Congressional Research Service Annual Report Fiscal Year 2009 Year Fiscal Report Annual Service Research Congressional Congressional Research Service Annual Report Fiscal Year 2009 Washington, DC 20540-7000 Washington, 101 Independence Avenue, SE Avenue, 101 Independence The Library of Congress 2 Message from the Director 42 ServiceDirector’s to MessageCongress 74 ServiceLegislative to CongressSupport 336 ManagementLegislative SupportInitiatives 3928 TechnologyManagement & Information Initiatives Resources 4032 Appendixes 52 New CRS Products in FY2009 Modified Annual Report of the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress for Fiscal Year 2009 to the Joint Committee on the Library, United States Congress, pursuant to Section 321 Public Law 91-510 Congressional Research Service Annual Report Fiscal Year 2009 Fiscal year 2009 was an eventful one for the nation and Congress, and so it was for the Congressional Research Service. Director’s Message Director’s As Congress addressed major issues and issues such as the financing of current public users to more easily find products, services, enacted historic legislation, CRS was there programs, potential legislative alternatives, and and experts. CRS implemented its Authoring every step of the way, analyzing problems the role and effectiveness of prevention and and Publishing system, featuring a customized and assessing policy options in support of an wellness programs. Experts prepared analyses authoring tool and an improved process for informed national legislature. of five different versions of health care reform displaying PDF and HTML versions of products. The beginning of the fiscal year coincided considered by lawmakers. The Service also launched Mercury, a client with the peak of a financial crisis. The CRS assisted Congress on a long list of management system that supports research Service analyzed the effectiveness of methods other critical issues, including unemployment management and increases responsiveness to of economic stimulus and closely assisted compensation, employment and training, congressional needs. CRS began a data program Members and their staffs during the formula- H1N1 influenza pandemic, food safety, that expands the realm of quantitative analysis tion, deliberation, and implementation of the climate change, energy policy, the automobile across geospatial and graphical applications, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of crisis, national security, missile defense, and delivering new tools in support of policy analy- 2009. As Congress debated measures to address terrorism. sis. Also of note, the Service and the Library the weaknesses of the financial system, CRS In addition to this legislative support, the jointly initiated a major, multi-year initiative to analyzed key elements of consumer finance and Service held programs and seminars for Mem- develop a strategic direction for the Legislative legal issues to support its reform efforts. bers and staff. A prominent and successful one Information System (LIS). Foreign affairs continued to be of consider- was Legislative Issues and Procedures: The CRS At CRS we consider it an honor and privilege able congressional interest as events unfolded Seminar for New Members, which the House to serve Congress throughout the legislative in Afghanistan and Iraq. Analysts examined and CRS cosponsored in January 2009. This process by providing comprehensive and reliable U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, includ- bipartisan policy seminar, held at the start of legislative research and analysis that are timely, ing formal oversight, funding, and troop levels. every new Congress under the auspices of the objective, authoritative, and confidential. This Experts on Iraq contributed during milestones Committee on House Administration, helped report highlights our accomplishments in sup- including the signing of the U.S.-Iraq Security 81 percent of newly elected Members of the port of that mission. Agreement, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from 111th Congress prepare for their new roles by major Iraqi cities, and the handover of major providing objective, nonpartisan analysis on security missions to Iraqi forces. Iran was critical policy issues and an overview of House also a focus of lawmakers’ concerns, and CRS procedures and rules and the federal budget informed debates on Iran’s electoral dynamics, process. Daniel P. Mulhollan nuclear ambitions, sanctions, and neighbor CRS undertook several significant manage- relations. ment initiatives to support its service to Health care reform was a major policy issue. Congress. CRS launched a redesigned site The Service assisted Congress from the begin- for Congress, with a new, updated look and ning of the health care debate, with a focus on improved navigation that enables congressional 3 Annual Report Fiscal Year 2009 The Congressional Research Service serves Congress by providing comprehensive and reliable legislative research and analysis Service to Congress that are timely, objective, authoritative, and confidential and contribute to an informed national legislature. CRS experts meet congressional needs for analy- quences. CRS constantly adjusts its research and publications and by transmitting research sis of public policy issues in an interdisciplinary, agenda to align with changing congressional and analysis done largely by other government integrated manner, and through consultative needs. Members of Congress know they can rely agencies, private organizations, and individual relationships that ensure immediacy and on CRS specialists in the financial markets, just scholars. offer options for direct interaction as well as as they rely on the Service’s foreign relations In 1970 Congress enacted the Legislative formal written analyses. CRS support for the specialists with regional expertise to recognize Reorganization Act, which changed the name of 111th Congress in Fiscal Year 2009 took place the political and cultural forces at work in the the support unit from the Legislative Reference throughout all steps of the legislative process world today, and its health finance experts as Service to the Congressional Research Service. across the full range of active public policy areas. well as health care specialists to understand the The Act increased its resources and directed the CRS assisted in examining the nature and extent factors contributing to growing health care costs. Service to devote more of its efforts to research of problems facing the Congress, identified and Members rely on this CRS expertise, not only to and analysis that assisted Members of Congress assessed policy options, assisted with hearings on assess independently the outside expert opinions in direct support of the legislative process. With policy proposals and on implementation of exist- advocated before them, but also to complement this legislation, a new category of service was to ing policies, and supported congressional review their own experience and knowledge, and that be performed by CRS: assisting committees with of nominations and treaties. of their staff, to ensure that the judgments they the research and other assistance they need. CRS is structured to ensure that its work is make are as well informed as possible. Today CRS provides a full range of research and well focused, well designed, and well executed; information services to both Members and com- and that data are sound, that assumptions and The CRS Tradition mittees of Congress. qualifications have been clearly identified, and that findings inform the legislative issue at hand, The CRS tradition of providing assistance to Outline of this Report with implications and options set out systemati- Congress continued in FY2009, a reflection cally and lucidly. Throughout all its deliberations of the unique, supportive mission that has The following pages summarize the highlights of Congress has come to rely on CRS for this struc- remained unchanged since its inception nearly FY2009 to illustrate CRS contributions to meet- ture as well as the Service’s capacity to integrate a century ago. The supportive role began in ing congressional needs for legislative assistance the insights of various disciplines into a coherent 1914 when Senator Robert La Follette and as well as outline management initiatives to whole. Representative John M. Nelson, both of Wis- enhance the efficiency of the Service. Appended Whether it is determining the impact of consin, promoted the establishment of a special are budget components, descriptions of human changes in financial market regulations or reference unit in the Library of Congress devoted resources and staff development, summaries of examining a proposal to balance interests in solely to respond to congressional requests for types of support provided, and an overview of a contentious region of the world, Congress information. The creation of this unit was a the Service’s organizational structure. is challenged to address issues that are grow- product of progressive era ideas about the impor- ing more complex and technical and that are tance of acquiring knowledge for an informed increasingly interrelated. The Service must offer and independent legislature. The Legislative what its charter statute states, namely, to antici- Reorganization Act of 1946 gave the Legislative pate the consequences of alternative proposals Reference Service permanent authorization to and in doing so, foresee unintended conse- assist Congress primarily by providing facts 5 Annual Report Fiscal Year 2009 This