New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News include the following.

Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress, September 17, 2013

Chemical Weapons: A Summary Report of Characteristics and Effects, September 13, 2013

North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation, September 13, 2013

Federal Climate Change Funding from FY2008 to FY2014, September 13, 2013

Climate Change Legislation in the 113th Congress, September 16, 2013

Federal Permitting and Oversight of Export of Fossil Fuels, September 17, 2013

Expiration and Extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, September 16, 2013

Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments, September 12, 2013

Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests, September 13, 2013

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Categorical Eligibility, September 17, 2013

Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program: Overview and Current Issues, September 13, 2013

Rebuilding Household Wealth: Implications for Economic Recovery, September 13, 2013

Consumers and Food Price Inflation, September 13, 2013

Synthetic Drugs: Overview and Issues for Congress, September 16, 2013

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public access include the following.

Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives, September 12, 2013

Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues, September 12, 2013

Possible U.S. Intervention in Syria: Issues for Congress, September 12, 2013

Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, September 12, 2013

Egypt in Crisis: Issues for Congress, September 12, 2013

Harbor Maintenance Finance and Funding, September 12, 2013

DHS Headquarters Consolidation Project: Issues for Congress, September 11, 2013

An introduction to the process for granting security clearances for access to classified information was presented in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, September 9, 2013.

A related CRS report on leaks and the law was also updated this week.  See Criminal Prohibitions on the Publication of Classified Defense Information, updated September 9, 2013.

And for good measure, there is this new CRS report:  The Potential Federal Tax Implications of United States v. Windsor (Striking Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)): Selected Issues, September 9, 2013.

Over the course of American history, Congress has formally enacted 11 declarations of war, as well as a similar number of statutory authorizations for the use of military force.

The differences between these two categories of legislative action, which are quite distinct, are detailed in a Congressional Research Service report that was updated earlier this year. See Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications, January 11, 2013.

As Congress weighs its response to an Obama Administration request to authorize the use of military force in Syria, another newly updated CRS report provides background on Armed Conflict in Syria: U.S. and International Response, September 6, 2013.

The 52 American diplomatic and military personnel who were taken hostage in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 have been unsuccessful in their attempts to recover financial damages from the Government of Iran, but they are still trying. A new CRS report refreshes the story.  See The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation, September 5, 2013.

Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from direct public access include the following.

China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States, September 5, 2013

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, September 5, 2013

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, September 6, 2013

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, September 6, 2013

Sexual Assaults Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ): Selected Legislative Proposals, September 6, 2013

Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Statutes, September 9, 2013

The rise and fall (and rise) of intelligence spending over the past three decades is traced in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.

“Limited publicly available data suggests intelligence spending, measured in constant 2014 dollars, has roughly doubled since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and, before declines over the last three years, was almost double spending at its peak at the end of the cold war,” the CRS report notes.

The report does not explicitly deal with the latest disclosure of a classified intelligence budget document in the Washington Post. “Because the document leaked to the news media is classified, CRS is unable to provide a discussion of the specific detail of that budget submission.” But the report provides a useful compilation of previously disclosed intelligence budget data, along with some sensible extrapolations to round out the picture.

CRS also reviews proposals to restructure the intelligence budgeting process.  See Intelligence Spending and Appropriations: Issues for Congress, September 5, 2013:

But any proposals to modify current intelligence budget practices face strong opposition in Congress. In its report on the FY2014 defense authorization act, the House Armed Services Committee included language to prohibit efforts by the Secretary of Defense to create a new budget account for the National Intelligence Program. (Section 924)

The Committee also said that the Defense Department has been secretly maneuvering to promote a consolidated National Intelligence Program budget within the Department of Defense as a separate budget category — a step favored by the 9/11 Commission, among others, as a way to increase clarity and accountability in intelligence spending. “The committee is concerned that the executive branch has failed to notify the appropriate congressional committees about its continuing efforts to pursue consolidation of the portion of the Department of Defense budget designated as part of the National Intelligence Program,” the House report said. The Committee directed the Department of Defense to submit a report to Congress on “any planning [for future intelligence budget consolidation] that has occurred during the past two years.”

Some other noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.

War in Afghanistan: Campaign Progress, Political Strategy, and Issues for Congress, August 29, 2013

Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2013, August 30, 2013

Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, September 3, 2013

Banning the Use of Racial Preferences in Higher Education: A Legal Analysis of Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, September 3, 2013

Wildfire Management: Federal Funding and Related Statistics, August 30, 2013

U.S. Farm Income, August 30, 2013

Proposed U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement: Background and Issues for Congress, August 29, 2013

Kyrgyzstan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests, August 30, 2013

Climate Change and Existing Law: A Survey of Legal Issues Past, Present, and Future, August 28, 2013

Here are some new and updated reports on the conflict in Syria prepared by the Congressional Research Service:

Possible U.S. Intervention in Syria: Issues for Congress, September 3, 2013

Syria: Overview of the Humanitarian Response, September 4, 2013

Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, August 30, 2013

A comprehensive overview of the still-not-fully explained decline of honeybee and other bee populations is presented in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

“To date, the precise reasons for bee colony losses are not yet known. Reasons cited for bee declines include a wide range of possible factors thought to be affecting pollinator species. These include bee pests and disease, diet and nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and other environmental stressors, agricultural pesticides, and beekeeping management issues, as well as the possibility that bees are being affected by cumulative, multiple exposures and/or the interactive effects of several of these factors,” the CRS report said.

The problem is not a trivial one particularly since, according to one estimate, “bee pollination of agricultural crops is said to account for about one-third of the U.S. diet.”  See Bee Health: Background and Issues for Congress, August 27, 2013.

Other new or newly updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following.

The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, August 27, 2013

House Apportionment 2012: States Gaining, Losing, and on the Margin, August 23, 2013

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Characteristics of the Cash Assistance Caseload, August 21, 2013

Financing Natural Catastrophe Exposure: Issues and Options for Improving Risk Transfer Markets, August 15, 2013

The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Overview, Reauthorization, and Appropriations Issues, August 9, 2013

China/Taiwan: Evolution of the “One China” Policy — Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei, August 26, 2013

European Union Wind and Solar Electricity Policies: Overview and Considerations, August 7, 2013

The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012 and Beyond: Detainee Matters, August 27, 2013

National Security Strategy: Mandates, Execution to Date, and Issues for Congress, August 6, 2013

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from broad public distribution include the following.

Financial Disclosure by Federal Officials and Publication of Disclosure Reports, August 22, 2013

Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal: Background Information, August 22, 2013

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights, August 22, 2013

The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy, August 20, 2013

Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis, August 12, 2013

The Affordable Care Act and Small Business: Economic Issues, August 15, 2013

Financing Natural Catastrophe Exposure: Issues and Options for Improving Risk Transfer Markets, August 15, 2013

Reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Issues for Consideration, August 13, 2013

International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses, August 13, 2013

Mexico’s Peña Nieto Administration: Priorities and Key Issues in U.S.-Mexican Relations, August 15, 2013

Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 113th Congress, August 9, 2013

Uzbekistan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests, August 21, 2013

Mental health problems in the military are on the rise and pose a growing challenge to active duty forces, the Congressional Research Service said in a major new report on the subject.

“Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of mental health diagnoses among active duty servicemembers increased approximately 65%. A total of 936,283 servicemembers, or former servicemembers during their period of service, have been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder over this time period. Nearly 49% of these servicemembers were diagnosed with more than one mental disorder,” the CRS report said.

“Overall, mental health disorders have significant impacts on servicemember health care utilization, disability, and attrition from service. In 2011, mental disorders accounted for more hospitalizations of servicemembers than any other illness and more outpatient care than all illnesses except musculoskeletal injuries and routine medical care.”

The CRS cautioned that the data should be kept in perspective, considering the prevalence of mental health concerns among the civilian population. “Research suggests that an estimated 26.2% of Americans ages 18 and older experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year.”  See Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems in the Military: Oversight Issues for Congress, August 8, 2013.

Other noteworthy new or updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from broad public release include the following.

Veterans’ Medical Care: FY2014 Appropriations, August 14, 2013

Military Justice: Courts-Martial, An Overview, August 12, 2013

In Brief: Assessing DOD’s New Strategic Guidance, August 13, 2013

FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues, August 19, 2013

GAO Bid Protests: Trends and Analysis, August 9, 2013

Egypt in Crisis: Issues for Congress, August 19, 2013

Syria’s Chemical Weapons: Issues for Congress, August 20, 2013

Telecommunications and Media Convergence: Selected Issues for Consideration, August 14, 2013

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

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy, August 2, 2013

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and Its Role in U.S. Trade Policy, August 5, 2013

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues, August 5, 2013

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): Background and Reauthorization, August 2, 2013

International Crises and Disasters: U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Response Mechanisms, August 1, 2013

Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 113th Congress, August 2, 2013

Health Care for Veterans: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, August 1, 2013

The MF Global Bankruptcy, Missing Customer Funds, and Proposals for Reform, August 1, 2013

 

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

Military Sexual Assault: Chronology of Activity in Congress and Related Resources, July 30, 2013

Retaining and Preserving Federal Records in a Digital Environment: Background and Issues for Congress, July 26, 2013

Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents, July 25, 2013

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress, July 25, 2013

State Marijuana Legalization Initiatives: Implications for Federal Law Enforcement, July 25, 2013

The President’s Budget: Overview of Structure and Timing of Submission to Congress, July 25, 2013

Generalized System of Preferences: Background and Renewal Debate, July 24, 2013

The U.S. Postal Service’s Financial Condition: A Primer, July 24, 2013

Honduras-U.S. Relations, July 24, 2013

Singapore: Background and U.S. Relations, July 26, 2013

The European Parliament, July 29, 2013

Ocean Acidification, July 30, 2013

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service which Congress has withheld from online distribution to the public include the following.

China’s Currency Policy: An Analysis of the Economic Issues, July 22, 2013

International Illegal Trade in Wildlife: Threats and U.S. Policy, July 23, 2013

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under the Oil Pollution Act, July 24, 2013

Analysis of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), July 22, 2013

Proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP): In Brief, July 23, 2013

Hague Convention Treaty on Recovery of International Child Support and H.R. 1896, July 15, 2013

Kazakhstan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests, July 22, 2013