Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, recently encouraged Americans to get the H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available. The government, through the coordinated efforts of the CDC, White House, and other agencies, has published the website Flu.gov to inform Americans about flu prevention, treatment, and more.
Multiple congressional committees have held hearings on H1N1:
"H1N1 Flu: Protecting Our Community" (Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, September 2009)
"Preparing for the 2009 Pandemic Flu" (House Committee on Energy and Commerce, September 2009)
"The Swine Flu Epidemic: The Public Health and Medical Response" (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, April 2009)
So how well is the government doing in responding to the pandemic? The Government Accountability Office has released two reports in response to that question:
"Influenza Pandemic: Continued Focus on the Nation's Planning and Preparedness Efforts Remains Essential"
"Influenza Pandemic: Gaps in Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Need to Be Addressed"
And for the inside scoop on H1N1, look at the report that Congress recently requisitioned from the Congressional Research Service:
"The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview" (released September 10, 2009)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Special Interest Groups
Interested in researching connections between contributions by special interest groups, legislators, and legislation/bills? Check out MAPLight.org where you can find supporters and opponents of specific bills, top contributors to individual legislators, and top recipients of special interest contributions. Also check out their contributing site, OpenSecrets.org from the Center for Responsive Politics.
If you want to go straight to the source, take a look at these Federal disclosure databases:
For Campaign Finance data, the FEC's Campaign Finance Disclosure Database
For information on lobbyists, the US Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Act Database
Interested in lobbying and campaign contributions in the California state political arena? MAPLight.org also has information for the California state level. You can also look at the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access which offers information on campaign finance, of both elected officials and propositions/ballot measures, and California lobbyists.
And if you're researching independent expenditures in California campaigns, be sure to read the report Independent Expenditures: The Giant Gorilla in Campaign Finance Reform from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
For further resources, see the Politics page on the UCSC Government Publications & Law website.
If you want to go straight to the source, take a look at these Federal disclosure databases:
For Campaign Finance data, the FEC's Campaign Finance Disclosure Database
For information on lobbyists, the US Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Act Database
Interested in lobbying and campaign contributions in the California state political arena? MAPLight.org also has information for the California state level. You can also look at the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access which offers information on campaign finance, of both elected officials and propositions/ballot measures, and California lobbyists.
And if you're researching independent expenditures in California campaigns, be sure to read the report Independent Expenditures: The Giant Gorilla in Campaign Finance Reform from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
For further resources, see the Politics page on the UCSC Government Publications & Law website.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Immigration Enforcement and 287(g)
The 287 (g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to receive authority for immigration enforcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is under new scrutiny since the recent release of a GAO report recommending better oversight on the part of ICE.
The program was authorized by Section 133: Acceptance of State Services to Carry Out Immigration Enforcement of Public Law 104-208. For the relevant US Code Section, see 8 USC 1357.
Immigration reform, including border security and enforcement activities, has been the topic of many congressional hearings. Some hearings held prior to the passage of PL 104-208 include: "Proposals for immigration reform" (1994) and "Border Security" (1995). Since the implementation of the 287(g) program, congress has held additional hearings concerning immigration enforcement efforts of local and state entities. These include: "State and local authority to enforce immigration law : evaluating a unified approach for stopping terrorists" (2004), "The 287(g) Program : ensuring the integrity of America's border security system through federal-state partnerships" (2005) and "Empowering local law enforcement to combat illegal immigration" (2007).
You can also find information on the implementation of the 287(g) program in the Annual Report of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As for California, the State recently announced a change in its parole policies for illegal immigrants. On February 27, 2009 the Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security notifying her of the State's new policy. Click here to read the letter or to see the official CDCR press release.
The program was authorized by Section 133: Acceptance of State Services to Carry Out Immigration Enforcement of Public Law 104-208. For the relevant US Code Section, see 8 USC 1357.
Immigration reform, including border security and enforcement activities, has been the topic of many congressional hearings. Some hearings held prior to the passage of PL 104-208 include: "Proposals for immigration reform" (1994) and "Border Security" (1995). Since the implementation of the 287(g) program, congress has held additional hearings concerning immigration enforcement efforts of local and state entities. These include: "State and local authority to enforce immigration law : evaluating a unified approach for stopping terrorists" (2004), "The 287(g) Program : ensuring the integrity of America's border security system through federal-state partnerships" (2005) and "Empowering local law enforcement to combat illegal immigration" (2007).
You can also find information on the implementation of the 287(g) program in the Annual Report of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As for California, the State recently announced a change in its parole policies for illegal immigrants. On February 27, 2009 the Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security notifying her of the State's new policy. Click here to read the letter or to see the official CDCR press release.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Revisiting the Kyoto Protocol
Former Vice President Al Gore was on capitol hill recently to testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in preparation for UN sponsored climate change talks scheduled to take place in Copenhagen at the end of this year. For more information on these new climate change discussions, see the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. You can view Mr. Gore's testimony and read his prepared statement at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing "Addressing Global Climate Change: the Road to Copenhagen".
For some background information on the Kyoto Protocol, including a chronology and bibliography, see this report from CQ Press "Global Warming Treaty" (available through CQ Researcher, OCA required). The full text of the Kyoto Protocol is available through the "Official Documents of the United Nations" database. For other UN resources, see our International & United Nations Resources page.
Congress has a held a number of hearings regarding the Kyoto Protocol. You can see which hearings are publicly available online and in print at McHenry library by searching in Cruzcat. Or you can search for hearings and reports in Lexis Nexis Congressional (OCA required).
The Environmental Protection Agency also offers a number of reports regarding the Kyoto Protocol through their now archived page on Global Warming. This is a useful resource for finding older documents related to climate change. For more recent climate change documents and resources, see the EPA's new Climate Change page.
For additional climate change government resources and information, check out the US Climate Change Science Program/US Global Change Research Program and for California-centric information, visit the California Climate Change Portal. Also check out the other resources listed at Gov Info by Topic: Environment.
For some background information on the Kyoto Protocol, including a chronology and bibliography, see this report from CQ Press "Global Warming Treaty" (available through CQ Researcher, OCA required). The full text of the Kyoto Protocol is available through the "Official Documents of the United Nations" database. For other UN resources, see our International & United Nations Resources page.
Congress has a held a number of hearings regarding the Kyoto Protocol. You can see which hearings are publicly available online and in print at McHenry library by searching in Cruzcat. Or you can search for hearings and reports in Lexis Nexis Congressional (OCA required).
The Environmental Protection Agency also offers a number of reports regarding the Kyoto Protocol through their now archived page on Global Warming. This is a useful resource for finding older documents related to climate change. For more recent climate change documents and resources, see the EPA's new Climate Change page.
For additional climate change government resources and information, check out the US Climate Change Science Program/US Global Change Research Program and for California-centric information, visit the California Climate Change Portal. Also check out the other resources listed at Gov Info by Topic: Environment.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Government Calculators
With tax season upon us, many people are discovering the variety of free forms and tools available on the IRS website. Some of the tools available include the Sales Tax Deduction Calculator and the IRS Withholding Calculator.
Many government agencies offer calculators to assist people in making plans or assessments on a wide variety of topics. Here are just a few examples:
Money
Health
Environment
And here's a fun calculator from the Maine State Library: What is Your Library Worth to You?
Many government agencies offer calculators to assist people in making plans or assessments on a wide variety of topics. Here are just a few examples:
Money
- Budget Calculator from the US Dept. of Education
- Calculators for Investors (retirement savings, loans, mutual funds, etc.) from the US Securities & Exchange Commission
- Inflation Calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Home Ownership calculators (buy vs. rent, affordability, etc.) from Ginnie Mae
- Cost of Raising a Child calculator from the US Dept. of Agriculture
Health
- Personal Health calculators (BMI, physical activity recommendations, etc.) from the US Dept. of Health & Human Services
- Drug Cost calculator (money spent on alcohol, tobacco, etc.) from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
- Breast Cancer Risk Assessment tool from the National Cancer Institute
- Estimating Your 10-year Risk of Having a Heart Attack from the National Institutes of Health
Environment
- Home Energy Saver calculator from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Household Emissions calculator from the Environmental Protection Agency
- Hybrid Electric Vehicle Cost calculator from the US Dept. of Energy
And here's a fun calculator from the Maine State Library: What is Your Library Worth to You?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Presidential Proclamations: New Marine National Monuments
On January 6, 2009, President Bush issued three proclamations establishing the Rose Atoll, Pacific Remote Islands, and Marianas Trench Marine National Monuments. These proclamations were issued under 16 USC 431-433, also known as "The Antiquities Act" which grants the President authority to declare national monuments. For more information about the Antiquities Act, including its history and monument profiles, see the National Park Service Archeology Program page.
The management of these marine national monuments will be overseen by both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
To learn more about presidential proclamations and to find proclamations from 1789 through the present, check out UC Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project's page on presidential proclamations.
To learn more about national monuments, check out the article, "A National Monument, Memorial, Park . . . What's the Difference?" from the National Atlas of the United States.
The management of these marine national monuments will be overseen by both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
To learn more about presidential proclamations and to find proclamations from 1789 through the present, check out UC Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project's page on presidential proclamations.
To learn more about national monuments, check out the article, "A National Monument, Memorial, Park . . . What's the Difference?" from the National Atlas of the United States.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Effects of Recession in California
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer released a report about the impact of the recession on the California economy titled "The Realities of Recession in California". The report is based on interviews the Senator's staff held with representatives from all 58 counties and 20 selected cities.
The report is available in two forms: the full report includes data on unemployment and foreclosures, as well as a one-page narrative outlining economic conditions in each county. The supplemental "quick guide" includes charts which provide a color coded snapshot of budget deficits, program cuts, layoffs, foreclosures, crime, unemployment, and credit.
Senator Boxer's report is a helpful source for examining impacts on cities and counties. Additionally, several California State agencies take a big-picture look at the budget and economy, such as the Office of the Governor, and the California Department of Finance. Other state agencies who track and analyze the budget include the California State Controller, and the State Treasurer.
Of course, the Federal government also tracks data and analyzes government, consumer and business spending for both the nation and states. A variety of federal agencies gather, analyze, and report economic conditions: The Commerce Department, including the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Treasury Department, the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Presidents National Economic Council.
The report is available in two forms: the full report includes data on unemployment and foreclosures, as well as a one-page narrative outlining economic conditions in each county. The supplemental "quick guide" includes charts which provide a color coded snapshot of budget deficits, program cuts, layoffs, foreclosures, crime, unemployment, and credit.
Senator Boxer's report is a helpful source for examining impacts on cities and counties. Additionally, several California State agencies take a big-picture look at the budget and economy, such as the Office of the Governor, and the California Department of Finance. Other state agencies who track and analyze the budget include the California State Controller, and the State Treasurer.
Of course, the Federal government also tracks data and analyzes government, consumer and business spending for both the nation and states. A variety of federal agencies gather, analyze, and report economic conditions: The Commerce Department, including the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Treasury Department, the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Presidents National Economic Council.
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