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9/11 Commission's Recommendations: Balancing Civil Liberties and Security, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations of the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, June 6, 2006
From the opening statement of Christopher Shays: "...The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States gave us the first comprehensive and objective analysis of what went so tragically wrong that day almost 5 years ago. The Commission unanimously called for a reevaluation of the fundamentals of defending the homeland. The '9/11 Commission,' as it is commonly called, provided the Nation with 41 recommendations addressing issues such as homeland security and emergency response, intelligence and congressional reform, and foreign policy and nonproliferation. Seventeen months after their report was issued, Governor Kean and former Representative Hamilton asked, are we safe? Their answer: We are safer, but we are not safe enough. Today we are safer for two reasons. We are safer because the men and women of our Armed Forces and intelligence agencies and all those who serve in our foreign affairs posts are taking the fight to the terrorists. We are also safer because Congress has provided new and stronger authority to the executive branch to protect us at home. For example, the Director of National Intelligence was created to coordinate efforts of the Intelligence Community, and the National Counterterrorism Center was established to integrate and analyze all intelligence pertaining to terrorism and counterterrorism. However, when the Federal Government takes on a stronger and more proactive role to protect its citizens, the issue of civil liberties has the potential to become a casualty. The authors of the 9/11 Commission report foresaw such a possibility, recognized its dangers and sought to guard against it by including civil liberties protections through the establishment of a Civil Liberties Board. Congress followed the advice of the 9/11 Commission, seeking to balance the fine line between civil liberties and security. When the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 strengthened the security of our Nation, it also established the White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Unfortunately the authority of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board will not be as effective as originally proposed because the legislation which created the Board does not provide it with subpoena power, and the Board and Board investigations can be, believe it or not, vetoed by the U.S. Attorney General..."
United States. Government Printing Office
2007
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Serial No. 110-24: Global Threat of Drug-Resistant TB: A Call to Action for World TB Day, Briefing and Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, March 21, 2007
From the opening statement of Donald M. Payne. "For those who are unfamiliar with the procedures in the Foreign Affairs Committee, when we have representatives of multilateral organizations come before our committee, they are not here as witnesses. So we will begin with a briefing. After my opening statement and the opening statement of our ranking member, we will hear from our guest from the World Health Organization. Following that, we will then convene the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. Thank you all for joining us here at the second hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health in the 110th Congress. Even though this is our second hearing, it is really the first time that we have a full staff complement, and I would just like to begin by introducing the staff director of the subcommittee, Noelle Lusane, who has been with my office for a number of years and has ascended to the position of staff director. We have with us newly joining the staff Heather Flynn, who is professional staff. She comes with a tremendous amount of experience from being director of the Africa component of the Foreign Relations Committee for Senator Joe Biden, and we have with us Fay Johnson, who is a staff associate. Fay worked with the Human Rights Council Caucus for a number of years and brings in a tremendous amount of expertise, so we are very pleased to have such an outstanding group of staff members." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mario Raviglione, Eliot L. Engel, Kent R. Hill, Mark R. Dybul, Julie L. Gerberding, Joia Mukherjee, Elena Mcewan, and Donald M. Payne.
United States. Government Printing Office
2007
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Financial Services and General Government: FY2012 Appropriations [November 08, 2011]
"The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the judiciary, the District of Columbia, and more than two dozen independent agencies. Among those independent agencies are the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is funded in the House through the Agriculture appropriations bill and in the Senate through the FSGG bill. CFTC funding is included in all FSGG funding tables in this report. […] On April 14, 2011, the House and the Senate passed H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which the President signed into law (P.L. 112- 10) the following day. The act provides $44.69 billion for FSGG agencies, including $203 million for the CFTC, for FY2011, a decrease of $1.74 billion below FY2010 enacted amounts. On July 7, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 2434, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2012. H.R. 2434 would provide $42.97 billion for agencies funded through the House FSGG Appropriations Subcommittee. In addition, the CFTC would receive $172 million through the FY2012 agriculture appropriations bill, H.R. 2112. Total FY2012 funding provided by the House would be $43.14 billion, about $5.58 billion below the President's FY2012 request and $1.55 billion less than FY2011 enacted amounts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hatch, Garrett Leigh
2011-11-08
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NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 3.0
"Since the release of the last edition of the 'NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] Smart Grid Framework and Roadmap for Interoperability Standards (Release 2.0),' in February 2012, significant technological advances in smart grid infrastructure have been implemented, supported by standards development across the entire smart grid arena. Examples include widespread deployment of wireless-communication power meters, availability of customer energy usage data through the Green Button initiative, remote sensing for determining real-time transmission and distribution status, and protocols for electric vehicle charging. The first release of the 'NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards (Release 1.0)' was published in January 2010. Release 3.0 updates NIST's ongoing efforts to facilitate and coordinate smart grid interoperability standards development and smart grid-related measurement science and technology, including the evolving and continuing NIST relationship with the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) public-private partnership. Over the last decade, Congress and the Administration have outlined a vision for the smart grid and have laid the policy foundation upon which it is being built. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) codified the policy of the United States to modernize the nation's electricity transmission and distribution system to create a smart electric grid." Release 1.0 is available in the HSDL database: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=30051. Release 2.0 is available in the HSDL database: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=701565.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
2014-09
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East-West Gateway Council of Governments: Regional Alternate Care Site Plan, Operational Overview Document
From the Document: "A major disaster could significantly impact the ability of a community or the St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS) Region as a whole to meet the health and medical needs of the impacted population or result in an increased demand for medical care. In these situations, it may be necessary to identify, convert, and activate a location not currently providing healthcare services to administer such services. The following pages represent a collection of documents that fully detail the STARRS regional approach to Alternate Care Sites (ACS). The ACS concept is explored as a means of alleviating the burden caused by a surge of patients entering the healthcare system."
East-West Gateway Council of Governments
2016-06
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Special Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction: Quarterly Report to the United States Congress [October 30, 2016]
From the Executive Summary: "This report summarizes SIGAR's [Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction] oversight work and updates developments in the three major sectors of Afghanistan's reconstruction effort from July 1 to September 30, 2016. It also includes an essay on the status of Afghan women across six key development sectors: security, political and economic participation, justice, health, and education. The essay is the product of a fact-finding mission in which SIGAR analysts interviewed notable female Afghan government officials and civil-society leaders in Kabul. During this reporting period, SIGAR published 23 audits, inspections, alert letters, and other products assessing U.S. efforts to build the Afghan security forces, improve governance, and facilitate economic and social development. These reports identified a number of problems, including a lack of accountability, failures of planning, deficiencies in internal controls, and noncompliance issues. SIGAR investigations resulted in one indictment, two convictions, and two sentencings. SIGAR recouped more than $800,000 in cost savings and recoveries for the U.S. government. Additionally, SIGAR referred
46 individuals and one company for suspension or debarment based on evidence developed as part of investigations conducted by SIGAR in Afghanistan and the United States."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
2016-10-30
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Supporting Small and Minority-Owned Businesses Through the Pandemic, Virtual Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy of the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, February 4, 2021
This is the February 4, 2021 hearing on "Supporting Small and Minority-Owned Businesses Through the Pandemic," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy of the Committee on Financial Services. From the Opening Statement of Jim A. Himes: "The issue before us affects all Americans, and I am confident that this subcommittee will serve as a model for what can be achieved. Today's hearing focuses on an issue that I can say for certain every member on this subcommittee has dedicated a tremendous amount of time to since the onset of the pandemic: Support for small and minority-owned businesses. I see the challenges every single day in my very, very diverse district. In March, as the sheer scale of the economic challenges before us became clear, Congress acted to pass the largest stimulus bill ever, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to deliver the desperately-needed aid across the economy. In December, we again came together to continue that support. However, as the stimulus made its way into the economy, many of us became concerned about the undeniable fact that not all communities were equal beneficiaries of that aid." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Nneka Brown-Massey, Gary L. Cunningham, Clifton G. Kellogg, Everett K. Sands, and Holly Wade.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021
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Cyberspace: Malevolent Actors, Criminal Opportunities, and Strategic Competition
"In a highly prescient analysis written just prior to the end of the Cold War, James Rosenau argued that we were moving from a world of dichotomies to a world of paradoxes, from a world where something was either A or B to a world where A and B coexist and interact, albeit often uneasily.1 Cyberspace is an excellent example of this world of paradoxes and complexity. The emergence and evolution of cyberspace have been an enormously positive force, contributing to globalization, the creation of a new global commons, the rapid spread of knowledge and ideas, the development of global markets for local products, and the empowerment of individuals and small groups."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Williams, Phil, 1948-; Fiddner, Dighton
2016-08
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H. Doc. 116-4: Reports to Be Made to Congress, January 3, 2019
From the Letter to the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: "In compliance with the requirements of Clause 2(b) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, I have the honor to submit this list of reports to which it is the duty of any officer or Department to make to Congress."
United States. Government Printing Office
2019-01-03
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Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
"This first Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health is issued at the culmination of a half-century that has witnessed remarkable advances in the understanding of mental disorders and the brain and in our appreciation of the centrality of mental health to overall health and well-being. The report was prepared against a backdrop of growing awareness in the United States and throughout the world of the immense burden of disability associated with mental illnesses. In the United States, mental disorders collectively account for more than 15 percent of the overall burden of disease from all causes and slightly more than the burden ;associated with all forms of cancer (Murray & Lopez, 1996). These data underscore the importance and urgency of treating and p preventing mental disorders and 01' promoting mental health in our society. The report in its entirety provides an up-to-date review of scientific advances in the study of mental health and of mental illnesses that affect at least one in five Americans. Several important conclusions may be drawn from the extensive scientific literature summarized in the report. One is that a variety of treatments of well-documented efficacy exist for the array of clearly defined mental and behavioral disorders that occur across the life span. Every person should be encouraged to seek help when questions arise about mental health, just as each person is encouraged to seek help when questions arise about health. Research highlighted in the report demonstrates that mental health is a facet of health that evolves throughout the lifetime. Just as each person can do much to promote and maintain overall health regardless of age, each also can do much to promote and 'strengthen mental health at every stage of life."
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; United States. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; United States. Department of Health and Human Services
1999
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Department of Homeland Security Appropriations for 2011 [Part 2], Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, February 25, 2010
From the opening statement of David Price: "The fiscal year 2011 discretionary budget requests $43.6 billion for DHS, or a 2.7 percent increase over the comparable amount appropriated in 2010. In a tight fiscal environment, you had to make some difficult decisions, including some controversial cuts in an attempt to maintain efforts in some areas while ramping up our defenses in others." Note: This is part 2 of 4 part hearing. For part 3 use the following link [https://www.hsdl.org/?mdt:abstract&did=710514]. For part 4 use the following link [https://www.hsdl.org/?mdt:abstract&did=710516]
United States. Government Printing Office
2010
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S. Hrg. 108-13: WMD Developments on the Korean Peninsula: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session, February 4, 2003
From the opening statement of Richard G. Lugar: "In recent weeks, following admissions of North Korean officials of their uranium-enrichment program, in violation of the Agreed Framework of 1994 and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the level of public exchange between North Korea and the United States has reached a new intensity. Today's hearing will review weapons of mass destruction [WMD] on the Korean Peninsula." The hearing addresses recent developments in North Korea's development of WMDs, and the possibility of entering into talks with North Korea. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Richard L. Armitage, James A. Kelly, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Stephen W. Bosworth, Ashton B. Carter, Russell D. Feingold, Donald P. Gregg, Richard G. Lugar, Chuck Hagel, Lincoln Chafee, Lamar Alexander, John Sununu, Paul Sarbanes, Christopher Dodd, Barbara Boxer, John Rockefeller, and Jon Corzine.
United States. Government Printing Office
2003
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Floodproofing Non-Residential Buildings
"Flooding is the most common natural hazard in the United States and results in more fatalities and higher losses on average than any other natural hazard. Since 2001, the average annual flood losses in the United States were more than $10.4 billion, and from 1978 to mid-2012, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) paid more than $41.3 billion in flood insurance claims. Flood hazard mitigation can be achieved in several ways and is often different for buildings that are used for non-residential purposes such as business or industry, as compared to residential buildings such as homes and apartments. To that end, in 1986, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published FEMA 102, 'Floodproofing for Non-Residential Structures' (FEMA 1986). The publication provided guidance to local officials, building owners, designers, contractors and other individuals or organizations interested in the design and implementation of floodproofing retrofits in non-residential structures. The guidance in FEMA 102 covers a broad range of floodproofing techniques that can be used in new and existing non-residential buildings to reduce or eliminate the potential for damage from flooding. FEMA 102 is currently one of only a few documents in the FEMA Library that provides design professionals and community officials with guidance on floodproofing non-residential buildings. However, since its publication in 1986, floodproofing techniques and technology have evolved such that updated guidance on the subject is needed. This document, FEMA P-936, 'Floodproofing Non-Residential Buildings', provides current guidance on flood¬proofing retrofits for non-residential buildings. It is similar to FEMA 102 but has a slightly different objective, which is described in the following section."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2013-07
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Chapter 9: Toxic Inhalational Injury
Pulmonary toxic inhalants have been a military concern since the Age of Fire. Thucydides, in 423 BC, recorded the earliest belligerent use of a toxic inhalant. The Spartans used a burning mixture of pitch, naphtha, and sulfur to produce sulfur dioxide that was used in sieges of Athenian cities. There is scant reference in the literature to further military use of toxic inhalants until World War I. In early 1914, both the French and Germans investigated various tear gases, which were later employed. By early 1915, the German war effort expanded its gas research to include inhaled toxicants. As a result, on 22 April 1915, at Ypres, Belgium, the Germans released about 150 tons of chlorine gas along a 7,000-m battlefront within a 10-minute period. Although the exact number of injuries and deaths are unknown, this "new form" of warfare produced a degree of demoralization theretofore unseen. Although phosgene and chlorine have not been used militarily since 1918, vast amounts are produced annually for use in the industrial sector. The potential for accidental or deliberate exposure to a toxic inhalant exists, and military personnel should be prepared. During World War I, the number and types of pulmonary toxicants available to the military increased substantially. At least 14 different respiratory agents were used, as well as obscurants (smokes), harassing agents (chloracetone), and vesicants (mustard) that could cause pulmonary injury. Today, only a handful of these toxicants still exist in stockpiles around the world, but several, such as chlorine and phosgene, are currently produced in large quantities for industrial purposes. Whether produced for military or industrial uses, these chemical agents pose a very real threat to military personnel. Toxic inhalational injury poses a 2-fold problem for military personnel: 1. No specific therapy exists for impeding or reversing toxic inhalant exposures. 2. Toxic inhalational injury can cause large numbers of casualties that can significantly burden medical facilities. The importance of chronic health problems that occur postexposure to toxic inhalants is a contentious subject because of the nebulous signs and symptoms that mimic degenerative diseases, such as emphysema, common to the general population.
United States. Department of the Army. Office of the Surgeon General
Urbanetti, John S.
1997
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Impacts of Health Crises on Women & Girls: How Historical Evidence Can Inform Assessment and Recovery Through a Gender Lens
From the Introduction: "'This paper presents a conceptual framework on the effects of health crises on women and girls with an eye toward understanding the growing evidence base for the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic.' When health crises like COVID-19 emerge, the simultaneous shocks to economic, social, and health systems can have different implications for women and girls. Research on the impacts of past regional and global crises sheds light on how women's and girls' experiences and outcomes have differed from those of men and boys--both immediately following the onset of a crisis and as time progresses--as a result of entrenched gender inequalities and discrimination. The framework draws upon the historical evidence, including from SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome], Ebola, Zika, and dengue fever outbreaks, as well as existing frameworks for examining indirect effects of health crises. It is meant to serve as a tool to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic may be adversely affecting the wellbeing and opportunities of women and girls, in order to identify data gaps and shape analyses, inform ongoing pandemic response efforts, and identify important points of intervention for recovery efforts and future resilience."
Center for Global Development
O'Donnell, Megan; Buvinić, Mayra; Krubiner, Carleigh B. . . .
2021-04
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Financial Turmoil: Federal Reserve Policy Responses [Updated October 23, 2008]
"The Federal Reserve (Fed) has been central in the response to the current financial turmoil that began in August 2007. It has sharply increased reserves to the banking system through open market operations and lowered the federal funds rate and discount rate on several occasions. As the turmoil has progressed without signs of subsiding, the Fed has introduced new policy tools to try to restore normality. In December 2007, it began to auction off reserves to member banks through the newly created Term Auction Facility (TAF), which is equivalent in economic effect to the discount window, but in practice much larger. In March 2008, it created the Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF), which allowed it to temporarily lend to primary dealers directly. […] The primary policy issues raised by the Fed's response to financial turmoil are the issues of systemic risk and moral hazard. Moral hazard refers to the phenomenon where actors take on more risk because they are protected. The Fed's involvement in stabilizing Bear Stearns and AIG stemmed from the fear of systemic risk (that the financial system as a whole would cease to function) if either were allowed to fail. In other words, the firms were seen as 'too big (or too interconnected) to fail.' The Fed's regulatory structure is intended to mitigate the moral hazard that stems from access to government protections. Yet Bear Stearns and AIG were not under the Fed's regulatory structure because they were not member banks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Labonte, Marc
2008-10-23
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Offsets, Supplemental Appropriations, and the Disaster Relief Fund: FY1990-FY2013 [May 31, 2016]
From the Summary: "This report discusses the history of the use of offsetting rescissions to pay for supplemental appropriations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) from FY1990 through FY2013. As Congress debated the growing size of the budget deficit and national debt, efforts intensified to control spending and offset the costs of legislation. Several times between FY1990 and FY2013, the question of offsetting disaster relief spending became a focus of congressional debate. Usually, in the time reviewed, supplemental disaster relief funding was treated as emergency spending. This designation exempted it from counting against discretionary budget caps, and from needing an offset. However, supplemental spending measures at times have carried rescissions that have offset, to one degree or another, their budgetary impact. In some instances, supplemental spending measures have contained both appropriations for the DRF and offsetting rescissions, but without a specific link between the two. […] In past debates over whether supplemental funding for the DRF should be offset, Congress discussed past precedents. Through independent research, Congressional Research Service (CRS) identified three specific incidences from FY1990 through FY2013 where bills that had an impact on the level of funding available in the DRF were fully offset, but only one case in which CRS can authoritatively state that supplemental funding for the DRF was completely offset by rescissions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2016-05-31
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EPA/OSHA Joint Chemical Accident Investigation Report, Surpass Chemical Company Co. Inc. Albany, NY
This document is a report on the investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupation Safety and Health Administration on "a 5,700-gallon hydrochloric acid (HCl) storage tank ruptured while being filled at the Surpass Chemical Co., Inc. The spill of HCl, a corrosive and toxic chemical, resulted in injuries to employees and members of the public, as well as public evacuations. EPA and OSHA considered the impacts of the tank failure with respect to the MOU criteria and the potential for lessons-learned and decided to initiate a joint investigation. The scope of the investigation was to determine the immediate and root causes of the tank failure and to make recommendations that could assist Surpass and others to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. […] Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), EPA and OSHA are working together to investigate certain chemical accidents. The fundamental objective of this joint effort is to determine and report to the public the facts, conditions, circumstances, and causes or probable causes of any chemical accident that results in a fatality, serious injury, substantial property damage, or serious off-site impact, including a large scale evacuation of the general public. The ultimate goal is to determine the root causes in order to reduce the likelihood of recurrence, minimize the consequences associated with accidental releases, and to make chemical production, processing, handling, and storage safer. Reports, such as this one, are issued by the agencies to describe the accident, discuss the root causes and contributing factors, and summarize the findings and recommendations."
United States. Environmental Protection Agency; United States. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
1998-09
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Headquarters Biennial Review of Nuclear Safety Performance Manual
"This Supplemental Directive establishes the requirements, processes, and procedures for conducting biennial reviews under the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Chief of Defense Nuclear Safety (CDNS). The CDNS is responsible for maintaining operational awareness of nuclear safety performance of NNSA Site Offices and contractors on behalf of the Central Technical Authority and Administrator. One of the means by which CDNS maintains this awareness is through biennial and other types of reviews. The reviews provide credible, objective, value-added information to NNSA line managers on the status of Program and Site Office nuclear safety oversight and implementation of nuclear safety requirements, and serve to facilitate continuous improvement in: the implementation and maintenance of nuclear safety requirements of the Nuclear Safety Rule, 10 CFR Part 830; the implementation and institutionalization of Integrated Safety Management Systems (ISMSs) that affect the implementation and maintenance of nuclear safety requirements; and the implementation of the requirements for the Federal oversight responsibilities and processes contained in DOE O 226.1A for the protection of workers, the public, and the environment. CDNS convenes teams of evaluators who perform these reviews, which are an integral part of Headquarters support of facility and program line management."
United States. National Nuclear Security Administration
2009-02-05
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Impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Mental and Physical Health of Low-Income Parents in New Orleans
From the Abstract: "The purpose of this study was to document changes in mental and physical health among 392 low-income parents exposed to Hurricane Katrina and to explore how hurricane-related stressors and loss relate to post-Katrina well being. The prevalence of probable serious mental illness doubled, and nearly half of the respondents exhibited probable PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]. Higher levels of hurricane-related loss and stressors were generally associated with worse health outcomes, controlling for baseline socio-demographic and health measures. Higher baseline resources predicted fewer hurricane-associated stressors, but the consequences of stressors and loss were similar regardless of baseline resources. Adverse health consequences of Hurricane Katrina persisted for a year or more, and were most severe for those experiencing the most stressors and loss. Long-term health and mental health services are needed for low-income disaster survivors, especially those who experience disaster-related stressors and loss."
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Rhodes, Jean; Chan, Christian; Paxson, Christina H. . . .
2010-04
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Report of Inspection: Embassy Mexico City, Mexico
"This inspection was conducted in accordance with the Quality Standards for Inspections, as issued by the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, and the Inspector's Handbook, as issued by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State (Department) and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). The Office of Inspections provides the Secretary of State, the Chairman of the BBG, and Congress with systematic and independent evaluations of the operations of the Department and the BBG. Inspections cover three broad areas, consistent with Section 209 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980: Policy Implementation: whether policy goals and objectives are being effectively achieved; whether U.S. interests are being accurately and effectively represented; and whether all elements of an office or mission are being adequately coordinated; Resource Management: whether resources are being used and managed with maximum efficiency, effectiveness, and economy and whether financial transactions and accounts are properly conducted, maintained, and reported; Management Controls: whether the administration of activities and operations meets the requirements of applicable laws and regulations; whether internal management controls have been instituted to ensure quality of performance and reduce the likelihood of mismanagement; whether instance of fraud, waste, or abuse exist; and whether adequate."
United States. Department of State. Office of the Inspector General; United States. Broadcasting Board of Governors
2009-04
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Impact of Terrorism on Air Force Logistics Command's Overseas Activities
"The incidence of international terrorism has been, increasing over time. Mary of these terrorist attacks have been directed against U.S. interests, personnel, and facilities abroad. The threat of future terrorist attacks has an impact on the work and quality of life of U.S. government personnel assigned overseas. To better understand the nature and scope of this issue, the authors first explore terrorism defining it, highlighting its principle causes, describing sample of active terrorist groups, and reviewing terrorist tactics and targets."
Air University (U.S.). Air War College; United States. Air Force
Callahan, Timothy P.; Mitchell, Robert N.
1991-04-23
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Oil and Gas: Interior Has Strengthened Its Oversight of Subsea Well Containment, but Should Improve Its Documentation, Report to Congressional Requesters
"On April 20, 2010, an explosion and fire on board the Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling rig, resulted in 11 deaths and the largest oil spill in U.S. history in the Gulf of Mexico. After this event, the Department of the Interior (Interior), which oversees oil and gas operations in federal waters, suspended certain offshore drilling operations. After developing new guidance, Interior resumed approving drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine (1) the industry's improved capabilities for containing subsea wells (those on the ocean floor) in the Gulf of Mexico; (2) Interior's oversight of subsea well containment in the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the potential to use similar subsea well containment capabilities in other federal waters, such as those along the Alaskan coast. GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and guidance; documents from oil and gas operators; and Interior's oversight processes. GAO also interviewed agency officials and industry representatives. [...] To help ensure that operators can respond effectively to a subsea well blowout, GAO recommends that Interior document a time frame for incorporating well containment response scenarios into unannounced spill drills. In commenting on a draft of this report, Interior concurred with GAO's recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2012-02
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Chem-Bio Defense Quarterly, Apr-Jun 2007
"Any amount of contamination, large or small, reduces the ability of the Warfighter to perform the critical missions necessary to prosecute the mission at hand. Sensitive equipment, a recent phenomenon that did not even exist a century ago, has attained such importance that rendering it useless with water-based decontaminants threatens the mission, the warrior and the fight. You can read about some of the choices in this issue of Chem-Bio Defense Magazine."
United States. Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
2007-04
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S. Rept. 117-81: Pray Safe Act, Report to Accompany S. 2123, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, February 17, 2022
From the Purpose and Summary: "S. 2123, the Pray Safe Act, aims to protect American faith-based organizations by centralizing information on improving safety and security best practices and resources to protect houses of worship and congregants practicing their religious or spiritual beliefs. It establishes a Clearinghouse for safety and security best practices for faith-based organizations and houses of worship at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That Clearinghouse will also include information on federal grant programs to help faith-based organizations identify and determine what resources they can access to help protect their houses of worship."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-02-17
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Puerto Rico Electricity: FEMA and HUD Have Not Approved Long-Term Projects and Need to Implement Recommendations to Address Uncertainties and Enhance Resilience, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged Puerto Rico's electricity grid, causing the longest blackout in U.S. history. It took roughly 11 months after the hurricanes for power to be restored to all of the customers with structures deemed safe for power restoration. Since electricity service has been restored, local entities have undertaken the longer-term task of more fully repairing and rebuilding the grid. GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported in 2019 on challenges hindering progress in rebuilding the grid and recommended that FEMA and HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development] take actions to address these challenges. This report examines the status of efforts to support long-term grid recovery in Puerto Rico, including actions taken by FEMA and HUD to implement GAO's 2019 recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Peace Corps: Current Issues [October 12, 2018]
"Founded in 1961, the Peace Corps has sought to meet its legislative mandate of promoting world peace and friendship by sending American volunteers to serve at the grassroots level in villages and towns in all corners of the globe. As of the end of September 2017, about 7,376 volunteers were serving in 65 nations. In 2018, the 115th Congress has considered and may again consider several issues related to the Peace Corps, including the President's annual funding request for the Peace Corps and changes to the Peace Corps authorization legislation. The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018, P.L. 115-256, signed into law on October 9, 2018, includes provisions to improve volunteer medical care, both at post and after service; extend the allowable period of service for certain Peace Corps positions; establish the frequency, scope,and reporting requirements for impact surveys of volunteers; and improve advocacy for volunteers who are the victims of crimes, among other things. Current issues include the extent to which there is available funding for Peace Corps expansion, whether volunteers are able to function in a safe and secure environment, volunteer access to abortion, and other issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Marian Leonardo
2018-10-12
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Strategies for States to Drive Equitable Vaccine Distribution and Administration
From the Introduction: "Since December 2020, the United States has administered more than 330 million COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine doses, with 163 million people, or 49 percent of the population, completing a full vaccine series. While these results show significant progress by the federal government, states, local governments, and their community partners to reduce COVID-19 transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths, efforts to date have not produced equitable outcomes. Rates of COVID-19 vaccination vary widely within and across states, communities, and racial and ethnic groups, with those communities that are disproportionately experiencing the negative impacts of COVID-19 often having the lowest rates of vaccination. The disparities in vaccination rates among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) as compared with white Americans highlight the longstanding inequities and structural racism that underpin the United States health care delivery system and that contributed to disparities in health outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic."
State Health and Value Strategies { SHVS); Princeton University
Manatt Health
2021-08
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Consular Affairs and the COVID-19 Crisis: Assessing the State Department's Response to the Pandemic, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, July 21, 2020
This is the July 21, 2020 hearing on "Consular Affairs and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Crisis: Assessing the State Department's Response to the Pandemic," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. From the opening statement of Joaquin Castro: "The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives in ways
it seemed unimaginable just a few months ago. [...] The U.S. Department of State faced many challenges during the pandemic. The U.S. Government certainly has a long history of repatriating citizens, but never before had so many Americans in so many different countries and regions needed to be repatriated at the same time." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Ian Brownlee and Karin King.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Talent Management 2030
From the Document: "Seven decades after its creation, the Marine Corps personnel system is overdue for a fundamental redesign. 'Our organization, processes, and approach to personnel and talent management are no longer suited to today's needs and incompatible with the objectives of Force Design 2030'. Transitioning to a talent management focus, and system, is required. Without profound improvements made at speed, the deficiencies in the current system will result in the failure of broader service modernization efforts. 'This report charts a new course for our personnel system' and is informed by a decade's worth of studies, books, reports, and academic articles on military personnel reform, in addition to the significant body of literature on organizational leadership and the science of management. Like our force design effort, the redesign of our personnel system is a work in progress. This report explains why it is necessary and details some of the initial steps we are taking to create the information age personnel system required to continue winning the Nation's battles."
United States. Marine Corps
2021-11
