Topic: U.S. Congressional Research Service

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Gas prices fact check: Six ideas in Congress, but can they work?

Soaring gas prices have also shown a consistent and significant ability to push members of Congress over the deep end. Here's the experts' take on 6 ideas floating through Congress.
East Asia's top 5 island disputes

Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable.
Out of options in debt ceiling talks? Nope, here are five.

How many ways are there to resolve the debt ceiling crisis? Frustration is mounting in both political parties as an Aug. 2 deadline looms to avoid default on America's debt obligations and deficit-reduction negotiations are gridlocked. Still, at least five options for handling the matter have been discussed in recent days and months. Other possible solutions may emerge, but here’s the state of play on the options to date.
Top 5 overlooked stories of 2010

Here are five 2010 developments that probably didn't get as much attention as they should have, given their potential import to America in the years ahead.
North Korean attack on South Korea: 8 provocations of the past decade

North Korea shelled South Korea Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines and injuring at least two other marines and four civilians. History shows the North is often an instigator.

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Decoder Wire
Boehner says Obama misuses Air Force One for political trips. Is he right?

Using taxpayer dollars to fly to battleground states to make political points is 'pathetic,' Boehner says. But presidents running for reelection are often accused of using perks of office to unfair advantage – and guidelines are not clear.
Judge strikes down 'suspicionless' drug testing of Florida state workers

A federal judge's ruling strikes down Florida's first-in-the-nation drug testing law – and could give pause to other states considering suspicionless drug testing of state workers or others receiving state funds.
As US and Vietnam get closer, human rights concerns grow

Ties between the US and Vietnam are good, but Vietnam's human rights record has activists asking if Washington is pushing Hanoi enough on political, economic, and free speech reforms.
Decoder Wire
Ted Nugent meets Secret Service: Was he singled out?

Ted Nugent said he met with two 'fine, professional' agents, and the Secret Service called the issue of his remarks about Obama 'resolved.' The meeting, it appears, was nothing out of the ordinary.
Secret Service scandal sheds light on sex tourism in Latin America

Large events like the Summit of the Americas and upcoming Olympic games in Brazil can drive up the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking.
Secret Service Colombia scandal: Agents working too hard, or not hard enough?

Twelve US Secret Service agents were sent back to the US from Cartagena, Colombia, after allegedly drinking heavily and consorting with prostitutes. Is the long-veiled agency struggling with an increasingly complex mission?
On eve of Iran nuclear talks, sanctions bite

Iran is struggling with the financial and economic sanctions imposed by the West in efforts to convince the regime to restrict its nuclear program. More sanctions are in the works.
What the 'Buffett rule' reveals about Obama tax reform plans

President Obama is pushing Tuesday for the so-called Buffett rule – a proposal to ensure that millionaires pay a higher rate on federal income taxes than the middle class. He and Democrats see it as a guarantee that the rich will pay more, even if Congress again extends the Bush tax cuts.
Economist Mom
Why broadening the tax base is so difficult

Increasing revenue from taxes will be difficult if the government can't touch a few common tax expenditures. But there are a few things that qualify for tax breaks that we can do without
Drug testing: Florida aims to be first to test public workers

New Florida drug-testing law allows agency heads to randomly test public workers for illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol. But it exempts the governor and state legislators.
Gas prices fact check: Six ideas in Congress, but can they work?

Soaring gas prices have also shown a consistent and significant ability to push members of Congress over the deep end. Here's the experts' take on 6 ideas floating through Congress.
Decoder Wire
How to get House and Senate bills to match up on payroll tax cut?

A conference committee on the payroll tax cut meets Wednesday to try to resolve differences between House and Senate bills. It's the old-fashioned way of coming to agreement, used for barely half the bills in the last Congress. 
Backchannels
Are the assassinations of Iranian scientists an act of terrorism?

Iran has many capable engineers, and none of the victims appear to have had indispensable knowledge. But spreading fear among the living can slow them down and deter young recruits.
US Chamber sees limp economy, high unemployment rate in election year

US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue offered a grim outlook Thursday for cutting the politically sensitive unemployment rate, citing slow economic growth.
Iraq ledger: War by the numbers

Reckoning the costs of war in Iraq will take years. Using federal government and other sources, analysts at the Center for American Progress have calculated an 'Iraq War Ledger.'
Absent a super committee, now who'll lean on Congress to cut US deficit?

Global markets or deadlines for extending tax breaks may yet force Congress to try again for a 'grand bargain' to shrink the US deficit. But big action before the 2012 election is unlikely.
Punish Iran for its nuclear secrecy? How sanctions could work.

The UN's nuclear watchdog is set to rebuke Iran over its nuclear program. No sanctions are planned, but the US will keep pushing, and some experts say diplomacy could still work.
Super committee: Let Bush tax cuts expire and your work will be done

Another decade of these lower tax rates for the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans would cost the US Treasury around $2 trillion – more than the amount of deficit reduction (at least $1.2 trillion) the debt super committee must find.
Piece by piece, will Obama's health-care reform law be dismantled?

The administration itself has abandoned a long-term health-care provision for seniors, and the Supreme Court will decide soon whether to take up the law. Critics see beginning of the end for Obama's health-care reforms.
The Vote
How flat will Rick Perry's flat tax be?

Rick Perry is going to propose a flat tax plan soon. He’s said it’s going to be 'flatter and fairer' than Herman Cain’s signature '9-9-9' proposal, which has been hammered by his rivals.
Founding Fathers' advice to deficit 'super committee': Bring US troops home

If the deficit 'super committee' is serious about finding $1.5 trillion in cuts over the next decade, they will have no choice but to do as the Founding Fathers would have done – bring the troops home and drastically reduce America's foreign military presence.
Tornados, fires, floods: How much will Congress allot for disaster aid?

The House and Senate are far apart on how much to mete out for cleanup and recovery after an unusual streak of natural disasters this year. They don't usually budget for such events.
On the Economy
Deregulation will not create jobs

Republicans' jobs proposals rely heavily on deregulation, but a lenient tax code is largely to blame for our economic woes
East Asia's top 5 island disputes

Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable.
Debt-ceiling drama just a preview of December?

The debt-ceiling deal passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama Tuesday requires another $1.2 trillion in cuts by December. Compromise might not be any easier then.