“The office of Federal Student Aid is responsible for directly managing or overseeing an outstanding federal student loan portfolio comprised of billions of dollars in Title IV loans and representing millions of borrowers. This federal student loan portfolio includes Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL), and Perkins Loans with outstanding balances. The reports here… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2016
Supreme Court Vacancies: Frequently Asked Questions
Via FAS – Supreme Court Vacancies: Frequently Asked Questions, Sarah S. Herman, Legislative Attorney. March 31, 2016: “The unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on February 13, 2016—in the middle of the Supreme Court’s October 2015 term — has prompted questions about the process for filling the vacancy and how the Court will… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Appointment Process: President’s Selection of a Nominee
CRS report – Supreme Court Appointment Process: President’s Selection of a Nominee – Barry J. McMillion, Analyst on the Federal Judiciary. April 1, 2016. “The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises… Continue Reading
CRS – Medicare Primer
Medicare Primer, March 31, 2016: “Medicare is a federal program that pays for covered health care services of qualified beneficiaries. It was established in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to individuals 65 and older, and has been expanded over the years to include permanently disabled individuals under… Continue Reading
Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents
CRS Report – Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents, Rita Tehan, Information Research Specialist. March 30, 2016. “Cybersecurity vulnerabilities challenge governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide. Attacks have been initiated against individuals, corporations, and countries. Targets have included government networks, companies, and political organizations, depending upon whether the attacker was seeking military intelligence, conducting diplomatic… Continue Reading
FAS – DoD Security Clearances Down by 900k Since 2013
Via Secrecy News From the FAS Project on Government Secrecy: ” The total number of employees and contractors holding security clearances for access to classified information at the Department of Defense dropped by a hefty 900,000 between 2013 and 2016 — or 20% of the total cleared population at DoD. At the start of the… Continue Reading
White House Fact Sheet: What Climate Change Means for Your Health and Family
Via the White House: “Today, delivering on another commitment in the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Obama Administration released a new final report called The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, which significantly advances what we know about the impacts of climate change on public health, and… Continue Reading
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, March 15-16, 2016
“The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday released the minutes of the Committee meeting held on March 15-16, 2016. The minutes for each regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee ordinarily are made available three weeks after the day of the policy decision and subsequently are published in the Board’s Annual… Continue Reading
GAO Reports – FY 2015 US Government Financial Statements, Compacts of Free Association, State Marijuana Legalization
Fiscal Year 2015 U.S. Government Financial Statements: Need to Address the Government’s Remaining Financial Management Challenges and Long-Term Fiscal Path, GAO-16-541T: Published: Apr 6, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 6, 2016. Compacts of Free Association: Issues Associated with Implementation in Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, GAO-16-550T: Published: Apr 5, 2016. Publicly Released: Apr 5, 2016.… Continue Reading
FCC Unveils Consumer Broadband Labels to Provide Greater Transparency to Consumers
“With this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs, Wireline Competition, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus (Bureaus) approve, with modifications, the consumer broadband labels proposed by the Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC proposed the labels pursuant to the 2015 Open Internet Order and, as required by the Commission, the labels will operate as a… Continue Reading
Economic Report of the President
Economic Report of the President 2016 – “The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation’s economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after… Continue Reading
Recent Trends in Prescription Drug Costs
Kaiser Family Foundation: “This Visualizing Health Policy infographic spotlights national spending on prescription drugs and the public’s views on pharmaceutical prices. Prescription drug spending rose sharply in 2014, driven by growth in expenditures on specialty drugs, including medications to treat cancer and hepatitis C. Medicare’s spending on prescription pharmaceuticals also has risen, largely due to… Continue Reading
