The Exon-Florio Act of 1988, which permits the President to block foreign takeover of certain types of U.S. companies on national security grounds, has been in the news lately in connection with the proposed acquisition of six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World.
Some useful background on that statute is provided by the Congressional Research Service in “The Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment,” updated February 23, 2006.
The substance of the Pentagon’s notion of “defense transformation” and the spin surrounding it are considered in another newly-updated CRS report.
“Some observers are concerned that the Administration’s regular use of the term transformation has turned the concept of transformation into an empty slogan or buzz-phrase.”
“Other observers are concerned that the Administration has invoked the term transformation as an all-purpose rhetorical tool for justifying its various proposals for DOD, whether they relate to transformation or not, and for encouraging minimal debate on those proposals by tying the concept of transformation to the urgent need to fight the war on terrorism.”
See “Defense Transformation: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress,” updated February 17, 2006.
The United States Air Force has forward deployed about one-third of its B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia, or about half the B-2s considered fully operational at any given time.
Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of injury and death and innovations in the built environment can save money and lives.
By requiring all states to conduct flood infrastructure vulnerability assessments (FIVAs), the federal government can limit its financial liability while advancing a more efficient and effective model of flood resilience that puts states and localities at the fore.
FAS is invested in seeing more students gain science and technology skills and enter STEM careers, both for students and for our country’s competitive advantage.