Senate Foreign Relations Committee

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Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Releases Minority Report on Trump's Foreign Policy

Senator Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a report yesterday titled, “The Cost of Trump’s Foreign Policy: Damage and Consequences for U.S. and Global Security.” The 74-page report—researched by democratic committee staffers for more than a year—is broken into four chapters, ending with findings and recommendations. The executive summary states, “This report takes stock of the damage President Trump’s foreign policy has inflicted on U.S.

Congress

Congress on U.S. Policy Toward Syria and Turkey: An Overview of Recent Hearings

It has been almost three weeks since the president ordered the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from northeast Syria. The move allowed the Turkish military and its proxies to swiftly invade the area, setting off a cascade of events that has forced America’s Syrian-Kurdish partners to strike a deal with the Assad regime, exposed Kurdish soldiers and civilians to a barrage of attacks, enabled more than 100 ISIS fighters to escape Kurdish detention facilities, and facilitated the growth of Russian and Iranian influence in the region.

Foreign Policy Essay

Can the Senate Constrain the President on NATO and Russia?

Editors Note: Trump's destruction of U.S. alliances and coddling of Moscow is alarming enough, but even more distressing is the apparent complacency of many powerful Republicans. This may be changing. Molly McKew of the New Media Frontier assesses legislation in the works that would constrain the president on NATO and Russia. If passed, it would mark a major step toward Congress reasserting itself as a foreign policy player.

Daniel Byman

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Sanctions

The Deter Act: Congress’s Latest Effort to Discourage Election Interference

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.).

Executive Power

Video and Testimony: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Authority to Order the Use of Nuclear Weapons

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held an open hearing on "Authority to Order the Use of Nuclear Weapons." The hearing took place after the committee's business meeting at 10 a.m. EST on Nov. 14. The following witnesses testified:

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