“Substantial implementation” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) will continue even as most of the federal government is shutdown, the Congressional Research Service explained in a new report. “A lapse in [government] funding does not automatically result in the suspension of applicable laws, including the filing and payment deadlines applicable to […]
Criticism of U.S. intelligence takes many forms: Intelligence agencies are too secretive, or they are too leaky. They over-collect, or they under-perform. Or all of these, and more besides. Many of the criticisms can be reduced to a single argument: The U.S. intelligence community has become too large to be properly managed. Interestingly, this is […]
If Congress fails to appropriate funds for the new fiscal year beginning October 1, then most of the government will be obliged to shut down and cease operations. However, based on past practice, some national security-related activities would be exempted from the shutdown. A newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service anticipates that “many […]
The Central Intelligence Agency tried to make “inappropriate” use of an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act to withhold information that was not subject to the exemption, a federal court ruled last month. In a significant interpretation of the Central Intelligence Agency Act, Judge Beryl A. Howell narrowed the permissible scope of records that […]
Noteworthy new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources, September 20, 2013 Reaching the Debt Limit: Background and Potential Effects on Government Operations, September 19, 2013 Across-the-Board Rescissions in Appropriations Acts: Overview and Recent Practices, September 20, 2013 […]
In a few days, Germans will head to the polls to vote in their federal elections. Few are predicting an easy win for long-standing German Chancellor, Angela Merkel (CDU/CSU), who is expected to face a serious but not insurmountable challenge. Unlike the SPD, Greens, FDP, and The Left, the Pirate Party has not been a […]
Kenneth L. Wainstein, the former head of the Justice Department National Security Division, was named to the Public Interest Declassification Board by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Mr. Wainstein is a smart guy and an honorable public servant. But he is not the first or second person most people might think of to help advance […]
In its endless pursuit of national security, the United States has compromised core Constitutional values including civilian control of the military and states’ rights, writes William M. Arkin in his new book “American Coup” (Little, Brown, 2013). Since 9/11, a growing fraction of the population been mobilized and credentialed in support of homeland security — […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News include the following. Rare Earth Elements in National Defense: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress, September 17, 2013 Chemical Weapons: A Summary Report of Characteristics and Effects, September 13, 2013 North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation, September 13, […]
Most of the world (including the U.S.) seems to be relieved now that there is affirmative progress towards eliminating Syria’s ghastly chemical weapon (CW) stockpiles, thereby avoiding (at least for now) a military strike that no one really wanted to undertake. The Syrian government has announced that it will soon join the Organization for the […]
The leak by Edward Snowden of a classified order issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) helped to arouse significant public interest, said the Court itself in an opinion issued today. Further disclosures are now justified, the Court indicated. “The unauthorized disclosure in June 2013 of a Section 215 order, and government statements in […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public access include the following. Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives, September 12, 2013 Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues, September 12, 2013 Possible U.S. Intervention in Syria: Issues […]