The U.S. Infant Mortality Rate, and More from CRS
New or newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following.
The U.S. Infant Mortality Rate: International Comparisons, Underlying Factors, and Federal Programs, April 4, 2012
The Peace Corps: Current Issues, April 4, 2012
Women in Combat: Issues for Congress, April 5, 2012
Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, April 4, 2012
Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress, April 5, 2012
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, April 4, 2012
National Science Foundation: Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction, April 4, 2012
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Authorization, Operation, and Drawdown Policy, April 2, 2012
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA): A Summary, April 5, 2012
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.
If we set up the new OTA to do its job well, members will see it as the first stop to see what issues are lurking around the corner. They will bring their questions early. And they will keep coming back for more.
Even the best-designed policy rests on assumptions about who will staff it, how it will be funded, whether the responsible institutions have ever coordinated, and if the goals are achievable.