CRS – Temporary Professional, Managerial, and Skilled Foreign Workers: Legislation in the 113th Congress. Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy. September 30, 2014 “The admission of professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers raises a complex set of policy issues as the United States competes internationally for the most talented workers in the world, without adversely effecting U.S. workers… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Legislation
Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources
CRS – Legislative Research for Congressional Staff: How to Find Documents and Other Resources. Ada S. Cornell, Information Research Specialist. Michael Greene, Information Research Specialist; Laura A. Hanson, Information Research Specialist. September 25, 2014. “During the legislative process, many documents are prepared by Congress and its committees. Governmental and non-governmental entities track and record congressional activities, and many more entities chronicle and analyze… Continue Reading
Minimum efficiency standards for electric motors will soon increase
“Nearly half of the electricity consumed in the manufacturing sector is used for powering motors, such as for fans, pumps, conveyors, and compressors. About two thirds of this machine-drive consumption occurs in the bulk chemicals, food, petroleum and coal products, primary metals, and paper industries. For more than three decades the efficiency of new motors has been regulated by… Continue Reading
Congress.gov: Removing the Beta Label and New Enhancements
Via Emily Carr – Andrew Weber‘s news: The Library of Congress launched Congress.gov in beta two years ago. Today, I’m happy to announce we officially removed the beta label. That’s roughly three years quicker than Gmail took to remove its beta label, but we won’t give you the option of putting it back on Congress.gov. URLs that… Continue Reading
Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions
CRS – Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions. Marc Labonte, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy. September 19, 2014. “Although “too big to fail” (TBTF) has been a perennial policy issue, it was highlighted by the near-collapse of several large financial firms in 2008. Financial firms are said to be TBTF when policy makers judge that their failure would… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Prisons, CFPB, ID Theft, Oil and Gas Transportation, Affordable Care Act
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: The Corps Needs to Take Steps to Identify All Projects and Studies Eligible for Deauthorization, GAO-14-699: Published: Aug 21, 2014. Publicly Released: Sep 22, 2014. BUREAU OF PRISONS: Management of New Prison Activations Can Be Improved, GAO-14-709: Published: Aug 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Sep 22, 2014. CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU:Some Privacy and Security Procedures for Data Collections… Continue Reading
Americans’ Trust in Executive, Legislative Branches Down
Gallup: “Americans’ trust in each of the three branches of the federal government is at or near the lows in Gallup’s trends, dating back to the early 1970s. Americans’ trust in the legislative branch fell six percentage points this year to a new low of 28%. Trust in the executive branch dropped eight points, to… Continue Reading
H.R.1232 – Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act
Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act – Title I: Management of Information Technology Within Federal Government – (Sec. 101) Modifies the current framework governing the management of information technology (IT) within the federal government to require presidential appointment or designation of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the following federal agencies: Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of… Continue Reading
Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act
CRS – Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act, C. Stephen Redhead, Specialist in Health Policy; Janet Kinzer, Information Research Specialist. September 12, 2014. “Congress is deeply divided over implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health reform law enacted in March 2010. Since the ACA’s enactment, lawmakers opposed to specific provisions… Continue Reading
H.R. 4387, FSOC Transparency and Accountability Act
CBO – As ordered reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on June 20, 2014 “H.R. 4387 would allow all members of the governing bodies of certain agencies that are represented on the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC)—the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Board of Governors of… Continue Reading
Diplomatic and Embassy Security Funding Before and After the Benghazi Attacks
CRS – Diplomatic and Embassy Security Funding Before and After the Benghazi Attacks, Susan B. Epstein, Specialist in Foreign Policy. September 10, 2014 “As Congress investigates the issues surrounding the September 11, 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, some Members have questioned whether security funding was adequate or was a factor that may have contributed to inadequate… Continue Reading
Federal Open Payments Database Tracking Pharma Arriving September 30
KFF – Shefali Luthra: “Despite technical glitches, the federal “Open Payments” database – which tracks pharmaceutical company contributions to doctors and teaching hospitals – remains on track for its scheduled Sept. 30 launch, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed. It was mandated by a sunshine act included in the federal health law seeking to ease concerns that pharmaceutical… Continue Reading
