Congress

Just Security’s expert authors offer analysis of U.S. Congress’ role in national security, foreign affairs, the rule of law, and rights. Coverage includes analysis and informational resources related to the legislative process, oversight and investigations of the executive branch, and major debates on the separation of powers and Congress’ constitutional role.

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2,559 Articles
People stand on the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at the lobby of the Original Headquarters Building at the CIA headquarters.

Expanding the Covert Agent Secrecy Law Threatens to Chill Reporting

Covert intelligence operatives on overseas postings face unique dangers: arrest, torture and possible execution. These dangers were embodied in the name of James Bond’s nemesis,…
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in for his testimony before the House Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 24, 2019.

Top Law and Intelligence Experts’ Views on Mueller Hearings

To help make sense of the day’s hearings, we turned to Just Security’s editors and contributors for their thoughts. 
FBI Director Robert Mueller III testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a oversight hearing on Capitol Hill December 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.

Mueller Hearing Risks Narrowing the Range of Impeachable Offenses

The congressional hearings will likely overlook the larger set of impeachable offences even though Mueller's report itself provides significant evidence of them.

35 Questions for Congress to Ask Robert Mueller (+ Questions from Readers)

Former FBI (Rangappa), Justice Department and NSC (Geltzer), and Pentagon (Goodman) officials team up to suggest questions for Mueller.
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House Should Prepare Criminal Referral of A.G. Barr for Lying to Congress

Mueller’s testimony puts not only the President’s job and criminal liability on the line. Attorney General Barr is in jeopardy too.
US Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, nominee to be Secretary of Defense, testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 16, 2019.

What Did We Learn About Mark Esper and How He Views the World?

From Iran to Afghanistan to collective self-defense, the big takeaways from the Senate confirmation hearing for Mark Esper, nominated by the president to be defense secretary.…
The US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on January 22, 2019.

The National Security Delegation Conundrum

The two main opinions in Gundy v. the United States highlight the imbalanced stakes of current constitutional non-delegation doctrine. Those worried about unchecked presidential…
Hundreds of people gather in lower Manhattan for a "Lights for Liberty" protest against migrant detention camps and the impending raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this coming weekend in various cities on July 12, 2019 in New York City.

The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Conceal Abuse of Migrant Detainees

The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a half-century of precedent on citizens’ rights to know what their government is doing, by making it more difficult for the public to probe…
A caravan of more than 1,500 Honduran migrants moves north after crossing the border from Honduras into Guatemala on October 15, 2018 in Esquipulas, Guatemala.

“Safe Third Country” Agreements with Mexico and Guatemala would be Unlawful

The Trump Administration is seeking "safe third country" agreements with Mexico and Guatemala to keep Central American asylum seekers from reaching the country - they can't meet…
A person typing on a keyboard

Outside the Beltway: An Experiment on Human Rights & Potential CLOUD Act Agreements

What questions remain in assessing the human rights concerns of potential CLOUD Act agreements? How would executive branch lawyers approach these questions?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC.

Five Takeaways from Talking Feds’ Mueller Preview Panel

As we prepare for the upcoming congressional testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, we thought it would be helpful to tune into the Talking Feds podcast, which taped a series…

Now is the Time to Repeal the 2002 AUMF

Repealing the 2002 AUMF would take an unnecessary force authorization off the books, ensure it can’t be improperly invoked to drag the U.S. into unauthorized war, and reassert…
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