“Finding data on federal grants and contracts awarded to states and congressional districts, local governments, nonprofit organizations, contractors, and other eligible entities may present challenges,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes.
The various tools that are available to help meet those challenges are cataloged and described by CRS in Tracking Federal Funds: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources, May 13, 2015.
Other noteworthy new and updated CRS reports include the following.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: Ongoing Outbreak, CRS Insights, May 19, 2015
Selected Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 114th Congress, May 19, 2015
Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies, updated May 19, 2015
Deployable Federal Assets Supporting Domestic Disaster Response Operations: Summary and Considerations for Congress, updated May 13, 2015
Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy and Implementation, updated May 12, 2015
Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview, updated May 12, 2015
Candidates, Groups, and the Campaign Finance Environment, CRS Insights, May 19, 2015
Uncertainty in Financial Projections of Social Security, CRS Insights, May 14, 2015
Freedom of Navigation and Territorial Seas, CRS Legal Sidebar, May 18, 2015
Iran, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy, updated May 19, 2015
Perspectives on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) “Torture Report” and Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: In Brief, updated May 14, 2015
Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization in Brief, May 19, 2015
Sunset of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, memorandum for the House Judiciary Committee, May 19, 2015
The current wildfire management system is inadequate in the face of increasingly severe and damaging wildfires. Change is urgently needed
While it seems that the current political climate may not incentivize the use of evidence-based data sources for decision making, those of us who are passionate about ensuring results for the American people will continue to firmly stand on the belief that learning agendas are a crucial component to successfully navigate a changing future.
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.