The growing emphasis on Asia as a focus of U.S. national security planning, known as the “pivot to the Pacific,” is discussed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

“Underlying the ‘pivot’ is a conviction that the center of gravity for U.S. foreign policy, national security, and economic interests is being realigned and shifting towards Asia, and that U.S. strategy and priorities need to be adjusted accordingly,” the CRS report says. “For many observers, it is imperative that the United States give more emphasis to the Asia-Pacific. Indeed, for years, many countries in the region have encouraged the United States to step up its activity to provide a balance to China’s rising influence.”

“There are a number of risks to the ‘pivot,’ however. In an era of constrained U.S. defense resources, an increased U.S. military emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region might result in a reduction in U.S. military capacity in other parts of the world. Another budgetary consideration is that plans to restructure U.S. military deployments in Asia and minimize cuts in the Navy may run up against more restrictive funding constraints than plans yet assume.”

“Additionally,” the report says, “the perception among many that the ‘rebalancing’ is targeted against China could strengthen the hand of Chinese hard-liners. Such an impression could also potentially make it more difficult for the United States to gain China’s cooperation on a range of issues. Additionally, the prominence the Obama Administration has given to the initiative has raised the costs to the United States if it or successor administrations fail to follow through on public pledges made, particularly in the military realm.”

Congress is fully entitled to review the emerging policy, which is predicated on congressional action and cooperation, the CRS report said.

“Given that one purpose of the ‘pivot’ or ‘rebalancing’ toward the Asia-Pacific is to deepen U.S. credibility in the region at a time of fiscal constraint, Congress’s oversight and appropriations roles, as well as its approval authority over free trade agreements, will help determine to what extent the Administration’s plans are implemented and how various trade-offs are managed.”

A copy of the report was obtained by Secrecy News.  See Pivot to the Pacific? The Obama Administration’s ‘Rebalancing’ Toward Asia, March 28, 2012.

Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has declined to make directly available to the public include the following.

Burma’s April Parliamentary By-Elections, March 28, 2012

Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments, March 29, 2012

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2013 Appropriations, March 26, 2012

The factors that could influence an Israeli decision to attack Iranian nuclear targets and the implications of such an act were assessed in a new report from the Congressional Research Service.  The report surveys the multiple dimensions of the issue at length, though it does not appear to provide much new information or original analysis.  See Israel: Possible Military Strike Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities, March 27, 2012.

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

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, March 23, 2012

Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request, March 19, 2012

Foreign Assistance to North Korea, March 20, 2012

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, March 23, 2012

Cybersecurity: Selected Legal Issues, March 14, 2012

Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy, March 7, 2012

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

Congressional Oversight of Agency Public Communications:  Implications of Agency New Media Use, March 14, 2012

The Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI): Budget Authority and Request, FY2010-FY2013, March 15, 2012

Russia’s March 2012 Presidential Election:  Outcome and Implications, March 14, 2012

Income inequality in the United States is more pronounced than in other developed countries, a new report from the Congressional Research Service finds, while the possibility of economic mobility is more constrained than commonly believed.

“Based on the limited data that are comparable across nations, the U.S. income distribution appears to be among the most uneven of all major industrialized countries and the United States appears to be among the nations experiencing the greatest increases in measures of inequality.”

“Americans may be less concerned about inequality in the distribution of income at any given point in time partly because of a belief that everyone has an equal opportunity to move up the income ladder. A review of the literature suggests that Americans’ perceptions about their likelihood of changing position in the income distribution may be exaggerated,” the CRS report said.

“It… appears that going from rags to riches is relatively rare; that is, where one starts in the income distribution greatly influences where one ends up.”  See The U.S. Income Distribution and Mobility: Trends and International Comparisons, March 7, 2012.

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

Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis, March 13, 2012

Cybersecurity: Cyber Crime Protection Security Act (S.2111) — A Legal Analysis, March 12, 2012

Change in the Middle East: Implications for U.S. Policy, March 7, 2012

U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, March 12, 2012

Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress, February 24, 2012

Europe’s Energy Security: Options and Challenges to Natural Gas Supply Diversification, March 13, 2012

“In accordance with United States law, the U.S. Government places conditions on the use of defense articles and defense services transferred by it to foreign recipients,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service explains. “Violation of these conditions can lead to the suspension of deliveries or termination of the contracts for such defense items, among other things.”

In practice, however, no clear-cut violations have been found, so no contracts have been terminated.

“Since the major revision of U.S. arms export law in 1976, neither the President nor the Congress have actually determined that a violation did occur thus necessitating the termination of deliveries or sales or other penalties set out in section 3 of the Arms Export Control Act.”

On the other hand, the U.S. government has occasionally exercised options short of termination, including temporary suspension of weapon deliveries and refusal to allow new arms orders.

In the past, “The United States has utilized at least one such option against Argentina, Israel, Indonesia, and Turkey.”  Background on each of those cases is provided in the new CRS report.  A copy of the report was obtained by Secrecy News.

See U.S. Defense Articles and Services Supplied to Foreign Recipients: Restrictions on Their Use, March 6, 2012.

 

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

China’s Banking System: Issues for Congress, February 20, 2012

Rising Gasoline Prices 2012, March 1, 2012

Gun Control Legislation, March 2, 2012

Budget Process Reform: Proposals and Legislative Actions in 2012, March 2, 2012

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses, March 2, 2012

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made directly available to the public include the following.

North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, February 29, 2012

Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians, February 29, 2012

The Eurozone Crisis: Overview and Issues for Congress, February 29, 2012

Sovereign Debt in Advanced Economies: Overview and Issues for Congress, February 29, 2012

Direct Overt U.S. Aid and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2012, February 29, 2012

Military Construction: A Snapshot of the President’s FY2013 Appropriations Request, February 28, 2012

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

The Depreciating Dollar:  Economic Effects and Policy Response, February 23, 2012

Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions, January 30, 2012

Evaluating the Current Stance of Monetary Policy Using a Taylor Rule, January 30, 2012

Who Earns Pass-Through Business Income? An Analysis of Individual Tax Return Data, February 16, 2012

Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990, February 24, 2012

Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, February 27, 2012

Energy Projects on Federal Lands:  Leasing and Authorization, February 1, 2012

Financial Performance of the Major Oil Companies, 2007-2011, February 17, 2012

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

Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945, February 17, 2012

The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape, February 21, 2012

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, February 16, 2012

War Powers Litigation Initiated by Members of Congress Since the Enactment of the War Powers Resolution, February 17, 2012

Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy, February 21, 2012

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has declined to make readily available to the public include the following.

Extraterritorial Application of American Criminal Law, February 15, 2012

Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act: Federal Contractor Criminal Liability Overseas, February 15, 2012

Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons, February 14, 2012

The U.S. Export Control System and the President’s Reform Initiative, February 16, 2012

NATO Common Funds Burdensharing: Background and Current Issues, February 15, 2012

The Federal Budget: Issues for FY2013 and Beyond, February 17, 2012

Reducing the Budget Deficit: Policy Issues, February 15, 2012

Burma’s Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions, February 13, 2012

Previewing the Next Farm Bill, February 15, 2012

New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made publicly available include these.

Defense: FY2012 Budget Request, Authorization and Appropriations, February 13, 2012

Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments, February 13, 2012

Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues, February 13, 2012

Keeping America’s Pipelines Safe and Secure: Key Issues for Congress, February 13, 2012

Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview, February 14, 2012

Federal Employees’ Retirement System: Benefits and Financing, February 14, 2012

The Role of Local Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy, January 24, 2012

New and newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has not made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf).

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress, February 10, 2012

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, February 8, 2012

Military Base Closure: Socioeconomic Impacts, February 7, 2012

Intelligence Authorization Legislation: Status and Challenges, February 13, 2012

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Countries: Comparative Trade and Economic Analysis, February 8, 2012

Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests, February 10, 2012

U.S. Sanctions on Burma, February 7, 2012

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, February 6, 2012

Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress, February 9, 2012

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, February 9, 2012

Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, February 3, 2012

Iran Sanctions, February 10, 2012

Internet Governance and the Domain Name System: Issues for Congress, February 9, 2012

Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data, February 8, 2012

Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress, February 7, 2012