Category «Government Documents»

Objectivity of CRS Reports on Domestic Surveillance Issues Challenged

There have been several recent congressional communications and related articles addressing whether or not authors of CRS reports on issues pertaining to domestic surveillance have demonstrated bias in their research. Links to relevant documents are in chronological order, as follows: Letter from Congressman Peter Hoekstra, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Privacy

EPA Libraries And Unique E-Catalog Threatened by Budget Cutbacks

Press release: “Under President Bush’s proposed budget, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slated to shut down its network of libraries that serve its own scientists as well as the public, according to internal agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In addition to the libraries, the agency will pull the …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

USTR to Strengthen Enforcement in Readjustment of U.S.-China Trade Policy

Press release: “Today, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman unveiled the results of a top-to-bottom review of U.S.-China Trade Policy at a news conference. The report, U.S. – China Trade Relations: Entering a New Phase of Greater Accountability and Enforcement (29 pages, PDF), is the first comprehensive statement of U.S. trade policy towards China since it …

Subjects: Copyright, E-Commerce, E-Government, Government Documents, Intellectual Property

ABA Task Force on Domestic Surveillance in the Fight Against Terrorism

Follow up to February 10, 2006 posting, Survey on Spy Program Reflects Public Concern With Constitutional Freedoms, this news today from the ABA Task Force on Domestic Surveillance in the Fight Against Terrorism: Letter to President Bush and New ABA Policy on Domestic Surveillance (1 page, PDF) Report of ABA Task Force on Domestic Surveillance …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

State Dept. Establishes Task Force on Global Internet Freedom

Following up on recent postings: Yahoo Issues Statement on Chinese Net Censorship, Net Censorship Abroad – Free Speech Colides With E-commerce? and Hearing Focuses on Internet Censorship in China, related news today via this State Dept. press release – statement of Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Josette Shiner: “I’m pleased …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Internet

Report Attributes Extensive Government Failures In Hurricane Response

New York Times: Republicans’ Report on Katrina Assails Administration Response Washington Post: Katrina Report Spreads Blame, Homeland Security, Chertoff Singled Out Related government documents: DHS Fact Sheet: Strengthening FEMA to Maximize Mission Performance, February 13, 2006 – “Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced several new measures designed to strengthen the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents

GAO Reports Administration Spending On PR Tops $1.6 Billion

Media Contracts: Activities and Financial Obligations for Seven Federal Departments GAO-06-305, January 13, 2006. Highlights. “The departments reported a total of 343 media contracts, for which they incurred obligations of $1.62 billion during the period of GAO’s review. Specifically, the departments reported 137 contracts (40 percent of the total contracts) with advertising agencies, 131 contracts …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents

Economic Report of the President, 2006 Now Available

“The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It overviews the nation’s economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after the submission of the Budget of the …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Legal Research

Gov’t Censorship of Global Warming Data Includes NASA and NOAA

Follow-up to postings on government censorship of dissemination of scientific data, this February 11, 2006 article from the Washington Post – Censorship Is Alleged at NOAA Scientists Afraid to Speak Out, NASA Climate Expert Reports: “James E. Hansen, the NASA climate scientist who sparked an uproar last month by accusing the Bush administration of keeping …

Subjects: Censorship, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

Bi-partisan Momentum Builds to Investigate White House In Plame CIA Leak

Follow-up on yesterday’s posting, CIA Leak Disclosure and VP – Political Not Legal Ramifications?, another turn on a crooked road: AP reports today that “Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald should investigate Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the CIA leak probe if they authorized an aide to give secret information to reporters, Democratic and Republican …

Subjects: Government Documents

Blogger Reports on Rare Weekend Email About Upcoming Briefing on Spy Program

The Brad Blog posted the text of an e-mail message to House Judiciary Committee members and staff alerting them to an “Unclassified briefing by DOJ on NSA surveillance program” to “be held at 3 pm on Monday, Feb 13th.” Escalating bipartisan congressional demands to be provided with more extensive documentation on the domestic surveillance program …

Subjects: Blogs, Congress, Government Documents