Congress
759 Articles
Who is Richard Burr, Really? Why the public can’t trust his voice in the Russia probe
On the same day that Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) officially joined the Trump campaign as a senior national security advisor, the U.S. intelligence community released a statement…
Election Security: Questions for the House Homeland Security Hearing
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is conducting a hearing on election security tomorrow. It’s part of a series the new Democratic majority in the House is holding…
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Does the McConnell amendment provide a justification for military operations against Iran?
The Senate’s rebuke of President Trump announcing a precipitous withdrawal from Syria creates dangerous ambiguity as to whether confronting Iran should be considered part of…
Avoiding the Next Yemen: Applying Hard Lessons for Security Partnerships
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen, wrought by a conflict entering its fourth year, has called into question the nature and purpose of American security partnership with Saudi Arabia.…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in January 2019
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
Schiff’s First Order of Business for the House Intelligence Committee
The start of a new Congress wipes the slate clean for the House of Representatives, which must adopt new rules, establish new committees, and write new legislation. One major opportunity…
Pentagon’s Climate Change Report Lacks Analysis the Law Requires
Hurricanes and wildfires in the U.S. and humanitarian crises abroad illustrated the national security impact of climate change in 2018. Yet the Pentagon’s congressionally required…
New House Rules Promote Aggressive Congressional Oversight
The new Democratic majority has taken formal control of the House and has fortified congressional oversight power in its new rules package. At the same time, a lot of additional…
Attorney General Nominee Barr on Transparency: A Direct Answer? Or Misdirection?
In his written opening statement for his confirmation hearing as attorney general, William Barr says his goal is "to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law."…
Annotation of the Pentagon Report to Congress on Detainee Abuse by U.S. Partners in Yemen
In a mere two pages of carefully parsed prose, DoD has provided what can only be described as a deliberately misleading and deceptively evasive account of U.S. and Emirati actions…
Wrecking the Government to Build a Wall
Washington has muddled into and out of shutdowns before, but this one has the potential to be dangerously historic. The current impasse may become the straw that breaks the camel’s…
10 Ways the U.S. Can Curb Interpol Abuses
Interpol serves a good purpose, and it has good rules. But not all members are as good as its rules. The U.S. can take steps, on its own or with others, to limit abuses and shield…