Federal Legislative Branch

Eleven years have passed since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Since then, the U.S. has made great strides in protecting the nation and countering the continued threat of terrorism. Immediately following the attacks, Congress assembled 22 separate agencies—spanning from the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department of Agriculture—to create the cabinet-level…

The Department of Energy (DOE) is constructing a facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to produce mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which consists of uranium oxide and plutonium oxide, for use in nuclear power reactors. This building project follows from a 2000 agreement with Russia to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus weapons plutonium by each country. The DOE…

Next month, the United Nations will hold a second negotiating conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The first conference, held in July 2012, failed to reach consensus agreement on a treaty text. Before that conference, both the Senate and House played a constructive role in the treaty process by making their wide-ranging concerns about the ATT clear to the executive…

To provide for the common defense is one of the primary constitutional responsibilities of the federal government. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a federal law that annually specifies the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense (DOD). In addition to funding, this law can also be a vehicle for good and bad policies. Therefore, lawmakers abuse…

Retiring Senator Daniel Akaka (D–HI) has indicated, with the support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D–NV) and the Obama Administration, that he intends to push his “Carcieri Fix” (S. 676) during the lame-duck session of Congress. The bill would give the Secretary of the Interior largely unbridled discretion to turn over tens of thousands of acres of private land to…

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts a recession for 2013. Forecasters rarely anticipate a recession. Almost by definition, recessions surprise. Some unexpected force or forces conspire to so disrupt the economy that it contracts. What makes this recession different, and predictable, is that the disruptive force is Washington policies and, even more,…

In the age of modern warfare, the threat of a cyber attack is often overlooked. Focus tends to lie more on physical threats, such as missile defense and nuclear weapons. However, one of the greatest threats to national security is a lack of cybersecurity. Politicians have tried to bring legislation to the floor in an effort to “do something” to protect the nation from…

Coal’s share of electricity generation in the United States has been shrinking, partly as a result of low natural gas prices. However, an undeniable reason for coal’s demise is the regulatory assault on the industry by the Obama Administration. Alpha Natural Resources recently announced that it would close eight coal mines and eliminate 1,200 jobs in part because of what…

Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives reauthorized the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008 (FAA), which expires at the end of the year. The Senate will take up the measure shortly. James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and U.S. Attorney General (AG) Eric Holder have informed leaders in Congress that reauthorizing the FAA…

The discussion over improving U.S. cybersecurity has moved from a debate over different pieces of legislation to speculation and expectation that President Obama will issue an executive order. Congress repeatedly declined to adopt a regulatory approach to cybersecurity, yet the Administration has drafted an executive order that begins the development of a regulatory…