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• DHS Recognizes Critical Manufacturing Sector as Key New Private Sector Security Partner [September 5, 2008]

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  This press release announces the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security's creation of the Critical Manufacturing Coordinating Council (CMSCC). "Following HSPD-7, the DHS Secretary, with the support of the heads of key departments and agencies, issued the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) to provide a framework for accomplishing the mission of protecting critical infrastructure and key resources. The NIPP identified the individual sector coordinating councils (SCCs) as the principal forums for owners and operators of each of the 17 critical infrastructure and key resource sectors to work in partnership with government on a wide range of prevention, protection, and risk reduction activities and issues. Following the publication of the NIPP, DHS recognized 17 self-organized SCCs, one representing each of the 17 sectors. Specific membership varies by sector, reflecting the unique composition of each. The Critical Manufacturing Sector was designated as the 18th sector in April 2008 and is the first sector to be recognized through the exercise of the Secretary's authority."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2008-09-05
• Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1979, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Ninety-Sixth Congress, Second Session, October 10, 1980

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  This is the October 10, 1980 hearing on "Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1979," held before the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. From the opening statement of Augustus F. Hawkins: "Today we are here to solicit testimony on a bill, introduced by my colleague from New York, Congressman Ted Weiss, which addresses the unjust discrimination against homosexual men and lesbian women. The purpose of this bill is simply to guarantee that an irrelevant factor, such as one's sexual orientation, will not be a criterion used to deny housing, access to public facilities, or used to fire or refuse employment to an otherwise qualified individual. This bill merely guarantees basic civil rights--rights taken for granted by most of us." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Art Agnos, John Burton, Gwenn Craig, Raymond W. Hartman, Delores Huerta, Judd Marmor, Charles A. McIlhenny, Grant Mickins, and Cecil Williams.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  1980
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Nuclear Microreactors

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  From the Document: "The U.S. nuclear energy sector faces an uncertain future. Nuclear microreactors offer the potential of faster deployment compared to conventional large reactors, but they face challenges such as limited fuel availability and greater security risks. Given long design and certification cycles, examining microreactors now is key for future industry planning."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-02
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Opioid Vaccines

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  From the Document: "Opioid vaccines are medical therapies designed to block opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, from entering the brain or spinal cord, thus preventing addiction and other negative effects. While none are approved for use yet, they could be useful for at-risk individuals, patients in drug recovery programs, or first responders who might accidentally come into contact with deadly opioids that can be absorbed through the skin. This approach offers advantages over some current treatment methods, including requiring minimal medical supervision and no potential for abuse."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  Persons, Timothy M.

  2019-09
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Deepfakes

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  From the Document: "Deepfakes are powerful tools that can be used for exploitation and disinformation. Deepfakes could influence elections and erode trust but so far have mainly been used for non-consensual pornography. The underlying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are widely available at low cost, and improvements are making deepfakes harder to detect."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  Persons, Timothy M.

  2020-02
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Coronaviruses

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  From the Document: "While the outbreak of COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] in China has brought the term coronavirus into daily usage, coronaviruses can vary in severity. They can cause respiratory issues, such as pneumonia, and are believed to be one cause of the common cold. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people will be infected by a coronavirus at some point in their lifetimes. As of March 2020, seven coronaviruses have been identified that can cause illness in humans. Most infections result in mild to moderate symptoms, such as runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and a run-down feeling."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-03
• Science & Tech Spotlight: 5G Wireless

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  From the Document: "5G [5th generation] wireless is expected to enhance data speeds and could enable transformative applications across transportation, manufacturing, medicine, and other sectors. While 5G could create significant economic opportunities, 5G also raises concerns about cybersecurity risks and associated national security implications, as well as several other challenges."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-03
• Science & Tech Spotlight: CRISPR Gene Editing

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  From Why this Matters: "CRISPR [clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats] allows scientists to change DNA more quickly and efficiently than previous methods. Thousands of laboratories use it to research the potential development of new crops, medicines, and other advances that could have a significant impact. As a result, it has received widespread attention. However, there are safety, ethical, and regulatory concerns"

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-04
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Tracing the Source of Chemical Weapons

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  From the Document: "According to the Global Public Policy Institute, there have been more than 330 chemical weapons attacks since 2012. Such attacks are prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention. A set of methods called forensic chemical attribution has the potential to trace the chemical agent used in such attacks to a source. For example, investigators could use these methods to identify the geographic sources of raw materials used to make the agent, or to identify the manufacturing process. Such information can aid leaders in deciding on whether or how to respond to a chemical weapons attack. Forensic chemical attribution is a three-step process, though the third step is being developed. First, a sample is taken from a victim or the site of an attack. Second, the sample's chemical components are analyzed and identified either at a mobile lab or at one of 18 authorized biomedical labs worldwide. [...] In the third step--still under development--investigators use the data from the forensic chemical identification and analysis methods from step two to develop a 'chemical fingerprint.' The fingerprint can be matched to a database of information on existing methods or known source to identify chemical agents. However, a comprehensive database containing complete, reliable data for known agents does not exist."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-12-21
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Agile Software Development

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  From the Document: "Agile software development has the potential to save the federal government billions of dollars and significant time, allowing agencies to deliver software more efficiently and effectively for American taxpayers. However, the transition to Agile requires an investment in new tools and processes, which can be costly and time consuming."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-09
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Air Quality Sensors

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  From Why This Matters: "Air quality sensors are essential to measuring and studying pollutants that can harm public health and the environment. Technological improvements have led to smaller, more affordable sensors as well as satellite-based sensors with new capabilities. However, ensuring the quality and appropriate interpretation of sensor data can be challenging."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-12
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Technologies

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  From the Document: "Distributed ledger technology (e.g. blockchain) allows users to carry out digital transactions without the need for a centralized authority. It could fundamentally change the way government and industry conduct business, but questions remain about how to mitigate fraud, money laundering, and excessive energy use."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-09
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Advanced Plastic Recycling

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  From the Document: "Plastics are found in many everyday items--including food packaging, water bottles, bags, and appliances. They are largely made from fossil fuel-based chemicals combined with various additives--such as stabilizers or flame retardants--to achieve a desired result (e.g., strength, rigidity, color, heat resistance). The majority of plastic waste in the U.S. ends up in landfills, with a relatively small portion incinerated and an even smaller portion recycled. The accumulating plastic waste in landfills generally does not biodegrade or break down. Plastic recycling technologies reprocess or remanufacture plastic waste for reuse. Currently, the dominant technology for plastic recycling is mechanical recycling, which uses physical processes--such as sorting, grinding, washing, separating, drying, and re-granulating--to recover plastics that can be substituted for virgin, or new, plastics. However, mechanical recycling technology is expensive, labor intensive, and generally results in lower quality plastics than virgin plastics. Consequently, industry is considering advanced recycling technologies-- namely, chemical recycling--as an alternative or complement to mechanical recycling. Chemical recycling technologies use heat, chemical reactions, or both, to recycle used plastic into virgin-equivalent plastic, fuel, or other chemicals. In addition, recent advances in sorting technology--one of the physical processes common to both chemical and mechanical recycling technologies--may also increase the efficiency of chemical recycling and lead to increased plastic recycling. For example, artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to increase automated sorting efficiency. Similarly, another advanced technology efficiently sorts materials by identifying their molecular vibrations."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-14
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Genomic Sequencing of Infectious Pathogens

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  From the Document: "Genomic sequencing reveals the genetic code of an infectious disease pathogen, such as SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Newer, faster, and less costly sequencing can now be used to more quickly track transmission, detect new variants, and develop vaccines and other countermeasures. However, challenges such as high startup costs and privacy concerns remain."

  United States. Government Accountability Office
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Digital Vaccine Credentials

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  From the Document: "Digital vaccine credentials certify that a person has been vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Such credentials can be a tool to mitigate COVID-19 transmission as countries seek to safely reopen social and economic activities, including travel. However, challenges related to data protection, interoperability, and equity may limit their use and potential public health benefits."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-06
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Renewable Ocean Energy

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  From the Document: "Renewable ocean energy has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions from fossil fuels by 500 million tons by 2050, and could also meet the energy needs of isolated communities, which may not have access to reliable electricity sources. However, the technologies can be costly and more research is needed to understand their potential effects on marine wildlife."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-06
• Nuclear Energy Risk Management, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight Joint with the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, Friday, May 13, 2011

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  From the opening statement of Paul C. Broun: "Risk assessment and risk management associated with nuclear energy are timely and important topics for the Science Committee to address. This topic is clearly a priority for the Science Committee, as two of our Subcommittees are here today together. While the facts and implications of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and resulting nuclear disaster are still being determined, it is an opportunity for us to reassess our Nation's current safety posture here in this country. After the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, September 11, and several other incidents, the United States regularly revisited the state of our nuclear power infrastructure. Today's hearing is yet another opportunity to evaluate whether we, as a Nation, are doing everything that we can to ensure that nuclear energy is a safe component of our energy supply. This includes evaluating the current research and development portfolio for reactor safety, spent fuel storage, and public health monitoring. The Department of Energy was invited to this morning's hearing and would have provided a valuable contribution to the hearing. Unfortunately, they were unable to provide a witness here today. DoE did provide written comments, but that does not substitute for actually appearing. Testifying is not a correspondence course. The Science Committee understands the many demands that agency officials have on their time. As Members of Congress, we have similar demands. Because of this, the Committee provided four weeks of notice and did not request a specific individual, leaving that determination to DoE. Unfortunately, it seems as though the entire Department only has one individual that they believe is qualified to speak on the issues that we are addressing here today, and he was otherwise engaged for multiple days." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Paul Broun, Donna F. Edwards, Andy Harris, Brian Sheron, Lake Barrett, John Boice, Dave Lochbaum, and Peter B. Lyons.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2011
• Consumer Protection Provisions in Climate Legislation, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, March 12, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Edward J. Markey: "In over 30 years in Congress one word has always come first in every piece of legislation, and that is the word, consumers. From telecommunications to fuel economy standards, I have always found that starting with the goal of saving families money through technological innovation is the best vehicle for effective public policy. For too long American consumers have been unprotected against costs from our old energy economy and the threat of global warming. First, America's dependence on foreign oil continues to impact our economy. [...] Second, consumers are losing money on an inefficient, outdated energy grid that wastes about half of the energy it transports. Third, by delaying action on clean energy and global warming, consumers are losing money every day on the lost innovation of new, clean energy products. Fourth, we have heard in this committee that the cost of climate inaction will have negative financial consequences. We have already seen the impact of this on the insurance industry, as storms have increased in strength from a warming earth. And so, much like the Telecommunications Act and fuel economy legislation, climate legislation is consumer legislation, and there is a proper way and an improper way to craft this legislation. Improperly done, climate legislation could unjustly enrich corporations at the expense of consumers. Improperly done, the investments needed to drive the clean energy economy will be put on consumers, while polluters get a free pass." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Edward J. Markey, Fred Upton, Henry A. Waxman, Gene Green, Steve Kline, Sonny Popowsky, Robert Greenstein, Steven F. Hayward, Mike Carey, and John S. Hill.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2012
• Armed Groups: A Tier-One Security Priority

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  "Non-state armed groups pose a major security challenge to the United States, even without their acquisition of weapons of mass destruction. Armed groups have now developed global capabilities to strike at high-value political, economic, population, and symbolic targets as well as level strategic blows. They seek not only local but also regional and global influence. Al Qaeda demonstrated this capacity on 9/11. It forced the United States to radically change its antiterrorism policy. To manage, neutralize, or utilize the phenomenon of armed groups an appreciable understanding of these actors--as well as the threats and opportunities that flow from them--is needed."

  USAF Institute for National Security Studies

  Farah, Douglas; Lochard, Itamara V.; Shultz, Richard H., 1947-

  2004-09
• Transnational Organized Crime, Terrorism, and Criminalized States in Latin America: An Emerging Tier-One National Security Priority

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  "This monograph synthesizes research on such criminalized states in Latin America. It documents how, through the growing alliance with Iran and other external actors, these governments have developed a clearly articulated view hostile to the United States. That view also adopts a military doctrine of asymmetric warfare that embraces the use of weapons of mass destruction. The associated doctrine is further underpinned by a small group of intellectuals who articulate a need for radical Shi'a Islam and the armed, revolutionary Left to unite in order to defeat the United States--a message that has been welcomed by Bolivarian states. Taken together, the emergence of criminalized, strongly anti-American governments in the Western Hemisphere, in alliance with Iran and other states who sponsor terrorist organizations and consider the United States to be the Great Satan, now represent a tier-one threat to the security of the U.S. Homeland. This monograph offers a template for examining similar developments in other parts of the world, as well as recommendations on how to begin to confront the emerging threat. The first step in the long process of dealing with a multifaceted set of enemies with unlimited resources is to understand the nature of that threat."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Farah, Douglas

  2012-08
• Tapping America's Energy Potential Through Research and Development, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, November 30, 2012

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  This is the November 30, 2012 hearing on "Tapping America's Energy Potential Through Research and Development," held before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. From the opening statement of Andy Harris: "As we have highlighted throughout this Congress, the United States has a wealth of untapped unconventional energy resources. In fact, the International Energy Agency recently predicted the United States will overtake Saudi Arabia to become the world's largest oil producer by 2020, largely due to the potential for development of U.S. unconventional energy resources. The significant positive economic benefits associated with development of unconventional energy resources are widely acknowledged. Tapping America's unconventional oil and gas resources will additionally provide sorely needed stimulation of our economy, restore our manufacturing sector and create high-paying middle-class jobs. Citigroup predicts the cumulative impact of new oil and gas production could create as many as 3.6 million new jobs by 2020. Unfortunately, the degree to which the United States will pursue and realize these much-needed benefits remains in doubt, primarily due to politics." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Andy Harris, Ralph M. Hall, Brad Miller, Anthony Cugini, David Martineau, Daniel Hill, and Michael Hagood.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• Studies In Intelligence. Volume 57, Number 3

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  This is an unclassified issue from the CIA publication, Studies In Intelligence. This issue includes the following articles: "'Analysis of WMD Proliferation,' The Need for Greater Multidisciplinary Sociotechnical Analysis: The Bioweapons Case"; "'The Less Apparent Component,' Tacit Knowledge as a Factor in the Proliferation of WMD: The Example of Nuclear Weapons"; "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth"; "Hiding in Plain Sight: Felix A. Sommerfeld, Spymaster in Mexico, 1908 to 1914"; and "Intelligence Officer's Bookshelf."

  United States. Central Intelligence Agency

  Vogel, Kathleen M., 1970-; Dennis, Michael Aaron; Benbow, Mark . . .

  2013-09
• Science & Tech Spotlight: E-Cigarettes

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  From the Document: "With millions of teens and young adults using e-cigarettes, a new generation could become addicted to nicotine and face other health risks. For some adult smokers, e-cigarettes may offer a less harmful substitute for traditional cigarettes. However, long-term effects on users, second-hand exposure, and environmental effects are not yet fully known."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-06
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Social Distancing During Pandemics

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  From the Document: "Infectious diseases like COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] can spread rapidly from person to person. Social distancing saves lives by slowing disease transmission and reducing the load on the health care system. The scientific research regarding effective social distancing practices continues to evolve. [...] Social distancing, also known as physical distancing, is the practice of maintaining physical distance from others and avoiding large gatherings, with the intent of reducing the rate of transmission of infectious diseases. COVID-19 has brought social distancing practices to the forefront worldwide as a means of controlling local spread of the disease. [...] Practicing social distancing reduces the rate of new infections by limiting person-to-person transmission. This in turn can 'flatten the curve,' by reducing the peak number of patients to levels the health care system can better manage, ultimately saving lives."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-05
• Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Vaccine Development

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  From the Document: "SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], and developing a vaccine could save lives and speed economic recovery. The United States is funding multiple efforts to develop vaccines. Developing a vaccine is a complicated process that is costly, typically requires 10 years or more, and has a low success rate, although efforts are underway to accelerate the process."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-05
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Consumer Electronics Recycling

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  From the Document: "Consumer electronics contain critical materials whose supplies are limited, including gold, platinum, and rare earth metals. Domestic recycling of consumer electronics could extend the supply and reduce the current U.S. reliance on imports. New technologies are becoming available, but electronics recycling is complex and faces challenges, such as narrow profit margins."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-08
• Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Testing

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  From Why This Matters: "As the nation works to save lives and flatten the curve of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] cases, widespread testing could help reduce the death rate, help identify those who should self-isolate, and help businesses recover. There are challenges, however, associated with the use and availability of tests, as well as with determining their accuracy."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-05
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Herd Immunity for COVID-19

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  From the Document: "A population can establish herd immunity to an infectious disease once a large enough portion of the population--typically 70 to 90 percent--develops immunity. [...] For diseases where no vaccination is available, it is possible to develop herd immunity through exposure to, and recovery from, the disease. However, if COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] runs its natural course, this approach would entail the risk of severe disease or death. Given the risk associated with COVID-19 infections, achieving herd immunity without a vaccine could result in significant morbidity and mortality rates."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-07
• Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Modeling

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  From the Document: "Infectious disease models can help guide major policy decisions, such as how to allocate health care resources in the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response. However, limitations in data inputs and assumptions can lead to considerable uncertainty in model estimates. Interpreting these estimates requires understanding their purpose, limitations, and assumptions."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  Persons, Timothy M.

  2020-06
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Contact Tracing Apps

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  From the Document: "Contact tracing can help reduce transmission rates for infectious diseases like COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] by identifying and notifying people who may have been exposed. Contact tracing apps [applications], notably those using proximity tracing, could expedite such efforts. However, there are challenges, including accuracy, adoption rates, and privacy concerns."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2020-07