“Today, Chairman Bennie G. Thompson announced the Select Committee’s first round of demands for records as the committee expands its investigation into the January 6th violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and its causes. In letters to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and seven other Executive Branch agencies, Chairman Thompson renewed and expanded… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
GPO Makes Available Statute Compilations in USLM XML Format
“The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and its legislative data partners in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have made Statute Compilations available in USLM XML format. This new format makes documents easier to use, read, and download. The public can access the compilations on GPO’s trusted digital repository govinfo, the one-stop… Continue Reading
Congress.gov August 2021 New, Tip, and Top
In Custodia Legis: “At the end of July, Andrew shared the enhancements from the last Congress.gov release, which included adding Key Word In Context (KWIC) search results for the Bound Congressional Record and new customization options for bill alerts. With this month’s release, a link to the treaty errata tab from the overview section on… Continue Reading
What is the Constitution Annotated?
In Custodia Legis: “For over a hundred years, the Constitution Annotated—officially The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation—has served as Congress’s Constitution of record. A Senate document, the Constitution Annotated surveys and illuminates how the Supreme Court of the United States has interpreted every provision of the Constitution throughout the nation’s… Continue Reading
Not a single federal agency received an ‘A’ in a new Senate cybersecurity report card
Popular Science: “On Tuesday, members from the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released a bipartisan report [PDF] that states that seven out of the eight federal agencies they reviewed still have not met the basic cybersecurity standards needed to protect the sensitive data they stored and maintained. The report was led by… Continue Reading
Federal Cybersecurity: America’s Data Still at Risk
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Rob Portman, Ranking Member. Gary Peters, Chairman. Federal Cybersecurity: America’s Data Still at Risk. August 2021: “..The current state of cyber espionage. In the past two years, state-sponsored hackers have perpetrated some of the largest and most damaging cyber-attacks in our history. In December 2020, we… Continue Reading
New congressional report says covid-19 likely emerged in Wuhan months earlier than originally thought
Washington Post: “Nineteen months after the start of the pandemic, the Chinese government continues to actively thwart a real investigation into the origins of covid-19. Now, a new GOP congressional report alleges that Beijing was covering up the outbreak for months longer than previously assumed. The House Foreign Affairs Committee minority staff, led by ranking… Continue Reading
Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources
Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources Updated July 30, 2021 – “USAspending.gov, available at https://www.USAspending.gov, is a government source for data on federal awards by state, congressional district (CD), county, city, and zip code. The awards data in USAspending.gov are provided byfederal agencies and represent contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance.… Continue Reading
LC Upcoming US Law Webinars – August 2021
In Custodia Legis: [In August 2021], the Law Library of Congress will present a webinar on federal statutes. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the legislative process and how to trace federal statutes from their publication in the U.S. Code to their origins as bills. Participants will also learn about the difference between… Continue Reading
DOJ – Trump officials can testify in inquiries into efforts to subvert election outcome
The New York Times: “The Justice Department notified former officials this week that they could testify to the various committees investigating the Trump administration’s efforts to subvert the results of the presidential election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. Witnesses can give “unrestricted… Continue Reading
House Bill Would Create Long-Awaited Software and Data Roles at Federal Agencies
NextGov: “The federal government would finally be able to hire specifically for “software development,” “software engineering,” “data management,” and “knowledge management” positions under new legislation before the House. Over multiple administrations, the federal government has tried to get better at hiring and retaining tech-savvy employees but continues to meet challenges, including the lack of specific… Continue Reading
Artificial Intelligence: An Accountability Framework for Federal Agencies and Other Entities
Artificial Intelligence: An Accountability Framework for Federal Agencies and Other Entities GAO-21-519SP Published: Jun 30, 2021. “As a nation, we have yet to grasp the full benefits or unwanted effects of artificial intelligence. AI is widely used, but how do we know it’s working appropriately? This report identifies key accountability practices—centered around the principles of… Continue Reading
