FAS

Judge Garland’s Jurisprudence, and More from CRS

05.03.16 | 2 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

A new report from the Congressional Research Service examines Judge Merrick Garland’s approach to various domains of the law in an attempt to assess what the impact would be if his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court were ever confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“The report focuses on those areas of law where Justice Scalia can be seen to have influenced the High Court’s approach to particular issues, or served as a fifth and deciding vote on the Court, with a view toward how Judge Garland might approach that same issue if he were to be confirmed.”

The report addresses Judge Garland’s treatment of 14 topical areas of law, including civil rights, environmental law, and freedom of the press. See Judge Merrick Garland: His Jurisprudence and Potential Impact on the Supreme Court, April 27, 2016.

Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

The First Responder Network (FirstNet) and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress, updated April 28, 2016

Dominican Republic: Update on Citizenship and Humanitarian Issues, CRS Insight, April 27, 2016

Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy, updated April 26, 2016

Private Flood Insurance in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), CRS Insight, April 25, 2016

Clean Power Plan: Legal Background and Pending Litigation in West Virginia v. EPA, April 27, 2016

Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues, updated April 27, 2016

The Buy American Act–Preferences for “Domestic” Supplies: In Brief, updated April 26, 2016

Zika Response Funding: In Brief, updated April 28, 2016

Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): A Primer, updated April 27, 2016

U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, updated April 26, 2016

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Congress, April 27, 2016

publications
See all publications
Emerging Technology
Blog
Team Science needs Teamwork: Universities should get in on the ground floor in shaping the vision for new NSF Tech Labs

At a time when universities are already facing intense pressure to re-envision their role in the S&T ecosystem, we encourage NSF to ensure that the ambitious research acceleration remains compatible with their expertise.

12.12.25 | 4 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
Blog
NSF Plans to Supercharge FRO-style Independent Labs. We Spoke with the Scientists Who First Proposed the Idea.

FAS CEO Daniel Correa recently spoke with Adam Marblestone and Sam Rodriques, former FAS fellows who developed the idea for FROs and advocated for their use in a 2020 policy memo.

12.12.25 | 10 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Blog
Demystifying the New President’s Management Agenda

In a year when management issues like human capital, IT modernization, and improper payments have received greater attention from the public, examining this PMA tells us a lot about where the Administration’s policy is going to be focused through its last three years.

12.11.25 | 20 min read
read more
Government Capacity
day one project
Policy Memo
A Digital Public Infrastructure Act Should Be America’s Next Public Works Project

Congress must enact a Digital Public Infrastructure Act, a recognition that the government’s most fundamental responsibility in the digital era is to provide a solid, trustworthy foundation upon which people, businesses, and communities can build.

12.08.25 | 18 min read
read more