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
There is no question this is a Big Deal. If you are a university or research lab, or aspire to work in one, or are simply an enthusiast of federally-funded research, what’s next will matter.
The emerging federal metascience community is asking fascinating questions that are equally vital for democratic legitimacy: beyond “did this program work” to “how does the federal R&D enterprise itself work, and how could it work better?”
If you’re new to the climate intervention space, welcome! The TL;DR: if we can’t stop the most catastrophic impacts of climate change with current tools quickly enough, then we need a bigger toolbox.
After months of delay, the council tasked by President Trump to review the FEMA released its final report. Our disaster policy nerds have thoughts.