The Role of Contractors in Military Operations, and More from CRS
The Pentagon’s reliance on contractors to support military operations has now become so extensive that some argue it should be… even more extensive!
These advocates “believe that DOD should be prepared to effectively award and manage contracts at a moment’s notice, anywhere in the world, in unknown environments, and on a scale that may exceed the total contract obligations of any other federal agency,” according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service.
As of March 2013, there were approximately 108,000 DoD contractor personnel in Afghanistan, CRS reports, representing 62% of the total force.
“Contractors provide a wide range of services, from transportation, construction, and base support, to intelligence analysis and private security,” CRS notes. “The benefits of using contractors include freeing up uniformed personnel to conduct combat operations; providing expertise in specialized fields, such as linguistics or weapon systems maintenance; and providing a surge capability, quickly delivering critical support capabilities tailored to specific military needs.”
But “Just as the effective use of contractors can augment military capabilities, the ineffective use of contractors can prevent troops from receiving what they need, when they need it, and can lead to the wasteful spending of billions of dollars. Contractors can also compromise the credibility and effectiveness of the U.S. military and undermine operations, as many analysts believe have occurred in recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
The new CRS report sifts through the implications of this situation, and proposes an oversight agenda for Congressional consideration. See Department of Defense’s Use of Contractors to Support Military Operations: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress, May 17, 2013.
Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has directed CRS not to release to the public include the following.
Compounded Drugs, May 23, 2013
Financial Stability Oversight Council: A Framework to Mitigate Systemic Risk, May 21, 2013
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2014, May 23, 2013
SBA Assistance to Small Business Startups: Client Experiences and Program Impact, May 22, 2013
501(c)(4)s and Campaign Activity: Analysis Under Tax and Campaign Finance Laws, May 17, 2013
Restrictions on Itemized Tax Deductions: Policy Options and Analysis, May 21, 2013
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Lessons Learned and Issues for Policymakers, May 21, 2013
Ukraine: Current Issues and U.S. Policy, May 24, 2013
Congressional Primer on Major Disasters and Emergencies, May 24, 2013
Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes in the United States, May 22, 2013
U.S.-China Motor Vehicle Trade, and More from CRS
“In 2009, China overtook the United States to become both the world’s largest producer of and market for motor vehicles,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service notes.
That is not altogether bad news. “Every year since 2010, General Motors has sold more cars in China (through exports and its joint ventures there) than in the United States,” CRS said. “On the other hand, China maintains a number of trade and investment barriers that affect trade flows in autos and auto parts.”
See U.S.-Chinese Motor Vehicle Trade: Overview and Issues, May 13, 2013
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has declined to make publicly available include the following.
Regulation of Fertilizers: Ammonium Nitrate and Anhydrous Ammonia, May 9, 2013
Haiti Under President Martelly: Current Conditions and Congressional Concerns, May 10, 2013
Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, May 9, 2013
The Peace Corps: Current Issues, May 10, 2013
Proposals to Eliminate Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns, May 10, 2013
The Federal Budget: Issues for FY2014 and Beyond, May 9, 2013
Sequestration at the FAA, and More from CRS
The latest reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
The Chained Consumer Price Index: What Is It and Would It Be Appropriate for Cost-of-Living Adjustments?, May 8, 2013
Proposed Cuts to Air Traffic Control Towers Under Budget Sequestration: Background and Considerations for Congress, May 7, 2013
Status of Federal Funding for State Implementation of Health Insurance Exchanges, May 8, 2013
The DHS S&T Directorate: Selected Issues for Congress, May 3, 2013
The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce, and More from CRS
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made available to the public include the following.
The U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Recent, Current, and Projected Employment, Wages, and Unemployment, May 6, 2013
Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues, May 7, 2013
Tax Reform in the 113th Congress: An Overview of Proposals, May 6, 2013
Border Security: Immigration Enforcement Between Ports of Entry, May 3, 2013
Terrorist Watch List Screening and Background Checks for Firearms, May 1, 2013
Missing Adults: Background, Federal Programs, and Issues for Congress, May 7, 2013
Kosovo: Current Issues and U.S. Policy, May 7, 2013
Central America Regional Security Initiative: Background and Policy Issues for Congress, May 7, 2013
Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives, May 2, 2013
A Review of No-Fly Zones, and More from CRS
The theory and practice of no-fly zones, including questions of their legal authorization and financial cost, are reviewed in a newly reissued report from the Congressional Research Service. The report does not reference the current conflict in Syria. See No-Fly Zones: Strategic, Operational, and Legal Considerations for Congress, May 3, 2013.
Some of the other most recent CRS products (all of which are updates today) are these:
Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2013, May 3, 2013
Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions, May 3, 2013
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): An Overview, May 3, 2013
Child Support Enforcement Program Incentive Payments: Background and Policy Issues, May 2, 2013
Energy and Water Development: FY2013 Appropriations, April 25, 2013
Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues, April 29, 2013
A Statistical Analysis of Judicial Nominations, and More from CRS
For a variety of reasons, from institutional lethargy to calculated tactical opposition, the rate at which the Obama Administration’s judicial nominees are confirmed by Congress has become painfully slow, to the detriment of the judicial system and the possibility of justice itself.
A new Congressional Research Service analysis of judicial nominations and confirmations since the 1980s found that the duration of the confirmation process is now extraordinarily long even in those cases when it concludes successfully.
“President Obama is the only one of the five most recent Presidents for whom, during his first term, both the average and median waiting time from nomination to confirmation for circuit and district court nominees was greater than half a calendar year (i.e., more than 182 days),” the CRS analysis determined.
See President Obama’s First-Term U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Analysis and Comparison with Presidents Since Reagan, May 2, 2013.
Some other new or newly updated CRS reports that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following.
Legislative Branch: FY2013 Appropriations, May 2, 2013
Extending Unemployment Compensation Benefits During Recessions, May 2, 2013
U.S. Household Savings for Retirement in 2010, April 30, 2013
Counting Regulations: An Overview of Rulemaking, Types of Federal Regulations, and Pages in the Federal Register, May 1, 2013
Budget Control Act: Potential Impact of Sequestration on Health Reform Spending, May 1, 2013
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, May 1, 2013
Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests, May 1, 2013
The United Nations Human Rights Council: Issues for Congress, April 30, 2013
Egypt and the IMF, and More from CRS
A new report from the Congressional Research Service assesses the economic state of post-revolution Egypt and finds it fairly grim.
“After more than two years of social unrest and economic stagnation following the 2011 popular uprising, the government of Egypt is facing serious economic pressures that, if not remedied, could lead to economic collapse and possibly new levels of violence,” the report says.
“Egyptian authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been in negotiations for more than two years over an IMF loan to Egypt in exchange for policy reforms that, if successful, could stave off economic collapse and create more ‘inclusive’ growth…. [but] No agreement has been finalized or implemented to date. Egyptian authorities have been reluctant to commit to economic reforms that may be politically unpopular and increase the country’s debt.”
Background on the negotiations and on U.S. aid to Egypt are presented in Egypt and the IMF: Overview and Issues for Congress, April 29, 2013.
Some other CRS reports on Middle Eastern countries that have been recently updated include the following.
Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights, April 26, 2013
Iran Sanctions, April 24, 2013
U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, April 11, 2013
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, April 4, 2013
Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations, April 1, 2013
International Investment Agreements, and More from CRS
The international agreements that constitute the infrastructure of international trade and investment are spotlighted in an informative new report from the Congressional Research Service.
“In the absence of an overarching multilateral framework on investment, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and investment chapters in free trade agreements (FTAs), collectively referred to as ‘international investment agreements,’ have emerged as the primary mechanism for promoting a rules-based system for international investment,” the new report explains.
“Presently, there are over 3,000 BITs globally. The United States has concluded 47 BITs, 41 of which have entered into force.” These treaties were tabulated by CRS and presented along with other little-known data on the subject in U.S. International Investment Agreements: Issues for Congress, April 29, 2013.
Other new or newly updated CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following.
Mountaintop Mining: Background on Current Controversies, April 29, 2013
National Park System: Establishing New Units, April 25, 2013
The Administrative Process by Which Groups May Be Acknowledged as Indian Tribes by the Department of the Interior, April 26, 2013
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Reform: An Overview of Proposals to Reduce the Growth in SSDI Rolls, April 29, 2013
Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues, April 26, 2013
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
Armed Conflict in Syria, and More from CRS
The latest updates from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Armed Conflict in Syria: U.S. and International Response, April 22, 2013
Turkey: Background and U.S. Relations, April 23, 2013
Security Assistance Reform: “Section 1206” Background and Issues for Congress, April 19, 2013
Promoting Global Internet Freedom: Policy and Technology, April 23, 2013
Internet Governance and the Domain Name System: Issues for Congress, April 23, 2013
Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview, April 22, 2013
Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling, April 22, 2013
Congressional or Federal Charters: Overview and Current Issues, April 19, 2013
Common Questions About Postage and Stamps, April 19, 2013
Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects, April 23, 2013
The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape, April 17, 2013
Survey of Federal Whistleblower Laws, and More from CRS
Dozens of federal laws protect employees who report waste, fraud or abuse by their employers. Some of those laws, particularly those that apply to private-sector workers, have been strengthened in recent years, according to a new survey from the Congressional Research Service.
“Eleven of the forty laws reviewed in this report were enacted after 1999. Among these laws are the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” the CRS report said.
The report “focuses on key aspects of the federal whistleblower and anti-retaliation laws. For each law, the report summarizes the activities that are protected, how the law’s protections are enforced, whether the law provides a private right of action, the remedies prescribed by the law, and the year the law’s whistleblower or anti-retaliation provisions were adopted and amended.”
The report does not address national security whistleblowers, or those who disclose classified information with or without authorization. See Survey of Federal Whistleblower and Anti-Retaliation Laws, April 22, 2013.
Other new or newly updated CRS reports that Congress has not made publicly available include the following.
State Taxation of Internet Transactions, April 19, 2013
Drought in the United States: Causes and Issues for Congress, April 22, 2013
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: A Summary of Congressional Action for FY2013, April 22, 2013
The FY2014 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request, April 18, 2013
U.S.-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism, April 22, 2013
Expediting the Return to Work: Approaches in the Unemployment Compensation Program, April 18, 2013
Economic Recovery: Sustaining U.S. Economic Growth in a Post-Crisis Economy, April 18, 2013
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2013, April 19, 2013
The U.S. Export Control System and the President’s Reform Initiative, April 19, 2013
Mexico’s Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Violence, April 15, 2013
Cybersecurity, Ricin, and More from CRS
For reasons that are hard to comprehend, Congress for many years has directed the Congressional Research Service not to make its products directly available to the public.
CRS reports naturally vary in quality, originality and breadth of focus. But as a class of documents, they are both interesting and useful. Along with impartial treatments of complex policy issues, they often provide unexpected, telling detail. (“At present, about 30 million Americans, nearly 10% of the population, are subject to debt collection for amounts averaging $1,500 per person,” a newly updated report on the subject notes in passing, citing the CFPB.) Even in cases where individual reports are deficient, they are nonetheless significant to the extent that they help to inform congressional deliberation. It is therefore proper and necessary that they should be available to the public.
Some of the latest CRS reports that have been withheld from public access are posted below.
The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, April 17, 2013
Western Sahara, April 14, 2013
Cybersecurity: Selected Legal Issues, April 17, 2013
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, April 17, 2013
Ricin: Technical Background and Potential Role in Terrorism, April 17, 2013 (see related commentary from George Smith here)
Child Welfare: Structure and Funding of the Adoption Incentives Program along with Reauthorization Issues, April 18, 2013
The Independent Payment Advisory Board, April 17, 2013
The World Bank Group Energy Sector Strategy, April 16, 2013
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), April 11, 2013
Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations: An Overview, April 16, 2013
Changes to the Residential Mortgage Market: Legislation, Demographics, and Other Drivers, April 16, 2013
International Climate Change Financing: The Green Climate Fund (GCF), April 16, 2013
Submission of Mental Health Records to NICS and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, April 15, 2013
Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs, April 15, 2013
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Acquisition: Issues for Congress, April 16, 2013
“Gang of Four” Congressional Intelligence Notifications, April 16, 2013
Ensuring That Traffic Signs Are Visible at Night: Federal Regulations, April 16, 2013