Presidential authority to seek modifications to NAFTA independent of Congress was addressed by the Congressional Research Service last week in Renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): What Actions Do Not Require Congressional Approval?, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 26, 2017.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II is visiting Washington today. See Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations, updated January 25, 2017.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Cross-Border Energy Trade in North America: Present and Potential, January 24, 2017
Clean Air Act Issues in the 115th Congress: In Brief, January 24, 2017
President Trump Freezes Federal Civil Service Hiring, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 26, 2017
Keystone Revival: Executive Memorandum Paves Way for Possible Approval of Keystone XL Pipeline, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 26, 2017
Dakota Access Pipeline: Siting Controversy, CRS Insight, updated January 26, 2017
House Office of Congressional Ethics: History, Authority, and Procedures, updated January 24, 2017
Affordable Care Act Executive Order: Legal Considerations, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 24, 2017
Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy, updated January 24, 2017
The First Responder Network (FirstNet) and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress, updated January 26, 2017
National Special Security Events: Fact Sheet, updated January 25, 2017
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.