How DoD Spends Its Contracting Dollars, and More from CRS
The Department of Defense spends more money on contractors than all other federal agencies combined, a new report from the Congressional Research Service explains.
“This report examines (1) how much money DOD obligates on contracts, (2) what DOD is buying, and (3) where that money is being spent.” See Defense Acquisitions: How and Where DOD Spends Its Contracting Dollars, April 30, 2015.
Relatedly, a provision in the pending FY2016 defense authorization bill would require the Government Accountability Office to “carry out a comprehensive review of the processes and procedures for the integration of intelligence into the Department of Defense acquisition process.” (HR 1735, section 1630).
Other noteworthy new reports from CRS that Congress has withheld from regular public disclosure include the following.
Corporate Tax Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS): An Examination of the Data, April 30, 2015
Tax Expenditures: Overview and Analysis, April 30, 2015
An Introduction to Health Insurance: What Should a Consumer Know?, April 30, 2015
International Investment Agreements (IIAs): Frequently Asked Questions, April 30, 2015
International Air Service Controversies: Frequently Asked Questions, May 4, 2015
Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations, April 29, 2015
What’s the Difference? — Comparing U.S. and Chinese Trade Data, May 4, 2015
Major U.S. Arms Sales and Grants to Pakistan Since 2001, May 4, 2015
“One thing became increasingly clear: AI doesn’t simply introduce a new category of risk. It changes the speed, scale, complexity, and interaction of risks that already exist.”
In an ideal world, we would not have state or federal climate intervention research bans. We would have researchers and institutions that would not shy away from revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly of these technologies and doing so responsibly.
“What excites me is that it’s very tempting to be very discouraged, and say, ‘Oh, we’ve got these archaic institutions that are calcified and you could never change them.’ But I think we’re in the middle of a technological revolution that will upend lots of things, and does provide a window.”
Ask people what worries them most right now, and they’ll say the cost of living and their livelihoods, not climate change. But those concerns are not separate.