Gun Control Proposals, and More from CRS

The latest products from the Congressional Research Service include these reports:

A bill was introduced today by Reps. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) that would facilitate public access to CRS reports without the need for subterfuge, unauthorized access, or payment of fees to private vendors. Similar legislative efforts in the past have repeatedly been rejected. See “It’s Time to Give the Public Access to CRS Reports” by Matthew Rumsey, Sunlight Foundation, March 7.

The Real Minimum Wage, Cybersecurity, and More from CRS

The hourly minimum wage reached its peak value in 1968, when it was worth $10.57 in real terms, the Congressional Research Service calculated in a new report. But although the nominal value of the minimum wage has increased over the years, it has not kept pace with the increase in consumer prices, and so its real value has fallen. See Inflation and the Real Minimum Wage: A Fact Sheet, February 26, 2013.

The recent executive order 13636 on cybersecurity was discussed in another new CRS report, which reviewed the order’s provisions, compared it to pending legislation, and discussed the authority of the President to act unilaterally in this area. See The 2013 Cybersecurity Executive Order: Overview and Considerations for Congress, March 1, 2013.

A 1999 provision to provide public access to scientific data used in federally funded research (known as the Shelby Amendment) has rarely been invoked in Freedom of Information Act requests, and so neither the benefits promised by its advocates nor the concerns of its critics have been realized to any significant extent, a CRS study found. See Public Access to Data from Federally Funded Research: Provisions in OMB Circular A-110, March 1, 2013.

The prospects for current negotiations between the government of Colombia and the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were assessed in a new CRS report, which also provided background on the conflict in that country. See Peace Talks in Colombia, March 1, 2013.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges to two state laws that impose restrictions on same-sex marriage. The two pending cases were discussed by CRS in Same-Sex Marriage and Supreme Court: United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry, February 20, 2013.

The Equal Rights Amendment that was proposed in 1972 to prohibit discrimination “on account of sex” was eventually ratified by 35 states, three short of the 38 states required for adoption. Those ratifications have formally expired, but some supporters contend controversially that it would possible “to restart the clock on ratification at the current level of 35 states.” The issues were discussed by CRS in The Proposed Equal Rights Amendment: Contemporary Ratification Issues, February 28, 2013.

The adequacy of official reporting of government expenditures is a continuing concern among policy advocates. “Two agencies — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) — have never received unqualified audit opinions, which signifies the persistence of financial problems at these agencies,” a new CRS report said. See Federal Financial Reporting: An Overview, February 27, 2013.

Other noteworthy new and updated CRS products that Congress has directed CRS not to release to the public include the following.

Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 113th Congress, February 27, 2013

Comparison of Rights in Military Commission Trials and Trials in Federal Criminal Court, February 28, 2013

International Law and Agreements: Their Effect Upon U.S. Law, March 1, 2013

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, February 28, 2013

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production in Federal and Non-Federal Areas, February 28, 2013

Securing America’s Borders: The Role of the Military, February 25, 2013

Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress, March 5, 2013

U.S. Trade and Investment in the Middle East and North Africa: Overview and Issues for Congress, February 28, 2013

Southwest Border Violence: Issues in Identifying and Measuring Spillover Violence, February 28, 2013

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC): Transfer and Disposal of Military Property, February 28, 2013

Department of Defense Trends in Overseas Contract Obligations, March 1, 2013

Sequestration as a Budget Enforcement Process: Frequently Asked Questions, February 27, 2013

Sessions, Adjournments, and Recesses of Congress, February 27, 2013

Kenya: Current Issues and U.S. Policy, February 26, 2013

Comparing Medicaid and Exchanges: Benefits and Costs for Individuals and Families, February 28, 2013

Brief History of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Efforts in the 109th and 110th Congresses to Inform Policy Discussions in the 113th Congress, February 27, 2013

U.S. Trade and Investment in the Middle East and North Africa: Overview and Issues for Congress, February 28, 2013

China’s Economic Conditions, March 4, 2013

A Profile of the 113th Congress, and More from CRS

“The average age of Members of the 113th Congress is among the highest of any Congress in recent U.S. history,” according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The average age of Members of the House of Representatives is 57 years, while the average age of Senators is 62 years.

“The overwhelming majority of Members of Congress have a college education,” the CRS found. “The dominant professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Most Members identify as Christians, and Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations are represented.”

One hundred women (a record number) serve in the 113th Congress. There are 43 African American Members, and 38 Hispanic or Latino Members (a record number) serving. Thirteen Members are Asian American or Pacific Islanders. There is one Native American serving in the House. See Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile, February 20, 2013.

Other noteworthy new and updated products of the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made publicly available include the following.

Congressional Authority to Limit Military Operations, February 19, 2013

Nuclear Weapons R&D Organizations in Nine Nations, February 22, 2013

Bond v. United States: Validity and Construction of the Federal Chemical Weapons Statute, February 21, 2013

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements, February 20, 2013

Border Security: Understanding Threats at U.S. Borders, February 21, 2013

NAFTA at 20: Overview and Trade Effects, February 21, 2013

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, February 22, 2013, with new material on the anticipated impact of sequestration.

Azerbaijan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests, February 22, 2013

U.S.-Japan Economic Relations: Significance, Prospects, and Policy Options, February 20, 2013

Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations, February 26, 2013

Unconventional Monetary Policy, and More from CRS

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has chosen not to make available to the public include the following.

Federal Reserve: Unconventional Monetary Policy Options, February 19, 2013

Federal Assault Weapons Ban: Legal Issues, February 14, 2013

Pharmaceutical Patent Settlements: Issues in Innovation and Competitiveness, February 15, 2013

Unauthorized Aliens: Policy Options for Providing Targeted Immigration Relief, February 13, 2013

Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources, February 14, 2013

Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, February 15, 2013

Exemptions for Firearms in Bankruptcy, February 15, 2013

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons, and More from CRS

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News that have not been made readily available to the public include the following.

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, February 12, 2013

Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues, February 13, 2013

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments, February 12, 2013

Filling U.S. Senate Vacancies: Perspectives and Contemporary Developments, February 13, 2013

Child Well-Being and Noncustodial Fathers, February 12, 2013

Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy, February 12, 2013

Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 113th Congress, February 8, 2013

U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, February 11, 2013

The State of the Union Address, and More from CRS

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has opted not to make directly available to the public include the following.

U.S.-South Korea Relations, February 5, 2013

Government Assistance for AIG: Summary and Cost, February 7, 2013

Prospects for Coal in Electric Power and Industry, February 4, 2013

Role of Home State Senators in the Selection of Lower Federal Court Judges, February 11, 2013

Nondiscrimination in Environmental Regulation: A Legal Analysis, February 6, 2013:

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, February 8, 2013

The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, February 7, 2013

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, February 11, 2013

Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, February 11, 2013

The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications, December 17, 2012

US Military Casualty Statistics, and More from CRS

A sobering compilation of statistics on injuries sustained by U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan was updated this week by the Congressional Research Service based in part on data that CRS gathered from the Pentagon.

“This report includes statistics on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), amputations, evacuations, and the demographics of casualties,” the CRS report said. “Some of these statistics are publicly available at the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) website, whereas others have been obtained through contact with experts at DOD.” See U.S. Military Casualty Statistics: Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, February 5, 2013.

Another newly updated CRS report presents an informative and diverting account of politics in China.

“China’s Communist Party dominates state and society in China, is committed to maintaining a permanent monopoly on power, and is intolerant of those who question its right to rule. Nonetheless, analysts consider China’s political system to be neither monolithic nor rigidly hierarchical. Jockeying among leaders and institutions representing different sets of interests is common at every level of the system.” See Understanding China’s Political System, January 31, 2013.

And for good measure there is a CRS report on the legal foundation for public access to government records. See Access to Government Information In the United States: A Primer, January 16, 2013.

There is no legal foundation that would guarantee public access to CRS reports. So they have to be obtained through alternate channels.