The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Fixing the controlled substance quota system: Why the law and the regulator must change
English Summary
The Brookings article argues that the current controlled substance quota system, administered by the DEA, is the primary cause of drug shortages, undermining national supply resilience. Key evidence shows that the DEA's enforcement mission—designed to prevent diversion—creates rigid, fragmented quotas and inventory caps that prevent manufacturers from adjusting supply when disruptions occur. Consequently, the paper recommends that Congress must legislate to shift quota administration from the DEA to the FDA, as the FDA's mission is centered on ensuring adequate and uninterrupted medicine supply, making it the appropriate regulatory body for this function.
中文摘要
布魯金斯學會的文章主張，目前由美國藥品管理局（DEA）管理的管制藥品配額制度，是造成藥品短缺的主要原因，從而削弱了國家供應韌性。關鍵證據顯示，DEA的執法任務——其設計目的是防止藥品挪用——反而建立了僵化且碎片化的配額和庫存上限，阻礙了製造商在發生供應中斷時調整供應量。因此，該論文建議國會必須立法，將配額管理權從DEA轉移至食品藥品管理局（FDA），因為FDA的職責核心是確保充足且不間斷的藥品供應，使其成為執行此職能的適當監管機構。
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