Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund, and More from CRS
The Obama Administration has requested $5 billion to create a new Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund (CTPF). The program would “build on existing tools and authorities” to establish a “more sustainable and effective” counterterrorism approach, focusing on building the counterterrorism capacity of partners worldwide through “train-and-equip” and other activities, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“The CTPF proposal raises many questions regarding counterterrorism strategy, roles, responsibilities, authorities, and Congressional oversight,” said CRS in a brief overview of the initiative. See The Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund (CTPF) Proposal: Questions for Congress, July 14.
In another new publication, CRS summarized current news reporting on Israel and Hamas: Another Round of Conflict, July 15.
The latest Administration funding request, largely for immigration and border security, was discussed by CRS in FY2014 Supplemental Appropriations Request.
Some other newly updated CRS reports include these:
Block Grants: Perspectives and Controversies, July 15, 2014
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile, July 14, 2014
Privacy Protection for Customer Financial Information, July 14, 2014
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, July 11, 2014
Investing in interventions behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals—it is a public safety and economic imperative. By reducing recidivism through education and family contact, we can improve reentry outcomes and save billions in taxpayer dollars.
The U.S. government should establish a public-private National Exposome Project (NEP) to generate benchmark human exposure levels for the ~80,000 chemicals to which Americans are regularly exposed.
The federal government spends billions every year on wildfire suppression and recovery. Despite this, the size and intensity of fires continues to grow, increasing costs to human health, property, and the economy as a whole.
To respond and maintain U.S. global leadership, USAID should transition to heavily favor a Fixed-Price model to enhance the United States’ ability to compete globally and deliver impact at scale.