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President

Reducing the Budget Deficit: The President's Fiscal Commission and Other Initiatives

Posted Fri, 04/29/2011 - 00:00

The federal budget is on an unsustainable path. Though deficit levels are currently elevated, they are expected to fall towards the middle part of the decade as the economic recovery continues. Looking beyond this decade, however, the country's fiscal outlook becomes more bleak as spending on programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and net interest are projected to consume a larger portion of the total federal budget.

Securing Nuclear Materials: The 2010 Summit and Issues for Congress

Posted Wed, 04/27/2011 - 00:00

In an April 2009 speech in Prague, President Obama pledged that his Administration would launch "a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years." To motivate world leaders to achieve this goal, the President hosted a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, on April 12-13, 2010. Leaders of 47 countries attended the summit, including many heads of state. Attendees represent a wide geographic range of states and nuclear capabilities, and include China, India, Israel, and Pakistan.

Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations

Posted Fri, 04/22/2011 - 00:00

With five successive elected civilian governments, the Central American nation of Panama has made notable political and economic progress since the 1989 U.S. military intervention that ousted the regime of General Manuel Noriega from power. Current President Ricardo Martinelli of the center-right Democratic Change (CD) party was elected in May 2009, defeating the ruling center-left Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) in a landslide. Martinelli was inaugurated to a five-year term on July 1, 2009.

Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Independent and Other Agencies During the 110th Congress

Posted Wed, 04/20/2011 - 00:00

The appointment process for advice and consent positions consists of three main stages. The first stage is selection, clearance, and nomination by the President. This step includes preliminary vetting, background checks, and ethics checks of potential nominees. At this stage, the President may also consult with Senators who are from the same party if the position is located in a state. The second stage of the process is consideration of the nomination in the Senate, most of which takes place in committee.

The Federal Budget: Issues for FY2011, FY2012, and Beyond

Posted Tue, 04/12/2011 - 00:00

The federal budget is central to Congress's ability to exercise its "power of the purse." Over the last several fiscal years the imbalance between spending and revenues has grown as a result of the economic downturn and policies enacted in response to financial turmoil. In FY2010, the last completed fiscal year, the U.S. government spent $3,456 billion (23.8% of GDP) and collected $2,162 billion in revenue (14.9% of GDP), resulting in a budget deficit of $1,294 billion (8.9% of GDP).

Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2012

Posted Tue, 03/29/2011 - 00:00

President Obama has requested $147.911 billion for research and development (R&D) in FY2012, a $772 million (0.5%) increase from the FY2010 actual R&D funding level of $147.139 billion. Congress will play a central role in defining the nation's R&D priorities, especially with respect to two overarching issues: the extent to which the federal R&D investment can grow in the context of increased pressure on discretionary spending and how available funding will be prioritized and allocated.

Haiti's National Elections: Issues and Concerns

Posted Wed, 03/23/2011 - 00:00

In proximity to the United States, and with such a chronically unstable political environment and fragile economy, Haiti has been a constant policy issue for the United States. Congress views the stability of the nation with great concern and commitment to improving conditions there. Both Congress and the international community have invested significant resources in the political, economic, and social development of Haiti, and will be closely monitoring the election process as a prelude to the next steps in Haiti's development.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations

Posted Mon, 03/21/2011 - 00:00

This report provides an overview of actions taken by Congress to provide FY2011 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). It also provides an overview of FY2010 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded under the CJS bill. The sources for the FY2010-enacted amounts are S.Rept. 111-229 and the United States Patent and Trademark Office Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-224). The source for the Administration's FY2011 requested amounts is S.Rept. 111-229.

An Overview of Major Tax Proposals in the President's FY2012 Budget

Posted Thu, 03/17/2011 - 00:00

The Obama Administration released the President's FY2012 budget proposal on February 14, 2011. According to the Administration's estimates, the tax proposals in the budget would increase revenues $280 billion over the next 10 years. The Administration's estimates were made relative to a current policy budget baseline, which assumes certain polices that are scheduled to change in the future by law, will not.

Closing the Guantanamo Detention Center: Legal Issues

Posted Fri, 02/11/2011 - 01:00

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Congress passed the Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), which granted the President the authority "to use all necessary and appropriate force against those ... [who] planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks" against the United States. Many persons subsequently captured during military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere were transferred to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for detention and possible prosecution before military tribunals.