RAND Congressional Briefing Series Podcast

RAND Congressional Briefings connect RAND experts with lawmakers, legislative staff, and respected opinion leaders on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to present findings and recommendations on issues relevant to the current policy debate.

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Episodes

  • Built to Last: Planning and Funding Resilient Infrastructure

    Debra Knopman and Sarah Weilant discuss current and historical congressional spending on infrastructure, four key elements for building resilience into transportation projects, and recommendations for policymakers.

    Dec 6, 2019

  • Preparing for the Future of Fentanyl

    Bryce Pardo and Beau Kilmer discuss recent trends in U.S. fatal overdoses and drug seizures, factors that have contributed to the rise of synthetic opioids in the U.S., what the future of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids looks like, and traditional and non-traditional policy options for addressing fentanyl problems.

    Sep 13, 2019

  • Extending Russia

    What policies could the United States adopt to stress Russia’s military, its economy, or the regime’s political standing at home and abroad? In this congressional briefing summary, former Ambassador James Dobbins, Raphael Cohen, and Howard Shatz discuss Russia’s economic, political, and military vulnerabilities and anxieties; nonviolent, cost-imposing options that the United States and its allies could pursue to stress Russia; and the costs, benefits, and implications of those options.

    Sep 5, 2019

  • Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way to Improve Schools

    A recent RAND report found that implementing “principal pipelines”—a strategic approach to the hiring, preparation, evaluation, and support of school leaders—can improve schools. In this congressional briefing, Susan Gates discusses the feasibility, effectiveness, and affordability of principal pipelines.

    Jun 17, 2019

  • Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

    In this briefing, Elizabeth Bodine-Baron, co-director of the Center for Applied Network Analysis, discusses her research on the challenges combating the threat of Russian influence via disinformation spread on social media. She also shares proposed approaches and recommendations for policymakers.

    Mar 15, 2019

  • The Potential Impacts of Single-Payer Health Care

    Controlling costs while improving health care access dominates policy debates in Congress. In this Congressional Briefing, Jodi Liu discusses what policymakers need to know about "Medicare-for-All" and other single-payer proposals, and their likely effects on cost and access.

    Jan 23, 2019

  • An Overview of Current Trends in Terrorism and Illicit Finance

    An overview of testimony by Colin P. Clarke presented before the House Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance on September 7, 2018.

    Sep 7, 2018

  • Evolution of the U.S. Overdose Crisis

    An overview of testimony by Bryce Pardo presented before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on September 6, 2018.

    Sep 6, 2018

  • Russian Nuclear Forces and Prospects for Arms Control

    An overview of testimony by Austin Long presented before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade on June 21, 2018.

    Jun 21, 2018

  • Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

    Should consumers be in charge of self-regulating the data they share and how companies use it? What policy opportunities could Congress consider to better protect consumer data? In this RAND Congressional briefing, Rebecca Balebako and John Davis discuss the benefits and risks of data sharing, opportunities for protecting privacy at both the personal and industry level, and current U.S. laws and how they compare to European laws.

    Jun 8, 2018

RAND Office of Congressional Relations

For more than 60 years, RAND has provided policymakers with independent, objective research and analysis on key national security, domestic, and international issues. RAND work helps members of Congress and their staffs make better-informed decisions on the nation's pressing challenges. The Office of Congressional Relations offers a number of products and services to educate, inform, and facilitate congressional policymakers' access to RAND work, including coordinating congressional testimony by RAND experts, organizing briefings and meetings, synthesizing RAND work into topical e-newsletters and providing reports and publications to congressional offices. For more information, visit the Office of Congressional Relations Web page, contact ocr@rand.org, or call (703) 413-1100 x5395.