The United States continued to lead global trade in conventional armaments last year, according to a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service, but overall trade declined from the year before.
“Worldwide weapons orders decreased in 2015. The total of $79.8 billion was a decrease from $89 billion in 2014. The United States’ worldwide weapons agreements values increased in value from $36.1 billion in 2014 to $40.2 billion in 2015. The U.S. market share increased greatly as well, from roughly 40.5% in 2014 to 50.3% in 2015. Although the United States retained its position as the leading arms supplying nation in the world, nearly all other major suppliers saw increases too.”
The CRS report is based on access to unclassified but unpublished government databases. As such, the 72-page document provides a uniquely informative view of the global arms trade. See Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2008-2015, December 19, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Defense Acquisitions: How and Where DOD Spends Its Contracting Dollars, updated December 20, 2016
U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians, updated December 16, 2016
Tribal Broadband: Status of Deployment and Federal Funding Programs, updated December 20, 2016
The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer, updated December 16, 2016
State Management of Federal Lands: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 16, 2016
The FCC’s Rules and Policies Regarding Media Ownership, Attribution, and Ownership Diversity, updated December 16, 2016
Special Minimum Wages for Workers with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 16, 2016
Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview, updated December 16, 2016
Restrictions on Lobbying the Government: Current Policy and Proposed Changes, CRS Insight, December 15, 2016
U.S. Policy on Cuban Migrants: In Brief, December 16, 2016
The African Union (AU): Key Issues and U.S.-AU Relations, December 16, 2016
DNA synthesis and export controls remain the primary regulatory safeguards against de novo production of harmful biological agents, yet governance frameworks lack the situational awareness and enforcement capacity to keep pace with rapidly falling technical barriers.
Called today to speak on behalf of U.S. science and technology, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist, educator, strategist, policy-maker, and science communicator, will provide constructive, nonpartisan feedback to the House Committee’s hearing “American Global Competitiveness at 250: Legislative Proposals to Secure U.S. Technology Leadership.”
“Federal data and access to it is not a partisan issue. It is a people issue. Our country cannot achieve greatness without access to the data that measure what we value, who we are, and where we’re heading.”
The United States’ biosecurity governance system is structurally incapable of detecting and responding to certain classes of threats. U.S. biosecurity tools have not kept pace with technological advancements or a changing threat landscape.