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.
2,460 Articles
35 Questions for Congress to Ask Robert Mueller (+ Questions from Readers)
Former FBI (Rangappa), Justice Department and NSC (Geltzer), and Pentagon (Goodman) officials team up to suggest questions for Mueller.
House Should Prepare Criminal Referral of A.G. Barr for Lying to Congress
Mueller’s testimony puts not only the President’s job and criminal liability on the line. Attorney General Barr is in jeopardy too.
What Did We Learn About Mark Esper and How He Views the World?
From Iran to Afghanistan to collective self-defense, the big takeaways from the Senate confirmation hearing for Mark Esper, nominated by the president to be defense secretary.…
The National Security Delegation Conundrum
The two main opinions in Gundy v. the United States highlight the imbalanced stakes of current constitutional non-delegation doctrine. Those worried about unchecked presidential…
The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Conceal Abuse of Migrant Detainees
The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a half-century of precedent on citizens’ rights to know what their government is doing, by making it more difficult for the public to probe…
“Safe Third Country” Agreements with Mexico and Guatemala would be Unlawful
The Trump Administration is seeking "safe third country" agreements with Mexico and Guatemala to keep Central American asylum seekers from reaching the country - they can't meet…
Outside the Beltway: An Experiment on Human Rights & Potential CLOUD Act Agreements
What questions remain in assessing the human rights concerns of potential CLOUD Act agreements? How would executive branch lawyers approach these questions?
Five Takeaways from Talking Feds’ Mueller Preview Panel
As we prepare for the upcoming congressional testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, we thought it would be helpful to tune into the Talking Feds podcast, which taped a series…
Now is the Time to Repeal the 2002 AUMF
Repealing the 2002 AUMF would take an unnecessary force authorization off the books, ensure it can’t be improperly invoked to drag the U.S. into unauthorized war, and reassert…
Congress Will Ignore Trump’s Foreign Affairs Budget Request. Others Will Not.
President Donald Trump’s proposal to make massive cuts to the Fiscal Year 2020 U.S. foreign affairs budget has not attracted much attention in Washington, reflecting confidence…
Unpacking the State Dept Acknowledgment that 2001 and 2002 AUMFs Don’t Authorize War Against Iran
An analysis of State Dept's major concession, whether the one stated exception is a loophole for military action, and what Congress should now do.
Anticipating the President’s Way Around the War Powers Resolution on Iran: Lessons of the 1980s Tanker Wars
Former senior State Department lawyer, Todd Buchwald, who worked on war powers issues during the 1980s Tanker Wars involving U.S. military actions against Iran, explains how the…