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Daily Archives: December 25, 2012

Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview

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Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview, Bill Heniff Jr. Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process. November 26, 2012

  • “Almost all borrowing by the federal government is conducted by the Treasury Department, within the restrictions established by a single, statutory limit on the total amount of debt that may be outstanding at any time. Most adjustments to the debt limit have been increases, but sometimes the change has been a reduction. The annual budget resolution is required to include appropriate levels of the public debt for each fiscal year covered by the resolution. In some years, the budget resolution includes amounts of the public debt specifically subject to limit or amounts by which the public debt subject to limit is recommended to be changed. Because a budget resolution does not become law, Congress and the President must enact legislation to implement budget resolution policies. Under current legislative procedures, the House and Senate may develop and consider legislation adjusting the debt limit in one of two ways: (1) under regular legislative procedures in both chambers, either as freestanding legislation or as a part of a measure dealing with other topics; or (2) as part of the budget reconciliation process provided for under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The House also has initiated debt limit legislation under its former House Rule XXVIII (the so-called “Gephardt rule”); the House repealed the rule at the beginning of the 112th Congress.”

    • BJS – Prisoners in 2011

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    Prisoners in 2011. E. Ann Carson, Ph.D., William J. Sabol, Ph.D. December 17, 2012. NCJ 239808 “Presents data on prisoners under the jurisdiction of federal and state correctional authorities on December 31, 2011, collected from the National Prisoner Statistics series. The report compares changes in the prison population during 2011 to changes from yearend 2000… Continue Reading

    Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009-2011

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    Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009-2011 – Statistical Tables. Erika Harrell, Ph.D. December 19, 2012. NCJ 240299 “Presents estimates of nonfatal violent victimization (rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault) against persons age 12 or older with disabilities from 2009 to 2011. Findings are based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report… Continue Reading

    BJS – Violent Crime Against Youth, 1994-2010

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    Violent Crime Against Youth, 1994-2010. Janet L. Lauritsen, Ph.D., Nicole White, Ph.D., University of Missouri. December 20, 2012. “Serious violent crime against youth dropped 77 percent from 1994 TO 2010.” “Presents patterns and trends in violent crime against youth ages 12 to 17 from 1994 to 2010. The report explores overall trends in violent crime… Continue Reading