FAS

“Notwithstanding Any Other Provision of Law,” and More from CRS

02.12.16 | 2 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The phrase “notwithstanding any other provision of law” has already appeared in bills introduced in the current Congress more than 600 times, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Research Service.

“Does the presence of this phrase in an enactment really mean that no other statutes apply, as is sometimes suggested? The short answer is: not necessarily.”

See “Notwithstanding Any Other Provision of Law”: Does It Really Mean That No Other Provisions of Law Apply?, CRS Legal Sidebar, February 10, 2016.

Other new and updated Congressional Research Service reports that Congress has withheld from public release include the following.

The Shutdown of the Joint North/South Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex, CRS Insight, February 11, 2016

Volkswagen, Defeat Devices, and the Clean Air Act: Frequently Asked Questions, February 10, 2016

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Waiver Authority and Modification of Volumes, February 10, 2016

An Overview of USDA Rural Development Programs, updated February 10, 2016

Private Health Insurance Market Reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), updated February 10, 2016

Renewed Crypto Wars?, CRS Insight, February 9, 2016

Water Infrastructure Financing: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program, February 9, 2016

Social Security Primer, updated February 9, 2016

DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE): A Primer, with Appropriations for FY2016, February 9, 2016

The Peace Corps: Current Issues, updated February 9, 2016

EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track?, updated February 9, 2016

Aung San Suu Kyi’s Party Takes Control of Parliament in Burma, CRS Insight, February 9, 2016

China’s Recent Stock Market Volatility: What Are the Implications?, CRS Insight, updated February 11, 2016

The U.S.-Japan Alliance, updated February 9, 2016

The Islamic State and U.S. Policy, updated February 9, 2016

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Blog
Everything You Need to Know (and Ask!) About OPM’s New Schedule Policy/Career Role: Oversight Resource for OPM’s Schedule Policy/Career Rule

This rule gives agencies significantly more authority over certain career policy roles. Whether that authority improves accountability or creates new risks depends almost entirely on how agencies interrupt and apply it. 

02.13.26 | 8 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Policy Memo
Report
Rebuilding Environmental Governance: Understanding the Foundations

Our environmental system was built for 1970s-era pollution control, but today it needs stable, integrated, multi-level governance that can make tradeoffs, share and use evidence, and deliver infrastructure while demonstrating that improved trust and participation are essential to future progress.

02.12.26 | 26 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Policy Memo
Report
Costs Come First in a Reset Climate Agenda

Durable and legitimate climate action requires a government capable of clearly weighting, explaining, and managing cost tradeoffs to the widest away of audiences, which in turn requires strong technocratic competency.

02.12.26 | 41 min read
read more
Environment
Press release
FAS Launches New “Center for Regulatory Ingenuity” to Modernize American Governance, Drive Durable Climate Progress

FAS is launching the Center for Regulatory Ingenuity (CRI) to build a new, transpartisan vision of government that works – that has the capacity to achieve ambitious goals while adeptly responding to people’s basic needs.

02.12.26 | 4 min read
read more