Congressional Research Service Reports - 241 Matching Results
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- Whales and Sonar: Environmental Exemptions for the Navy's Mid-Frequency Active Sonar Training
- This report discusses litigation regarding the use of mid-frequency active sonar training exercises and its effects on marine mammals.
- Department of Defense Fuel Spending, Supply, Acquisition, and Policy
- This report discusses various aspects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) fuel consumption and any resulting policy considerations for Congress.
- Department of Defense Fuel Spending, Supply, Acquisition, and Policy
- This report discusses various aspects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) fuel consumption and any resulting policy considerations for Congress.
- Military Uniform Procurement: Questions and Answers
- This report discusses military uniform procurement through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the Department of Defense.
- Office of Management and Budget Circular A- 76 and the Proposed Moratorium on Future DOD Competitions: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report will discuss the current moratorium on the conduct of A-76 competitions. In the event that A-76 competitions are no longer conducted within DOD, Congress may opt to examine other mechanisms to help federal agencies achieve greater efficiencies and garner costs savings.
- The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
- This report analyzes war funding for the Defense Department and tracks funding for USAID and VA Medical funding.
- The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
- This report analyzes war funding for the Defense Department and tracks funding for USAID and VA Medical funding.
- Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars, FY2001-FY2012: Cost and Other Potential Issues
- In February and March 2009, the Obama Administration announced its overall plans to increase troop levels in Afghanistan and decrease troop levels in Iraq for 2009 through 2011. Using several Department of Defense (DOD) data reports, this report describes, analyzes, and estimates deployed troop strength from the 9/11 attacks to FY2012 to provide Congress with a tool to assess current and future DOD war funding requests; implications for the U.S. military presence in the region; and deployment burdens on individual service members and each of the services.
- NATO's 60th Anniversary Summit
- This report provides an overview and analysis of the key issues to be discussed at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) April summit on April 3 and 4, 2009.
- Intelligence Issues for Congress
- This report explores the various issues currently facing Congress in regards to intelligence and counterterrorism activities, including the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (P.L. 108-458), signed in December 2004; the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), which that act created; the importance of collaborative efforts between various intelligence agencies to successfully carry out counterterrorism measures; and other pieces of legislation relevant to such matters.
- Intelligence Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the efforts currently underway to improve coordination and encourage better analysis amongst the various agencies within the U.S. Intelligence Community, especially with regard to the ongoing and prominent issue of international terrorism. In particular, this report addresses the false intelligence regarding Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the current efforts in Iraq and Iran in general.
- Intelligence Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the efforts currently underway to improve coordination and encourage better analysis amongst the various agencies within the U.S. Intelligence Community, especially with regard to the ongoing and prominent issue of international terrorism. In particular, this report addresses the false intelligence regarding Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the current efforts in Iraq and Iran in general.
- The National Security Council: An Organizational Assessment
- The National Security Council (NSC) was established in 1947. This report describes the history of the NSC, how is structure and influence have varied over the years from one Administration to another, what its current structure and who its current members are, varying opinions as to what the role of the NSC should be, and future developments for the NSC.
- The National Security Council: An Organizational Assessment
- This study reviews the organizational history of the National Security Council (NSC) and other related components of the Executive Office regarding their changing role in the national security policy process. It is intended to provide information on the NSC's development as well as subsequent usage.
- Director of National Intelligence Statutory Authorities: Status and Proposals
- This report discusses the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) position created by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-458). It includes an overview of the authorities granted to the DNI by legislation in 2004 and later as well as the varying opinions of Congress regarding new DNI authorities, as well as related legislation.
- Navy-Marine Corps Strike-Fighter Shortfall: Background and Options for Congress
- This report discusses congressional concerns about a projected inventory shortfall in Navy and Marine Corps strike-fighters. Some industry sources believe the shortfall is likely to be much larger than the Navy currently projects. Options for addressing the shortfall include extending strike-fighter service lives and increasing planned procurement of strike-fighters.
- Potential F-22 Raptor Export to Japan
- This report discusses issues surrounding Japan's interest in purchasing the F-22A Raptor aircraft from the United States. Although the export of the plane is now prohibited by U.S. law, Congress has recently and may again consider repealing this ban.
- War in Afghanistan: Strategy, Military Operations, and Issues for Congress
- The character of the war in Afghanistan evolved from a violent struggle against al Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a multi-faceted counterinsurgency (COIN) effort. This report provides an examination of the war's background, context, and early execution; an analytical discussion of the COIN war to date, including strategy, organization, participation, and key facets of the effort including population security, advising the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), counter-narcotics, reconciliation, community outreach, and civil-military coordination; and an analysis of major strategic and operational issues and options that the 111th Congress may opt to consider.
- Service by a Member of Congress in the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves
- This report will analyze the legal issues related to Members of Congress serving in the Armed Forces Reserves during their congressional tenure. It will discuss previous congressional action regarding Members' simultaneous service as well as federal legislation addressing the status of Reservists. It will also analyze court decisions related to challenges to simultaneous service.
- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": The Law and Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior
- This report describes the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, which holds that the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in same-sex acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability. This report also describes recent efforts by certain Members of Congress to amending this policy.
- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell:" The Law and Military Policy on Same-Sex Behavior
- This report describes the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, which holds that the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in same-sex acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability. This report also describes recent efforts by certain Members of Congress to amending this policy.
- Homosexuals and the U.S. Military: Current Issues
- This report examines the "don't ask, don't tell," policy in the U.S. military. "Don't ask, don't tell," holds that the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability. Service members are not to be asked about nor allowed to discuss their homosexuality.
- Military Recruitment on High School and College Campuses: A Policy and Legal Analysis
- This report describes the various laws regarding military recruitment on high school and college campuses, as well as discusses the policy and legal issues that they may raise. Meanwhile, several bills that would amend these military recruitment provisions have been introduced in the 111th Congress, including H.R. 1026, H.R. 1091, and S. 87.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report consists of a brief table summarizing casualty data compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), including fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 19, 2003, and since May 1, 2003, including statistics on those wounded, but not killed, since March 19, 2003.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report consists of a brief table summarizing casualty data compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), including fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 19, 2003, and since May 1, 2003, including statistics on those wounded, but not killed, since March 19, 2003.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report presents casualty data compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD) as tallied from the agency's press releases.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report contains a table that provides statistics on fatalities and injuries during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report contains a table that provides statistics on fatalities and injuries during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003.
- Iraq: U.S. Casualties
- This report contains a table that provides statistics on fatalities and injuries during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003.
- Congress as a Consumer of Intelligence Information
- This report examines the role of Congress as a consumer of national intelligence and examines several issues that Congress might address in the 111th Congress.
- Covert Action: Legislative Background and Possible Policy Questions
- Published reports have suggested that in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Pentagon has expanded its counter-terrorism intelligence activities as part of what the Bush Administration termed the global war on terror. This report discusses the Department of Defense's (DOD) various counter-terrorist intelligence activities, whether or not they constitute classification as "covert action," and the challenge of clarifying the roles and responsibilities of various intelligence activities with regard to clandestine activities. This report examines the statutory procedures governing covert action and associated questions to consider.
- Covert Action: Legislative Background and Possible Policy Questions
- This report examines the statutory procedures governing covert action and associated questions to consider. Published reports have suggested that the Pentagon has expanded its counter-terrorism intelligence activities, and some observers have asserted that the Department of Defense (DOD) may have been conducting certain kinds of counterterrorism intelligence activities that would statutorily qualify as "covert actions," and thus require a presidential finding and the notification of the congressional intelligence committees.
- Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress
- This report is designed to provide an assessment of current Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) developments, in the context of relevant background, in order to support congressional consideration of short-term and long-term strategy and policy issues.
- National Security Letters: Proposed Amendments in the 111th Congress
- This report includes a chart comparing the provisions of the bills and current law. It also reprints the text of the five National Security Letters (NSL) statutes as they now appear and as they appeared prior to amendment by the USA PATRIOT Act (to which form they would have returned under some of the bills).
- National Security Letters: Proposed Amendments in the 111th Congress
- This report includes a chart comparing the provisions of the bills and current law. It also reprints the text of the five National Security Letters (NSL) statutes as they now appear and as they appeared prior to amendment by the USA PATRIOT Act (to which form they would have returned under some of the bills).
- Defense Production Act: Purpose and Scope
- This report discusses the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, which confers upon the President authority to force private industry to give priority to defense and homeland security contracts and to allocate the resources needed.
- Military Installation Real Property and Services: Proposed Legislation in the 111th Congress
- This report analyzes the key provisions of legislation that would modify or expand statutory authorities granted to senior executives of the Department of Defense (DOD), identifies probable effects of the proposed amendments to existing law, and suggests issues raised for congressional consideration.
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report discusses the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget request for the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which provides funding for the planning, design, construction, alteration, and improvement of facilities used by active and reserve military components worldwide.
- Comparison of Rights in Military Commission Trials and Trials in Federal Criminal Court
- This report provides a brief summary of legal issues raised by the choice of forum for trying accused terrorists and a table comparing selected military commissions rules under the Military Commissions Act, as amended, to the corresponding rules that apply in federal court.
- The Military Commissions Act of 2006: Background and Proposed Amendments
- This report provides a background and analysis of military commissions rules under the Military Commissions Act of 2006. After reviewing the history of the implementation of military commissions in the "global war on terrorism," the report provides an overview of the procedural safeguards provided in the MCA. The report identifies pending legislation, including Senate-passed S. 1390, and describes proposals suggested by the Obama Administration. Finally, the report provides two charts comparing the MCA with proposed legislation.
- Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Legal Issues
- This report discusses the legal framework that applies to private security contractors (PSCs) in Iraq and Afghanistan. The report follows up with a discussion of jurisdiction over PSC personnel in U.S. courts, identifying possible means of prosecuting contractor personnel who are accused of violating the law overseas in the context of U.S. military operations. Finally, the report briefly discusses the possible implication of the roles of private security contractors with respect to inherently governmental functions.
- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": A Legal Analysis
- In 1993, after many months of study, debate, and political controversy, Congress passed and President Clinton signed legislation establishing a revised "[p]olicy concerning homosexuality in the armed forces." The new legislation reflected a compromise regarding the U.S. military's policy toward members of the armed forces who engage in homosexual conduct. This compromise, colloquially referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)," holds that "[t]he presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion which are the essence of military capability." Service members are not to be asked about, nor allowed to discuss, their sexual orientation. This compromise notwithstanding, the issue has remained both politically and legally contentious. This report provides a legal analysis of the various constitutional challenges that have been brought against DADT.
- Military Recruitment Provisions Under the No Child Left Behind Act: A Legal Analysis
- This report describes the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) military recruitment provisions and discusses the legal issues that they may raise if the 111th Congress considers reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLBA amended the ESEA to say that high schools receiving federal funds must provide certain student contact information to military recruiters upon request and must allow recruiters to have the same access to students as employers and colleges.
- The Army's M-4 Carbine: Background and Issues for Congress
- The M-4 carbine is the Army's primary individual combat weapon for infantry units. The M-4 uses a direct gas impingement system that blows carbon from the fired cartridge back into the weapon's receiver, which can lead to weapon malfunctions. The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is replacing its M-4s with the Special Operations Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR), a modular weapon with a short-stroke piston system that eliminates carbon blow back, which theoretically improves reliability. Some have questioned why the Army has not adopted the SCAR or another similarly designed weapon. A series of studies and tests of the M-4 and potential competitors have added to this debate, and the Army has taken steps to begin evaluating other weapons to replace the M-4.
- The Army's M-4 Carbine: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the M-4 carbine, which is the Army's primary individual combat weapon for infantry units. Reports suggest that soldiers have expressed concerns regarding the reliability and lethality of the M-4.
- Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the background of cluster munitions in the U.S. military, and the current Department of Defense (DOD) and Obama Administration stances on the topic. It also discusses the two major international initiatives to address cluster munitions: the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and negotiations under the U.N. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress
- This report includes background on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, which is is currently being developed by the Army and the Marine Corps as a successor to the 11 different versions of the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that have been in service since 1985. It includes a discussion of recent program activities, foreign participants, budgetary issues, and potential issues for Congress.
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress
- This report includes background on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, which is is currently being developed by the Army and the Marine Corps as a successor to the 11 different versions of the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that have been in service since 1985. It includes a discussion of recent program activities, foreign participants, budgetary issues, and potential issues for Congress.