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 month brings us reports on the budget, foreign relations, military issues, and much more. 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:

• Defense: FY2012 Budget Request, Authorization and Appropriations 
• Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments 
• Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues 
• Keeping America’s Pipelines Safe and Secure: Key Issues for Congress
• Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview
• Federal Employees’ Retirement System: Benefits and Financing
• The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy,
•  U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress
• Military Base Closure: Socioeconomic Impacts
• Intelligence Authorization Legislation: Status and Challenges
• Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Countries: Comparative Trade and Economic Analysis 
• Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests
• U.S. Sanctions on Burma
• Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress
• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
• Iran Sanctions
• Internet Governance and the Domain Name System: Issues for Congress
• Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data 
• Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress  
• China’s Vice President Xi Jinping Visits the United States: What Is at Stake?
• Lebanon and the Uprising in Syria: Issue for Congress
• Iran’s Threat to the Strait of Hormuz
• Sourcing Policy: Selected Developments and Issues
• Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity
• Suicide Prevention Efforts of the Veterans Health Administration
• Constitutional Analysis of Suspicionless Drug Testing Requirements for the Receipt of Governmental Benefits
• U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress
• Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process
• The Nunn-McCurdy Act: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress
• Immigration-Related Detention: Current Legislative Issues 
• U.S. Trade and Investment in the Middle East and North Africa: Overview and Issues 
• Australia: Background and U.S. Relations
• European Union Enlargement   
• Legal Issues Associated with the Proposed Keystone XL Pipeline
• “Who is a Veteran?” — Basic Eligibility for Veterans’ Benefits
• Federal Aid to Roads and Highways Since the 18th Century: A Legislative History
• Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
• Iran Sanctions
• Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional and Institutional Implications

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the  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.