FBI Terrorism Investigations, and More from CRS
“Intelligence activity in the past decades has, all too often, exceeded the restraints on the exercise of governmental power that are imposed by our country’s Constitution, laws, and traditions,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
The CRS, which shuns polemical claims, presents that assertion as a simple statement of fact (although cautiously sourced to the 1976 Church Committee report) in a newly updated report on FBI terrorism investigations.
The report reviews the FBI investigative process, the statutory framework within which it operates, and the tools at its disposal, along with oversight considerations for Congress. See The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Terrorism Investigations, April 24, 2013.
Other new or newly updated CRS reports include the following.
Terrorism, Miranda, and Related Matters, April 24, 2013
Terrorism Risk Insurance: Issue Analysis and Overview of Current Program, April 26, 2013
U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, April 23, 2013
Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress, April 25, 2013
U.S.-South Korea Relations, April 26, 2013
Iran Sanctions, April 24, 2013
Intelligence Issues for Congress, April 23, 2013
Inflation-Indexing Elements in Federal Entitlement Programs, April 24, 2013
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, April 25, 2013
Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates, April 24, 2013
DNA synthesis and export controls remain the primary regulatory safeguards against de novo production of harmful biological agents, yet governance frameworks lack the situational awareness and enforcement capacity to keep pace with rapidly falling technical barriers.
Called today to speak on behalf of U.S. science and technology, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist, educator, strategist, policy-maker, and science communicator, will provide constructive, nonpartisan feedback to the House Committee’s hearing “American Global Competitiveness at 250: Legislative Proposals to Secure U.S. Technology Leadership.”
“Federal data and access to it is not a partisan issue. It is a people issue. Our country cannot achieve greatness without access to the data that measure what we value, who we are, and where we’re heading.”
The United States’ biosecurity governance system is structurally incapable of detecting and responding to certain classes of threats. U.S. biosecurity tools have not kept pace with technological advancements or a changing threat landscape.