Last June, the White House issued a set of proposals to reform and reorganize government functions in dozens of executive branch agencies. The proposals range from cosmetic (e.g., renaming the Department of Health and Human Services) to substantial (e.g., combining the Departments of Labor and Education) with significant implications for domestic and foreign policy, as well as for national security.
A memorandum prepared by the Congressional Research Service provides brief summaries and analyses of the most important proposals, assessing their feasibility and describing the uncertainties involved. See Trump Administration Reform and Reorganization Plan: Discussion of 35 “Government-Wide” Proposals, CRS memorandum, July 25, 2018.
New and updated reports issued by the Congressional Research Service last week include the following.
Air Force B-21 Raider Long Range Strike Bomber, updated October 12, 2018
Religious Intolerence [sic] in Indonesia, CRS In Focus, October 10, 2018
Post-election Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, CRS Insight, October 11, 2018
Hurricane Michael: Brief Overview of FEMA Programs and Resources, CRS Insight, updated October 11, 2018
Temporary Protected Status: Overview and Current Issues, updated October 10, 2018
Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Standards, CRS In Focus, updated October 11, 2018
Expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill, October 11, 2018
House Passes Bill to Amend the Federal “Crime of Violence” Definition, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 11, 2018
Deference and its Discontents: Will the Supreme Court Overrule Chevron?, CRS Legal Sidebar, October 11, 2018
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.