US v. Jones on GPS Monitoring, and More from CRS

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following.

Cybersecurity: A Bibliography, and More from CRS

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

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, April 26, 2012

The Budget Control Act of 2011: The Effects on Spending and the Budget Deficit When the Automatic Spending Cuts Are Implemented, April 23, 2012

Budget “Sequestration” and Selected Program Exemptions and Special Rules, April 27, 2012

U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support, April 27, 2012

Foreign Assistance to North Korea, April 26, 2012

Chile: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations, April 6, 2012

Canada-U.S. Relations, April 5, 2012

Carbon Capture Research, and More from CRS

Noteworthy new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy, April 23, 2012

Members of Congress Who Die in Office: Historic and Current Practices, April 25, 2012

Hydraulic Fracturing and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): Selected Issues, April 25, 2012

Domestic Content Legislation: The Buy American Act and Complementary Little Buy American Provisions, April 25, 2012

The STOCK Act, Insider Trading, and Public Financial Reporting by Federal Officials, April 19, 2012

Data Security Breach Notification Laws, April 10, 2012

Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis, April 6, 2012

Stephen Daggett, Defense Spending, and More from CRS

We note with sadness the death last week of Congressional Research Service analyst Stephen Daggett, who tutored generations of Members and congressional staff in the intricacies of U.S. military spending. Although I did not know him personally, I read his work and learned from him for many years. Our condolences to his family and his CRS colleagues.

A new report co-authored by Mr. Daggett, presumably his final contribution, is FY2013 Defense Budget Request: Overview and Context, April 20, 2012

Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has not made available to the public include the following.

Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress, April 20, 2012

Reexamination of Agency Reporting Requirements: Annual Process Under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA), April 18, 2012

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights, April 19, 2012

Economic Growth and the Unemployment Rate, April 18, 2012

Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress, April 18, 2012

The Evolving Missions of the Secret Service, and More from CRS

Though it does not mention anything about Secret Service agents hiring prostitutes in Colombia last week, a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service provides a timely discussion of The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions, April 16, 2012

Some other new or newly updated CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following.

An Overview of Tax Provisions Expiring in 2012, April 17, 2012

Private Health Insurance Market Reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), April 16, 2012

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): A Fact Sheet, April 16, 2012

Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer, April 13, 2012

U.S. Energy Overview, and More from CRS

Newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following.

Millennium Challenge Corporation, April 12, 2012

The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress, April 12, 2012

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Changing Oil Prices, April 13, 2012

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs, April 12, 2012

U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics, April 11, 2012

Classified Info in Criminal Trials, and More from CRS

Former CIA officer John C. Kiriakou is to be arraigned today on charges of leaking classified information to the press in violation of the Espionage Act and the Intelligence Identities Protection Act — charges that he denies. See The Case of An Accused Leaker: Politics or Justice? by Carrie Johnson, National Public Radio, April 13.

A newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service discusses Protecting Classified Information and the Rights of Criminal Defendants: The Classified Information Procedures Act, April 2, 2012.

Another newly updated CRS report finds that federal agencies spent $750.4 million last year to pay for “advertising services.” But though non-trivial, it seems that this amount was less than was spent for such purposes in any previous year since 2003.

The term advertising is not strictly defined in budget documents, and may include various forms of public relations, public service notices, and the like. “Government advertising can be controversial if it conflicts with citizens’ views about the proper role of government,” the CRS report stated. “Yet some government advertising is accepted as a normal part of government information activities.”

Federal advertising expenditures have actually decreased over the past two years and haven’t been lower since 2003. The highest level of advertising expenditures in the past decade occurred in 2004, the CRS report found. See Advertising by the Federal Government: An Overview, April 6, 2012.

Some other updated CRS reports that have not been made publicly available by Congress include these:

Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents, April 11, 2012

Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress, April 11, 2012

The Lord’s Resistance Army: The U.S. Response, April 11, 2012

Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy, April 11, 2012

Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Assistance, April 10, 2012

Technology Assessment at the Congressional Research Service

The elimination of the congressional Office of Technology Assessment in 1995 was a self-inflicted wound that left Congress with diminished capacity to evaluate the challenging scientific and technological issues that continue to confront it. But the need for such an enterprise to support the legislative process has not gone away, and to a limited extent it is now being addressed by the Congressional Research Service (as well as the Government Accountability Office).

Last month, CRS completed a substantial 139 page report entitled Energy Storage for Power Grids and Electric Transportation: A Technology Assessment. At first glance, it looks like an informative piece of work.

“This report attempts to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding energy storage technologies for both electric power grid and electric vehicle applications. It is intended to serve as a reference for policymakers interested in understanding the range of technologies and applications associated with energy storage, comparing them, when possible, in a structured way to highlight key characteristics relevant to widespread use.”

Two other recent CRS reports discuss the implications of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” the controversial technology for injecting fluids into underground wells to stimulate oil and gas production. See Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Issues, April 10, 2012, and Hydraulic Fracturing: Chemical Disclosure Requirements, April 4, 2012.

Some other newly updated CRS reports that Congress has declined to make available to the public include the following.

Defining Homeland Security: Analysis and Congressional Considerations, April 3, 2012

Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues, April 10, 2012

Medicare Trigger, April 9, 2012

Western Sahara, April 5, 2012

Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations, April 10, 2012