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Examines the budget deficit of the U.S. as of January 2004. Amount of the budget deficit; Comparison of the federal government to a publicly traded corporation; Remarks from Robert L. Bixby of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, on the deficit. INSETS: What Is the Deficit?;How Big Is the Deficit?;Why Is It So Big?;Does It Matter?

Profiles U.S. Senator John Forbes Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate for the presidential election in November 2004. Foreign policy credibility; Overview of his national security plans; Strategies for fighting terrorism; Discussion on his economic plan and energy policies; Analysis of his vision for health care and education.

The author examines how the U.S. healthcare act might limit oversight effectiveness for expansive mental health coverage. It notes the healthcare law's provisions for equal insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse cases, and the need for insurers to understand and comply with complex federal parity rules. The article cites a concern that insurers might not get accurate information on coverage needs as they try to meet the deadline set by regulators for benefits proposals.

Reports on constitutional concerns and legal challenges faced by the anti-terrorism bill which was signed into law by United States President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. House and Senate vote on the legislation; Purpose of the law; Reaction of civil liberties groups to the law; Details of the process used by the Congress to enact the law.

Focuses on the United States House-Senate legislation that would allow online business transactions with the use of electronic signatures on the Internet. Expansion of the use of electronic signatures; Details on the bill; Advantages and disadvantages of the bill; Comments and opposition on the bill. INSET: The Support for States' Rights.

The article discusses the impact of the transition from printed paper to online labels on companies that print information about pharmaceuticals for pharmacists and physicians. Richard Scholz of the Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association, cites a study that found that switching to electronic labels could impact public health. The House passed legislation in 2013 which aimed to combat counterfeit drugs with a provision allowing drugmakers to replace paper labels with electronic ones.

The article reports on the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court giving authority to officials in Arizona to implement the show me your papers provision of the state's immigration law. Officers enforcing the law face problem when it comes to determining the legal status of a citizen or resident as the database of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes no information on U.S. citizens. Experts predict legal challenges posed by the law.

The article focuses on the use of patients' records as a source of data for comparative effectiveness research (CER). Many supporters of CER are anticipating that existing data will become richer in the coming years as electronic health records become more sophisticated and widely used. But many experts are saying that it will be a long time before electronic health records become the norm because existing data tend to have slightly different information and are not precisely comparable enough for scientific investigation.

The article discusses the role of former U.S. President Bill Clinton's library files in clarifying the role of U.S. Supreme Court judge Elena Kagan as legal and domestic policy adviser for the Clinton administration. According to Alabama Representative and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the U.S. people have the right to know what kind of positions Kagan assumed and what kind of issues she was involved in during her public service tenure.

The article discusses the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, a Hispanic woman as next justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. It notes criticisms and notions from the republican group which include issues regarding her legal writings and public pronouncements, her being Hispanic, and her being a radical judicial activist. However, Sotomayor's Democratic allies uses her career trajectory as a defensive instrument hoping it will essentially immunize her jurisprudence from criticism.

Deals with the invocation of an executive privilege by United States President George W. Bush to protect presidential records on the administration of former President Bill Clinton from an inquiry of the Congress. Contents of the papers; Executive order issued by Bush on November 1, 2001; Warnings issued by Representative Dan Burton to Bush.

The article speculates on how much change U.S. President Barack Obama's initiatives to push the adoption of electronic medical records will produce. The author says the success of the administration's initiatives will largely depend on convincing the medical professionals to change their habits. He says to some doctors, the idea of replacing the paper-based system used in their practices with an electronic records system is not worth the cost and disruption to their practices. Accountable care organizations (ACO) are among the topics discussed.

The article discusses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning reusable towels used by automobile shops and printing plants. It reasserts the prevailing view that reusable towels should not be included in the hazardous waste materials. The EPA has ruled that disposable wipes, previously considered hazardous waste, be treated as solid waste. More freedom from regulatory burdens gained by the manufacturers of reusable towels and disposable wipes is also cited.

Focuses on the effort of Representatives Henry A. Waxman and John D. Dingell in scrutinizing the energy task force in the U.S. Factors influencing the legislators to do an investigation; Contribution of the GAO, an investigative agency of Congress on the issue; Consequences of the investigation.

Reports on the advertisement placed by the Republican National Committee in newspapers, expressing support for a higher defense budget in the United States. Information on the military pay raise; Comments from Joseph J. Collins, a retired United States Army colonel.

The article focuses on a dispute between the laundered-towel industry and disposable wipes industry over the regulatory process in the U.S. in September 2011.

The article reports on the issue about the plan of U.S. government to switch the 1 dollar papers to coins.

The article reports that the U.S. House defeated a legislative bill in July 2008 that would authorize up to $75 million to pay for backup paper ballots in the November elections. The bill, HR 5803, sponsored by Zoe Lofgren, was brought up under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage.

The article focuses on a campaign statement made by U.S. presidential candidate Tom Tancredo concerning bilingualization. It notes that Tancredo's campaign concentrates on stopping illegal immigration in which he intends to secure borders and lessen job prospects for people across the border. In his statement, Tancredo criticized "Ottumwa Courier," the local newspaper in Ottumwa, Iowa, for being bilingual. The paper is published in English six times a week while a Spanish edition is published once a week.

The article examines the attempt of check-cashing facilities led by the Financial Service Centers of America, to make the U.S. Congress intervene in the proposal of President Barack Obama for recipients of Social Security benefits to accept direct deposits or debit cards instead of checks.

The article reports on the effort of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to clear up a backlog of disability claims following pressure from the Congress.

Discusses an amendment in energy policy proposed by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in March 2002. Overview of the amendment; Effects of amending the Commodity Futures Modernization Act 2002 on the exchange derivatives markets.

Reports on the lawsuit filed by the General Accounting Office (GAO) in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on February 22, 2002 to force the government to disclose who attended the meetings of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force in 2001. Highest ranking litigator in the government; Arguments of the GAO in its suit; Significance of the zone of privacy.

Reports that the United States Senate passed a legislative bill on June 16, 2000 that authorizes the use of electronic signatures to close business deals over the Internet. Significance of the bill; Debate on privacy issues; Expectations of businesses over federal and state regulations that require the retention of paper financial records. INSET: E-Signature Bill Highlights.

The article discusses the advocacy of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden for strengthening rules for companies outsourcing workers for seasonable labor.

The article focuses on the confrontations of the U.S. between Russia, China and Iran that has increased the risks of accidental war. It mentions the encounter of the U.S. with Russia when two Russian Tu-142 Bear bombers charging at the massive U.S. warship. It notes the actions taken by the U.S. Navy in South China which is considered by the Pentagon as a freedom of navigation exercise in international waters.

The article reports on the efforts made by the U.S to control the Syrian uprising since it began in March 2011. Topics discussed include involvement of the U.S Central Intelligence Agency in Syrian conflicts, establishment of a team by U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert S. Ford to take control of rebels and mass immigration of Syrian people during the year of civil wars from 2011-2015.

The article reviews the web site http://change.gov under the title Your Seat at the Table.

The article reports on the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on a raid conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Capitol Hill office of Louisiana Representative William J. Jefferson in 2006. The court held that the raid improperly exposed legislative materials to executive review and violated the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution. It also ordered the return of privileged legislative documents to Jefferson. It provides a background on the case.

The article focuses on a campaign launched by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) against "The Washington Times" and its reporter Audrey Hudson following a dispute which began in November 2007. The dispute began when Hudson wrote stories questioning some of the council's contentions in defense of a group of 6 imams who had been ordered off a U.S. Airways flight in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota just before it left for Phoenix, Arizona. The reaction of CAIR to the issue is cited.

The article focuses on the nomination of former eastern Iowa Representative Jim Nussle as Office of Management and Budget director by U.S. President George W. Bush. It provides a short background of his activities when he chaired the House Budget Committee. It cites the government committees that Nussle has to get past before the Senate votes on him. It cites the reaction of Democrat Kent Conrad to the nomination of Nussle.

The article focuses on the passage of HR 811 that would require states to perform random audits of voting results and make voting-machine software available for inspection by the U.S. House Administration Committee. The measure would authorize the federal government to spend up to $1 billion to help states replace their old machines. It cites the reasons behind the opposition of the National Association of Counties to the bill.

Discusses issues associated with the fiscal 2007 spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in the U.S. Budget allocated by appropriators in the U.S. House of Representatives for the three departments for fiscal 2007; Remarks from Ohio Representative Ralph Regula regarding the proposal of U.S. President George W. Bush to extend the testing and accountability provisions of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act; Increase in the U.S. Senate's version of the fiscal 2007 budget resolution.

Reports on rules imposed by the U.S. government concerning the qualification of native-born and naturalized citizen beneficiaries to Medicaid in 2006. Need for U.S.-born poor and disabled Medicaid patients to show documents such as birth certificate to be eligible for the benefits; Purpose of the rules to prevent illegal immigrants to have access to Medicaid funds; Potential impact of the rules on seniors and people with disabilities.

Reports on the demand of a United Nations (U.N.) commission for U.S. House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) to return classified documents that lay out the oil-for-food scandal involving U.N. Reason cited by the U.N. commission for its demand; Deal proposed by the commission to Hyde in exchange for the documents.

Focuses on issues concerning a corporate crime involving the firm Arthur Andersen. Background on the violation committed by the company; Explanation on the decision of the Supreme Court; Discussion on file shredding.

Focuses on the implications of a provision in the 2004 intelligence bill for the travel industry in the U.S. Need for U.S. citizens who wish to cross into Canada or Mexico to have a passport; Reaction of the industry to U.S. President George W. Bush's demand for his administration to consider ways to minimize the impact of the law on the flow of traffic; Steps being taken by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to make the law less onerous; Efforts of several tourism businesses in lobbying against the law.

Presents information on the opinion of economists and budget experts in the United States concerning economic issues involved in the plan to tap the Social Security surplus. Relation between the Social Security and the budget surplus; Remarks of Martin Corry, a lobbyist; Forecast on the Social Security benefits in 2015.

Reports that House Government Reform Committee Chairman Dan Burton, (R-Ind.), is determined to challenge U.S. President George W. Bush over public access to presidential archives. Conflict between the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration; Information on the Presidential Records Act; Aim of a bill introduced by Steve Horn, (R-Calif.).

The article discusses the seven decades of "CQ Weekly" magazine in covering the U.S. Congress by providing news and analysis of all aspects of legislative activity and politics. It explores the establishment of journalists Nelson and Henrietta Poynter of the magazine, describes the changes in politics and policymaking since the publication's first volume, and looks at the transformations in the congressional way of life. Key events in the history of the U.S. Congress are noted.

The article explores some technology measures that make it difficult for the U.S. Congress to keep them relevant. It notes that legislators are slow in debating technology policy, but advances in the sector are growing rapidly. It suggests that the Congress should focus on cybersecurity policies to prevent risks to privacy, copyrights and national security.

The article reports on why billionaire donors do not need lobbyists to access the U.S. Congress. Topics include the investment made by billionaires in supporting federal candidates and super political action committees, the goal of donors to shift the agenda in Washington before anybody crafts a bill or drops a bill, and the biggest donors in the 2012 and 2014 election cycles including investment firm Farallon Capital and distributing company Richard & Elizabeth Uihlein.

The article takes a look at the new careers and pre-occupations of former members of the U.S. Congress. It notes that 64 lawmakers left Congress on January 3, 2015 to pursue careers as lawyers, consultants, lobbyists or be in semi-retirement status. It cites that former U.S. Senator Mark Pryor has joined law firm Venable LLP, while former U.S. Congressman Saxby Chambliss is employed at the DLA Piper global law firm.

The article offers information on an announcement made by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman regarding an investigation which revealed that four out of five herbal products sold at major retailers such as Walgreens and Wal-Mart didn't contain the ingredients listed on their labels, but were instead made of cheap fillers such as powdered radish. It informs that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about an amphetamine-like stimulant contained in diet supplements.

The article reports on the emergence of a new arms race in outer space as of May 2015 and considers this development as an updated reprisal of a contest that began during the Cold War. Topics include the move of Russia and China to step-up anti-satellite weapons testing, the U.S.' military response to boost spending to protect satellites, and the challenges created by the gathering tension for the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Pentagon including the chances of military conflict. INSET: Trashing Space.

The article focuses on the curious reversals and allegiances that define the politics of criminal justice at the present time. In the U.S. Congress, strange partners are creating bills to ease the social and economic toll of incarceration. The minimum prison sentences enacted with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 are blamed for a mass incarceration mess. Prisons have become overcrowded over the years and government budgets are stretched to the limit.

The article focuses on the Senate voting where U.S. Senate President Barack Obama succeeded 93.1% of the time in terms of policy votes. Topics discussed include a review of leading scorers for presidential support and how often a senator supports the position of a president from the same party, the partisanship of every Democrat in the Senate in 2014 and plans of Senate majority leader Republican Mitch McConnell to allow more votes on policy issues that will potentially mix up voting patterns.

The article presents a guide to various U.S. Congress legislative committees in 2015. Topics discussed include jurisdiction of the House Panel on Agriculture on seed adulteration and pest control and the revenue appropriation presided by the House of Appropriations, Interstate commerce presided by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation panel and the national energy policy oversight of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources.

The article discusses the implications of the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on King v. Burwell, that challenges the phrase, an exchange established by the state, in section 36(B) of Affordable Care Act (ACA). Topics discussed include decision in favor of plaintiffs will result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance, Supreme Court to decide if intent of Congress is clear based on the law text, and focus on Chief Justice John G. Roberts Junior and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

The article discusses developments in the political consulting industry in the U.S. as of February 2015. According to organization Take Back Our Republic chairperson Mark McKinnon, political spending has exponentially increased and there is no oversight. Members of the American Association of Political Consultants, however, signed a code of ethics banning the misspending of client funds. The comment by Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Politics on the topic is also cited.