Conservative Leader Urges Public Access to CRS Reports
Paul M. Weyrich, the influential culture warrior who leads the arch-conservative Free Congress Foundation, has called upon Congress to grant public access to products of the Congressional Research Service.
“It seems to me that it is time to end the foolishness and just make the CRS website available to the general public,” Mr. Weyrich wrote in a new commentary.
Does Mr. Weyrich’s endorsement of public access to CRS reports imply that continued restrictions on such access might actually be desirable? Of course not.
Here are some recent acquisitions (all pdf).
“The Executive Office of the President: An Historical Overview,” updated November 28, 2006.
“Radioactive Tank Waste from the Past Production of Nuclear Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress,” updated January 3, 2007.
“United Nations Reform: U.S. Policy and International Perspectives,” January 22, 2007.
As humans expand our geographic reach, encroach on untouched natural territories, and interact more with animal populations, we will encounter novel zoonotic diseases that threaten the human body. The sooner we act to address these risks, the better.
This report serves as a landscape assessment and toolbox from which local governments can negotiate an informed position when it comes to the levers available to them and includes a first-of-its kind analysis of eight executed community benefits agreements.
When a hurricane hits, it’s all hands on deck – that goes for federal data, too. Pulling back from our investments in timely, accurate, and accessible public data will only make us less prepared and put us all at greater risk.
This is bigger than a singular elimination of race and ethnicity questions. It could accelerate the second wave of widespread reductions to demographic data, leaving public health officials with even less information to deliver better health outcomes for all Americans.