Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all pdf).
“Defense Contracting in Iraq: Issues and Options for Congress,” updated May 6, 2008.
“The National Security Council: An Organizational Assessment,” updated April 21, 2008.
“Homeland Security Department: FY2009 Request for Appropriations,” May 6, 2008.
“Japan’s Nuclear Future: Policy Debate, Prospects, and U.S. Interests,” May 9, 2008.
“Does Price Transparency Improve Market Efficiency? Implications of Empirical Evidence in Other Markets for the Health Sector,” updated April 29, 2008.
“The “Red-Dead” Canal: Israeli-Arab Efforts to Restore the Dead Sea,” May 13, 2008.
The new alignment signals a clear shift in priorities: offices dedicated to clean energy and energy efficiency have been renamed, consolidated, or eliminated, while new divisions elevate hydrocarbons, fusion, and a combined Office of AI & Quantum.
We came out of the longest shutdown in history and we are all worse for it. Who won the shutdown fight? It doesn’t matter – Americans lost. And there is a chance we run it all back again in a few short months.
Promising examples of progress are emerging from the Boston metropolitan area that show the power of partnership between researchers, government officials, practitioners, and community-based organizations.
Americans trade stocks instantly, but spend 13 hours on tax forms. They send cash by text, but wait weeks for IRS responses. The nation’s revenue collector ranks dead last in citizen satisfaction. The problem isn’t just paperwork — it’s how the government builds.