Congressional Oversight
435 Articles
Two Important New Civilian Casualties Provisions in the Defense Authorization Bill
Draft text of the annual defense authorization bill contains two important provisions related to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations.
The Department of Defense’s Report on Civilian Casualties: A Step Forward in Transparency?
While the Pentagon's new report on civilian casualties is a step in the right direction, future DoD reports should include more detail on specific incidents, including discrepancies…
Senator Merkley’s Smart New Alternative AUMF Proposal
Yesterday, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) released a new proposal for an authorization to use military force, or “AUMF.” As Merkley explained in last week’s AUMF hearing before…
The Haspel Nomination as a Referendum on (Un-)Accountability
One of the consistent themes of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence over the past few decades has been aggressive hostility to “judge-made” remedies, i.e., the…
Gina Haspel’s Nomination to Head the CIA: Why the Controversy & What is at Stake?
The Senate has recently confirmed Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State, after Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) dropped his objections and several Democrats indicated that they would support…
What Questions Should Congress Be Asking DoD About Civilian Casualties?
The Trump administration is due to submit today two important reports on civilian casualties—one to Congress and one to the public. Here are the questions Congress should be…
New Evidence of Obstruction of Justice in House Intelligence Committee Minority Report
Witnesses to James Comey's phone calls with the President, "veiled threats" by Mr. Trump against the FBI Director and Deputy Director, and more.
Gina Haspel Threatens Intelligence Cooperation: Yet Another Reason for Senators to Vote Her Down As CIA Director
Gina Haspel’s morally indefensible role in the CIA’s torture program makes her unqualified to be the new CIA director. What’s worse, if confirmed as CIA director, she would…
Does Congress Really Think It’s Reasserting Its War Powers by Giving Them Away to Trump?
Bipartisan efforts to address the problematic status quo should be applauded. But without significant changes to what is reportedly in the latest proposed AUMF, the new authorization…
‘I Won’t Torture’ is Not Enough: Question Pompeo on US Rendition Policy
Numerous concerns have been raised about Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. Though the US Senate confirmed him as the Central Intelligence Agency…
John Bolton: A Threat At Home And Abroad?
On April 9th, General H.R. McMaster will vacate the National Security Advisor position for a man widely viewed as his temperamental and intellectual opposite: former U.N. ambassador…
The Senate Can’t Hide From Debating U.S. Assistance to the Saudi War in Yemen
Last week, the Senate debated a resolution proposed by Senators Sanders, Lee, and Murphy under the War Powers Resolution (WPR) to end U.S. assistance to the Saudis in their war…