DoD’s Rotation to the Philippines, and More from CRS
“On March 18, 2016, the United States and the Republic of the Philippines announced the selection of five military sites that will host a rotation of U.S. military units. This marks the first time that U.S. units will be welcomed by the Republic on regularly scheduled visits since the last permanent garrisons were withdrawn in 1992,” according to a new brief from the Congressional Research Service. For background on the move, see DOD’s Rotation to the Philippines, CRS Insight, May 31, 2016.
Other new or newly updated CRS reports include the following.
A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense–Issues for Congress, updated May 31, 2016
Intellectual Property Rights Violations: Federal Civil Remedies and Criminal Penalties Related to Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets, updated May 27, 2016
An Overview of Air Quality Issues in Natural Gas Systems, updated June 1, 2016
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, updated May 31, 2016
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, updated May 27, 2016
Constitutional Limits to Agency Independence, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 1, 2016
When a hurricane hits, it’s all hands on deck – that goes for federal data, too. Pulling back from our investments in timely, accurate, and accessible public data will only make us less prepared and put us all at greater risk.
This is bigger than a singular elimination of race and ethnicity questions. It could accelerate the second wave of widespread reductions to demographic data, leaving public health officials with even less information to deliver better health outcomes for all Americans.
Soft law was never meant to be a permanent solution. Treating it as one, and letting the sandcastle stand in for the skyscraper indefinitely, is how we end up with a decade of voluntary commitments and no enforceable accountability to show for it.
FAS has partnered with ICLEI USA to launch the CRI Local Advisory Council.