Latest in Senate
On Nov. 5, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee examined three evolving homeland security threats: domestic terrorism, Chinese cyber and counterintelligence operations, and the risk new technologies pose to the American public.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifed on Tuesday before the Senate Appropriations Committee about the Bureau's Fiscal 2020 budget. The questions covered a wide range of topics, including law enforcement and intelligence challenges, Russian interference in the 2020 election, the Mueller report and Attorney General Bill Barr's characterization of lawful surveillance during the 2016 campaign as "spying." The full video is available below.
Attorney General Bill Barr will testify on Wednesday morning before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Department of Justice fiscal 2020 budget request. The livestream is available here and below.
On Feb. 5, the Senate passed a package of Middle East policy bills, including the Combating BDS Act of 2019. The act, which would affect laws on the books in 26 states that prevent state and local governments from doing business with entities that boycott Israel, has reignited debate over whether lawmakers’ efforts to stymie the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel violate the First Amendment.
New movement may be afoot on a sanctions bill designed to deter Russian election interference. The bill, the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines Act of 2018 (Deter Act), was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Marco Rubio (R.-Fla.) and Chris Van Hollen (D.-Md.).
Last Tuesday, the New York Times published a foggy story noting that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "has mused about whether Mr. Trump will be in a position to lead the Republican Party into next year’s elections and beyond."
It's hard to imagine a legal topic further afield from national security law than the Origination Clause.
While we are all mesmerized by the presidential crises, a small, but quite significant change occurred in Congress: the Senate Sergeant at Arms approved the use of Signal by Senate staff.
Rebels Will Attend Russian-backed Syria Peace Talks, Trump Administration Has Invitation to Join