congressional authorization
79 Articles

House and Senate Chart Different Courses on US Clandestine Support of Foreign Militias
Special Operations Forces are a prized US military asset that requires careful oversight to prevent abuses, strategic miscalculations, and mission failures.

Congress Must Seize This Chance to Help Demilitarize Law Enforcement
A bipartisan Senate amendment would restrict the transfer of US military equipment to law enforcement, including items from bayonets to weaponized drones.

How the Financial Systems America Built Enable Oppression Abroad
Congress may have a new opportunity to tackle this complicity with a proposed amendment to the NDAA on beneficial ownership.

Decoy Amendment Jeopardizes the Moment for Renaming Confederate-Dubbed Bases
The measure would undermine otherwise bipartisan efforts to address these issues, including several worthy alternative proposals.

A Bipartisan Push in Congress to Fight the ‘Parallel Pandemic’ of Human Rights Abuses Abroad
Legislation would improve US support to rights defenders, journalists, and marginalized groups fighting authoritarian abuses of emergency powers abroad.

How States Supporting Armed Proxies Can Reduce Civilian Casualties and Protracted Hostilities
Guardrails in providing security assistance and arms exports don’t just protect human rights but also advance national security.

Grading DOD’s Annual Civilian Casualties Report: “Incomplete”
The new information demonstrates how much progress the department has made and yet how much of a paradigm shift is still needed for full accountability.

U.S. Security Aid Is a Faith-Based Policy
The US government requires more empirical evidence for aid to help improve livelihoods abroad than for financing weapons used to destroy them.

How Congress Can Save Lives, Protect Rights, and Exert U.S. Leadership Globally in Response to Coronavirus
Given the Trump administration’s foreign policy proclivities, it’s likely that Congress will have to do much of the heavy lifting.

Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill
For all the ways that the NDAA falls short on various human rights issues, there are some bright spots that should not be overlooked.

Effective U.S. Grand Strategy Includes Harnessing Diverse Educational Institutions
The best way to confront the wide spectrum of global risks and competition today is to operationalize the intellect and lived experiences of a diverse workforce. Historically black…

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”…