Ahh, it's Tuesday and the heat has arrived. Why not sit back in the air conditioning and enjoy a few reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on the Iraq, nuclear weapons, the budget, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator. Or you can check out these reports from OpenCRS and Secrecy News :

• Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities
• National Continuity Policy: A Brief Overview
  
• Veterans and Homelessness
  
• Border Security: The San Diego Fence
  
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
  
• U.S.-European Union Relations and the 2007 Summit
  
• Russian Oil and Gas Challenges
  
• Secret Sessions of the House and Senate
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2008 Appropriations
• Turkey's 2007 Elections: Crisis of Identity and Power
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Immigration Fees and Adjudication Costs: The FY2008 Adjustments and Historical Context
• Environmental Services Markets: Farm Bill Proposals
• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Prohibiting Discrimination Against Individuals with Disabilities in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Assistance
• Interstate Shipment of Municipal Solid Waste: 2007 Update
• Social Security Administration: Administrative Budget Issues
• Social Security: The Notch Issue
• Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview

It's Tuesday and once more we can look at Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports. The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on the Iraq, nuclear weapons, the budget, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator.

This week, Secrecy News reported that the "Congressional Research Accessibility Act" (HR 2545) was introduced on May 24 by Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), along with Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and David Price (D-NC). This bill would provide access to free CRS reports, but only after a 30-day waiting period. You can read the full post on the Secrecy News blog .

But until then these are the CRS reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News found and released this week:

• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2008 Appropriations
• "No Confidence" Votes and Other Forms of Congressional Censure of Public Officials
• Public Transportation Providers' Obligations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• National Continuity Policy: A Brief Overview
• Armenia's Legislative Election: Outcome and Implications for U.S. Interests
• Chemical Regulation in the European Union: Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals
• District of Columbia Budget Autonomy: An Analysis of H.R. 733, 110th Congress
• Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB): Quarantine and Isolation
• Point Systems for Immigrant Selection: Options and Issues
• Legislative Branch: FY2008 Appropriations
• Former Presidents: Federal Expenditures for Pensions, Office Allowances, and Protection
• Dairy Policy and the 2007 Farm Bill
• Defense Acquisition: Overview, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Grants Work in a Congressional Office
• Identity Theft Laws: State Penalties and Remedies and Pending Federal Bills
• Veterans and Homelessness
• Honduran-U.S. Relations

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

It's Tuesday and once more we can look at Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports. The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on the Iraq, nuclear weapons, the budget, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News found and released this week:

• Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
  
• Access to Government Information in the United States
  
• Security Classified and Controlled Information: History, Status, and Emerging Management Issues
  
• Security Classification Policy and Procedure: E.O. 12958, as Amended
  
• Central Asia's Security: Issues and Implications for U.S. Interests
  
• Detection of Explosives on Airline Passengers: Recommendation of the 9/11 Commission and Related Issues
  
• Treatment of 'Battlefield Detainees' in the War on Terrorism
  
• The International Space Station and the Space Shuttle
  
• Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Status and Issues
  
• Intelligence Issues for Congress
  
• National Science Foundation: Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction
  
• Crime and Forfeiture
  
• The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Three Years
• Canada-U.S. Relations
• Grants Information for Constituents
• The Federal Minimum Wage and American Samoa
• Iran's Influence in Iraq
• Congressional Budget Actions in 2007
• Legal Services Corporation: Background and Funding
• Veterans Benefits: Federal Employment Assistance

It's Tuesday and once more we can look at Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports. The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on the appropriations, climate change, terrorism, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News found and released this week:

• Foreign Students in the United States: Policies and Legislation
• Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: Issues and Reform Proposals in the 110th Congress
• Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Request for Appropriations
• Energy Savings Act of 2007 (S. 1321): Summary of Major Provisions
• Social Security: The Chilean Approach to Retirement
• Immigration Fraud: Policies, Investigations, and Issues
• Lobbying Reform Legislation: Side-by-Side Analysis of Lobbying Provisions in S. 1 and H.R. 2316, 110th Congress
• The Supreme Court's Climate Change Decision: Massachusetts v. EPA
• WTO Compliance Status of the Conservation Security Program (CSP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• U.S. Food and Agricultural Imports: Safeguards and Selected Issues
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2008 Appropriations
• U.S.-Funded Assistance Programs in China
  
• North Korean Provocative Actions, 1950-2007
  
• North Korea: Terrorism List Removal?
  
• The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis
  
• Presidential Directives: Background and Overview
• Terrorist Precursor Crimes: Issues and Options for Congress

It's Tuesday and once more we can look at Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) reports. The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on the military, freedom of speech, trade, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News found and released this week:

• Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa
• Congressional Oversight Manual
• China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues
  
• Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense -- Background and Issues for Congress
  
• Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment
  
• The Military Commissions Act of 2006: Analysis of Procedural Rules and Comparison with Previous DOD Rules and the Uniform Code of Military Justice
• Iraq: Government Formation and Performance
• Wildfire Funding
• Disability Evaluation of Military Service Members
• Patent Reform in the 110 th Congress: Innovation Issues
• Currency Manipulation: The IMF and WTO
• Veterans Benefits: Merchant Seamen
• Immigration Reform: Brief Synthesis of Issue
• Surface Transportation Congestion: Policy and Issues
• U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions
• Financial Services and General Government ( FSGG ): FY2008 Appropriations
• Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations
• Foreign Direct Investment: Effects of a "Cheap" Dollar
• Prescription Drug Importation: How S. 242 / H.R. 380 Would Change Current Law
• U.S. Furniture Manufacturing: Overview and Prospects

This week the online blog, Secrecy News, posted an item entitled " CRS Director Defends Access Restrictions ." This blog posting discusses a defense on restricted access to CRS reports written by CRS director Daniel P. Mulhollan. But just because there is no central location for CRS reports online they can be requested directly from your Congressional representatives.

Why do you want access to these reports? Because they give a concise (usually 10-20 pages) look at topics of interest to Congress. They have wonderful bibliographies linking to the authoritative sources on the topic and are written by experts in the field.

Are you interested now? Here is a list of the reports OpenCRS and Secrecy News found online this week (for older reports look for the databases listed under the titles):

• Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight
  
• Israeli-Arab Negotiations: Background, Conflicts, and U.S. Policy
  
• Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
  
• U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues
  
• Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations
  
• Nuclear Weapons: The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program
  
• International Reaction to the Palestinian Unity Government
  
• Coast Guard Deepwater Program: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress
  
• Underlying Strains in Taiwan-U.S. Political Relations
  
• The Speech or Debate Clause: Recent Developments
• Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses
• Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-War Governance
• U.S. Aid to the Palestinians

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Ah, another day another Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. The CRS is a research agency for the U.S. Congress and writes reports at their request. This week brings us reports on Iraq, drug evaluation by the FDA, and much more. This is NOT a complete list of recent reports, only members of Congress have access to a complete list, but these are reports requested from Congress by members of the public, like you. If you want to request a report, just talk to your local Representative or Senator. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News found and released this week:

• FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Other Purposes
  
• Congressional Authority To Limit U.S. Military Operations in Iraq
  
• Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional and Institutional Implications
  
• Clinical Trials Reporting and Publication
  
• Nuclear Warheads: The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program and the Life Extension Program
• Veterans' Benefits: Issues in the 110th Congress
• Foreign Direct Investment: Current Issues
• Juvenile Justice Funding Trends
• Israel: Background and Relations with the United States
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy
• Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE): A Comparison of Selected Legislation in the 110th Congress
• FDA's Authority to Ensure That Drugs Prescribed to Children Are Safe and Effective
• Scientific Evaluations of Approaches to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
• Genetic Non-discrimination in Employment: A Comparison of Title II Provisions in S. 358 and H.R. 493, 110th Congress
• Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance: A Side-by-Side Comparison of the Title I Provisions in H.R. 493 and S. 358

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Despite the difficulties in getting Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports (there is no freely available source, you have to request them from your congressional representative). A few have made it out into the general circulation, thanks to the people at OpenCRS and Secrecy News . Check 'em out:

• Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and Status of the North-South Peace Agreement
• China's Anti-Satellite Weapon Test
• Universal Service Fund: Background and Options for Reform
• Financial Services Regulatory Relief: Implementation and Reintroduced Provisions in the 110th Congress
• Animal Identification: Overview and Issues
• School and Campus Safety Programs and Requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Higher Education Act
• Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act (MDUFMA) Reauthorization
• Veto Override Procedure in the House and Senate

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS), writes reports on topics of interest to Congress. This weeks reports cover topics from child abduction to CO2 emissions to Iraq. While CRS reports are available on request from your congressional representatives, there is no free source of all these reports from the U.S. government, but there are groups that work to collect these reports. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News released this week:

• Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional Committees: An Overview
• Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberwar: Capabilities and Related Policy Issues
• Network Centric Operations: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress
• Statutes of Limitation in Federal Criminal Cases: An Overview
• Speechwriting in Perspective: A Brief Guide to Effective and Persuasive Communication
• Iraq: Post-Saddam National Elections
• Legal Issues Raised by Provision in House Energy Bill (H.R. 6) Creating Incentives for Certain OCS Leaseholders to Accept Price Thresholds
• Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act: A Sketch
• Head Start Reauthorization: A Side-by-Side Comparison of H.R. 1429, S. 556, and Current Law
• The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Pipelines for Carbon Sequestration: Emerging Policy Issues
• Senate Committee Rules in the 110th Congress: A Comparison of Key Provisions
• Unauthorized Employment in the United States: Issues and Options
• United States' Trade Remedy Laws and Non-market Economies: A Legal Overview
• Screening for Youth Suicide Prevention
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations
• Greenhouse Gas Emission Drivers: Population, Economic Development and Growth, and Energy Use
• Immigration of Foreign Workers: Labor Market Tests and Protections
• Required Healthcare Contributions, Fair Share Legislation, and RILA v. Fielder
• Senate Committee Hearings: The "Minority Witness Rule"
• The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Federal Budget

Here are the latest discoveries from the Congressional Research Service ( CRS ). The CRS give concise, non-partisan views on topics of interest to Congress. While CRS reports are available on request from your congressional representatives, there is no free source of all these reports from the U.S. government, but there are groups that work to collect these reports. These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News released this week:

• National Security Letters in Foreign Intelligence Investigations: Legal Background and Recent Amendments
• Navy Force Structure: Alternative Force Structure Studies of 2005 -- Background for Congress
• Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court
  
• Opening of the International Tracing Service's Holocaust-Era Archives in Bad Arolsen , Germany
• Combating Terrorism: The Challenge of Measuring Effectiveness
• Environmental Impacts of Airport Operations, Maintenance, and Expansion
• What's the Difference? -- Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data
• Vulnerability of Concentrated Critical Infrastructure: Background and Policy Options
• Polar Bears: Proposed Listing Under the Endangered Species Act
• Nominations to Article III Lower Courts by President George W. Bush During the 110 th Congress
• Pakistan: Significant Recent Events
• What's the Difference? -- Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data
• Counting the Homeless: Homeless Management Information Systems
• Seafood Marketing: Combating Fraud and Deception
• Elections in France, 2007
• Animal Agriculture: 2007 Farm Bill Issues
• Why Has the Economy Become Less Volatile?
• The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as Amended by the No Child Left Behind Act: A Primer
• Arab League Boycott of Israel
• High School Graduation, Completion, and Dropouts: Federal Policy, Programs, and Issues
• Nigeria: Current Issues
• Regulation of Health Benefits Under ERISA : An Outline
• Greenhouse Gas Reductions: California Action and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
• The Constitution and Racial Diversity in Elementary and Secondary Education: A Legal Analysis of Pending Supreme Court Cases
• Coordinated Party Expenditures in Federal Elections: An Overview
• U.S.-European Union Relations and the 2007 Summit
• Juvenile Justice: Rights During the Adjudicatory Process

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Here are the latest discoveries from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The CRS give concise, non-partisan views of a topic of interest to Congress. There is no free source of all these reports from the U.S. government, but there are groups that work to collect these reports (which are available upon request from your congressional representatives and/or senators). These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News released this week:

• Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications
• The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA)
• Homeland Security: Compendium of Recommendations Relevant to House Committee Organization and Analysis of Considerations for the House, and 109th and 110th Congresses Epilogue
• Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances
• Kosovo and U.S. Policy
• Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
• Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: A Deepening Humanitarian Crisis?
• FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Other Purposes
• V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft
• U.S. Assistance to the Former Soviet Union
• Nuclear Power: Outlook for New U.S. Reactors
• Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers
• Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs: FY2007 Appropriations
  
• U.S. International HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Spending: FY2004-FY2008
• The Rise of Senate Unanimous Consent Agreements
• Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security
• Trade Primer: Qs and As on Trade Concepts, Performance, and Policy
• H.R. 1 (Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007) and S. 4 (Improving America's Security Act of 2007): A Comparative Analysis
• Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
• Alcohol Use Among Youth
• Juvenile Justice: Legislative History and Current Legislative Issue
• State and Local Economic Sanctions: Constitutional Issues
• U.S. Trade Policy and the Caribbean: From Trade Preferences to Free Trade Agreements
• The Single European Payments Area (SEPA): Implementation Delays and Implications for the United States

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

The Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) writes reports on topics of interest to Congress. These reports are generally from 6-25 pages long and give a concise, non-partisan view of a topic. For those doing research on Congressional actions on a topic, this is also a good source of information on the history. There is no free source of all these reports from the U.S. government, but there are groups that work to collect these reports (which are available upon request from your congressional representatives and/or senators). These are the reports that OpenCRS and Secrecy News released this week:

• Recent Honey Bee Colony Declines
• Federal Advisory Committees: A Primer
• Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy and Implementation
• Defense Acquisition: Use of Lead System Integrators ( LSIs ) -- Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress
• The Economics of Corporate Executive Pay
• The Financial Health of the Pension Guaranty Benefit Corporation ( PBGC )
• Polar Bears: Proposed Listing Under the Endangered Species Act
• Pakistan and Terrorism: A Summary
• U.S. Forces in Afghanistan
• Legal Issues in Terminations of Single Employer Pension Plans: Beck v. PACE International Union

Interested in historical CRS reports? If you are here at the Boulder campus, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database, which has reports back to 1916.

Not on campus, but still want access to additional reports? The library has created a guide linking to various additional sources of CRS reports.

Secrecy News released information this week on how the Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) is further cracking down on the release of CRS reports. They received a copy of a memo to CRS staff in which CRS director Daniel P. Mullohan states "I have concluded that prior approval should now be required at the division or office level before products are distributed to members of the public." While you can always get CRS reports from congressional members, researchers, other government agencies and journalists have also been able to get reports directly from CRS , which now appears to be forbidden.

Here are the latest CRS reports found by OpenCRS and Secrecy News :

• Awards of Attorneys' Fees by Federal Courts and Federal Agencies
• Intelligence Issues for Congress
• China-U.S. Aircraft Collision Incident of April 2001: Assessments and Policy Implications
• The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
• Medicare's Skilled Nursing Facility Payments
• Long-Term Care: Consumers, Providers, Payers, and Programs
• Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2007 (S. 256): Section-by-Section Analysis
• Stock Options: The Backdating Issue
• Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations
• An Overview of Recent U.S. Supreme Court Jurisprudence in Patent Law
• Selected Federal Compensation Programs for Physical Injury or Death
• Ethanol and Biofuels : Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Market Constraints Related to Expanded Production
• Recent Changes to the Section 8 Voucher Renewal Funding Formula
• Subprime Mortgages: Primer on Current Lending and Foreclosure Issues
• The Corporation for National and Community Service: Overview of Programs and FY2008 Funding
• Illegal Logging: Background and Issues
• Who Are the "Middle Class"?
• Congressional Redistricting: The Constitutionality of Creating an At-Large District
• U.S. Foreign Aid to Lebanon: Issues for Congress
• Medicaid Citizenship Documentation

I have found a few regularly updated sources for Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) reports, so the blog will now start featuring a list of new CRS reports on Tuesdays.

What are CRS reports? They are reports written by the CRS for members of Congress. They usually range from 6 to 20 pages long and are written in a clear and concise manner. These reports cover anything of interest to Congress, which can mean you will can find a report on defense spending or maybe a report on the effects of climate change.

Here are this weeks reports:

• Iraq: Tribal Structure, Social, and Political Activities
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Overview, FY2008 Budget in Brief, and Key Issues for Congress
• The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Single-Employer Plan Terminations
• Railroad Retirement Board Annuities for Widows and Widowers
• Forestry in the 2007 Farm Bill
• School Finance Litigation
• The FY2008 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• The 2006 Increase in U.S. Motor Vehicle Imports from Japan
• Health Care Spending and the Aging of the Population
• The Prescription Drug User Fee Act ( PDUFA ): Background and Issues for PDUFA IV Reauthorization
• The Whistleblower Protection Act: An Overview
• The Budget for Fiscal Year 2008
• Aviation Finance: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization and Related Issues
• District of Columbia School Reform Proposal: Authority of the D.C. Council To Implement
• The Charter of the American National Red Cross: Current Issues and Proposed Changes
• Institutional Eligibility for Participation in Title IV Student Aid Programs Under the Higher Education Act: Background and Reauthorization Issues
• Mining on Federal Lands: Hardrock Minerals
• Project BioShield : Appropriations, Acquisitions, and Policy Implementation Issues for Congress
• Largest Mergers and Acquisitions by Corporations, 2006
• China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities -- Background and Issues for Congress
• Data Security Breaches: Context and Incident Summaries
• Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Implications for U.S. Policy
• The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ( CFIUS )

In continued celebration of Sunshine week, today I want to highlight Congressional Research Service ( CRS ) Reports. As mentioned last week , while CRS reports are not classified, the average citizen can only get these reports by requesting them from his or her Senator or Representative. Here are this weeks reports from OpenCRS and Federation of American Scientists :

• Follow-On Biologics : Intellectual Property and Innovation Issues
• House Committee Funding, 110 th Congress
• Climate Change: The Role of the U.S. Agriculture Sector
• Modifying the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT): Revenue Costs and Potential Revenue Offsets
• Supreme Court Decision in Jones v. Bock: Exhaustion Requirements under the Prison Litigation Reform Act
• Genetic Discrimination: Overview of the Issue and Proposed Legislation
• The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: A Framework for Evaluation
• Senate Committee Expenditures Resolutions, 110 th Congress, and Funding Authorizations, 104 th - 110 th Congresses
• Living Organ Donation and Valuable Consideration
• China and Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Missiles: Policy Issues
• National Guard Personnel and Deployments: Fact Sheet
• Drug Trafficking and North Korea: Issues for U.S. Policy

Want to learn more about the Congressional Research Service? Check out the library's guide .

For those of you on campus who would like access to historical reports, check out the LexisNexis Congressional database which has CRS reports back to 1916 in full-text.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a research branch of the Library of Congress. They write short reports at the request of Congress. Unlike most government groups the CRS does not release the reports they write. They are not classified, but the reports can only be released by a member of Congress. There is no index produced to this material, so the first step is finding out a report exists and then making a request of your representative or senator.

Fortunately this documents are not copyrighted, so there are groups that gather these reports and put them up on the web. One of these is OpenCRS , whose mission is to encourage Congress to provide access to all CRS reports.

Here are some recent reports loaded on OpenCRS:

• Spain: Current Issues and U.S. Policy
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): FY2007 Appropriations and FY2008 Budget
• Unaccompanied Alien Children: Policies and Issues
• Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources
• Election Reform: Issues and Legislative Proposals in the 109th Congress
• District of Columbia School Reform Proposals: Congress's Possible Role in the Charter Amendment Process>
• Post-Katrina Insurance Issues Surrounding Water Damage Exclusions in Homeowners' Insurance Policies
• Iraq: Elections, Constitution, and Government
• Airport Improvement Program: Issues for Congress
• U.S.-World Merchandise Trade Data: 1948-2006
• Iran's Nuclear Program: Recent Developments
• Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security
• Business Tax Issues in 2007

The Congress has been debating whether or not they have the authority to restrict the military operation in Iraq. The Congressional Research Service has just released a timely report on this topic, " Congressional Restrictions on U.S. Military Operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia, and Kosovo : Funding and Non-Funding Approaches ."

This report gives background on the various approaches to conflict that Congress has taken or attempted to take in the past.

Want to learn more about the Congressional Research Service? Check out this blog posting from March of last year.

Want to learn more about Congress? Check out the library's guide .

Want to learn more about the U.S.-Venezuela relationship? The Congressional Research Service has just released a new version of it's report " Venezuela: Political Conditions and U.S. Policy " (campus access only). It gives a concise history of the Chavez administration and the current state of relationships between the two countries. To learn even more check out the Department of State's Venezuela page , which has links to current reports , such as the Human Rights and Religious freedom reports.

We now have access to the full-text Congressional Research Service ("CRS") Reports starting in 1916 through LexisNexis Congressional (campus authentication required). CRS is the research arm of the Library of Congress and they write reports at the request of Congress. These reports deal with everything from environmental issues, such as global warming, to foreign relations. These reports are not available online from the CRS because while these are not classified they can only be released to the public by members of congress, generally this is done through a request from a constituent. For those of you without campus authentication, check out our subject guide which links to a variety of free sources of these reports.

The Congressional Research Service has updated its report, Treatment of Battlefield Detainees in the War on Terrorism , which is available to the University of Colorado at Boulder through GalleryWatch.com. This report summarizes the background of this controversy and describes the Law of War in regard prisoners of war and civilian detainees. There is a section describing the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo. The final section of the report describes recent bills introduced in Congress as a result of recent reports on this issue.