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.
2,559 Articles
Five Major Highlights in Comey Testimony
The full text of James Comey’s prepared testimony for Thursday’s hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee is now publicly available. Here are five major highlights…
To Whom Should Comey Have Reported His Interactions with Trump?
When former FBI Director James Comey testifies on June 8, he can expect to get this question (especially from some Republican senators): If you thought President Donald Trump was…
How to Frame—and Not Misframe—Comey’s Testimony
We thought to offer a few thoughts in anticipation of James Comey’s testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. 1. First it is important to remember that…
We Have Good Reasons to Be Concerned About the Impact of Section 702 on the Criminal Justice System
In a recent analysis for Just Security, I explored some concerns about how warrantless surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”)…
Campaign Finance Law: When “Collusion” Becomes a Crime: Part II
As a potential crime under the campaign finance laws, the Trump campaign collusion with the Russians is well documented. As I contended in a recent essay, there is substantial…
Did Trump Try to “Bribe” Comey?
As we head toward James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, I thought it would be useful to remind readers about a recent Just Security essay…
Could Trump Have Obstructed Justice if a Grand Jury Hadn’t Convened Yet?
Helen Klein Murillo and Ben Wittes over at Lawfare have done a terrific deep dive into whether an FBI investigation constitutes a “pending proceeding” under the federal obstruction…
National Security-Related Congressional Hearings, June 5-9
Tuesday, June 6 9:30am – Senate Armed Services Committee – Posture of the Department of the Air Force (here) 10:00am – Senate Homeland Security Committee – The…
Fight It with FOIA: How Congress Can Respond to White House Attempts to Block Congressional Oversight
The Trump White House took another step last week to weaken the checks and balances at the center of our constitutional system. According to Politico, President Donald Trump’s…
Defense Industry Campaign Contributions Threaten to Influence Senate Vote on Saudi Arms Deal
American democracy is shackled by the influence of money in politics. One of the arenas where the problem manifests itself most acutely is in Congress on questions of defense industry…
Could the White House Invoke Executive Privilege to Block Comey Testimony?
The White House confirmed Friday that it is reviewing whether to invoke executive privilege to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before the Senate Intelligence…
New Atrocities Prevention & Response Legislation Introduced
I posted earlier about a new bipartisan bill to advance accountability in Syria: the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2017 (current status is here). Two additional pieces…