Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from July 2002

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from July 2002

Creation of executive departments: highlights from the legislative history of modern precedents.
July 30, 2002... Summary Congress is now considering proposals to create a Department of Homeland Security. Since World War II, Congress has created or implemented major reorganizations of seven of the now existing 14 Cabinet departments. This report...

Trade promotion authority (fast-track authority for trade agreements): background and developments in the 107th Congress.
July 26, 2002... SUMMARY One of the major trade issues in the 107th Congress is whether or not Congress approves trade promotion authority (formerly called fast-track authority) for the President to negotiate trade agreements with expedited procedures...

Nuclear nonproliferation issues.
July 25, 2002... SUMMARY The United States has been a leader of worldwide efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. To this end, the international community and many individual states have agreed to a range of treaties, laws, and agreements,...

China-U.S. trade issues.
July 22, 2002... SUMMARY U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past several years; total U.S.-China trade rose from $5 billion in 1980 to $122 billion in 2001; China is now the fourth-largest U.S. trading partner. Yet, U.S.-China...

Intelligence issues for congress.
July 19, 2002... SUMMARY The U.S. Intelligence Community continues to adjust to the post-Cold War environment. Congressional and executive branch initiatives have emphasized enhancing cooperation among the different agencies that comprise the Community...

Executive branch reorganization and management initiatives.
July 17, 2002... SUMMARY When President George W. Bush came into office in January 2001, he arrived from a campaign in which he had emphasized efficiency in government, particularly through the use of information technology, but had not revealed any...

Egypt-United States relations.
July 17, 2002... SUMMARY U.S.-Egyptian relations are tied to maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations focused on Egyptian economic development and military cooperation, developing Egypt's democracy, sustaining the March 1979...

China-U.S. relations.
July 17, 2002... SUMMARY In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, U.S. and PRC foreign policy calculations appear to be changing. The Administration of George W. Bush assumed office in January 2001 viewing China...

Palestinians and Middle East peace: issues for the United States.
July 17, 2002... SUMMARY The United States began contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in December 1988, after the PLO accepted Israel's right to exist, accepted U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338 that call for an exchange of land for...

Israeli-United States relations.
July 16, 2002... SUMMARY Israeli-U.S. relations are an important factor in U.S. policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship. The main vehicle for expressing support...

Pakistan-U.S. relations.
July 16, 2002... SUMMARY The major areas of U.S. concern in Pakistan include: nuclear nonproliferation; counter-terrorism; regional stability; democratization and human rights; and economic reform and development. An ongoing Pakistan-India nuclear arms...

Trade and the Americas.
July 11, 2002... SUMMARY The Summit of the Americas, held in December 1994, led to ongoing congressional interest in three inter-related trade policy issues. The first involves an invitation extended to Chile to join NAFTA. The second focuses on...

Immigration legislation and issues in the 107th Congress.
July 10, 2002... SUMMARY Top immigration issues before the 107th Congress include the reorganization of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), a part of the Department of Justice (DOJ); admissions policy; and the eligibility of noncitizens for...

Drug control: international policy and options.
July 10, 2002... SUMMARY Efforts to reduce the flow of illicit drugs from abroad into the United States greatly have so far not succeeded. Moreover, over the past decade, worldwide production of illicit drugs has risen dramatically: opium and marijuana...

Terrorism, the future, and U.S. foreign policy.
July 10, 2002... SUMMARY International terrorism has long been recognized as a foreign and domestic security threat. The tragic events of September 11 in New York, the Washington, D.C., area, and Pennsylvania have dramatically re-energized the nation's...

Iran: current developments and U.S. policy.
July 9, 2002... SUMMARY Even before Iran's tacit cooperation with post-September 11 U.S. efforts to defeat Afghanistan's Taliban regime, signs of moderation in Iran had stimulated the United States to try to engage Iran in official talks. Iran, still...

India-U.S. relations.
July 9, 2002... SUMMARY Although the end of the Cold War freed U.S.-India relations from the constraints of a bipolar world, bilateral relations continued for a decade to be affected by the burden of history, most notably the longstanding India-Pakistan...

The Middle East peace talks.
July 8, 2002... SUMMARY The end of the Cold War, the decline of the Soviet Union, and the U.S.-led victory in the Gulf war facilitated the beginning of a new peace process in 1991. Israel and the Palestinians discussed a 5-year period of interim...

Saudi Arabia: current issues and U.S. relations.
July 8, 2002... SUMMARY Saudi Arabia, a monarchy ruled by the Saudi dynasty, enjoys special importance in the international community because of its unique association with the Islamic religion and its oil wealth. Since the establishment of the modern...

Border security: U.S.-Canada border issues.
July 8, 2002... Summary The September 11 terrorist attacks and continued threats of future attacks have directed Congress's attention to U.S.-Canada border security-related issues. Both countries are striving to balance adequate border security with...

Iraq: compliance, sanctions, and U.S. policy.
July 5, 2002... SUMMARY In recent years, the United States has been unable to maintain an international consensus for strict enforcement of all applicable U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq, but it has largely succeeded in preventing Iraq from...

Syria: U.S. relations and bilateral issues.
July 3, 2002... SUMMARY U.S.-Syrian relations have warmed somewhat in recent years as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Syria's participation in the allied coalition against Iraq in 1991, and Syrian agreement to participate in Arab-Israeli...

Cruise missile proliferation.
July 3, 2002... Summary Over 80 countries currently possess cruise missiles. U.S. and allied forces currently face a threat from short-range, conventionally armed, anti-ship cruise missiles in the hands of a few nations. As relevant technology becomes...

Electronic Congress: proposals and issues.
July 2, 2002... Summary The events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax incidents have prompted some observers to suggest creating a capability for a virtual or electronic Congress (e-Congress) that could function in the event of an...

China's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles: current policy issues.
July 1, 2002... SUMMARY Congress has long been concerned about challenges to U.S. security posed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could deliver them. Recipients of...