Hugues Dumont: 206 books

In both 2016 and 2017, 15 separate U.S. disasters resulted in losses exceeding $1 billion each. FEMA provides PA grants to state and local governments to help communities recover from such disasters. If applicants disagree with FEMA’s decision on their PA grant application, they have two chances...

Supporting efforts to promote democracy has been a foreign policy priority for the U.S. government. In recent years, USAID and State have allocated about $2 billion per year toward democracy assistance overseas. Congress required USAID and State to each establish guidelines for and report on the use of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements for certain democracy programs...

DHS is the lead agency tasked with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats. The Homeland Security Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act of 2014 required DHS to identify, categorize, and assign employment codes to all of the department’s cybersecurity workforce positions....

A severe GMD or HEMP event could potentially have significant impacts— including power outages—on the nation’s electric grid, which could affect other sectors that depend on electricity, such as communications. In response, NERC created two regulatory standards requiring certain U.S. and Canadian suppliers to assess their vulnerability to GMD and take appropriate steps in response...

Some Southwest border residents and businesses have reported difficulties accessing banking services in the region. GAO was asked to review if Southwest border residents and businesses were losing access to banking services because of derisking and branch closures...

Traumatic injury is a major cause of death and disability in the military, but improved trauma care has the potential to improve these outcomes. DOD has worked to improve trauma care over time, such as by establishing a Joint Trauma System Defense Center of Excellence to examine trauma care and share best practices...

In June 2018, the United States Marine Corps plans to select a contractor and begin low-rate production for the ACV, a vehicle used to transport Marines from ship to shore under hostile conditions. The ACV will replace all or part of the current Assault Amphibious Vehicle fleet...

Since 2005, over 30 provisions have been enacted in law to speed up the delivery of highway and transit projects, mainly by streamlining the NEPA review process. NEPA requires federal agencies to evaluate the potential environmental effects of proposed projects on the human environment. These project...

International trade and travel to the United States is increasing. On a typical day in fiscal year 2016, CBP officers inspected nearly 1.1 million passengers and pedestrians and over 74,000 truck, rail, and sea containers at 328 U.S. land, sea, and air ports of entry, according to CBP. To help meet...

Certain Afghan or Iraqi nationals who worked for the U.S. government and may have experienced serious threats due to this work may qualify for an SIV. An SIV allows them and eligible family members to resettle in the United States, and since 2008 over 60,000 SIV holders (principal holder and family...

Our nation’s critical infrastructure includes the public and private systems and assets vital to national security, economic stability, and public health and safety. Federal policy identifies 16 critical infrastructure sectors, including the financial services, energy, transportation, and communications...

The Department of the Navy has committed to rapidly grow its unmanned systems portfolio. It currently has at least 24 types of systems and has budgeted nearly $10 billion for their development and procurement for fiscal years 2018-2022. Personnel who launch, navigate, and recover the systems are integral...

Arsenic, an element in the earth’s crust, can be harmful to human health and may be present in water and certain foods, such as rice. Rice may be more susceptible to arsenic contamination than other crops due to the flooded conditions in which it is typically grown. FDA and USDA work to address...

The nation’s gas pipeline network moves about 74 billion cubic feet of combustible gas to homes and businesses daily. To alert the public of a gas leak before an explosion occurs, PHMSA has different requirements for odorizing gas. All gas transported by distribution pipelines throughout communities...