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.
2,549 Articles
Trump Told Cohen to Lie to Congress About “Collusion” in General—Not just the Moscow Tower deal
"What has largely escaped notice is that Cohen directly implicated the President in an instruction to lie about collusion more generally. Cohen’s about face on the question of…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in February 2019
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
The Missing Khashoggi Report: A President Can’t Choose to “Decline” His Constitutional Role to Accommodate Congressional Oversight
Trump's decision to ignore Congress' deadline on responsibility for Jamal Khashoggi's murder misunderstands congressional oversight. In the complex dance that is the accommodations…
The Seven Step Program for Fighting Disinformation
A full-spectrum strategy is needed to proactively prepare for the next wave of social-media and internet-based psychological disinformation operations.
Trump’s Invoking Obama Signing Statement as Reason Not to Report to Congress on Khashoggi Murder: A Roundup of Expert Views
The Trump administration has refused to submit a report to Congress, as required by federal statute, providing a determination whether Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin…
Liberian War Crimes Claims Survive in Alien Tort Statute Case
Victims of human rights abuses abroad scored a win recently, when the U.S. District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania ruled in Jane W. et al. v. Thomas that claims involving war crimes…
The Biggest Bombshell in Michael Cohen’s Written Testimony
'"The biggest bombshell is this one: Cohen's statement that Roger Stone informed candidate Trump in advance of Wikileaks' release of the stolen emails (and Trump's responding with…
Mueller’s Findings: Why DOJ Non-Disclosure Policy and Grand Jury Secrecy May Not Apply
As the Watergate scandal deepened in November 1973, President Richard Nixon declared: “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.” Nixon was right.…
Exclusive: Full Text of Bipartisan Declaration of Former Senior U.S. Officials Refuting President’s Claim of a National Emergency at Southern Border
Document: Full Text of Declaration of Former Senior U.S. Officials on National Emergency Declaration for Southern Border.
Military Construction Funds and Local Politics that Will Shape GOP’s Stance on Trump’s Emergency Declaration
The politics of military construction will make the upcoming Senate vote on Trump's national emergency declaration a tough one for GOP members: they face a series of bad options…
Power Struggle Over the Wall: Presidential Emergency Powers vs. Congressional Power of the Purse
Powerful piece by former Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer.
Bottom Line Up Front:
"If I had been directed, when I was Chief Financial Officer…
Stop Using the Word “Collusion”—How to Frame the Critical Question at the Heart of Trump-Russia
Much of the discussion surrounding the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia in the months leading up to the 2016 election has been mystifying for the American public. As the…