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 lot of CRS reports, including ones stimulus, energy, China, 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:

• Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations
• "Fast Track" Procedures to Disapprove Additional Funds Under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act
• A Federal Chief Technology Officer in the Obama Administration: Options and Issues for Consideration
• Abortion Law Development: A Brief Overview
• Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress
• Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs
• Causes of the Financial Crisis
• China and the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for the United States
• Community Service Requirement for Residents of Public Housing
• Copyright Protection for Fashion Design: A Legal Analysis of the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, H.R. 2033
• Countercyclical Job Creation Programs
• Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House: Member and Committee Requirements
• Earmark Disclosure Rules in the Senate: Member and Committee Requirements
• Emergency Unemployment Compensation
• Energy Policy Act of 2005
• Federal Budget Process Reform in the 111th Congress
• Financial Market Intervention
• Homelessness: Recent Statistics, Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation
• Infrastructure Programs: What's Different About Broadband?
• International Population Assistance and Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
• Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties
• Issues in Green Building and the Federal Response: An Introduction
• Medicaid: The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage
• Proposed Funding for Workforce Development in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
• The Cigarette Tax Increase to Finance SCHIP
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Federal Funding Facts and Status
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development: FY2009 Appropriations
• The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and Current Financial Turmoil: Issues and Analysis
• The Haitian Economy and the HOPE Act
• The U.S. Financial Crisis: The Global Dimension with Implications for U.S. Policy
• The Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF)
• The Unemployment Trust Fund and Reed Act Distributions
• The UNESCO Wold Heritage Convention: Congressional Issues
• The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008: An Overview
• U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress
• U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements
• Underground Carbon Dioxide Storage: Frequently Asked Questions

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 foster care, Medicaid funding, and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Foster Care: State Practices for Assessing Health Needs, Facilitating Service Delivery, and Monitoring Children's Care. GAO-09-26, February 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-26
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d0926high.pdf
• Broadcasting to Cuba: Actions Are Needed to Improve Strategy and Operations. GAO-09-127, January 22.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-127
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09127high.pdf
• Surface Transportation: Clear Federal Role and Criteria-Based Selection Process Could Improve Three National and Regional Infrastructure Programs. GAO-09-219, February 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-219
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09219high.pdf

Correspondence

• Aviation Security: Status of Transportation Security Inspector Workforce. GAO-09-123R, February 6.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-123R
• Estimated Adjusted Medicaid Funding Allocations Related to the Proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. GAO-09-371R, February 5.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-371R
• Estimated Temporary Medicaid Funding Allocations Related to Section 5001 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. GAO-09-364R, February 4.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-364R
• Issues Involving the Use of the Futures Markets to Invest in Commodity Indexes. GAO-09-285R, January 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-285R

Testimonies

• Financial Regulation: A Framework for Crafting and Assessing Proposals to Modernize the Outdated U.S. Financial Regulatory System, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. GAO-09-349T, February 4.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-349T
• Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues, by Gene L. Dodaro, acting comptroller general, before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. GAO-09-359T, February 5.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-359T

Guidance

• Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual (FISCAM). GAO-09-232G, February 2009.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-232G

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 lot of CRS reports, including ones Iraq, DTV, stimulus, 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:

• War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress
• Homeland Security Intelligence: Perceptions, Statutory Definitions, and Approaches
• Israel and Hamas: Conflict in Gaza (2008-2009)
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments
• The Special Inspector General (SIG) for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)
• Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Set to Expire in 2009
• Afghanistan: Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
• Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa
• Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs
• China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues
• Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues
• Congress as a Consumer of Intelligence Information
• Emergency Spending: Statutory and Congressional Rules
• Fifth Summit of the Americas, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 2009: Background, Agenda, and Expectations
• Financial Turmoil: Federal Reserve Policy Responses
• Foreign Investment and National Security: Economic Considerations
• General Revenue Sharing: Background and Analysis
• H.R. 2: The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009
• Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
• Health Insurance Continuation Coverage Under COBRA
• Housing for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS
• Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 110th Congress
• Intelligence Issues for Congress
• Intelligence Reform at the Department of Energy: Policy Issues and Organizational Alternatives
• Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
• Iraq: Post-Saddam National Elections
• Iraq: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy
• Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties
• Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-War Governance
• Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress
• Lebanon: Background and U.S. Relations
• Long-Range Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe
• Meat and Poultry Inspection: Background and Selected Issues
• Merida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues
• Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions
• National Security Strategy: Legislative Mandates, Execution to Date, and Considerations for Congress
• Pakistan-U.S. Relations
• Pension Issues: Lump-Sum Distributions and Retirement Income Security
• Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Inflows in the United States and Other OECD Member States
• Retirement Plan Participation and Contributions: Trends from 1998 to 2003
• Singapore: Background and U.S. Relations
• Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Might One Be Utilized In Iraq?
• Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations
• The Department of Defense Role in Foreign Assistance: Background, Major Issues, and Options for Congress
• The Emoluments Clause: History, Law, and Precedents
• The Impact of Food Insecurity and Hunger on Global Health: Issues for Congress
• The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications
• The Role of Public Works Infrastructure in Economic Stimulus
• The Transition to Digital Television: Is America Ready?
• U.S. Food and Agricultural Imports: Safeguards and Selected Issues
• U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts
• U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues
• V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft
• Veterans Benefits: Merchant Seamen

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.

Developments in Iraq

Iraq's provincial elections were held on Saturday, and early reports showed that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's Dawa party and other secular parties were showing strong results. You can read about the elections in the New York Times, which states that United States had encouraged the provincial elections in order to redistribute power more evenly throughout the country.

One day before the elections, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) posted its Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to Congress to its website. The report mentions that "Iraq is entering a new era, embodied by a number of important changes" and includes information about contracts, funds, and U.S. oversight in Iraq. Since 2004, SIGIR has created 20 Quarterly Reports to the Congress, and you can access them all from its Reports to Congress web page.

For additional resources about the war in Iraq and its changing governance, 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 the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

• Electronic Health Records: DOD's and VA's Sharing of Information Could Benefit from Improved Management. GAO-09-268, January 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-268
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09268high.pdf
• Homeland Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Management of Air Sovereignty Alert Operations to Protect U.S. Airspace. GAO-09-184, January 27.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-184
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09184high.pdf
• Information Security: Further Actions Needed to Address Risks to Bank Secrecy Act Data. GAO-09-195, January 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-195
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09195high.pdf
• Medicare: Callers Can Access 1-800-MEDICARE Services, but Responsibility within CMS for Limited English Proficiency Plan Unclear. GAO-09-104, December 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-104
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09104high.pdf
• Military Base Realignments and Closures: DOD Faces Challenges in Implementing Recommendations on Time and Is Not Consistently Updating Savings Estimates. GAO-09-217, January 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-217
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09217high.pdf
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Better DOD and VA Oversight Can Help Ensure More Accurate, Consistent, and Timely Decisions for the Traumatic Injury Insurance Program. GAO-09-108, January 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-108
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09108high.pdf
  
• Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status of Efforts to Address Transparency and Accountability Issues. GAO-09-296, January 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-296
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09296high.pdf

Correspondence

• Meal Counting and Claiming by Food Service Management Companies in the School Meals Programs. GAO-09-156R, January 30.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-156R
• Military Training: Navy and Air Force Need to More Fully Apply Best Practices to Enhance Development and Management of Combat Skills Training. GAO-09-220R, January 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-220R
• Secure Border Initiative Fence Construction Costs. GAO-09-244R, January 29.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-244R
  

Testimony

• U.S. Postal Service: Deteriorating Postal Finances Require Aggressive Actions to Reduce Costs, by Phillip R. Herr, 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-09-332T, January 28.
  http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-332T
  Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09332thigh.pdf