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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2,426 Articles
Capitol Building

Congress Has a Responsibility to Ensure Every Defense Dollar Delivers

Introducing bipartisan legislation to reform the Nunn-McCurdy Act, giving Congress greater oversight of defense spending and enforcing accountability for cost overruns.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: U.S. President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders including 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, a pardon for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, an order relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and an order for the federal government to stop using paper straws and begin using plastic straws in the Oval Office at the White House on February 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signed more than 50 executive orders as of Friday, the most in a president's first 100 days in more than 40 years. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Hard to Kill: The Transnational Survival of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

The global anti-corruption regime that the United States pioneered over many decades is bigger than any one country or regime
U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, holds a gavel after signing the "One, Big Beautiful Bill" Act into law during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric Lee/Getty Images)

Congress Shrinking from the World: the Constitution’s Article I in the Shadow of Trump 2.0

Congress has revealed itself less as a coequal branch and more as an accomplice in the marginalization of its own constitutional role in foreign and national security policy.
Binders of executive orders stacked on a desk.

Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
People embrace near federal agents blocking a road during an ICE immigration raid

Understanding DHS’s and ICE’s New Powers in Comparative Perspective

Highlights of podcast discussion by experts on DHS, DOJ and Congress.
The Just Security Podcast

The Just Security Podcast: What Just Happened, The Budget Bill and the Future of DHS and ICE

Host David Aaron is joined by Steve Cash to discuss institutional constraints on the FBI and law enforcement agencies compared to DHS.
Georgian opposition supporters rally in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi on May 26, 2025, Georgia's Independence Day. (Photo by Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE / AFP) (Photo by GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE/AFP via Getty Images)

As Georgian Regime Intensifies Crackdown, U.S. Should Support Its People

Sanctions moving through Congress and a new, vocal U.S. ambassador could help protesting Georgian citizens restore an alliance with the West and avoid a turn to Russia, China.
Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, testifies during his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. A whistleblower alleged that Bove, President Trump's former personal lawyer, told Justice Department staff to defy court orders and continue to carry out Trump’s deportation plans. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Classified Information and State Secrets: Why the Senate Must Consider National Security Risks in Judicial Confirmations

A vote to confirm a judicial nominee is a vote to grant that individual a lifetime security clearance and access to some of the country’s most closely held secrets.
Exterior view of The United States Court of International Trade in lower Manhattan on May 29, 2025 in New York City. In a ruling that surprised many, the Manhattan-based trade court ruled in an opinion by a three-judge panel that a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant Trump "unbounded" authority to impose the worldwide and retaliatory tariffs he has issued by executive order recently. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Court of International Trade’s Flawed Ruling in Striking Down Trump’s Tariffs

On May 28, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled Trump's tariffs exceed IEEPA's scope; the court's analysis is weak. These cases show limits of constitutional avoidance.
US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Camille Shea (R) speaks during a Security Council Meeting as Iranian UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani (L) looks on.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nominee Waltz Faces Senate Vote as the Global Body Reels

If confirmed, Michael Waltz will send crucial signals about the Trump administration's plans, beyond big budget cuts, for the world body.
Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, is sworn in before testifying during his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. A whistleblower alleged that Bove, President Trump's former personal lawyer, told Justice Department staff to defy court orders and continue to carry out Trump’s deportation plans. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Whistleblower Documents Implicate Emil Bove in Criminal Contempt Order by Chief Judge Boasberg

Email released by whistleblower would presumably implicate Bove in the “contumacious conduct” identified by Chief Judge Boasberg.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JUNE 26: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine turns to watch a video of a bombing test of the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) used in the attack on the Iranian Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant during a news conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The Department of Defense top officials gave an update after three Iranian nuclear facilities were struck by the U.S. military last weekend and Iran countered by launching missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The U.S. Attack on Iran Was Unconstitutional

Trump’s strike on Iran violated constitutional limits on the president's unilateral power to take the nation to war—an authority the Framers reserved for Congress.
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