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• Train Braking: DOT's Rulemaking on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes Could Benefit from Additional Data and Transparency, Report to Congressional Committees

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  From the Highlights: "In May 2015, DOT issued a final rule requiring certain trains hauling flammable liquids to equip with ECP [Electronically Controlled Pneumatic] brakes. This rule has met opposition from many industry stakeholders. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act requires DOT [Department of Transportation] to test ECP brakes and reevaluate the economic analysis supporting the ECP brake requirement and includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the potential costs and benefits of ECP. This report examines views on costs railroads may realize in meeting the ECP brake rule, the potential business benefits, and how DOT and the railroad industry estimated safety benefits. GAO reviewed rulemaking documents; interviewed 13 rail experts selected based on published work and suggestions from the National Academies of Sciences; interviewed DOT officials and representatives of the seven largest railroads in North America; interviewed industry stakeholders, including the Association of American Railroads and compared DOT's estimates and modeling efforts against federal criteria and GAO standards for internal control."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2016-10-12
• Hazardous Materials Rail Shipments: A Review of Emergency Response Information in Selected Train Documents, Report to Congressional Committees

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  From the Highlights: "In November 2012, a train derailed in Paulsboro, New Jersey, releasing about 20,000 gallons of vinyl chloride, a hazardous material. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found, among other issues, that the supplemental information in the train's documents on responding to emergencies involving vinyl chloride was inconsistent with and less protective than emergency response guidance in the 'ERG' [Emergency Response Guidebook]. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to evaluate the differences between the emergency response information carried by trains transporting hazardous materials and the 'ERG' guidance. This report examines (1) what emergency response information is carried on trains by selected railroads transporting hazardous materials and how responders use it, and (2) how selected railroads' supplemental emergency response information compares to information in the 'ERG'. GAO reviewed the 'ERG' and other relevant literature and met with DOT and NTSB officials, among others. GAO interviewed all 7 larger Class I railroads and 11 smaller Class II and III railroads that carried hazardous materials in 2015. GAO compared the supplemental emergency response information with 'ERG' information for 72 frequently shipped hazardous materials from a nonprobability sample of train documents provided by 10 of the 18 selected railroads. GAO is not making recommendations. DOT and NTSB provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2016-12
• Motor Carriers: Establishing System for Self-Reporting Equipment Problems Appears Feasible, but Safety Benefits Questionable and Costs Uknown

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  From the Highlights: "In 2015, more than 4,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks. To identify carriers with the highest crash risk, FMCSA [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] uses information from roadside inspections and crashes to rank each carrier's safety performance relative to other carriers in seven categories, including one on vehicle maintenance. Some stakeholders have proposed a system for carriers or their drivers to self-report en route vehicle equipment problems to FMCSA. Reported equipment problems that were repaired within a certain time period would not affect the carrier's relative ranking, potentially incentivizing carriers to make repairs more quickly. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to examine the cost and feasibility of establishing a system for carriers or drivers to self-report vehicle equipment problems to FMCSA. This report examines (1) the potential safety impacts of a self-reporting system and (2) factors that could affect its feasibility and cost. GAO reviewed relevant regulations, information on other existing DOT [Department of Transportation] self-reporting systems, and prior related GAO work. GAO also interviewed a non-generalizable sample of representatives from six industry and safety associations, six carriers, and six drivers about this potential system for self-reporting equipment problems. GAO selected carriers to include those with diverse fleet sizes and average distances traveled, and drivers from six additional carriers. DOT provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2016-12
• Commercial Space: Industry Developments and FAA Challenges, Statement of Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives

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  From the Highlights: "U.S. commercial space launch industry has changed considerably since the enactment of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004. FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] is required to license or permit commercial space launches; however, to allow space tourism to develop, the act prohibited FAA from regulating crew and spaceflight participant safety before 2012--a moratorium that was extended to 2023. The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, enacted in November 2015, addressed other aspects of the commercial space launch industry. This testimony summarizes and updates findings from GAO's [Government Accountability Office] 2015 report, specifically industry developments and FAA challenges, including FAA's launch licensing workload and budget. For its 2015 report, GAO reviewed FAA's guidance on its launch permit, licensing, and safety oversight activities; interviewed FAA officials, industry stakeholders, and experts who were selected on the basis of their knowledge of FAA's oversight of the commercial space launch industry; and visited spaceports where two 2014 launch mishaps occurred. To update this information GAO reviewed FAA information on the industry and FAA's budget request. In 2015, GAO recommended that FAA, in its budget submissions, provide more detailed information about the Office of Commercial Space Transportation's workload. FAA agreed with the recommendation. GAO is not making new recommendations in this testimony."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  Dillingham, Gerald Lee, 1947-

  2016-06-22
• Intelligent Transportation Systems: Survey of Transit Providers Serving Small Urban and Rural Areas

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  From the Document: "This document presents the results of GAO's [Government Accountability Office] survey of small urban and rural transit providers on their use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). In order to learn about transit providers' use of ITS and perspectives on the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with ITS, we conducted a web-based survey by selecting a stratified random sample of 312 transit providers using reporting year 2013 data from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database. The results of the survey can be generalized to the population of 314 transit providers that serve small urban areas and 582 transit providers with more than 10 vehicles that serve rural areas, and are presented as estimates with 95 percent confidence intervals within plus or minus 10 percentage points, unless otherwise noted. We obtained completed questionnaires from 233 respondents, or about a 75 percent response rate. In this e-supplement we present the survey questionnaire and results regarding use of 10 ITS technologies, ITS costs, ITS benefits, ITS challenges, sources of funding for ITS, resources used for technical support for ITS, and the federal ITS Joint Program Office. We do not include narratives provided in open-ended questions, due to some answers possibly revealing respondents' identities based on the content provided. A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is contained in our report 'Intelligent Transportation Systems: Urban and Rural Transit Providers Reported Various Benefits from ITS, but Face Deployment Challenges' GAO-16-638 (Washington, D.C.: June 2016). We administered the survey from November 2015 to December 2015 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2016-06-21
• Public Transit Safety: Examining the Federal Role, Hearing Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, December 8, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Peter A. DeFazio: "The issue before us is transit safety. The Administration has a proposal for the first time in some 45 years to revisit significantly the degree of Federal involvement and/or oversight in transit safety. We will look forward to hearing that presentation. I think one thing looms over this issue that also needs to be addressed. It is an ongoing and constant source of concern of the Subcommittee. It is the level of investment in our infrastructure or lack thereof. You can't look at transit systems nationwide with more than $60 billion of deferred maintenance and capital needs and say that some of our safety problems aren't due to the fact that we are running decrepit equipment. One of the big solutions here for dealing." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Robert J. Chipkevich, Richard W. Clark, Ray LaHood, William W. Millar, Katherine A. Siggerud, Harry E. Mitchell, Peter A. DeFazio.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2009
• Review of and Update on the Management of FAA's NextGen Program, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, September 12, 2012

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  This is the September 12, 2012 hearing on "A Review of and Update on the Management of FAA's NextGen Program," held before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation. From the opening statement of Thomas E. Petri: "Today the subcommittee will hear from Government and aviation industry stakeholders on the FAA's [Federal Aviation Administration] management of and progress toward transforming our Nation's air traffic control system. This program, known as NextGen, is among the largest and most ambitious public works projects in our Nation's history. The successful implementation of NextGen is critical to the future of our air transportation system and U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace. Today our air traffic control system is very inefficient. In order to accommodate the roughly 730 million passengers each year and 70,000 flights each day, we need to modernize our system. NextGen will transform air transportation by transitioning to a satellite-based surveillance system, improving communications between pilots and controllers, and developing more efficient navigation routes from start to finish. The goal is to create a system that is safer, less impacted by weather conditions, better for the environment, and more consistent, with fewer delays. The FAA has made some progress, but it also faces significant challenges. FAA is currently spending roughly $1 billion each year to develop and implement what we call NextGen. The aviation industry will have to invest billions of dollars to equip their aircraft with the avionics from which the benefits of NextGen will be derived. Unfortunately, the FAA's progress is slower than expected. And, as a result, the industry has been reluctant to invest." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Thomas E. Petri, John D. Porcari, Michael P. Huerta, Calvin L. Scovel, III, Gerald L. Dillingham, David J. Barger, Paul Rinaldi, Ed Bolen, Susan M. Baer, Russ Carnahan, Jerry F. Costello, Eddie Bernice Johnson, and Marion C. Blakey.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• Securing Ammonium Nitrate: Using Lessons Learned in Afghanistan to Protect the Homeland from IEDs, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, July 12, 2012

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  This is the July 12, 2012 hearing, "Securing Ammonium Nitrate: Using Lessons Learned in Afghanistan to Protect the Homeland from IEDs," before the United States House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. From the opening statement of Daniel E. Lungren: "The subcommittee is meeting today to receive testimony on the security of ammonium nitrate and the threat of IEDs [Improvised Explosive Device] to the homeland. After consultation with Ms. Clarke, the Ranking Member, and the witnesses, there is agreement that due to the sensitive nature of this topic, following the Members' opening statements, the subcommittee should recess and reconvene in a closed classified session. Specifically, both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security have indicated that disclosure of the matters to be considered here today, including the disclosure of potential domestic threats, would endanger National security." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Daniel E. Lungren, Laura Richardson, John P. Woods, Michael D. Barbero, and Charles Michael Johnson, Jr.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 368, Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization of 2013

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on May 16, 2013. From the Summary: "S. 368 would reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) to allow certain federal agencies to spend, without further appropriation, proceeds from the sale of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to purchase inholdings (privately held land surrounded by federal land). Based on information provided by BLM, CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would increase both the proceeds from the sale of federal property and the spending of sale proceeds. On balance, CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would yield a small net reduction in direct spending of $5 million over the 2014-2023 period--primarily because spending would lag behind collections over the next 10 years. Because S. 368 would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the legislation would not affect revenues."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2013-06-04
• Mumbai Attacks: a Wake-up Call for America's Private Sector, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, March 11, 2009

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  From the opening statement of Sheila Jackson Lee: "I am proud to convene today's hearing to engage our Members and the witnesses on important issues that have arisen from the terrorist attack in Mumbai last November. I sincerely hope that we can learn from the tragic event and apply its lessons to what we are doing to secure the same types of assets in the United States that were targeted in India. In the last 6 weeks, I have been both in Pakistan and in India, and stayed in the Taj in Mumbai, and so I have first-hand, or had a first-hand look on the issues involving this hearing, but more importantly, the question of protecting our infrastructure, because some might ask the question, why a hearing on Mumbai? This is not necessarily a hearing only on Mumbai. It is asking the serious question of, how do we protect the Nation's infrastructure, and to also ask the next question, how vulnerable is the 85 percent of the Nation's infrastructure held in our private hands? Responsibilities of this Nation, responsibilities of this committee are in fact to protect the homeland." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Sheila Jackson Lee, Charles W. Dent, Bennie G. Thompson, James L. Snyder, Raymond W. Kelly, James W. McJunkin, C. Christine Fair, David Bradley Bonnell, and William G. Raisch.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2010
• Improving and Expanding Infrastructure in Tribal and Insular Communities, Oversight Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Native Alaska Affairs of the Committee on Natural Resources, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, March 9, 2017

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  This is from the March 9, 2017 hearing, "Improving and Expanding Infrastructure in Tribal and Insular Communities" before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. From the opening statement of Doug LaMalfa: "As we know, infrastructure plays an extremely important role in providing the basic services to people, no matter where they live. Quality infrastructure boosts economic development, creates jobs, and quality of life increases. Nowhere is this more important than tribal and insular communities. There is, however, a great need in tribal communities, especially with tribal healthcare infrastructure. Established in 1955, the Indian Health Service (IHS) provides health care for approximately 2.2 million American Indian and Alaska Native community members. Today, there are approximately 650 IHS and tribal health facilities throughout the Nation. IHS facilities offer a range of care, including primary care services, pharmacy, laboratory services, only to name a few. In recent years, several reports to Congress have highlighted the state of many health facilities to fall into dire conditions. Most facility capacity is about 52 percent of need. This creates crowded and unsafe conditions which affect the delivery of health care. In 2016, the average age of IHS hospitals was estimated to be about 40 years old. The average age of hospitals throughout the United States is said to be about 10 years. This information is not unfamiliar to those in Indian Country. Both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the HHS [United States Department of Health & Human Services] Office of the Inspector General have found that aging facilities are direct threats to patient care. Again, this is not something new to Indian Country; this problem has existed for decades." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Herman G. Honanie, Andrew Joseph Jr., Victoria Kitcheyan, Aaron Payment, Nikolao Pula, and Andy Teuber.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• EMP Threat: Examining the Consequences, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, September 12, 2012

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  This is the September 12, 2012 hearing on "The EMP Threat: Examining the Consequences," held before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. From the opening statement of Daniel E. Lungren: "The Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies will come to order. This subcommittee is meeting today to examine the electromagnetic pulse threat. I will now recognize myself for an opening statement. The Washington, DC area was recently impacted by a deadly, fast-moving storm, called a derecho--a word I had never heard of before until I found myself in the midst of it--which is one of the most destructive and deadly thunderstorm systems in North American history. It resulted in 22 deaths, widespread damage, and millions of power outages from the Midwest to the Middle Atlantic States. This derecho provided a glimpse of the kind of destruction--just a glimpse of the kind of destruction that would result from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. Falling trees and the loss of electric power caused death and destruction from Chicago to Virginia. Fortunately, this power outage was short-term, which limited the human and economic consequences. An EMP is a burst of electromagnetic radiation typically generated by a high-altitude nuclear explosion or a non-nuclear device. Nuclear weapon EMPs are most effective when detonated high in the altitude above the intended target. Depending on the yield of the weapon and the height of the explosion, nuclear EMPs can destroy large portions of the U.S. power and communications infrastructure, we are informed." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Daniel E. Lungren, Yvette D. Clarke, Bennie G. Thompson, Laura Richardson, Trent Franks, Joseph McClelland, Brandon Wales, Michael A. Aimone, Chris Beck, and Nickolaus E. Leggett.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013
• China Primer: Hong Kong [March 31, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR, or Hong Kong) is a semi-autonomous city located off the southern coast of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China (PRC or China). The city was established as a British colony in 1841, and administered by the British government until 1997, when it was formally returned to PRC jurisdiction. More than 90% of Hong Kong's population is ethnically Chinese. The first language of the vast majority is Cantonese (a variety of Chinese different from the Standard Mandarin recognized as the national language by PRC law). English is also widely spoken and used in commercial and legal settings."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Barrios, Ricardo; Sutherland, Michael D.

  2022-03-31
• Advances in Satellite Methane Measurement: Implications for Fossil Fuel Industry Emissions Detection and Climate Policy [April 1, 2022]

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  From the Document: "On November 15, 2021, under the authority of Section 111 of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a rulemaking that 'proposes comprehensive standards of performance for GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions (in the form of methane limitations) ... for new, modified, and reconstructed sources in the Crude Oil and Natural Gas source category, including the production, processing, transmission and storage segments' (86 'Federal Register' 63110, November 15, 2021). Lessening unintended emissions known as 'fugitive emissions' is one set of actions in this proposal to constrain large emissions sources known as 'super-emitters.' The rulemaking requests both information and comments on alternative measurement technologies for methane emissions, especially those attributed to super-emitters. The EPA is seeking input on technologies that could distinguish large emission events and a definitional emissions level for designating an event as 'large.' It is specified in the rulemaking that 'any emissions visible by satellites should qualify as large emission events' (86 'Federal Register' 63110, November 15, 2021). The role of evolving satellite technologies that have the ability to monitor methane and contribute to the identification of 'large emission events' is discussed here."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Haskett, Jonathan D.

  2022-04-01
• Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: The Constitutional-Doubt Canon (Part 3 of 3) [March 29, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Legal Sidebar LSB10719, 'The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (Part 9)') is a set of rules the Supreme Court has developed to guide federal courts in disposing of cases that raise constitutional questions in order to minimize tensions that arise when an unelected federal judiciary sets aside laws enacted by Congress or state legislatures. Under the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine, federal courts should interpret the Constitution only when it is a 'strict necessity' [hyperlink]. In a concurring opinion in 'Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority' [hyperlink], Justice Louis Brandeis identified seven rules comprising the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: (1) the Rule Against Feigned or Collusive Lawsuits; (2) Ripeness; (3) Judicial Minimalism; (4) the Last Resort Rule; (5) Standing and Mootness; (6) Constitutional Estoppel; and (7) the Constitutional-Doubt Canon. Rules (1), (2), (5), and (6) inform whether a court can hear a case (i.e., whether it is justiciable), while Rules (3), (4), and (7) inform how a court should address constitutional questions in cases before it. This Legal Sidebar Post on the Constitutional-Doubt Canon is the third of three that look at this latter set of rules. Because the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine informs how the Court is likely to resolve disputes involving the constitutionality of laws, understanding the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine may assist Congress in its legislative activities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dennis, Jeanne M.

  2022-03-29
• Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: Judicial Minimalism (Part 1 of 3) [March 29, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Legal Sidebar LSB10719, 'The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (Part 9)') is a set of rules the Supreme Court has developed to guide federal courts in disposing of cases that raise constitutional questions in order to minimize tensions that arise when an unelected federal judiciary sets aside laws enacted by Congress or state legislatures. Under the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine, federal courts should interpret the Constitution only when it is a 'strict necessity' [hyperlink]. In a concurring opinion in 'Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority' [hyperlink], Justice Louis Brandeis identified seven rules comprising the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: (1) the Rule Against Feigned or Collusive Lawsuits; (2) Ripeness; (3) Judicial Minimalism; (4) the Last Resort Rule; (5) Standing and Mootness; (6) Constitutional Estoppel; and (7) the Constitutional-Doubt Canon. Rules (1), (2), (5), and (6) inform whether a court can hear a case (i.e., whether it is justiciable), while Rules (3), (4), and (7) inform how a court should address constitutional questions in cases before it. This Legal Sidebar Post on Judicial Minimalism is the first of three that look at this latter set of rules. Because the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine informs how the Court is likely to resolve disputes involving the constitutionality of laws, understanding the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine may assist Congress in its legislative activities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dennis, Jeanne M.

  2022-03-29
• Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: The Last Resort Rule (Part 2 of 3) [March 29, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Legal Sidebar LSB10719, 'The Modes of Constitutional Analysis: The Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine (Part 9)') is a set of rules the Supreme Court has developed to guide federal courts in disposing of cases that raise constitutional questions in order to minimize tensions that arise when an unelected federal judiciary sets aside laws enacted by Congress or state legislatures. Under the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine, federal courts should interpret the Constitution only when it is a 'strict necessity' [hyperlink]. In a concurring opinion in 'Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority' [hyperlink], Justice Louis Brandeis identified seven rules comprising the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine: (1) the Rule Against Feigned or Collusive Lawsuits; (2) Ripeness; (3) Judicial Minimalism; (4) the Last Resort Rule; (5) Standing and Mootness; (6) Constitutional Estoppel; and (7) the Constitutional-Doubt Canon. Rules (1), (2), (5), and (6) inform whether a court can hear a case (i.e., whether it is justiciable), while Rules (3), (4), and (7) inform how a court should address constitutional questions in cases before it. This Legal Sidebar Post on the Last Resort Rule is the second of three that look at this latter set of rules. Because the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine informs how the Court is likely to resolve disputes involving the constitutionality of laws, understanding the Constitutional Avoidance Doctrine may assist Congress in its legislative activities."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dennis, Jeanne M.

  2022-03-29
• European Union and China [Updated February 14, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The European Union (EU) 'Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific', published in September 2021, outlines an agenda to expand economic, security, and political partnerships in a region that is rapidly becoming 'a key player in shaping the international order.' The 27-member EU's increasing attention to the Indo-Pacific unfolds in the context of transatlantic discussions about the direction of relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) and the implications of U.S.-China tensions for Europe. Many Members of Congress have expressed concerns about China's influence in Europe and the EU, as well as interest in policy options for greater U.S.-EU cooperation regarding China. In recent years, EU views on China appear to have hardened and now mirror more closely U.S. concerns about China's global influence. In a 2019 position paper, the European Commission (the EU's executive body) described China as 'simultaneously ... a cooperation partner with whom the EU has closely aligned objectives, a negotiating partner with whom the EU needs to find a balance of interests, an economic competitor in the pursuit of technological leadership, and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance.' [...] Notwithstanding initial suggestions that China's Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 'facemask diplomacy' and 'vaccine diplomacy' could build goodwill, many analysts assess that the pandemic and other recent developments have further strained EU-China relations. An exchange of sanctions in March 2021 stemming from EU concerns about human rights in China reflected what some observers have described as a low point in relations."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Garding, Sarah E.; Barrios, Ricardo; Mix, Derek E. . . .

  2022-02-14
• Target Capabilities List: Version 1.0

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  "This document presents the initial version of a Homeland Security Target Capabilities List (TCL). It was developed in close consultation with Federal, State, local, and tribal entities and national associations. The list will be refined and improved as it is put into practice. Guidance on use of the target capabilities will be provided in the National Preparedness Goal and National Preparedness Guidance, due March 31, 2005."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2005-01-31
• Public Safety on NYC Subways: No Safety in Small Numbers

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  From the Executive Summary: "Where there was safety in numbers before Covid [coronavirus disease 2019] and grave peril in desolation beginning in March 2020, there now exists an unhappy medium. Modest-size crowds--though larger than those in 2020--are not by themselves helping to deter violent crime. This stagnation of both crowd size and public safety is unlikely to fix itself: as people fear taking trains because of violent crime, they keep crowd levels low, thus enabling violent crime to persist at elevated levels. At the same time, the NYPD [New York Police Department] and prosecutors have not stepped in to fill the vacuum. Preventive policing, in terms of arrests and civil summonses for alleged low-level law violations, remains far below pre-Covid levels."

  Manhattan Institute for Policy Research

  Gelinas, Nicole, 1975-

  2022-03
• Planning Scenarios: Executive Summaries: Created for Use in National, Federal, State and Local Homeland Preparedness Activities

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  "The Homeland Security Council (HSC) " in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the federal interagency, and state and local homeland security agencies " has developed fifteen all-hazards planning scenarios for use in national, federal, state, and local homeland security preparedness activities. These scenarios are designed to be the foundational structure for the development of national preparedness standards from which homeland security capabilities can be measured. While these scenarios reflect a rigorous analytical effort by federal, state, and local homeland security experts, it is recognized that refinement and revision over time may be necessary to ensure the scenarios remain accurate, represent the evolving all-hazards threat picture, and embody the capabilities necessary to respond to domestic incidents. This document includes executive summaries for the fifteen scenarios, and a separate document contains the complete scenario text."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2004-07
• Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program (HSPTAP): Technical Assistance Catalog

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  "ODP's Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program provides direct assistance to State and local jurisdictions to improve their ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from threats or acts of terrorism involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons. A primary objective of the program is to enhance the capacity of State and local jurisdictions, as well as special needs jurisdictions such as port authorities and mass transit agencies to develop, plan, and implement effective strategies for CBRNE preparedness. Technical Assistance (TA) may be provided to State and local governments, law enforcement, fire, hazardous materials, and other community agencies that have CBRNE responsibilities. CBRNE terrorism prevention, response, and recovery, as outlined in the Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-8, December 2003, are defining elements of the Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program, and serve as the foundation for all TA services. As a result, this catalog is divided into three sections that correspond with these preparedness objectives: Terrorism Prevention, Terrorism Response, and Terrorism Recovery."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2003
• Industry Brief for the MSWG

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  This brief, from a presentation to the Maritime Security Working Group (MSWG) in Washington, focuses on six key areas: the strategic environment; operational challenges, including cargo, people, conveyances, infrastructure; strategic impact; economic impact; Department of Homeland Security Operations; and, industry outreach efforts.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2004-08-25
• Common Approach to Preparedness: The National Preparedness Goal

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  "Terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies respect neither political nor geographic boundaries. To deal with major events effectively requires a national preparedness system that makes clear the roles and missions of entities at all levels, strengthens preparedness partnerships, establishes performance objectives and measures, and directs the allocation of resources and prioritization of investments. A major milestone in building this national preparedness system is the Interim National Preparedness Goal (the Goal). The Goal will transform the way we think about preparedness by defining capabilities that must be in place, at appropriate levels, to prevent and respond to current and future threats and hazards. The Goal establishes measurable targets and priorities to guide the Nation's planning, and provides a systematic approach for determining how prepared we are, how prepared we need to be, and how we should prioritize efforts to close the gap."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security
• HSPD-8 in Context: The NRP, NIMS and the Goal

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  "Complex 21st century threats, exemplified by the horrific events of September 11th 2001, demand that all Americans share responsibility for homeland security. All levels of government, the private sector, and non-governmental agencies must be prepared to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from a wide spectrum of major events that exceed the capabilities of any single entity. These hazards require a unified and coordinated national approach to planning and to domestic incident management. To address this need, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5: Management of Domestic Incidents (HSPD-5) and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8: National Preparedness (HSPD-8) establish national initiatives that develop a common approach to preparedness and response. The initiatives are the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Plan (NRP), and the National Preparedness Goal (the Goal)."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security
• Statewide Communication Interoperability Planning (SCIP) Methodology: An Approach Based on the Commonwealth of Virginia's Planning Process

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  "The lack of interoperable wireless communications systems is an issue that continues to impact public safety agencies in communities across the county. In many cases, agencies are unable to communicate or share critical voice and data information with other jurisdictions or disciplines during natural disasters, emergency response scenarios, terrorist acts, or even in day-to-day operations...The Statewide Communications Planning Methodology (SCIP) describes a step-by-step process for developing a locally-driven statewide strategic plan for enhancing communications interoperability. As noted, the methodology is based on the efforts employed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, with support from the Department of Homeland Security's SAFECOM Program, in developing their Strategic Plan for Statewide Communications Interoperability. This document includes: explanations of tasks associated with each phase of the strategic planning process, lessons learned from the strategic planning process in Virginia, recommended outputs, and templates that may be leveraged where appropriate. Although the examples and lessons learned are the result of Virginia's planning process, the strategic planning process described in this document is replicable in other states, regions, counties, and cities."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2004-11-01
• SBA Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program [Updated March 24, 2022]

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  From the Introduction: "This report focuses on the SBA [Small Business Administration]'s WOSB [Women-Owned Small Business] Federal Contracting Program, authorized by H.R. 5654, the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000, and incorporated by reference in P.L. 106-554, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001. The WOSB program is designed to help federal agencies achieve their statutory goal of awarding at least 5% of their federal contracting dollars to WOSBs (established by P.L. 103-355, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (FASA)) by allowing federal contracting officers to [1] set aside acquisitions exceeding the micro-purchase threshold (currently $10,000) for bidding by WOSBs (including economically disadvantaged WOSBs (EDWOSBs)) exclusively in industries in which WOSBs are substantially underrepresented, and [2] set aside contracts for bidding by EDWOSBs exclusively in industries in which WOSBs are underrepresented."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Blackford, R. Corinne

  2022-03-24
• DHS ID & Credentialing Initiative: IPT Meeting, October 14, 2004, Part 2 of 2

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  This briefing is a continuation of "DHS ID & Credentialing Initiative IPT Meeting" Part 01. It continues with an overview of issuing smart cards capable of encoding both physical and logical access credentials in a single integrated issuance process from a single issuance station. It presents functional specifications and several diagrams of physical and cyber access systems integration; cardholder and master cardholder database preparation and prototype for future data collection; DHS I&C System Architecture; DHS PKI-PKE Architecture; and DHS Relying Parties for DAC.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2004-10
• Fact Sheet: Office Of State And Local Government Coordination & Preparedness

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  "The Office of State and Local Government Coordination--headed by Joshua Filler--was established to serve as a single point of contact for facilitation and coordination of Departmental programs that impact state, local, territorial, and tribal governments. The Department of Homeland Security brings together various organizations that provide support to state, local, territorial, and tribal government organizations and associations--this Office helps to coordinate this support. SLGC is responsible for coordinating the programs and policies of the Department as they relate to state and local governments, including funding issues and information sharing."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security
• DHS ID & Credentialing Initiative: IPT Meeting, October 14, 2004, Part 1 of 2

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  This briefing presents an overview of the goal of reducing identity and protecting personal privacy by establishing a mandatory, Government-wide standard for identification. It provides approximate deadlines, and talking points based on Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12. It also presents diagrams of the I&C system procedure for issuing smart cards, and current implementation versus HSPD-12 requirements.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2004-10