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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2,468 Articles
U.S. Attorney General nominee William Barr chats with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Decoding What Barr Really Said About Letting the Public See the Mueller Report

"Barr didn’t answer the key question of whether he’d make Mueller’s final report public—or, if he did, his answer missed the mark."
Attorney General nominee William Barr (C) arrives for a meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) in his office in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill January 09, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Attorney General Nominee Barr on Transparency: A Direct Answer? Or Misdirection?

In his written opening statement for his confirmation hearing as attorney general, William Barr says his goal is "to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law."…
A Yemeni soldier loyal to the Saudi and UAE-backed government walking past UAE military armored vehicles at a position north of the southeastern city of Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province.

Annotation of the Pentagon Report to Congress on Detainee Abuse by U.S. Partners in Yemen

In a mere two pages of carefully parsed prose, DoD has provided what can only be described as a deliberately misleading and deceptively evasive account of U.S. and Emirati actions…
Border fence under construction near New Mexico's Highway 9, near Santa Teresa on December 23, 2018.

A Caution to Pentagon Officials Asked to Obligate “National Emergency” Funds

The President reportedly is contemplating declaring there to be a “national emergency” at our southern border, and directing the Department of Defense (DoD) to finance the…
A US worker and cement truck along construction of 32km of the border wall by order of US President Donald Trump on the border between Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico and Santa Teresa, New Mexico state, US, on April 17, 2018.

Terrorists and the Southern Border: Myth and Reality

"The Intelligence Community is almost certainly not able to stand publicly behind what the White House and DHS are saying."
U.S. Army soldiers work fortifying the US-Mexico border fence with barbed wire on November 26, 2018 in Mexicali, Mexico.

Trump’s Plan to Have the Military Build a Wall is Illegal

As the shutdown stretches on, the Trump administration is beginning to realize the severity of its consequences for millions of Americans, and is desperately searching for a way…
Trash in a box overflows near the Lincoln memorial as some government services have been stopped during a government shutdown in Washington, DC, December 27, 2018.

Wrecking the Government to Build a Wall

Washington has muddled into and out of shutdowns before, but this one has the potential to be dangerously historic. The current impasse may become the straw that breaks the camel’s…
A woman stands at a memorial outside the Tree of Life synagogue after a shooting there left 11 people dead in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on October 27.

The 116th Congress and Preventing Extremist Violence: Look North for Guidance

Democrats taking control of the U.S. House today with the start of the 116th Congress have a long and growing list of policy (as well as investigative) priorities. Included on…
The dome of the U.S. Capitol Buidling and the US flag.

Coming to Terms with the Impeachment Process: The Case for Starting a Formal Inquiry

A threshold question is whether even to start an inquiry and set the ground rules. The time for doing so is now, writes former White House Counsel Bob Bauer.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, special counsel on the Russian investigation, leaves following a meeting with members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 21, 2017.

Mueller’s Investigation May Be Coming to an End, But Congress Is Just Getting Started

On January 3, 2019, a new Congress will head to work with a monumental — but not unprecedented — job to tackle. Close observers of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation…

Not Mere “Process Crimes,” False Statements Prosecutions Are Serious

In case you haven’t noticed, Special Counsel Robert Mueller takes lying very seriously. And, as we witnessed during Michael Flynn’s dramatic sentencing hearing, apparently…

U.S. Air Strike Data from Afghanistan Takes Step Back in Transparency

The U.S. military has stopped publishing important information on its air war in Afghanistan, just two months after deciding to release it. In October, the U.S. began publishing…
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