For reasons that are hard to comprehend, Congress for many years has directed the Congressional Research Service not to make its products directly available to the public.
CRS reports naturally vary in quality, originality and breadth of focus. But as a class of documents, they are both interesting and useful. Along with impartial treatments of complex policy issues, they often provide unexpected, telling detail. (“At present, about 30 million Americans, nearly 10% of the population, are subject to debt collection for amounts averaging $1,500 per person,” a newly updated report on the subject notes in passing, citing the CFPB.) Even in cases where individual reports are deficient, they are nonetheless significant to the extent that they help to inform congressional deliberation. It is therefore proper and necessary that they should be available to the public.
Some of the latest CRS reports that have been withheld from public access are posted below.
The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, April 17, 2013
Western Sahara, April 14, 2013
Cybersecurity: Selected Legal Issues, April 17, 2013
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, April 17, 2013
Ricin: Technical Background and Potential Role in Terrorism, April 17, 2013 (see related commentary from George Smith here)
Child Welfare: Structure and Funding of the Adoption Incentives Program along with Reauthorization Issues, April 18, 2013
The Independent Payment Advisory Board, April 17, 2013
The World Bank Group Energy Sector Strategy, April 16, 2013
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), April 11, 2013
Codes of Conduct for Multinational Corporations: An Overview, April 16, 2013
Changes to the Residential Mortgage Market: Legislation, Demographics, and Other Drivers, April 16, 2013
International Climate Change Financing: The Green Climate Fund (GCF), April 16, 2013
Submission of Mental Health Records to NICS and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, April 15, 2013
Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs, April 15, 2013
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Acquisition: Issues for Congress, April 16, 2013
“Gang of Four” Congressional Intelligence Notifications, April 16, 2013
Ensuring That Traffic Signs Are Visible at Night: Federal Regulations, April 16, 2013
Promising examples of progress are emerging from the Boston metropolitan area that show the power of partnership between researchers, government officials, practitioners, and community-based organizations.
Americans trade stocks instantly, but spend 13 hours on tax forms. They send cash by text, but wait weeks for IRS responses. The nation’s revenue collector ranks dead last in citizen satisfaction. The problem isn’t just paperwork — it’s how the government builds.
In a new report, we begin to address these fundamental implementation questions based on discussions with over 80 individuals – from senior political staff to individual project managers – involved in the execution of major clean energy programs through the Department of Energy (DOE).
FAS supports the bipartisan Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act under review in the House, just as we supported the earlier Senate version. Rep. David Min (D-CA) and Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) are leading the bill.