After 42 years of service, including 14 as director, Daniel Mulhollan is stepping down as head of the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The longest-serving leader in CRS history made a point of keeping his shop strictly neutral so as not to antagonize either political party.

 

But some saw Mulhollan’s policy as going too far. “In 2003, Dan invented a new standard of ‘neutrality’ that prohibits any analyst, no matter the weight of evidence, from stating that one position is stronger than another,” one former CRS analyst told Secrecy News. “The result is a remarkable watering down of CRS reports, a trend that has been noticed not only by congressional staff but by readers outside of Congress.”

 

With Mulhollan’s eventual departure, observers wonder if CRS’ next director will steer the office on a different course and make other changes, such as bolstering its diminished reputation for expertise and removing the policy of barring direct public access to CRS reports.

 

Fortunately, the Federation of American Scientists has made as many reports as possible available on their website.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

CRS Director’s Retirement Renews Old Questions (by Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News)

Congressional Research Service [CRS] Reports (Federation of American Scientists)