Congress has the constitutional authority to conduct its business in secret and to close its proceedings to the public whenever it deems secrecy necessary. A new report from the Congressional Research Service reviews the justification, history and frequency of secret sessions of Congress.
“Since 1929, the Senate has held 56 secret sessions, generally for reasons of national security or for consideration of impeachment questions. On December 20, 2010, for example, the Senate met in closed session to discuss the New START Treaty with Russia,” the CRS report said. “Since 1830, the House has met behind closed doors only four times: in 1979, 1980, 1983, and 2008.”
“The proceedings of a secret session are not published unless the relevant chamber votes, during the meeting or at a later time, to release them. Then, those portions released are printed in the Congressional Record.” See “Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency,” November 30, 2011.
The emphasis on interagency consensus, while well-intentioned, has become a structural impediment to bold or innovative policy options. When every agency effectively holds veto power over proposals, the path of least resistance becomes maintaining existing approaches with minor modifications.
The Federation of American Scientists supports H.R. 471, the re-introduction of the Fix Our Forests Act.
As people become less able to distinguish between what is real and what is fake, it has become easier than ever to be misled by synthetic content, whether by accident or with malicious intent. This makes advancing alternative countermeasures, such as technical solutions, more vital than ever before.
Throughout this phase of work, there are many actions hiring managers and staffing specialists can take to streamline the process and improve the quality of eligible candidates. Most importantly, hiring managers and staffing specialists can collaborate within and across agencies to expedite and simplify the process.