Funding Overseas Contingency Ops, and More from CRS
The use of the “overseas contingency operations” budget construct to circumvent limits on discretionary spending was examined in a report from the Congressional Research Service published yesterday.
“Some DOD officials argue that this funding approach is essential to enable a timely military response to a dynamic enemy operating in a complex battlespace,” the CRS report said. “Critics however, have described the DOD’s continued use of the OCO/GWOT account as creating a ‘slush fund’ for military spending.” See Overseas Contingency Operations Funding: Background and Status, June 13, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Athletic Footwear for the Military: The Berry Amendment Controversy, CRS Insight, June 10, 2016
The Open Skies Treaty: Issues in the Current Debate, CRS Insight, June 10, 2016
FY2017 Appropriations for the Department of Justice, updated June 9, 2016
Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile, updated June 10, 2016
Mass Shootings and Terrorism: CRS Products, June 13, 2016
In recent months, we’ve seen much of these decades’ worth of progress erased. Contracts for evaluations of government programs were canceled, FFRDCs have been forced to lay off staff, and federal advisory committees have been disbanded.
This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of transparency that allows for immediate detection of changes in nuclear posture or a significant build-up above agreed limits.
At a recent workshop, we explored the nature of trust in specific government functions, the risk and implications of breaking trust in those systems, and how we’d known we were getting close to specific trust breaking points.
tudents in the 21st century need strong critical thinking skills like reasoning, questioning, and problem-solving, before they can meaningfully engage with more advanced domains like digital, data, or AI literacy.