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
What Did the USA Freedom Act Actually Amend?
There has been a lot of ink spilled here and elsewhere about the USA Freedom Act over the last several weeks. Its privacy protections. Its alterations to the government’s surveillance…
Sunsets Need Sunshine: What We Can Learn from the USA Freedom Act
This afternoon, Congress, for the first time since 9/11, reined in national security surveillance authorities. It’s a historic moment, and a great victory for civil liberties,…
(Unadulterated) USA Freedom Act to become law [UPDATED with vote tally]
The Senate today decisively rejected each of the proposed amendments to the House-passed USA Freedom Act (see roll call votes here). It then approved the bill by a vote of 67-32 (with…
Rand Paul and Surveillance Reform, Part II
My post from yesterday about how Rand Paul hijacked the surveillance reform debate provoked a series of interesting responses both via e-mail and on Twitter, including a note from…
The Symbolic Sunset & What’s Next for the USA Freedom Act
Because the gods of traffic metrics are stern taskmasters, you’ll likely read a lot of headlines today about “the expiration of the Patriot Act,” possibly paired…
Mootness and the 215 Challenges
As a nerdy follow-up to the stories about last night’s expiration of section 215, I thought I’d say a quick word about how that denouement will affect the ongoing litigation…
Chris Soghoian on What’s Wrong With the Debate on Section 215
It’s great that the sunset of Section 215 has reignited the debate about mass surveillance in the United States, but all the focus on this one provision, more specifically on…
National Security-Related Congressional Hearings, June 1–5
Below is a calendar of Congressional hearings on national security matters for this week. Tuesday, June 2, 2015 10:00am – House Foreign Affairs – Americans Detained in Iran…
How Rand Paul Hijacked Surveillance Reform
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories…
The Patriot Act’s Sunset Recess
The Senate entered its Memorial Day recess without passing either a Patriot Act extension or a reform bill along the lines of the Freedom Act. Amid intense congressional wrangling…
Scaremongering about the Patriot Act Sunset
The Capitol Dome. Image Credit: Architect of the Capitol. In a last-ditch effort to scare lawmakers into preserving unpopular and much-abused surveillance authorities, the Senate…
Sen. Paul’s Great Surveillance ‘Filibuster’ and What to Expect Next
Senator Rand Paul, joined by Senator Wyden and other surveillance reform advocates, as well as five members of the House of Representatives, spent much of last night on the Senate…