Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from April 2007

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from April 2007

Iran's influence in Iraq.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary Iran's influence over the post-Saddam government in Iraq is substantial because the dominant parties in Iraq have long-standing ties to Tehran. A key U.S. concern is that Iran, seeking to ensure the political prospects of its...

U.S. trade policy and the Caribbean: from trade preferences to free trade agreements.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 4, 200 Summary For over 40 years, the United States has relied on unilateral trade preferences to promote export-led development in poor countries. Congressionally authorized trade preferences give market access to selected...

Iran: U.S. concerns and policy responses.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Updated April 2, 2007 Summary According to the Administration's "National Security Strategy" document released on March 16, 2006, the United States "may face no greater challenge from a single country than Iran." That perception,...

The strategic energy efficiency and renewables reserve in the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6).(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary H.R. 6 would use revenue from certain oil and natural gas policy revisions to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve. The actual uses of the Reserve would be determined by ensuing legislation. A variety of tax,...

Iraq: elections, constitution, and government.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary Elections in 2005 for a transition government (January 30, 2005), a permanent constitution (October 15), and a permanent (four year) government (December 15) produced a broad-based but Shiite-led government that has been unable...

The proposed South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary Close to midnight on April 1, 2007, President Bush sent a message to the leaders of the House and Senate, notifying them of his intent to enter into a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea. The President's notification to...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): legislative actions through the 109th Congress.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary A major part of the energy debate is whether to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska, and if so, under what conditions, or whether to continue to prohibit development to...

Homeland Security: coast guard operations--background and issues for Congress.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary The Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for maritime homeland security. For FY2008, the Coast Guard is requesting a total of about $4.5 billion, or a bit more than half its total proposed budget, for the five missions defined...

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.(CRS Report for Congress)(Saddam Hussein)
April 1, 2007... Updated April 27, 2007 Summary Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but much of Iraq remains unstable because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite violence that a January...

U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinians.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary Since the formation of a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (PA) government in March 2006, the Bush Administration has suspended most foreign assistance to the PA, although humanitarian and other aid to the Palestinian people...

Iran: U.S. concerns and policy responses.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Updated April 25, 2007 Summary According to the Administration's "National Security Strategy" document released on March 16, 2006, the United States "may face no greater challenge from a single country than Iran." That perception,...

The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA).(CRS Report for Congress)(International organization overview)
April 1, 2007... April 18, 2007 Summary The World Bank is a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) that makes loans and grants to low and middle-income countries to reduce poverty and promote economic development. Both the World Bank and the...

Nigeria: current issues.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 12, 2007 Summary Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, with an estimated 132 million people, has faced intermittent political turmoil and economic crisis since gaining independence in October 1960. Nigerian political...

Greenhouse gas reductions: California action and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 13, 2007 Summary In the absence of a federal program requiring greenhouse gas reductions, a growing group of U.S. states are taking action in this arena. Significant actions have been undertaken in California and by a...

Veto override procedure in the House and Senate.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary A bill or joint resolution that has been vetoed by the President can become law if two-thirds of the Members voting in the House and the Senate each agree to pass it over the President's objection. The chambers act sequentially...

What's the difference?--Comparing U.S. and Chinese trade data.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary There is a large and growing difference between the official trade statistics released by the United States and the People's Republic of China. According to the United States, the 2006 bilateral trade deficit with China was...

Arab League boycott of Israel.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 12, 2007 Summary The Arab League, an umbrella organization comprising 23 Middle Eastern and African countries and entities, has maintained an official boycott of Israeli companies and Israeli-made goods since the founding of...

Pakistan: significant recent events.(CRS Report for Congress)(Chronology)
April 1, 2007... April 9, 2007 Summary In recent months, militant attacks on government and civilian targets in Pakistan have escalated. This report documents major events that occur daily in the country of Pakistan and reflect on Pakistan's...

China's anti-satellite weapon test.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary On January 11, 2007, the People's Republic of China (PRC) conducted its first successful direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test in destroying one of its own satellites in space. The test raised international concerns...

United States' trade remedy laws and non-market economies: a legal overview.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 23, 2007 Summary In the United States, there are two major forms of domestic trade remedy laws: antidumping law (AD), which combats the sale of goods at less than their fair market value, and countervailing duty law (CVD),...

Unauthorized employment in the United States: issues and options.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 20, 2007 Summary As Congress considers immigration reform and ways to address the unauthorized alien population, the issue of unauthorized employment is the focus of much discussion. The unauthorized alien working population,...

Coordinated party expenditures in federal elections: an overview.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary A provision of federal campaign finance law, codified at 2 U.S.C. [section] 441a(d), allows political party committees to make expenditures on behalf of their general election candidates for federal office and specifies limits on...

U.S.-European Union relations and the 2007 summit.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Summary The U.S. Congress and successive U.S. administrations have supported the European Union (EU) and the process of European integration as ways to foster a stable Europe, democratic states, and strong trading partners. In recent...

Immigration of foreign workers: labor market tests and protections.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... April 24, 2007 Summary Many business people have expressed concern that a scarcity of labor in certain sectors may curtail the pace of economic growth. A leading legislative response to skills mismatches and labor shortages has been...

Presidential advisers' testimony before congressional committees: an overview.(CRS Report for Congress)
April 1, 2007... Updated April 10, 2007 Summary Since the beginning of the federal government, Presidents have called upon executive branch officials to provide them with advice regarding matters of policy and administration. While Cabinet members...

Enemy combatant detainees: habeas corpus challenges in federal court.(CRS Report for Congress)(Detainee Treatment Act of 2005)
April 1, 2007... Updated April 6, 2007 Summary After the U.S. Supreme Court held that U.S. courts have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. [section] 2241 to hear legal challenges on behalf of persons detained at the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo...