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 reports on foreign policy, economic issues, defense, and other topics. 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. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS:

• Accelerated Vehicle Retirement for Fuel Economy: "Cash for Clunkers"
• Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance
• Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
• ATPA Renewal: Background and Issues
• Burma: Economic Sanctions
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Global Health Programs: FY2001-FY2010
• China/Taiwan: Evolution of the "One China" Policy--Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei
• Colombia: Issues for Congress
• Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances
• Defense: FY2010 Authorization and Appropriations
• Department of Defense Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Background and Analysis
• Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities: A Summary and Issues for the 111th Congress
• Foreign Aid Reform: Agency Coordination
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Issues for the 111th Congress
• FY2010 Department of Homeland Security Assistance to States and Localities
• Global Health: USAID Programs and Appropriations from FY2001 through FY2010
• Guantanamo Detention Center: Legislative Activity in the 111th Congress
• Indonesia: Domestic Politics, Strategic Dynamics, and American Interests
• International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues
• Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations
• Iraq: Reconstruction Assistance
• Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy
• Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress
• Local and Regional Procurement for U.S. International Emergency Food Aid
• Mérida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues
• Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress
• Moldova: Background and U.S. Policy
• Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons
• Passports: Current Regulations
• Perchlorate Contamination of Drinking Water: Regulatory Issues and Legislative Actions
• Policy Challenges in International Migration
• Special Operations Forces (SOF) and CIA Paramilitary Operations: Issues for Congress
• Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options
• Taiwan-U.S. Relations: Developments and Policy Implications
• The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues
• The Army's M-4 Carbine: Background and Issues for Congress Andrew Feickert Specialist in Military Ground Forces
• The Democratic Party of Japan: Its Foreign Policy Position and Implications for U.S. Interests
• The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings
• The Federal Protective Service and Contract Security Guards: A Statutory History and Current Status
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Background and Policy Issues
• The United States and Europe: Current Issues
• U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress
• U.S.-China Counterterrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy
• U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress
• Veterans' Benefits: Benefits Available for Disabled Veterans
• Veterans' Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

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.

GAO Reports This Week

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is often called the investigative arm of Congress. This week GAO investigated home mortgages, disaster recovery, Medicare, and other issues. If you would like to know more about the GAO, check out the library's guide.

Reports

1. Home Mortgage Interest Deduction: Despite Challenges Presented by Complex Tax Rules, IRS Could Enhance Enforcement and Guidance. GAO-09-769, July 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-769
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09769high.pdf

2. Disaster Recovery: Experiences from Past Disasters Offer Insights for Effective Collaboration after Catastrophic Events. GAO-09-811, July 31.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-811
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09811high.pdf

3. Border Patrol: Checkpoints Contribute to Border Patrol's Mission, but More Consistent Data Collection and Performance Measurement Could Improve Effectiveness. GAO-09-824, August 31.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-824
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09824high.pdf

4. Medicare Physician Payments: Fees Could Better Reflect Efficiencies Achieved When Services Are Provided Together. GAO-09-647, July 31.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-647
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09647high.pdf


Correspondence

Private Health Insurance: Research on Competition in the Insurance Industry. GAO-09-864R, July 31.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-864R



Reissued Product

Private Pensions: Alternative Approaches Could Address Retirement Risks Faced by Workers but Pose Trade-offs. GAO-09-642, July 24. [Reissued to correct table 12 on page 53.]
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-642
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09642high.pdf

SEC Lax in Examining Madoff, Report Claims

A report by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Inspector General reveals that the SEC repeatedly failed to discover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme despite investigations dating back to the early '90s. Read a New York Times account of the Inspector General's report.

In June Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for fraud, money laundering, and perjury that cost investors $65 billion over 20 years. Although the SEC received evidence that warranted a thorough investigation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, a complete investigation was never launched, the report's executive summary states. On the SEC's website you can find Chairman Mary L. Schapiro's statement on the executive summary's release and a description of the SEC's "Post-Madoff Reforms."Check the SEC's website during the next few days for the full 450-page report from the OIG.

For additional government resources about fraud and money laundering, see our guide to crime and justice.

$320 Million Cuts Implemented in Colorado

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's FY 2009-2010 budget balancing plan went into effect yesterday, September 1. Governor Ritter's budget balancing package, which includes $320 million in budget cuts, was submitted to Colorado's Joint Budget Committee on August 24, 2009.

Governor Ritter issued an Executive Order Saturday (August 29) implementing the budget cuts (as the executive order explains, Colorado law requires the governor to issue an Executive Order before such budget cuts can be implemented). This article in the Denver Post mentions that although state law only allows Ritter to order a spending cut for three months, he plans to extend the order for the entire fiscal year. The text of the Executive Order clarifies that it will expire on November 30, and then the governor intends to declare "subsequent Executive Orders issued periodically throughout the remainder of the fiscal year."

Want additional links to Colorado government resources? Take a look at our guide.

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 reports on the insurance, nuclear weapons, contracting, and other topics. 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. This list is compiled from CRS reports discovered by OpenCRS and Secrecy News:

• United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan: Background and Policy Issues
• Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations
• The Global Economic Crisis: Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa and Global Policy Responses
• Filling U.S. Senate Vacancies: Perspectives and Contemporary Developments
• ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:’ The Law and Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior
• Competition in Federal Contracting: An Overview of the Legal Requirements
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Global Health Programs: FY2001-FY2010
• The Unified Agenda: Implications for Rulemaking Transparency and Participation
• Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
• Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Legislation in the 111th Congress
• Treatment of Noncitizens in H.R. 3200

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.