Voting.

And if you haven't already, be sure to vote!