Publications

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Answering the China Chip Challenge: Recommendations for U.S. Semiconductor Policy

December 17, 2020 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a PDF version of this paper. Five years ago, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced a decade-long campaign dubbed “Made in 2025,” designed to secure for itself global dominance in ten key economic and national security sectors, including the crucial semiconductor industry, where an investment of more than $150 billion

December 16, 2020 | Dan Lips

5 Questions National Policymakers Should Be Asking This week, IT-firm SolarWinds announced that it had likely suffered “a highly sophisticated, targeted and manual supply chain attack by an outside nation state,” which put the information systems of 18,000 of its customers, including federal agencies, at risk. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at DHS issued

December 16, 2020 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a PDF version of the paper. State and local governments have purchased commercial off-the-shelf technologies with known vulnerabilities that federal agencies have banned. Five years after Congress passed bipartisan legislation to strengthen information sharing between the federal government and its partners, federal agencies could do more to support state and local

December 8, 2020 | Joel Thayer

The United States’ success in the race to 5G is critical, but enabling the Internet of things (IoT) ecosystem is equally important. This Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) in particular has made considerable efforts to expedite the deployment of 5G networks, either through reducing barriers to building infrastructure or through opening up key spectrum

Why GAO is Congress’s Best Investment

December 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

A new report examines the Congressional watchdog’s return-on-investment Facing a December 11 deadline to fund the federal government, Congress must finalize its annual spending bills or punt those negotiations into the new year. As lawmakers negotiate on Capitol Hill, taxpayers should keep an eye on one small line item in the federal budget. Last year,

November 10, 2020 | Dan Lips

An extra $76 million in funding for GAO could yield $7 billion in savings based on recent performance The lame-duck session is underway. As the clock winds down on the 116th Congress, lawmakers have a busy agenda for its final weeks–from considering a new emergency spending bill to NDAA and a December 11th deadline to

November 2, 2020 | Dan Lips

Voting is one the most important civic responsibilities in the United States. In 2020, being a responsible voter also involves understanding the rules of the election, the threat foreign interference, and reporting potential wrongdoing to the appropriate authorities if necessary. FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe recently held a press

October 30, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

The “break-them-up” crowd does not grasp the negative consequences of sweeping anti-tech actions. With declining public sentiment about the tech industry and its impact on society, we’ve witnessed a growing chorus of advocates and policymakers arguing that now is the time for the federal government to take drastic action. Indeed, half of Americans now favor breaking up and more

October 29, 2020 | Sean Roberts

What Should the Voter Do? Over the past month, I have been interviewing a cross section of election officials from around the country. These are election officials with a deep insight into the election system. Being so close to the election, Lincoln Network wanted to help American voters by presenting the perspective of the public

Ant Goes Marching

October 26, 2020 | Jordan McGillis

Ant Group, the company behind China’s online payment revolution, intends to list on both the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges by the end of this month. At $35-$40 billion, it would be the biggest IPO ever. Significant investment interest in Ant Group has bubbled up in the West, including from American firms like Fidelity

October 23, 2020 | Dan Lips

GAO’s Work Has Yielded $1.1 Trillion in Taxpayer Savings Since 1999. But Congress Can Do More to Leverage Them. The United States faces growing governance and fiscal challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the federal government’s limited ability to manage a national crisis. The Congressional Budget Office warns that the national debt will eclipse GDP

October 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

Based off of its recent Request For Information (RFI), the United States’ Department of Defense (DoD) intends to balkanize the internet by nationalizing the U.S.’s 5G networks. Make no mistake, the DoD’s plan in releasing this RFI is nothing short of an attempt to capture the 5G market. It makes clear that the DoD seeks

October 14, 2020 | Joel Thayer

After careful review of the docket, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) issued its Order on Remand that clarified its authority in the 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom Order (2018 RIF Order) with respect to public safety, pole attachments, and Lifeline. The FCC did so pursuant to a remand from the D.C. Circuit. Although the

October 9, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter October 7, 2020 Dear Representatives DeLauro, Kaptur, and Wasserman Schultz: We write to commend you for releasing proposals to further strengthen the responsiveness, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of the House Committee on Appropriations. We applaud your energetic campaigns and your continued service to our country. The

October 8, 2020 | Zach Graves

Following the Department of Defense (DoD) Request for Information on a government-managed process for 5G development and action, Americans for Tax Reform led a group of 43 center-right organizations, think tanks, and policy experts in a coalition letter thanking U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) for his leadership and support for the American competitive approach to 5G deployment. Recently, Sen.

Avoiding the 1876 Scenario in November

October 8, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

By Garrett Johnson With five weeks to go, Americans from all walks of life and the different sides of the political spectrum should think ahead and prepare to do their part to help the country avoid an 1876 scenario. In 1876, the presidential election reopened the nation’s still healing wounds from the Civil War. The nation

October 8, 2020 | Sean Roberts

By Sean Roberts Viewers who watched the final moments of last week’s presidential debate got a glimpse of the potential crisis facing the United States in November. President Trump sharply criticized expanded voting-by-mail, warned that it will result in widespread fraud and mistakes, and committed to challenging results he deemed unfair. Former Vice President Joe

September 28, 2020 | Dan Lips

As the November election fast approaches, the 116th Congress is coming to an end. Big changes may soon occur on Capitol Hill including a potential Democratic takeover of the Senate. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are now speculating about ways to strengthen the upper chamber. Democrats Considering Ending the Legislative Filibuster Prominent Democrats,

September 17, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Lincoln Network submitted comments to the FCC on RM-11862, the NTIA’s petition to “clarify” Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Authored by Garrett Johnson and Zach Graves. Click here to view the full comment in PDF format. We write: The Commission has been asked to respond to the National Telecommunications and

September 15, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

In a 2020 research paper “Secure And Accessible Elections: Absentee Voting Solutions For 2020 And Beyond”, Lincoln Network’s Sean Roberts and Alexiaa Jordan discuss the benefits and risks of expanded absentee voting, which is on track to increase in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing. One of the risks

September 15, 2020 | Lars Schönander

The majority of digital tools that you use at some point are built on a foundation of open source projects. If you use an iPhone, it most likely stores data in a SQLite database, an open source database that was designed to be easily embedded in devices. The websites you browse are often made with

August 31, 2020 | Jordan McGillis

While TikTok is taking up much oxygen in our media ecosystem, another Chinese app provides a more interesting point of departure from which to discuss Sino-American relations. That app is Xuexi Qiangguo. “Study Xi, Strong Nation” Xuexi Qiangguo, or “Study Xi, Strong Nation” is an app produced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to instruct

August 31, 2020 | Dan Lips

13 States Have No Laws Addressing Who Can Deliver Absentee Ballots The November election is less than 100 days away. In most states, voters will soon be able to cast their ballots due to new rules allowing no-excuse absentee balloting. In a recent Lincoln Network working paper, Sean Roberts and Alexiaa Jordan discuss the tradeoffs

August 10, 2020 | Dan Lips

Congress must refocus DHS’s missions and address dysfunctional oversight The following article was co-authored by Keith Ashdown and Dan Lips. The Trump Administration’s decision to send hundreds of federal law enforcement officers to Portland to protect federal buildings and confront (and beat up) protesters and rioters highlights longstanding problems with the Department of Homeland

August 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

The Hill By Elise Bean and Dan Lips Click here to read the full article on the case for IG independence. The balance of power may soon shift in Washington, followed by a realignment in Congress on oversight. Republicans who, under the Trump administration, have resisted investigating executive branch actions may feel differently about a

August 7, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. The Honorable Richard Shelby Chair, Committee on Appropriations United States Senate The Honorable Patrick Leahy Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Dear Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy: We write to respectfully request that video of Senate Appropriations Committee legislative mark-ups be broadcast online

Solutions for Fighting Voting Fraud

August 7, 2020 | Sean Roberts

Election oversight is critical bulwark protecting the republic from election crimes Publicly elected officers wield power over decision making. The temptation to cheat, lie, and steal to get into public office is too great for some. Strong election oversight is a requirement for a society governed by the rule of law. We have many historical

August 3, 2020 | Peter Blair

This paper is part of Lincoln’s Technology Assessment Symposium, which was made possible with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The paper was authored by Peter D. Blair. Blair is a distinguished senior fellow in the Schar School of Policy and Government of George Mason University. He was previously the executive director for

July 31, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. The Honorable Tim Ryan H-306, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Jamie Herrera Beutler 2352 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and Members of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Committee: We write in deep appreciation of your efforts to

July 31, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. July 27, 2020The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Mitch McConnellMajority Leader, U.S. Senate The Honorable Kevin McCarthyMinority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Charles SchumerMinority Leader, U.S. Senate Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McConnell, Schumer, and McCarthy, The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an

The Realignment X Lincoln Network

July 29, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

For the past year, Saagar Enjeti, co-host of The Hill‘s Rising with Krystal and Saagar, and I have co-hosted The Realignment podcast. Over 40 plus episodes, we’ve interviewed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senators Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton, Representative Mike Gallagher, Krystal Ball, Bhaskar Sunkara, J.D. Vance, Megan McArdle, and Jane Coaston, among others.

July 27, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

Last month, NBC News and the U.K.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged that Google had formally decided to demonetize the conservative digital publication The Federalist over controversial articles about Black Lives Matter. It quickly emerged that NBC‘s initial reporting was inaccurate, with Google subsequently announcing it had not yet prevented The Federalist from using

July 21, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued safety guidance for election locations, staffers, and voters. Their standard COVID-19 guidance is mentioned. However, they offered more substantive advice that contradicts some states’ recent actions during their primaries. The CDC broadly supports “any feasible options for reducing the number of voters who congregate

July 17, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chair Hon. Rodney Davis, Ranking Member Committee on House Administration Committee on House Administration U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Re: Hearing Entitled “Exploring the Feasibility and Security of Technology to Conduct Remote Voting in the House” Dear Chair Lofgren, Ranking

Rebuilding Congress’ Policy Capacity

July 11, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to read the full article discussing efforts to modernize Congress. Earlier this month, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress held a hearing on improving staffing capacity and policy expertise in Congress. A major theme of this discussion was the historical loss of congressional staff capacity, and how to address it. To reverse this