Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us only a few reports, although 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. These reports were discovered by Secrecy News:

• China and the United States—A Comparison of Green Energy Programs and Policies
• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Acquisition: Issues for Congress
• Securing America’s Borders: The Role of the Military
• Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan: Presidential Authority and the Separation of Powers
• Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan: Defamation and the First Amendment
• The Jurisprudence of Justice John Paul Stevens: Selected Opinions on the Jury’s Role in Criminal Sentencing
• Israel’s Blockade of Gaza and the Mavi Marmara Incident

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

Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

There are a number of government resources on the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon spill and I thought today I would take the opportunity to highlight just a few:

• Maps It used to be that to see the various maps for the Oil spill and response you needed to go to a number of different pages, but NOAA has released a GeoPlatform that integrates all the various data points together into one map.
• Responding:
  Unified Command for the BP Oil Spill This is the home page for the all the responses to the oil spill. From here you can file a claim, report incidents and oiled wildlife.
  NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) page focuses on where the oil is going, weather forecasts, and fishery closures. One of their major contributions is the map listed above.
  EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) focuses on the effects of the spill on the human and aquatic population. They are the group that examines the samples and authorizes the use of various dispersants on the oil.
  US Fish and Wildlife The US Fish and Wildlife Service is the group that currently is coordinating the wildlife and habitat recovery efforts. It is here that you can find the depressing numbers of how many wildlife of various types have been found.

If you still want to learn more, there are a couple guides that can help out. The library has guides to the environment and energy and alternative fuels.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated the Department of Hoeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service, high-speed rail, and other issues. If you would like to know more about GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

High Speed Rail: Learning from Service Start-ups, Prospects for Increased Industry Investment, and Federal Oversight Plans. GAO-10-625, June 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-625
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10625high.pdf

International Trade: Exporters' Use of the Earned Import Allowance Program for Haiti Is Negligible because They Favor Other Trade Provisions. GAO-10-654, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-654
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10654high.pdf

U.S. Postal Service: Mail Processing Network Initiatives Progressing, and Guidance for Consolidating Area Mail Processing Operations Being Followed. GAO-10-731, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-731
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10731high.pdf

Federal Energy Management: GSA's Recovery Act Program Is on Track, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Transparency, Performance Criteria, and Risk Management. GAO-10-630, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-630
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10630high.pdf

U.S. Postal Service: Mail Processing Network Initiatives Progressing, and Guidance for Consolidating Area Mail Processing Operations Being Followed. GAO-10-731, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-731
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10731high.pdf

Home Infusion Therapy: Differences between Medicare and Private Insurers' Coverage. GAO-10-426, June 7.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-426
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10426high.pdf

Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Reconsider Its Proposed Investment in Key Technology Program. GAO-10-340, May 5.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-340
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10340high.pdf


Correspondences

Natural Catastrophe Insurance Coverage Remains a Challenge for State Programs. GAO-10-568R, May 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-568R

Federal Funds: Fiscal Years 2002-2009 Obligations, Disbursements, and Expenditures for Selected Organizations Involved in Health-Related Activities. GAO-10-533R, May 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-533R

The Strategic Framework for U.S. Efforts in Afghanistan. GAO-10-655R, June 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-655R

GAO Proactive Testing of ARRA Tax Credits for COBRA Premium Payments. GAO-10-804R, June 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-804R

State-Level Information on Negative Home Equity and Loan Performance in the Nonprime Mortgage Market. GAO-10-633R, May 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-633R

Preliminary Observations on Funding, Oversight, and Investigations and Prosecutions of ACORN or Potentially Related Organizations. GAO-10-648R, June 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-648R

Homeland Security: Preliminary Observations on the Federal Protective Service's Workforce Analysis and Planning Efforts. GAO-10-802R, June 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-802R

Defense Infrastructure: Observations on the Department of the Navy's Depot Capital Investment Program. GAO-10-726R, June 14.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-726R



Testimonies

Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Follow Through on Plans to Reassess and Better Manage Key Technology Program, by Randolph C. Hite, director, information technology architecture and system issues, before a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight, House Committee on Homeland Security. GAO-10-840T, June 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-840T

Information Management: The Challenges of Managing Electronic Records, by Valerie C. Melvin, director, information management and human capital issues, before the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. GAO-10-838T, June 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-838T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10838thigh.pdf

Oil Spills: Cost of Major Spills May Impact Viability of Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, by Susan A. Fleming, director, physical infrastructure, before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-10-795T, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-795T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10795thigh.pdf

Oil and Gas Management: Key Elements to Consider for Providing Assurance of Effective Independent Oversight, by Franklin Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, House Committee on Natural Resources. GAO-10-852T, June 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-852T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10852thigh.pdf

5. Credit and Debit Cards: Federal Agencies Benefit from Card Acceptance, but Have Limited Ability to Control Interchange Fee Costs, by Alicia Puente Cackley, director, financial markets and community investment, before the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, Senate Committee on Appropriations. GAO-10-821T, June 16.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-821T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10821thigh.pdf

Medicare Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: Challenges and Strategies for Preventing Improper Payments, by Kathleen M. King, director, health care, before a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight, House Committee on Ways and Means. GAO-10-844T, June 15.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-844T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10844thigh.pdf

Cameron Issues Apology for Bloody Sunday Killings

Yesterday, British Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology on behalf of the UK government for the "unjustified and unjustifiable" killings that took place in 1972 in Derry, Northern Ireland, on what is known as Bloody Sunday. His apology was in response to the Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry (also referred to as the Saville Report) just released by the British Parliament. A video clip of Cameron's statement is available on the Prime Minster's official web site (make sure you have selected the Commons Statements tab). Ireland's President Mary McAleese has also issued a statement on the Bloody Sunday Report.

British and Irish media accounts of the Bloody Sunday Report are available from the Guardian and the Irish Times. For additional resources, take a look at our country guides to Ireland and the United Kingdom.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated electronic records, aviation safety, defense, and other issues. If you would like to know more about GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

Depot Maintenance: Improved Strategic Planning Needed to Ensure That Navy Depots Can Meet Future Maintenance Requirements. GAO-10-585, June 11.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-585
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10585high.pdf

Electronic Records Archives: Status Update on the National Archives and Records Administration's Fiscal Year 2010 Expenditure Plan. GAO-10-657, June 11.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-657
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10657high.pdf

Aviation Safety: Improved Data Quality and Analysis Capabilities Are Needed as FAA Plans a Risk-Based Approach to Safety Oversight. GAO-10-414, May 6.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-414
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10414high.pdf

Defense Inventory: Defense Logistics Agency Needs to Expand on Efforts to More Effectively Manage Spare Parts. GAO-10-469, May 11.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-469
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10469high.pdf

Military Readiness: Navy Needs to Reassess Its Metrics and Assumptions for Ship Crewing Requirements and Training. GAO-10-592, June 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-592
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10592high.pdf


Correspondence

Selected Federal Agencies' Policies for Choosing Conference Locations. GAO-10-677R, June 10.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-677R

Preliminary Observations on the Potential Effects of the Proposed Performance Rights Act on the Recording and Broadcast Radio Industries. GAO-10-428R, February 26.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-428R

Related Product

Comments From The Copyright Office On GAO-10-428R (GAO-10-707SP), an E-supplement to GAO-10-428R. GAO-10-707SP, June 7.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-707SP


Testimony

National Security: Key Challenges and Solutions to Strengthen Interagency Collaboration, by John H. Pendleton, director, defense capabilities and management, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-10-822T, June 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-822T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10822thigh.pdf

National Security: Key Challenges and Solutions to Strengthen Interagency Collaboration, by John H. Pendleton, director, defense capabilities and management, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-10-822T, June 9.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-822T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10822thigh.pdf

Bernanke Discusses Budget at House Hearing

At a congressional hearing yesterday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cautioned representatives about the federal budget, claiming that it "appears to be on an unsustainable path," although he also acknowledged that the deficit had been necessary to ameliorate effects of the recession. The New York Times reports that Bernanke was questioned for almost two hours by members of the House Committee on the Budget, to whom he offered warnings about rising long-term interest rates and the detrimental affects that high unemployment would have on economic growth (see "Bernanke Warns of 'Unsustainable' Debt," 6-9-2010). The Chairman recommended neither spending cuts nor tax increases, insisting that Congress must make those decisions.

You can find a full transcript of Bernanke's testimony on the House web site. To view the Budget of the United States Government, go to GPO Access. To find more government resources about budget and debt, see our guide.

Europe and U.S. at Odds over Possible NATO Reforms

An article in today's Washington Post states that debt-ridden European nations are preparing to make large reductions in military spending, which is raising U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' concern that the U.S. will be forced to cover an even greater share of the war in Afghanistan and future NATO operations (see "NATO Allies Poised to Slash Military Budgets; Gates Urges Other Cost Savings," 6-7-2010). Germany, the UK, France, and Italy are considering cuts to their defense budgets, as their financial problems have worsened since Gates' February speech in which he warned members about NATO's "budgetary crisis."

NATO defense leaders will be convening in Belgium on June 10 and 11 to discuss NATO reform (see a schedule on NATO's web site). NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen discussed possibilities for NATO reform at a press conference on Monday.

To find additional resources about international defense issues, see our guide to military information.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us only a few reports, although 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. These reports were discovered by Secrecy News:

• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Selected Issues for Congress
• Deferred Examination of Patent Applications: Implications for Innovation Policy
• Post-Employment, ‘Revolving Door,’ Laws for Federal Personnel
• A New United Nations Entity for Women: Issues for Congress
• Democratic Reforms in Taiwan: Issues for Congress
• Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations

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

What's Happening in Congress This Week?

Today I thought it would be a good idea to find out what's happening in Congress this week. The simplest way to do this is by visiting the easy-to-use Library of Congress web site known as THOMAS. Here you can find out what type of legislative activity is taking place on the House and Senate floors this week. You can also find a list of the bills that have passed Congress and been sent to the president for signing. The Weekly Top Five list of bills on the home page gives you quick access to legislation most often searched for on THOMAS, such as H.R. 4173 ("Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009").

Note that you can download an RSS feed for the Weekly Top Five (and many other THOMAS features), which will allow you to learn about the latest congressional actions without leaving your own RSS reader. Finally, note that THOMAS features a link to a feature on Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

If you can't find the congressional resources you need on THOMAS or the House or Senate web sites, don't hesitate to take a look at our guide.

GAO Reports

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated national defense, veterans affairs, teen drivers, and other issues. If you would like to know more about GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

USDA Crop Disaster Programs: Lessons Learned Can Improve Implementation of New Crop Assistance Program. GAO-10-548, June 4.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-548
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10548high.pdf

Medicare Advantage: Relationship between Benefit Package Designs and Plans' Average Beneficiary Health Status. GAO-10-403, April 30.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-403
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10403high.pdf

Nuclear Safety: Convention on Nuclear Safety Is Viewed by Most Member Countries as Strengthening Safety Worldwide. GAO-10-489, April 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-489
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10489high.pdf

Related Product:
Nuclear Safety: Convention on Nuclear Safety Survey (GAO-10-550SP, April 2010), an E-supplement to GAO-10-489. GAO-10-550SP, April 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-550SP

Campaign Finance Reform: Experiences of Two States That Offered Full Public Funding for Political Candidates. GAO-10-390, May 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-390
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10390high.pdf

Related Product:
Campaign Finance Reform: Additional Information Related to Program Goals in Two States Offering Full Public Funding for Political Candidates (GAO-10-391SP), an E-supplement to GAO-10-390. GAO-10-391SP, May 28.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-391SP

Correspondence

Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FHFA's Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures. GAO-10-587R, June 3.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-587R

Questions for the Record Related to Military Compensation. GAO-10-803R, June 3.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-803R

UNHCR Condemns Attack on Gaza-Bound Flotilla

The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on the May 31 attack by Israeli forces against the flotilla headed to Gaza. The Council vowed to launch an independent fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international law resulting from the Israeli attack (read the press release). The president of the UN Security Council also condemned the attack in a June 1 statement.

Nine people were killed in the attack, which Israel claims to have been an interception of the flotilla's breach of a blockade on Gaza. See the BBC News for a media account of the conflict, including video and illustrations of the raid's unfolding.

While the international community weighs in on the attack, we thought we would provide accounts of the situation from Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The web site of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is only available in Arabic, but you can translate the text into English using Google Translate. The home page of the Israel Defense Forces (in English) offers a very different viewpoint.

For additional resources about Arab-Israeli conflict, see our guide.

DOT Proposal Would Provide More Protection for Air Travelers

Are you considering the possibility of air travel this summer? Today the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a new rule to protect air travelers (see the DOT press release). The rule would raise compensation to passengers who are bumped from flights, let passengers make and cancel reservations within 24 hours of flight time, require airlines to openly disclose baggage fees, and necessitate fair price advertising, among other provisions (DOT has a summary of the proposals on its web site).

You can read comments by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, as well as reactions by the Air Transport Association of America, in today's New York Times ("U.S. Proposes Rules on Airline Tickets and Fees"). To comment on the proposed rule, go to Regulation.gov or the Regulation Room--a partnership site between the DOT and Cornell University to facilitate public comment on federal regulations.

For additional resources, take a look at our guide to Travel Information.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports

Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research agency of Congress and writes reports at Congress' request. These short reports (usually 10-40 pages long) cover recent topics of concern. This week brings us only a few reports, although 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. These reports were discovered by Secrecy News:

• People Crossing Borders: An Analysis of U.S. Border Protection Policies
• Potential Stafford Act Declarations for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill: Issues for Congress
  
• FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Court Cases
• Terrorism, Miranda, and Related Matters
• Defense: FY2011 Authorization and Appropriations
• Quadrennial Defense Review 2010: Overview and Implications for National Security Planning
• North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation
• Ballistic Missile Defense and Offensive Arms Reductions: A Review of the Historical Record

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