The Congressional Research Service says that, as a constitutional matter, it will be up to Congress to determine whether and how to reorganize the management of US national security assets in space, and whether to establish a new “space force,” as the Trump Administration has proposed.
“The constitutional framework appears to contemplate that the role of establishing, organizing, regulating, and providing resources for the Armed Forces belongs to Congress, while the President is in charge of commanding the forces Congress has established using the funds Congress has provided,” CRS said in a new publication. See Toward the Creation of a U.S. “Space Force”, CRS In Focus, August 16, 2018.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Hazing in the Armed Forces, CRS In Focus, August 9, 2018
Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Research Efforts in the Military, CRS In Focus, August 17, 2018
Election Security: Issues in the 2018 Midterm Elections, CRS Insight, August 16, 2018
Supreme Court Appointment Process: Consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee, updated August 14, 2018
IRS Will No Longer Require Disclosure of Certain Nonprofit Donor Information, CRS Legal Sidebar, August 14, 2018
Can the President Pardon Contempt of Court? Probably Yes, CRS Legal Sidebar, August 10, 2018
Overview of U.S.-South Korea Agricultural Trade, August 8, 2018
Proposed U.S.-EU Trade Negotiations: Hitting Pause on a Trade War?, CRS Insight, August 9, 2018
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) in the United States, updated August 9, 2018
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), updated August 9, 2018
Strange Occurrences Highlight Insider Threat to Aviation Security, CRS Insight, August 14, 2018
With thoughtful policy action, it is still possible to build systems that are fair, transparent, and accountable, and to earn the public trust that will ultimately determine AI’s future. We hope policymakers are ready to act.
Procurement is not merely an administrative function—it is how AI enters government and the first line of defense for responsible AI in the public sector.
Responsible AI starts with who is in the data, who is at the table, whose needs shape the outcome, and who is responsible when it falls short.
There is no question this is a Big Deal. If you are a university or research lab, or aspire to work in one, or are simply an enthusiast of federally-funded research, what’s next will matter.