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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An electronic version of the Mueller Report with redactions regarding the Internet Research Agency is seen on a cellphone outside the White House April 18, 2019, in Washington, DC.

How Secrecy Undermines Mueller and the Defense of Democracy

Official secrecy can diminish democratic discourse, limit debate, and blind the Congress and the public to the nature of the most imminent threats to democracy, all in the name…
U.S. Border Patrol agents search a vehicle that was sent to secondary inspection at a highway checkpoint on August 1, 2018 in West Enfield, Maine.

Congress Tackles the “100-Mile” Border Zone for Federal Checkpoints

A long-festering issue affecting the entire U.S. border on the north, south, east, and west is finally getting congressional attention: the so-called “100-mile border zone”…
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and fellow Democratic members of the committee (L-R) Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. Val Butler Demings (D-FL), Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) hold a news conference about this week's testimony of former special counsel Robert Mueller July 26, 2019 in Washington, DC.

How Congress Can Access the Legal Powers of Impeachment Without a Formal Inquiry

"It is safe to say the House is already well within the zone of its impeachment powers and may exercise the necessary and proper authorities that come with that power to investigate…
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller arrives to testify before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on his report on Russian election interference, on Capitol Hill, July 24, 2019 in Washington.

Mueller Moments You Might Have Missed

You might not have caught all of these more substantive, significant, and revealing moments on Wednesday, but they were there, tucked away in between the many times Special Counsel…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to Air Force personnel during an event September 15, 2017 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The U.S. Military Is Increasingly Politicized. Active-Duty Personnel Need to Prepare.

When Americans watch news coverage of any contemporary event, no one’s surprised to see it turn political. We live in a time when we can expect almost any topic – whether it’s…
People stand on the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at the lobby of the Original Headquarters Building at the CIA headquarters.

Expanding the Covert Agent Secrecy Law Threatens to Chill Reporting

Covert intelligence operatives on overseas postings face unique dangers: arrest, torture and possible execution. These dangers were embodied in the name of James Bond’s nemesis,…
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller is sworn in for his testimony before the House Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 24, 2019.

Top Law and Intelligence Experts’ Views on Mueller Hearings

To help make sense of the day’s hearings, we turned to Just Security’s editors and contributors for their thoughts. 
FBI Director Robert Mueller III testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a oversight hearing on Capitol Hill December 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.

Mueller Hearing Risks Narrowing the Range of Impeachable Offenses

The congressional hearings will likely overlook the larger set of impeachable offences even though Mueller's report itself provides significant evidence of them.

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.
Just Security

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.
US Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, nominee to be Secretary of Defense, testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 16, 2019.

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 US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on January 22, 2019.

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…
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