Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications. Jennifer K. Elsea, Legislative Attorney. Matthew C. Weed, Analyst in Foreign Policy Legislation. April 18, 2014 “From the Washington Administration to the present, Congress and the President have enacted 11 separate formal declarations of war against foreign nations in five different wars. Each declaration… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
DoD Defense Suicide Prevention Office Annual Report
“DSPO’s annual report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 details the office’s evolution, goals, priority areas, and key accomplishments. DSPO’s first annual report describes a range of initiatives it has led in collaboration with the Services and other public and private partners to prevent suicide among the U.S. Armed Forces…“The department takes suicide prevention very seriously… Continue Reading
Senate panel report on allegations of Homeland Security IG misconduct
Via WaPo – “Report from an oversight panel of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Operations Committee finds that Charles K. Edwards, the former senior watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security, altered and delayed investigations at the request of senior administration officials, compromising his independent role as an inspector general. Read the related story.“ Continue Reading
A User’s Guide to the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Budget
“The U.S. Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2015 budget request outlines a sound path to responsibly meet the risks and challenges of the current national security environment. The plan also proposes a number of smart, targeted reductions to defense spending that will maintain U.S. military capabilities and the All-Volunteer Force while helping return the country… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Telecommunications, Warfighter Support
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Projects and Policies Related to Deploying Broadband in Unserved and Underserved Areas, GAO-14-409: Published: Apr 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 23, 2014. WARFIGHTER SUPPORT: DOD Policy and Implementation Plan for Reconstitution of Forces, GAO-14-530R: Published: Apr 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 23, 2014. Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – National Defense, VA Construction
NATIONAL DEFENSE: Department of Defense’s Waiver of Competitive Prototyping Requirement for the Air Force’s B-2 Defensive Management System Modernization Program, GAO-14-522R: Published: Apr 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 22, 2014. VA CONSTRUCTION: VA’s Actions to Address Cost Increases at Denver and Other Major Medical-Facility Projects, GAO-14-548T: Published: Apr 22, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 22, 2014. Continue Reading
Report of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets
Report of the President’s Working (PWG) Group On Financial Markets. The Long-Term Availability and Affordability ofInsurance for Terrorism Risk. Completed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 6701 note § 108(e) April 2014. “Consistent with the 2006 and 2010 PWG reports, this Report draws its data and conclusions from commentssubmitted in response to the PWG Notice, particularly data provided by two… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Maritime Infrastructure, Medicare Imaging Accreditation, Nuclear Weapons
MARITIME INFRASTRUCTURE: Key Issues Related to Commercial Activity in the U.S. Arctic over the Next Decade, GAO-14-299: Published: Mar 19, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 18, 2014. MEDICARE IMAGING ACCREDITATION: Effect on Access to Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Is Unclear amid Other Policy Changes, GAO-14-378: Published: Apr 18, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 18, 2014. NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Technology Development Efforts for the Uranium Processing Facility, GAO-14-295:… Continue Reading
U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel
CRS – U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel – Jeremy M. Sharp, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, April 11, 2014 “This report provides an overview of U.S. foreign assistance to Israel. It includes a review of past aid programs, data on annual assistance, and an analysis of current issues. For general information on Israel, see CRS Report RL33476, Israel: Background and… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – DoD Contracting, Foreign Aid, NASA, Environmental Policy Act
ARMY MODULAR FORCE STRUCTURE: Annual Report Generally Met Requirements, but Challenges in Estimating Costs and Assessing Capability Remain, GAO-14-294: Published: Apr 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 16, 2014. DEFENSE CONTRACTING: DOD’s Use of Class Justifications for Sole-Source Contracts, GAO-14-427R: Published: Apr 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Apr 16, 2014. FOREIGN AID: USAID Has Increased Funding to Partner-Country Organizations but Could Better… Continue Reading
Beta Release of Workforce Statistics Analysis Tool
“The U.S. Census Bureau is unveiling a new Web-based analysis tool that provides access to the full Quarterly Workforce Indicators dataset. The tool — named QWI Explorer — includes measures on employment, job creation and destruction, hires and wages from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics program. QWI Explorer allows users to compare, rank and aggregate indicators… Continue Reading
Report – Unclassified Summary of Information Handling and Sharing Prior to Boston Marathon Bombings
Inspectors General – DOJ, DHS, CIA: Unclassified Summary of Information Handling and Sharing Prior to the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings – As outlined in a May 21, 2013, memorandum from the participating Inspectors General, the objectives of this review were to determine: [1] The extent of the information available to the U.S. government concerning the relevant… Continue Reading
