The Congressional Research Service has never been more frequently cited or more influential in informing public discourse than it is today, as its publications are increasingly shared with the public in violation of official policy. But budget cuts and congressional dysfunction seem to have bred discontent among some staff members, judging from an article by former CRS analyst Kevin R. Kosar.
“Thanks to growing pressure from a hyper-partisan Congress, my ability to write clearly and forthrightly about the problems of government–and possible solutions–was limited. And even when we did find time and space to do serious research, lawmakers ignored our work or trashed us if our findings ran contrary to their beliefs. When no legislation is likely to move through the system, there's simply not much market for the work the CRS, at its best, can do,” he wrote.
See “Why I Quit the Congressional Research Service,” Washington Monthly, January/February 2015.
Phi Beta Iota: Congress specifies the assumptions that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) must use. While CRS is not subject to such strictures, it also has grave issues of dysfunctionality as documented above. The nation needs an Open Source Agency that is a new “fourth estate” of absolute integrity, able to create intelligence with integrity and provide direct support that uplifts and empowers all elements of the government (executive, legislative, and judicial).
See Also:
Congressional Research Service (Not)
Congressional Research Service — Directory of Available Reports
