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

  • Debra Knopman discusses current and historical spending on infrastructure.

    Built to Last: Planning and Funding Resilient Infrastructure

    Dec 6, 2019

    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.

  • Bryce Pardo discusses the past, present, and possible futures of fentanyl in the United States in an overview of a September 13th congressional briefing.

    Preparing for the Future of Fentanyl

    Sep 13, 2019

    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.

  • Raphael S. Cohen discusses Russia’s economic, political, and military vulnerabilities and anxieties in an overview of a September 5th congressional briefing.

    Extending Russia

    Sep 5, 2019

    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.

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

    Jun 17, 2019

    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.

  • Elizabeth Bodine-Baron discusses the challenges in combating the threat of Russian influence via disinformation spread on social media.

    Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

    Mar 15, 2019

    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.

  • Jodi Liu discusses the potential impacts of single-payer health care.

    The Potential Impacts of Single-Payer Health Care

    Jan 23, 2019

    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.

  • An Overview of Current Trends in Terrorism and Illicit Finance

    Sep 7, 2018

    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.

  • A person wearing blue gloves conducts a forensic analysis of synthetic opioids.

    Evolution of the U.S. Overdose Crisis

    Sep 6, 2018

    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.

  • A mobile nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (Topol-M 187) in Red Square during a military parade in 2010.

    Russian Nuclear Forces and Prospects for Arms Control

    Jun 21, 2018

    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.

  • A group of colleagues using their smart phones in synchronicity.

    Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

    Jun 8, 2018

    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.

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.