Incoming members of Congress face a steep learning curve in trying to understand, let alone master, many diverse areas of public policy such as national defense.
To help facilitate that learning process, the Congressional Research Service has issued a series of “defense primers” that provide a brief introduction to a variety of defense policy topics. Several of them have recently been updated, including these:
Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design, CRS In Focus, updated November 8, 2018
Defense Primer: Department of the Navy, CRS In Focus, updated November 8, 2018
Defense Primer: Naval Forces, CRS In Focus, updated November 8, 2018
Defense Primer: United States Airpower, CRS In Focus, updated November 7, 2018:
Defense Primer: The United States Air Force, CRS In Focus, updated November 7, 2018
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Energy and Water Development Appropriations: Nuclear Weapons Activities, updated November 9, 2018
The Posse Comitatus Act and Related Matters: The Use of the Military to Execute Civilian Law, updated November 6, 2018
The DOD’s JEDI Cloud Program, CRS Insight, updated November 5, 2018
Iran: Efforts to Preserve Economic Benefits of the Nuclear Deal, CRS In Focus, updated November 8, 2018
Iran Sanctions, updated November 6, 2018
Global Trends in HIV/AIDS, CRS In Focus, November 6, 2018
21st Century U.S. Energy Sources: A Primer, updated November 5, 2018
Investing in interventions behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals—it is a public safety and economic imperative. By reducing recidivism through education and family contact, we can improve reentry outcomes and save billions in taxpayer dollars.
The U.S. government should establish a public-private National Exposome Project (NEP) to generate benchmark human exposure levels for the ~80,000 chemicals to which Americans are regularly exposed.
The federal government spends billions every year on wildfire suppression and recovery. Despite this, the size and intensity of fires continues to grow, increasing costs to human health, property, and the economy as a whole.
To respond and maintain U.S. global leadership, USAID should transition to heavily favor a Fixed-Price model to enhance the United States’ ability to compete globally and deliver impact at scale.