With the impending retirement of the longtime Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, there is an opportunity for a fundamental reconsideration of the function and operation of the Library of Congress. In particular, the time may be ripe for a massive expansion of the Library’s digitized holdings, enabling universal public access to its historic and cultural riches.

There are “Great New Possibilities for the Library of Congress!” according to the headline of an article by Harvard professor Robert Darnton in the New York Review of Books, August 13 (sub. req’d, exclamation mark in the original).

Dr. Billington (who oddly goes unmentioned by name in the NY Review article) is a figure of exceptional stature, and he has been for a long time. The 1959 book Tolstoy or Dostoevsky by the eminent literary critic George Steiner included an acknowledgment of thanks to Billington along with Isaiah Berlin, Alexandre Koyré, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, among other icons of a prior era. More recently, in 2004, former FAS President Jeremy J. Stone facilitated a trip by Dr. Billington to Iran to meet with the director of that country’s National Library, the first such visit to Iran by any U.S. government official in many years. (Originally “unannounced” and confidential, the trip was, ahem, disclosed by the Federation of American Scientists and reported in the New York Times, and it is now cited in Billington’s official bio.)

But one thing Dr. Billington has not been, by most accounts, is a digital pioneer who could lead the Library of Congress boldly into the unfolding media and communications environment of the present day. (However, his bio notes to the contrary that “His proposal in 2005 for the creation of a World Digital Library was endorsed by UNESCO in 2007 and launched online at www.wdl.org in April 2009.”)

The time for a change may have come.

“While other great libraries were leading the way into the digital future, [the Library of Congress] failed to manage its own information technology,” wrote Prof. Darnton in the NY Review.

“A new regime at the Library of Congress (LOC) could digitize its collections and link them with collections in other libraries, archives, and museums so that everyone has access to the resources that are everyone’s heritage… The repository of the LOC would then serve as the heart of a digital circulatory system that would energize the entire country,” Darnton wrote.

Perhaps so, although the chain of causality in that vision is a little vague. But much less ambitiously, the arrival of new leadership at the Library of Congress might also set the stage for a change of policy authorizing public access to non-confidential products of the Congressional Research Service, which is formally a part of the Library (though CRS too goes unmentioned in the NY Review article).

Until then, unauthorized access will have to do. New and updated reports from CRS that Congress has not seen fit to make publicly available online include the following.

A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, updated August 7, 2015

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2016, August 7, 2015

FY2016 Appropriations for the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, August 7, 2015

Obergefell v. Hodges: Same-Sex Marriage Legalized, August 7, 2015

Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress, updated August 7, 2015

Mass murder involving firearms has become more prevalent in the United States over recent decades, according to data presented in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

In the 1970s, there was an average of 1.1 such mass homicide incidents per year, with 5.5 victims murdered and 2.0 wounded per incident. The numbers have increased each decade since then. By 2010-2013, there was an average of 4.5 incidents per year, with 7.4 victims murdered and 6.3 wounded per incident.

The CRS report said that the prospects for a legislative response to such mass murders might possibly be enhanced if the quality and specificity of reporting on them were improved.

“With improved data, policymakers would arguably have additional vantage points from which to assess the legislative proposals that are inevitably made in the wake of these tragedies.”

CRS therefore suggested requiring federal agencies to report annually on firearms-related mass murders, including data on (1) offender acquisition of firearms, (2) types of firearms used, (3) amounts and types of ammunition carried and shots fired, (4) killed and wounded counts, (5) offender histories of mental illness and domestic violence, and (6) victim-offender relationships.

A copy of the new CRS report was obtained by Secrecy News. See Mass Murder with Firearms, 1999-2013, July 30, 2015.

Other new and updated products from CRS include the following.

Armed Career Criminal Act (18 U.S.C. 924(e)): An Overview, updated July 29, 2015

The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation, updated July 30, 2015

Consumer and Credit Reporting, Scoring, and Related Policy Issues, July 30, 2015

NLRB Weighs In on Insulting Facebook Posts Cases, CRS Legal Sidebar, July 31, 2015

License Plates and Public Signs: Government First Amendment Speech, CRS Legal Sidebar, July 29, 2015

Patent Litigation Reform Legislation in the 114th Congress, updated July 29, 2015

Filling the Senate “Amendment Tree,” CRS Insights, July 28, 2015

Defense Health Program Funding Shortfall for Fiscal Year 2015, CRS Insights, July 30, 2015

The Federal Tax Treatment of Married Same-Sex Couples, updated July 30, 2015

Expansion of WTO Information Technology Agreement Targets December Conclusion, CRS Insights, July 28, 2015

Mexico’s Oil and Gas Sector: Background, Reform Efforts, and Implications for the United States, updated July 30, 2015

The 2015 National Military Strategy: Background and Questions for Congress, CRS Insights, July 29, 2015

Noteworthy new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.

China’s Recent Stock Market Volatility: What Are the Implications?, CRS Insights, July 20, 2015

Can Military Servicemembers Carry Firearms for Personal Protection on Duty?, CRS Insights, July 17, 2015

Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2007-2014, July 22, 2015

Microbeads: An Emerging Water Quality Issue, CRS Insights, July 20, 2015

OPM Data Breach: Personnel Security Background Investigation Data, CRS Insights, July 24, 2015

Cyber Intrusion into U.S. Office of Personnel Management: In Brief, July 17, 2015

U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Following “El Chapo” Guzmán’s Escape, CRS Insights, July 21, 2015

Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations, updated July 22, 2015

North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation, updated July 21, 2015

Iran Nuclear Agreement, updated July 22, 2015

Agricultural Biotechnology: Background, Regulation, and Policy Issues, updated July 20, 2015

A Primer on WIC: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, July 21, 2015

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): Background, Operations, and Issues, July 21, 2015

U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Trends and FY2016 Appropriations, July 21, 2015

U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Current Limitations and Future Prospects, July 23, 2015

Sanctuary Jurisdictions and Criminal Aliens: In Brief, July 24, 2015

FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues, July 22, 2015

Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations, updated July 24, 2015

The European Union: Questions and Answers, updated July 24, 2015

Airline Passenger Rights: The Federal Role in Aviation Consumer Protection, updated July 21, 2015

Update on the Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak of 2014-2015, July 20, 2015

A new report from the Congressional Research Service introduces the “Dark Web” and its implications for law enforcement and security.

“The Dark Web is a general term that describes hidden Internet sites that users cannot access without using special software. Users access the Dark Web with the expectation of being able to share information and/or files with little risk of detection,” the CRS report said.

“This report illuminates information on the various layers of the Internet, with a particular focus on the Dark Web. It discusses both legitimate and illicit uses of the Dark Web, including how the government may rely upon it. Throughout, the report raises issues that policy makers may consider as they explore means to curb malicious activity online.” See Dark Web, July 7, 2015.

Other new or updated reports from CRS on topics of current policy interest include the following.

Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents, July 15, 2015

Is There a Judicial Remedy for Victims of Federal Data Breaches?, CRS Legal Sidebar, July 15, 2015

Iran: U.S. Economic Sanctions and the Authority to Lift Restrictions, July 15, 2015

State and Local “Sanctuary” Policies Limiting Participation in Immigration Enforcement, July 10, 2015

Recent Shooting in San Francisco Raises Questions about “Sanctuary Cities” and Compliance with Immigration Detainers, CRS Legal Sidebar, July 9, 2015

Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2014: Trends, Analyses, and Implications for Congress, July 14, 2015

Federal Disaster Assistance Response and Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries, July 9, 2015

Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, July 14, 2015

Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy, July 15, 2015

Counting Regulations: An Overview of Rulemaking, Types of Federal Regulations, and Pages in the Federal Register, July 14, 2015

Use of the Annual Appropriations Process to Block Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (FY2011-FY2016), July 10, 2015

H.R. 6: The 21st Century Cures Act, July 8, 2015

Hydropower: Federal and Nonfederal Investment, July 7, 2015

Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations with Cuba, CRS Insights, July 10, 2015

Display of the Confederate Flag at Federal Cemeteries, CRS Insights, July 10, 2015

Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response, July 15, 2015

Momentum appears to be gathering in favor of providing authorized public access to CRS reports. (The access offered by Secrecy News is “unauthorized” by Congress or CRS.)

“By providing public access to CRS reports, we can elevate our national discourse and make it easier for citizens to cut through the misinformation that too often confuses the national debate,” wrote Reps. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) in a June 17 letter to the House Administration Committee. See “Should Congressional Research Service Reports Be Public?” by Hannah Hess, Roll Call, July 14.

Meanwhile, CRS has recently updated its arguments in opposition to such public access. See “Considerations Arising from the Public Dissemination of CRS Products,” April 2015.

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Congress, updated July 2, 2015

Acquisition Reform in House- and Senate-Passed Versions of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735), July 2, 2015

Iran’s Foreign Policy, updated June 30, 2015

Iran: Efforts to Achieve a Nuclear Accord, updated July 1, 2015

Puerto Rico’s Current Fiscal Challenges: In Brief, June 30, 2015

Burma’s Parliament Defeats Constitutional Amendments, CRS Insights, June 30, 2015

Ex-Im Bank’s General Statutory Authority Expires, CRS Insights, July 1, 2015

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV): World Health Organization Responses, CRS Insights, July 2, 2015

Job Creation in the Manufacturing Revival, updated July 2, 2015

The Crime Victims Fund: Federal Support for Victims of Crime, updated June 30, 2015

Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions, updated June 30, 2015

EPA and the Army Corps’ Proposed Rule to Define “Waters of the United States”, updated June 29, 2015

EPA and the Army Corps’ Proposed “Waters of the United States” Rule: Congressional Response and Options, updated June 29, 2015

The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape, updated June 29, 2015

The 2015 National Security Strategy: Authorities, Changes, Issues for Congress, updated July 2, 2015

U.S.-Republic of Korea Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, CRS Insights, June 30, 2015. The text of the proposed “123” agreement between the US and Korea is available here.

“The number of people incarcerated in the United States has increased dramatically over the past three decades,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes, from around 419,000 inmates in 1983 to about 1.5 million inmates in 2013.

“The incarceration rate increased from 179 per 100,000 people in 1983 to 478 per 100,000 in 2013,” generating mounting concerns about the economic, social and other consequences of the criminal justice system.

At this point, CRS says, “incarceration has probably reached the point of diminishing returns.”

The new CRS report looks at approaches to reducing the imprisoned population. “Because courts and correctional officials make decisions about who can safely be diverted from incarceration or granted early release, they may benefit from tools that can help in this process. Actuarial risk assessment tools may serve this purpose. Needs assessments could also help correctional officials make determinations about which offenders need higher levels of supervision and/or rehabilitative programming.”

A copy of the report was obtained by Secrecy News. See Risk and Needs Assessment in the Criminal Justice System, June 22, 2015.

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

Procedures for Congressional Action in Relation to a Nuclear Agreement with Iran: In Brief, June 23, 2015

Greenhouse Gas Pledges by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, June 29, 2015

U.S. Capital Markets and International Accounting Standards: GAAP Versus IFRS, June 25, 2015

Sex Trafficking: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law, June 25, 2015

Appointment and Confirmation of Executive Branch Leadership: An Overview, June 22, 2015

Judiciary Appropriations FY2016, June 18, 2015

Last year, CRS introduced a new product line called CRS Insights, which offers short takes on topics of current news or policy interest, typically with links to more substantive analyses by CRS and others. CRS Insights are provided to Congress “in response to client feedback asking for shorter, more succinct products that are published quickly in response to fast-moving public policy issues.”

Some of the latest examples include the following.

Economic Crisis in Greece, CRS Insights, June 29, 2015

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council Votes Down Chief Executive Election Reform, CRS Insights, June 22, 2015

Vietnam’s Communist Party Chief to Make Historic First Visit to Washington, CRS Insights, June 19, 2015

Protecting Civil Aviation from Cyberattacks, CRS Insights, June 18, 2015

South Carolina Church Shooting and Hate Crime in the United States, CRS Insights, June 18, 2015

France: Efforts to Counter Islamist Terrorism and Radicalization, CRS Insights, June 29, 2015

Sifting Domestic Terrorism from Other Illegal Activity, CRS Insights, June 24, 2015

Last year, the Congressional Research Service produced more than 1,000 new reports and more than 2,500 updates of previous reports for the use of Congress, according to the latest CRS annual report. Those figures do not include “approximately 62,000 requests for custom analysis and research” for individual members or Committees.

“For all public policy issues, Congress could rely on the authoritative, objective, timely, and confidential support that CRS offered at each stage of the legislative process,” the CRS annual report said.

In principle, CRS should be able to release all of its general distribution reports to the public, while maintaining the confidentiality of analyses prepared for individual members at their request. This common-sense distinction is observed, for example, by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), CRS’s sister organization, which releases many reports but withholds others.

“CBO makes its work widely available to the Congress and the public by releasing publicly all of its formal cost estimates and analytic reports,” CBO Director Keith Hall said in testimony earlier this month.

“In some circumstances, though, the needs of the Congress lead CBO to keep the results of an analysis confidential,” he said. “Such analyses include informal cost estimates and other types of information produced to assist in the development of legislation.”

But some warn that a similarly straightforward, non-neurotic approach to public release of CRS reports could have unintended negative consequences.

“Most reports are readily available through FAS, but that does not mean that the seemingly minor step of making them publicly available from the get-go won’t change the culture at CRS and how Congress uses CRS,” wrote Winslow Wheeler, a former GAO analyst who later worked with the Project on Government Oversight (which actually favors public distribution of CRS reports).

“Some (many) in Congress will be more encouraged to misuse CRS reports just as they now do GAO reports by manipulating the research question to manipulate the content of the report.  That practice is rife at GAO, but not now at CRS,” according to Mr. Wheeler, whose remarks were circulated in an online discussion list in response to a recent New York Times editorial.

“Officially writing for public consumption can also mean that the sometimes technical nature of CRS work will likely be dumbed-down for public consumption….  It could also mean thickening the bureaucracy at CRS if managers there get the notion they are writing for the public, not directly for staff in Congress.”

“The quality of CRS reports, like at GAO, is extremely uneven.  Some are excellent; a few are far from it.  [Writing for public release] will not likely result in more, better reports,” he contended.

As long as most CRS reports are publicly accessible through alternate, unofficial channels, this question can safely remain open.

Update: Former CRS staffer Bob Lyke suggests in a July 2 letter to the editor of the New York Times that “if reports were generally available, the danger is that they would start to be written for a wider audience, perhaps even unconsciously, not the immediate needs of Congress. The focus and scope might change, and the reports could take longer to write.”

Mass killings of the sort that took place yesterday in Charleston, South Carolina are a distressingly frequent occurrence. There were 78 public mass shootings in the United States between 1983 and 2013, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.

“According to CRS estimates, over the last three decades public mass shootings have claimed 547 lives and led to an additional 476 injured victims,” the report said.

Of course, gun violence in America is much more common than mass killings. “While tragic and shocking, public mass shootings account for few of the murders or non-negligent homicides related to firearms that occur annually in the United States.” In 2011 alone, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, firearms were used to murder 8,583 people.

Nevertheless, despite these grim statistics, “over the last two decades, the nation has experienced a general decline in violent crime,” the CRS report said. “In 1992, 1.9 million violent crimes were reported, while 2011 saw 1.2 million. In the same period, the national murder rate dropped from 9.3 to 4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.” See Public Mass Shootings in the United States: Selected Implications for Federal Public Health and Safety Policy, March 18, 2013.

New reports from the Congressional Research Service on other topics include the following.

Cybersecurity Issues for the Bulk Power System, June 10, 2015

Overview of Health Insurance Exchanges, June 10, 2015

The Addition of Trainers to Iraq: Background for Congress, June 16, 2015

Ending Cash Flow Financing to Egypt: Issues for Congress, June 4, 2015

“Congressional Research Belongs to the Public,” declared a New York Times editorial today, and it is “absurd” that Congress would place any obstacles in the way of public access to Congressional Research Service reports, which provide impartial analyses of current policy issues.

Yet such obstacles continue to exist, and most CRS reports are not publicly disclosed by Congress.

A measure to require the online publication of non-confidential CRS products (H.Res. 34) was introduced in the House of Representatives last January by Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Rep. Martin Quigley (D-IL). But like several prior initiatives along the same lines, there is no sign thus far that their pending measure will advance into law or policy.

For the time being, at least, it is easier to circumvent congressional restrictions on distribution of CRS reports than it is to modify those restrictions.

Noteworthy new and updated CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following.

Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress, June 12, 2015

Chinese Land Reclamation in the South China Sea: Implications and Policy Options, June 16, 2015

Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: The 2017 Election Reforms, June 9, 2015

China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States, updated June 14, 2015

Turkey After June 2015 Elections: Erdogan and the AKP Fall Short, CRS Insights, June 16, 2015

Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit, updated June 11, 2015

Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview, updated June 9, 2015

Cuba: Issues for the 114th Congress, updated June 12, 2015

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of the FY2016 Defense Appropriations Bills (H.R. 2685 and S. 1558), June 16, 2015

War Funding and the Budget Control Act: In Brief, June 11, 2015

Train and Equip Program for Syria: Authorities, Funding, and Issues for Congress, updated June 9, 2015

U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, updated June 10, 2015

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 12, 2015

Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 12, 2015

Intelligence Authorization Legislation for FY2016: Selected Provisions, CRS Insights, June 15, 2015

Invasive Species: Issues in Brief, May 22, 2015

Not everyone values the kind of policy analysis that CRS performs, particularly since CRS reports are even-handed to a fault, and they refrain from advocacy of specific outcomes. As such, they do not immediately advance any particular policy agenda.

In fact, the Congressional Research Service may be an institution in jeopardy. CRS “has lost about one-fifth of its staff since 1993,” according to the Center for American Progress. “The House and Senate legislative branch appropriations bills both cut CRS funding by 14.2 percent from its FY 2010 inflation-adjusted level.” See “Congress Makes Itself Dysfunctional with Legislative Branch Cuts” by Harry Stein and Ethan Gurwitz, June 15.

At the same time, and despite official congressional strictures on publication, CRS is playing an increasingly prominent role in informing the public on a wide range of policy issues. CRS reports are cited numerous times each day in national news stories— which often link to the reports on the Federation of American Scientists website or those of other non-congressional publishers.

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

Stored Communications Act: Reform of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), May 19, 2015

United Nations Reform: Background and Issues for Congress, updated May 15, 2015

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Functions and Funding, May 15, 2015

In-Country Refugee Processing: In Brief, May 7, 2015

Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 2, 2015

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2016 Budget and Appropriations, updated May 13, 2015

Burundi’s Electoral Crisis: In Brief, May 14, 2015

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service on nuclear weapons policy and other issues of topical interest include the following.

Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 2, 2015 (See also the 2015 State Department compliance report released June 5, and reported in the New York Times on June 6.)

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments, updated June 2, 2015

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements, updated May 11, 2015

Iran-North Korea-Syria Ballistic Missile and Nuclear Cooperation, updated May 11, 2015

Energy and Water Development: FY2016 Appropriations for Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Stewardship, May 6, 2015

U.S.-China Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, updated June 4, 2015

Navy Irregular Warfare and Counterterrorism Operations: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015 (and see, relatedly, the profile of SEAL Team 6 in the New York Times on June 6)

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 2, 2015

Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 2, 2015

Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

Senate to Mull Potential Endgame for Guantanamo, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 5, 2015 (and see also The Senate’s Guantanamo Bill: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, Just Security, June 8)

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735 and S. 1376), June 3, 2015

A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense–Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

The 2015 National Security Strategy: Authorities, Changes, Issues for Congress, May 11, 2015

Israel: Background and U.S. Relations, updated June 1, 2015

Honduras: Background and U.S. Relations, updated May 20, 2015

Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, updated June 1, 2015

Supreme Court Ruling Affects the Future of Whistleblower Suits Against Government Contractors, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 5, 2015

Congressional Action on FY2016 Appropriations Measures, June 5, 2015

Supreme Court Issues Rare Unanimous Opinion in Religious Freedom Case, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 4, 2015

Reported Office of Congressional Ethics Investigation Highlights Range of Ethics Considerations Surrounding Foreign Gifts Under Congressional Rules, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 4, 2015

NFL Gives Up its Tax-Exempt Status, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 4, 2015

FY2016 NDAA: A Comparison of House and Senate Provisions for Military Retirement Reform, CRS Insights, June 4, 2015

Reform of U.S. International Taxation: Alternatives, updated June 3, 2015

The Budget Reconciliation Process: Stages of Consideration, June 2, 2015

Federal Securities Law: Insider Trading, updated June 1, 2015

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Changing Oil Prices, updated June 1, 2015

USA FREEDOM Act Reinstates Expired USA PATRIOT Act Provisions but Limits Bulk Collection, CRS Legal Sidebar, June 4, 2015

A Congressional Research Service report on The Federal Grand Jury, May 7, 2015, presents “a brief general description of the federal grand jury, with particular emphasis on its more controversial aspects–relationship of the prosecutor and the grand jury, the rights of grand jury witnesses, grand jury secrecy, and rights of targets of a grand jury investigation.”

In Brief: Options to Help Meet a Congressional Requirement for Nuclear Weapon “Pit” Production, May 22, 2015, describes sixteen options for increasing the production of plutonium pits for thermonuclear weapons.

A CRS report on Wartime Detention Provisions in Recent Defense Authorization Legislation was updated on May 28, 2015 to include discussion of the pending FY2016 defense authorization bills.

Overview of Constitutional Challenges to NSA Collection Activities, May 21, 2015, presents an updated survey of recent litigation on the constitutionality of U.S. intelligence surveillance programs.

U.S. Trade with Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Partners, May 21, 2015, examines the economic impacts of free trade agreements.

An Overview of the Employment-Population Ratio, May 27, 2015, considers the significance of the proportion of the population that is employed at any given time.

Former Presidents: Pensions, Office Allowances, and Other Federal Benefits, May 27, 2015, has been updated to reflect legislation that was recently introduced to place limits on such pensions.

Some other recent CRS products obtained by Secrecy News include the following.

Rules and Practices Governing Consideration of Revenue Legislation in the House and Senate, May 26, 2015

The Violence Against Women Act: Overview, Legislation, and Federal Funding, updated May 26, 2015

The “Islamic State” Crisis and U.S. Policy, updated May 27, 2015

Trade Promotion Authority: Frequently Asked Questions, updated May 27, 2015

Foreign Holdings of Federal Debt, updated May 28, 2015

Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House: Member and Committee Requirements, updated May 21, 2015

Earmark Disclosure Rules in the Senate: Member and Committee Requirements, updated May 21, 2015