According to Micah Zenko, "We are deluding ourselves if we believe that we need more time to "think through" U.S. military intervention options for Syria. We have an excellent understanding of what those options are, and a vast majority of officials, policymakers, and the American people do not believe they are worth the effort."

U.S. policymaking on human rights issues is sometimes hindered by poor relations between State and Capitol Hill. Fortunately, there are ways to improve cooperation.

Gayle Lemmon examines the current course of U.S. action in Syria.

If the United States chooses to intervene in Syria, "there is no easy solution or middle ground," according to Ray Takeyh.

Dr. Helene D. Gayle and Deputy Administrator Donald K. Steinberg speak about the challenges of combatting child marriage at the launch event for CFR's new report on child marriage.

Child marriage is a global epidemic and a human rights violation that occurs across regions, cultures, and religions. According to Rachel Vogelstein, the success of U.S. efforts to foster economic growth, improve global health, and promote stability and security will grow if this persistent practice comes to an end.

In President Obama's upcoming counterterrorism speech, Robert Chesney and Matthew Waxman explain that the president should focus on three areas that his administration has not followed through in a serious way: closing Guantanamo, working with Congress to put forceful counterterrorism actions on sound legal footing, and making targeted killing more transparent.

According to Ted Alden, "U.S. tracking of visa overstays is not perfect, but neither is it the massive hole in immigration enforcement that too many in Congress believe exists."

There is a well-known adage that politics stops at the water's edge, but this tends to be more hope than reality. American history is filled with examples in which political disagreement at home has made it difficult for the United States to act, much less lead, abroad.

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Elliott Abrams discusses the latest House hearing on the Benghazi embassy attack of September 11, 2012.

After more than a decade of war and several years of a deep financial crisis, many Americans are asking whether the country should focus more of its attention—and more of its resources—at home. That said, the impulse to lead is still strong in both political parties and most polls show that Americans still feel both a moral and strategic imperative to remain fully engaged in the world.

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Michael Spence outlines the conflicting objectives that President Obama and the U.S. Congress must reconcile as they negotiate a new federal budget.

Peter Orszag argues that switching to the chained consumer price index for calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments will not make as much of a difference as many seem to think.

Micah Zenko examines the role of leadership in Washington's foreign policy discourse.

Carl Levin discusses U.S. defense policy and ongoing national security concerns.

Senator Patty Murray, Senate Budget Committee Chairman, presented this document, "Foundation for Growth: Restoring the Promise of American Opportunity," at the mark-up of the concurrent resolution on the budget for FY 2014, on March 13, 2013. See also the House Budget Committee budget for FY 2014, presented by Congressman Ryan.

Congressman Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, presented this document, "Path to Prosperity: A Responsible, Balanced Budget," on behalf of the House Budget Committee on March 12, 2013. See also the Senate Budget Committee's proposal, presented by Senator Patty Murray.

Short Description: The automatic cuts in U.S. federal government spending, known as the "sequester," will negatively impact the U.S. economy in the short run and will not solve the long-term challenge of putting the United States on a sustainable budget path, says CFR's Robert Kahn.

After their loss last year, Republicans are grappling over what to do next -- and when it comes to foreign policy, small-government conservatives worried about debt are squaring off against big-military conservatives fearful of defense cuts. Fortunately, the GOP does not need a total makeover; what it needs is a renegotiated modus vivendi between the two competing camps, each of which has valuable things to teach the other.

Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke presented these prepared remarks to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on February 26, 2013. The committee provides a webcast of the whole hearing.