Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News include the following (all pdf).
“Mexico’s Drug-Related Violence,” May 27, 2009.
“The 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) ‘Swine Flu’ Outbreak: U.S. Responses to Global Human Cases,” May 26, 2009.
“The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11,” updated May 15, 2009.
“USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives After 15 Years: Issues for Congress,” May 27, 2009.
“Airport Improvement Program (AIP): Reauthorization Issues for Congress,” May 29, 2009.
“Identity Theft: Trends and Issues,” May 27, 2009.
The human cost is measured in deaths. The financial cost is measured in the $52 billion taxpayers pay annually end stage renal disease – double NASA’s budget.
Gilman Louie, Longest Serving Board Chair of the Federation of American Scientists, Named Chair Emeritus
The proposed Office will resurrect the long-closed Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), the archive of which has been maintained by FAS for decades at https://ota.fas.org/.
If Congress needs help understanding the risks and rewards of a piece of technology, they shouldn’t have to rely solely on the sparknotes from a salesman. The rub is much simpler: Congress needs nerds.