Economic Impacts of Prison Growth, and More from CRS
“The historic, sustained rise in [the U.S. prison population] has broad implications, not just for the criminal justice system, but for the larger economy. About 770,000 people worked in the corrections sector in 2008 [and this number is expected to grow]…. By comparison, in 2008 there were 880,000 workers in the entire U.S. auto manufacturing sector.” See “Economic Impacts of Prison Growth” (pdf), April 13, 2010.
Other noteworthy new CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf).
“The Role of the Senate in Judicial Impeachment Proceedings: Procedure, Practice, and Data,” April 9, 2010.
“Military Personnel and Freedom of Religious Expression: Selected Legal Issues,” April 8, 2010.
“Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress,” April 9, 2010.
“Foreign Aid Reform, National Strategy, and the Quadrennial Review,” April 12, 2010.
“Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate,” February 19, 2010.
The public rarely sees the quiet, often messy work that goes into creating, passing, and implementing a major piece of legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act.
If this proposed rule were enacted it would have deleterious effects on government workers in general and federal researchers and scientists, specifically.
When we introduce “at-will” employment to government employees, we also introduce the potential for environments where people are more concerned about self-preservation than service to others.
There is no better time to re-invigorate America’s innovation edge by investing in R&D to create and capture “industries of the future,” re-shoring capital and expertise, and working closely with allies to expand our capabilities while safeguarding those technologies that are critical to our security.