Air Force Aviation Investment, and More from CRS
The U.S. Air Force is attempting to develop and procure multiple major aircraft systems at the same time, generating programmatic and budgetary uncertainty.
“The United States Air Force is in the midst of an ambitious aviation modernization program, driven primarily by the age of its current aircraft fleets,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes. “Four major programs are in procurement, with five more in research and development (R&D).”
“The need to replace several types of aircraft simultaneously poses challenges to future budgets, as the new programs compete with existing program commitments and normal program growth under a restricted service topline.” The CRS report examined the options for addressing these challenges. See The Air Force Aviation Investment Challenge, December 11, 2015.
Other new and updated CRS reports that have been issued in the past few days include these:
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 14, 2015
Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 14, 2015
Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 11, 2015
Effect of Corinthian Colleges’ Closure on Student Financial Aid: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 14, 2015
Medicaid Financing and Expenditures, updated December 14, 2015
Is the Penalty for Failing to Report Overseas Accounts (FBAR) Unconstitutional?, CRS Legal Sidebar, December 14, 2015
FDA Naturally Requests Public Comments on the Use of “Natural” on Food Labels, CRS Legal Sidebar, December 11, 2015
Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents, updated December 10, 2015
Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, updated December 11, 2015
The H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap: In Brief, December 11, 2015
China-U.S. Trade Issues, updated December 13, 2015
The public rarely sees the quiet, often messy work that goes into creating, passing, and implementing a major piece of legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act.
If this proposed rule were enacted it would have deleterious effects on government workers in general and federal researchers and scientists, specifically.
When we introduce “at-will” employment to government employees, we also introduce the potential for environments where people are more concerned about self-preservation than service to others.
There is no better time to re-invigorate America’s innovation edge by investing in R&D to create and capture “industries of the future,” re-shoring capital and expertise, and working closely with allies to expand our capabilities while safeguarding those technologies that are critical to our security.