“Finding data on federal grants and contracts awarded to states and congressional districts, local governments, nonprofit organizations, contractors, and other eligible entities may present challenges,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes.
The various tools that are available to help meet those challenges are cataloged and described by CRS in Tracking Federal Funds: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources, May 13, 2015.
Other noteworthy new and updated CRS reports include the following.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: Ongoing Outbreak, CRS Insights, May 19, 2015
Selected Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 114th Congress, May 19, 2015
Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies, updated May 19, 2015
Deployable Federal Assets Supporting Domestic Disaster Response Operations: Summary and Considerations for Congress, updated May 13, 2015
Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy and Implementation, updated May 12, 2015
Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview, updated May 12, 2015
Candidates, Groups, and the Campaign Finance Environment, CRS Insights, May 19, 2015
Uncertainty in Financial Projections of Social Security, CRS Insights, May 14, 2015
Freedom of Navigation and Territorial Seas, CRS Legal Sidebar, May 18, 2015
Iran, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy, updated May 19, 2015
Perspectives on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) “Torture Report” and Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: In Brief, updated May 14, 2015
Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization in Brief, May 19, 2015
Sunset of Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, memorandum for the House Judiciary Committee, May 19, 2015
When a hurricane hits, it’s all hands on deck – that goes for federal data, too. Pulling back from our investments in timely, accurate, and accessible public data will only make us less prepared and put us all at greater risk.
This is bigger than a singular elimination of race and ethnicity questions. It could accelerate the second wave of widespread reductions to demographic data, leaving public health officials with even less information to deliver better health outcomes for all Americans.
Soft law was never meant to be a permanent solution. Treating it as one, and letting the sandcastle stand in for the skyscraper indefinitely, is how we end up with a decade of voluntary commitments and no enforceable accountability to show for it.
FAS has partnered with ICLEI USA to launch the CRI Local Advisory Council.