The complexities and some of the potential pitfalls of the presidential transition period are described in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.
“A variety of events, decisions, and activities contribute to what some may characterize as the unfolding drama of a presidential transition. Interparty transitions in particular might be contentious.”
The report addresses the use of executive orders, record preservation and clemency actions by the outgoing Administration, as well as cybersecurity, budget preparation, political appointments, and so forth. See Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations, updated November 16, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress, updated November 15, 2016
The Congressional Review Act: Frequently Asked Questions, updated November 17, 2016
Infrastructure Finance and Debt to Support Surface Transportation Investment, updated November 17, 2016
Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates, updated November 16, 2016
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) Transitional Reinsurance Program, November 16, 2016
CRISPR: A Revolutionary Tool for Editing the Code of Life?, CRS Insight, November 17, 2016
Certain U.S. Laws for Foreign Workers Draw Fire from India in the WTO, CRS Legal Sidebar, November 16, 2016
Justice Department’s Role in Cyber Incident Response, CRS Insight, November 15, 2016
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay: History and Legal Issues Regarding Its Lease Agreements, updated November 17, 2016
Iran Sanctions, updated November 16, 2016
Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention, updated November 16, 2016
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.
We sat down with Dr. Max Moritz and Chief Rob Hazard to discuss how communities use time, money, and data to reduce the risk that wildfires pose.