FAS

Presidential Transitions, & More from CRS

11.18.16 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The complexities and some of the potential pitfalls of the presidential transition period are described in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.

“A variety of events, decisions, and activities contribute to what some may characterize as the unfolding drama of a presidential transition. Interparty transitions in particular might be contentious.”

The report addresses the use of executive orders, record preservation and clemency actions by the outgoing Administration, as well as cybersecurity, budget preparation, political appointments, and so forth. See Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations, updated November 16, 2016.

Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress, updated November 15, 2016

The Congressional Review Act: Frequently Asked Questions, updated November 17, 2016

Infrastructure Finance and Debt to Support Surface Transportation Investment, updated November 17, 2016

Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates, updated November 16, 2016

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) Transitional Reinsurance Program, November 16, 2016

CRISPR: A Revolutionary Tool for Editing the Code of Life?, CRS Insight, November 17, 2016

Certain U.S. Laws for Foreign Workers Draw Fire from India in the WTO, CRS Legal Sidebar, November 16, 2016

Justice Department’s Role in Cyber Incident Response, CRS Insight, November 15, 2016

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay: History and Legal Issues Regarding Its Lease Agreements, updated November 17, 2016

Iran Sanctions, updated November 16, 2016

Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention, updated November 16, 2016

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Press release
Denice Ross of the Federation of American Scientists Named NAPA Academy Fellow

Denice Ross, former U.S. Chief Data Scientist and Data Policy Institute lead at the Federation of American Scientists, will be honored for her stewardship of public data by the National Academy of Public Administration, where she has been named a Fellow.

11.10.26 | 3 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
NATO Nuclear Posture Moving North; New Satellite Images Show Extent of New Construction at RAF Lakenheath

Confirmation that the construction of the security perimeter and associated security infrastructure at RAF Lakenheath are still ongoing once again raises questions about whether U.S. nuclear weapons have already been deployed to the base.

11.05.26 | 7 min read
read more
Climate & Environment
Blog
New Climate Intervention Regulation in Alaska Takes Inspiration from Permitting That Already Works

Alaskans are sensibly pulling back from the vogue for bans and returning to a western tradition that has worked for more than half a century – one that welcomes innovation but also oversees it closely.

11.05.26 | 3 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Blog
Why America Needs to Grow the Field of Data Policy

The strength of our nation’s data policy isn’t just in the rules we write, but in how effectively we translate those rules into a system that prioritizes the public good. Join us in this movement to design and build more resilient national data policies.

11.02.26 | 5 min read
read more