CRS Report Notes and Recommendations

Brie Hunt-Augustine

CRS Assignment

The Development of High Speed Rail in the United States: Issues and Recent Events

June 28, 2012

2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – provided $8 billion for intercity passenger rail projects
Obama administration asks for $1 billion annually for high speed rail projects
Congress approved $2.5 billion for intercity and passenger rail in FY2010, but $0 in FY2011 and FY2012
Lack of long term a significant obstacle to HSR development in the US
The federal government does not have a dedicated funding source for HSR, making projects that can take years to build vulnerable to year to year changes in discretionary budget allocations
Tennessee received no funding for an intercity passenger rail

Considering the impact of global warming, an expansion of railway systems in the country is an important option to consider in regards to traveling with fewer emissions. It would be beneficial to the environment and the people of Tennessee to seek funding for an HSR.

Tax Cuts and Economic Stimulus: How Effective Are the Alternatives?

December 20, 2010

Fiscal stimulus bills in recent years have included tax cuts aimed at lower- and middle-income individuals and businesses
Data shows that the fraction of income saved rises as income rises - the saving rate in the top 1% of the income distribution is over 10 times the rate in the lowest 20%, and is almost three times the average
A tax cut if more effective the greater the fraction of it that is spent
Empirical evidence suggests individual tax cuts will be more likely to be spent if they go to lower income individuals
Certain types of temporary tax cuts are likely to be more effective than permanent ones, while in other cases they are less effective
Corporate tax cuts that do not make new investments more profitable are unlikely to have much effect on investment or consumer spending

Whether or not to continue or enact tax cuts is an extremely divisive issue, depending on whom the cuts will benefit. However, citizens of every state should be informed of what the evidence based research reveals, which this report demonstrates succinctly. When our state representatives consider tax cuts for the rich, or tax cuts at all, they would benefit from examining the statistics related in this article.

Business Investment and Employment Tax Incentives to Stimulate the Economy

Janurary 6, 2012

The two most common measures to provide tax incentives for new investment are investment tax credits and accelerated deductions for depreciation
An investment credit occurs the year the investment is made
On the effectiveness of investment incentives: Time series studies of aggregate investment using factors such as the tax credit as explanatory variables tended to find little or no relationship
On direct effects of investment incentives on employment: No studies exist estimating the direct impact
The results of the studies that do exist suggest that incremental tax credits have the potential of increasing employment, but in practice may not be as effective in increasing employment as desired
Evidence suggest that investment and employment subsidies are not as effective as desired in increasing economic activity, especially employment
Economic theory indicates that a deficit-financed fiscal stimulus designed to increase aggregate demand would have the maximum impact on employment in the short-term
However, short-term benefits could be outweighed by long-term costs if deficits are not reduced when unemployment falls

With the state of the economy still reflecting disappointing economic trends, stimulating the economy, on the state and federal level, is a hotly contested issue. However, before a decision is made for the sake of its popularity, examining the research for and against a stimulus package is essential.

Veterans and Homelessness

February 2, 2012

Both male and female veterans overrepresented in the homeless population
Most programs that serve homeless veterans are funded by the Veterans Health Administration
Programs provide health care and rehabilitation services, employment assistance, transitional housing, and other services
In November 2009, the VA announced plans to end homelessness within five years
A Rosenheck/Fontana study found three variables present in the lives of veterans before they joined the military had a significant direct relationship to homelessness: exposure to physical or sexual abuse prior to the age of 18, exposure to other traumatic experiences (such as seeing someone killed), and placement in foster care prior to age 16
As part of the Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital Improvement Act of 2011, congress authorized $250 million for FY2012
Beginning in FY2013 the authorization level will return to $150 million

The epidemic of homelessness among veterans is a disgrace to this country. However, the more we understand about the causes of homelessness and what resources are available to assist veterans the more effective our efforts of reduction of their numbers will be.

American Jobs Act: Provisions for Hiring Targeted Groups, Preventing Layoffs, and for Unemployed and Low-Income Workers

December 28, 2011

Provisions of the American Job Act fall into three major categories: Provisions to promote hiring and prevent layoffs among teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, veterans, and the long-term unemployed; provisions to assist unemployed workers through unemployment compensation and reemployment services; and provisions to expand workforce opportunities for low-income adults and youth
In addition to provisions that would extend certain temporary compensation programs, the act would authorize a new reemployment NOW program, and would expand federal funding for state-administered short-time compensation

This report is valuable because it explains, in great detail, the American Jobs Act and how it will impact certain targeted groups. Tennessee has struggled economically, and continues to do so. The Obama administration continues to make efforts to help out struggling communities and individuals, and this report is helpful in explaining its attempts to do so.

Missing and Exploited Children: Background, Policies, and Issues

February 28, 2012

For FY2011 and FY2012, congress appropriated $69.8 million and $65 million, respectively, to the missing and exploited children program
For FY2013, the DOJ is proposing to fund the program at $67 million, but has not proposed how those funds should be allocated
Project ALERT was established in 1992 to assist law enforcement agencies with the recovery of missing children at no cost to the agencies.
ALERT members include 162 retired federal, state, and local law enforcement officials who have recent and relevant investigative experience and complete a 40 hour certification course
ALERT services include case review, organization, recommendation of investigative strategies, assistance with case interviews, and liaison efforts with the family of a missing child

Despite the gravity of the issue that missing and exploited children presents, budgetary pressures are forcing state and federal agencies to work with less money. However, programs such as the ALERT program offer a way to address the issue with the intensity and attention that it deserves. Tennessee is home to many retired law enforcement officers, and, based on the success of the ALERT program, these people are an untapped resource that should be taken advantage of.

Child Welfare: Health Care Needs of Children in Foster Care and Related Federal Issues

February 27, 2012

Between 35% and 60% of children entering foster care have at least one chronic or acute physical health condition that needs treatment
As many as ½ to ¾ show behavioral or social competency problems that may warrant mental health services
Research on youth who aged out of foster care shows these young adults are more likely than their peers to report having a health condition that limits their daily activities and to participate in psychological and substance abuse counseling
In regards to ACA – the emphasis in health care reform on enrollment of all individuals may provide new opportunities for child welfare agencies to ensure access to health insurance coverage for a greater share of children
Research has found that individuals with a child welfare history may struggle to maintain health insurance
A study of youth ages 18 through 20 in the Midwest found that 67% lost health insurance coverage within an average of three months of leaving foster care

For those of us with families, thinking about children in foster care is probably not the first population we think about when it comes to healthcare reform. However, as some of the statistics above show, they are a very vulnerable population. States should be aware of the way that ACA will positively affect children in foster care, and should stay up to date on available funding sources in the future.

Youth Transitioning from Foster Care

May 16, 2012

Studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on some outcome measures
Older youth in foster care and those aging out are vulnerable to negative outcomes and may ultimately return to the care of the state as adults, either through public welfare, criminal justice, or other systems
In one program, social workers who oversee a small caseload (approximately 15 youth) and have regular (once a week) interactions with the youth found that the kids were more likely to attend college and stay enrolled than their peers not in the program
A study of child and adolescent well-being found that a third of the youth in the sample were involved in a child welfare services investigation due to physical abuse, lack of supervision for 29.1% and sexual abuse 14.5%
Youth in the sample scored substantially below the normative mean of 100 in all categories in a cognitive test
Only half of the youth with symptoms consistent with alcohol or drug dependence were receiving substance abuse services

Programs do exist to help children in, and transitioning out of, foster care; however, considering the statistics, more needs to be done on the state and city level to help these children succeed in the future.

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs

April 12, 2012

Teen births accounted for 9.3% of all births and 20.1% of all nonmarital births in the US in 2010
ACA established a new state formula grant program and appropriated $75 million per year for five years (FY2010-FY2014) for a Personal Responsibility Education Program
PREP is a comprehensive approach to teen pregnancy prevention
The PP and ACA reauthorized an abstinence education block for $50 million per year through FY2014
A 2011 study estimated that in 2008, adolescent childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers about $11 billion per year: $2.8 billion in child welfare benefits; $2.3 billion un public sector health care expenses; $2.3 billion in spending on incarceration; and $3.2 billion in lost tax revenue because of lower earnings of children of teen mothers over their own adult lifetime

The cost of teen pregnancy is extraordinarily high, especially in southern states such as Tennessee where it is more prevalent than in other areas of the country. People should be aware that we are throwing more federal dollars at abstinence-only education. Although education that is not abstinence-only is also receiving funding, it is important that individuals are informed about the duplicitous nature of some funding that their tax dollars are going towards.

Health Care Quality: Enhancing Provider Accountability Through Payment Incentives and Public Reporting

February 9, 2012

Quality gaps in the car delivered by the US health care system result in preventable mortality and morbidity and contribute costs to the system
Indicators show that quality of care could be improved, including high rates of healthcare-associated infections, and a lack of adherence to evidence-based guidelines
Approximately 100,000 people die each year from HAIs, costing between $28.4 and $45 billion dollars
A 2007 study showed that only 46.5% of children received care recommended by evidence-based guidelines
Another study found that high-quality, low-cost hospitals were less likely to be small or located in the south

Many people in Tennessee regard Nashville as being a mecca for health care in the state; however, the research shows that the quality of health care being dispensed all over the country is subpar, at best. The mistakes noted are costing tax payers an exorbitant amount of money, and Tennessee, as well as other states, should be focused on providing high quality healthcare for all people.

My Recommendation

I am pro-transparency of crs.gov. The website offers numerous reports on highly important issues that all people should have access to. Additionally, in many cases, the reports explain how a particular bill or grant relates to an issue. If a social worker in the foster care system wants an explanation for ACAs impact on children in the welfare system, crs.gov may be the easiest way for them to access that information. Also, people can see what changes have been made from year to year fiscally, and the information is available in an easily accessible format.