Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from March 2004

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from March 2004

AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC): problems, responses, and issues for congress.
March 1, 2004... Summary Since HIV/AIDS was discovered in 1981, more than 20 million people have lost their lives to the virus. Over 40 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS, including nearly 3 million children under the age of 15. Ninety-five percent...

Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator budget request and plan, FY2005-FY2009.
March 1, 2004... Summary The FY2005 budget document for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) shows funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) increasing sharply after FY2005 as the weapon proceeds beyond the study phase. NNSA...

Visa policy: roles of the Departments of State and Homeland Security.
March 4, 2004... Summary Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, considerable concern has been raised because the 19 terrorists were aliens who apparently entered the United States on temporary visas despite provisions in immigration laws that bar...

Iran's nuclear program: recent developments.
March 4, 2004... Summary Inspections in 2003 of Iran's nuclear program revealed significant undeclared activities with potential application for nuclear weapons. The most recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) details detail two...

Black Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2004.
March 4, 2004... Summary Thirty-nine black Members serve in the 108th Congress, all in the House of Representatives. A total of 112 blacks have served as Members of Congress: 108 elected to the House and four to the Senate. The majority of the black...

Missile survey: ballistic and cruise missiles of foreign countries.
March 5, 2004... Summary This report provides a current inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles throughout the world and discusses implications for U.S. national security policy. (Note: the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Weapons of Mass Destruction...

Terrorism in South Asia.
March 8, 2004... Summary This report reviews the terrorist environment in South Asia, concentrating on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, but also including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. With U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts focused especially on...

The budget for fiscal year 2005.
March 10, 2004... Summary For fiscal year 2005, the President's budget request reduces defense spending from FY2004, increases domestic discretionary spending, most of which goes to homeland security, leaving the rest to low or no growth, and proposes...

Enforcing immigration law: the role of state and local law enforcement.
March 11, 2004... Summary Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws has received a significant amount of attention. Some observers contend that the federal government does not have adequate resources to...

The U.N. Convention Against Torture: overview of U.S. implementation policy concerning the removal of aliens.
March 11, 2004... Summary The United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) requires signatory parties to take measures to end torture within their territorial jurisdiction. For purposes of...

RL32267--the War Powers Resolution: after thirty years.
March 11, 2004... Summary This report discusses and assesses the War Powers Resolution, its application since enactment in 1973, providing detailed background on a variety of cases where it was utilized, or issues of its applicability were raised. It will...

Weapons of mass destruction: trade between North Korea and Pakistan.
March 11, 2004... Summary In October 2002, the United States confronted North Korea about its alleged clandestine uranium enrichment program. Soon after, the Agreed Framework collapsed, North Korea expelled international inspectors, and withdrew from the...

A free trade area of the Americas: status of negotiations and major policy issues.
March 12, 2004... Summary In 1994, 34 Western Hemisphere nations met at the first Summit of the Americas, envisioning a plan for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by January 2005. Nine years later, the third draft text of the agreement was presented...

81050: war powers resolution: presidential compliance.
March 16, 2004... SUMMARY Two separate but closely related issues confront Congress each time the President introduces armed forces into a situation abroad that conceivably could lead to their involvement in hostilities. One issue concerns the division of...

Qatar: background and U.S. relations.
March 17, 2004... Summary In recent years, the ruler of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, has embarked upon a limited course of political liberalization and aligned Qatar firmly with the United States. In 1992, Qatar and the United States concluded...

Afghanistan: post-war governance, security, and U.S. policy.
March 25, 2004... Summary Afghanistan is a fragile state that appears to be gradually stabilizing after more than 22 years of warfare, including a U.S.-led war that brought the current government to power. Before the U.S. military campaign against the...

Trafficking in women and children: the U.S. and international response.
March 26, 2004... Summary Trafficking in people for prostitution and forced labor is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity and one that is of increasing concern to the United States and the international community. The...

Elections reform: overview and issues.
March 29, 2004... Summary The remarkable circumstances of the November 2000 Presidential election are unlikely to be repeated, but Florida's role in determining the outcome may be remembered as a turning point with respect to the nation's election system....

Policing in peacekeeping and related stability operations: problems and proposed solutions.
March 30, 2004... Summary One of the most crucial and difficult tasks in peacekeeping and related stability operations is creating a secure and stable environment, both for the foreign peacekeepers and for the indigenous population. During the past decade,...