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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2,549 Articles
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…

Flynn’s Work as Turkey’s Agent While a Transition Official: Judge Sullivan Was at Least Half Right

Michael Flynn may have been working as an unregistered agent of Turkey while serving the United States in an official capacity after all, depending simply on how you define his…

A False Choice on Saudi Arabia: Sanctioning Riyadh’s Military-Intelligence Sectors is a Workable Option

The real question now is how to make clear to the Saudis and especially MBS that Washington won’t accept Riyadh’s brutal murder of a journalist or Yemen war, all without losing…

The Senate Strikes Back: Checking Trump’s Foreign Policy

Though the Senate vote on cessation of military assistance for the Saudi War in Yemen will have no practical effect – the House of Representatives will not take up the matter…
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