Archiv: checks and balances

15.01.2020 - 11:37 [ Congress.gov ]

S.J.Res.63 – A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.

(1) Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution.

(2) Congress has not yet declared war upon, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force against, the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) against the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107–243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) do not serve as a specific statutory authorization for war against Iran, and neither authorize any such action.

14.01.2020 - 19:17 [ DailyKos.com ]

Kaine and Lee predict as many as 10 Republicans could support war powers resolution

Lee said that the language of the resolution is unobjectionable, saying it simply states that „additional hostilities against Iran need to be authorized by Congress.“ He added, „That is a perfectly unremarkable statement. […] The fact that this would be objectionable to anyone in either political party is really saying something.“ That’s particularly true after Kaine agreed to amendments from Republicans to make the resolution applicable to any president, and to ensure that it wouldn’t force a withdrawal of troops in areas where proxy forces of Iran are present.

14.01.2020 - 19:10 [ theHill.com ]

Up to 10 GOP senators consider bucking Trump on war powers

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is circulating a bipartisan resolution that would direct Trump to remove U.S. forces from any hostilities against Iran within 30 days of its enactment.
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GOP Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) have already voiced their support for the measure, and Kaine says about eight more Republicans, including Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Todd Young (Ind.) and Mitt Romney (Utah), are reviewing it.

14.01.2020 - 19:02 [ Rolling Stone ]

Why Is Congress So Afraid to Use Its War Powers?

Congress’ refusal to act — and the ever-growing powers of the president — means endless war and anxiety for the U.S. and the world

14.01.2020 - 18:58 [ Cynthia Gair / Twitter ]

This is not a monarchy – Vote in Congressional war powers!

@GOP @SenateGOP @SenateDems @DNC #TrumpsWar

13.01.2020 - 06:08 [ theHill.com ]

Democrats scramble to rein in Trump’s Iran war powers

Lawmakers looking to limit Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran face a tight time frame with little room for error after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced she will send the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week. Once the trial begins, all legislation is expected to be delayed for weeks.

But a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) can come to the Senate floor as soon as Tuesday morning, and he has been trying to win over the four GOP votes needed, in addition to every Democratic senator, to get to 51 votes.

11.01.2020 - 19:40 [ Congress.gov ]

S.J.Res.63 – A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.

(1) Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution.

(2) Congress has not yet declared war upon, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force against, the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) against the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack and the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107–243; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) do not serve as a specific statutory authorization for war against Iran, and neither authorize any such action.

(…)

SEC. 2. Removal of United States Forces from Hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

(a) Removal of forces.—Pursuant to section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a), and in accordance with the provisions of section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, Congress hereby directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, by not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this joint resolution unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.

09.01.2020 - 21:52 [ Barbara Lee, Abgeordnete im US Repräsentantenhaus / Twitter‏ ]

After 19 years of endless war, the American people do not want another unnecessary war in the Middle East. Congress needs to exercise our constitutional responsibility to #StopEndlessWar. We must come together and stop the march to war. #NoWarWithIran

06.01.2020 - 18:59 [ theHill ]

Schiff calls for open hearings on Trump’s Iran actions

Schiff said there’s “absolutely no way” Trump’s threat to retaliate with “disproportionate” attacks, should Iran strike the U.S., reflects Pentagon planning.

“None of that could come out of the Pentagon,” Schiff said.

A Pentagon spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Hill.

18.12.2019 - 15:22 [ Fox News / Youtube ]

Nunes: Democrats have put people in ‚tremendous danger‘

(15.12.2019)

California Congressman Devin Nunes, Republican ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee demands Schiff to call on IG Horowitz to testify before House Intelligence Committee.

18.12.2019 - 15:01 [ Fox News ]

FISA court slams FBI over surveillance applications, in rare public order

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has dealt with some of the most sensitive matters of national security: terror threats and espionage. Its work, for the most part, cannot be examined by the American public, by order of Congress and the president. Its work has been mostly secret, its structure largely one-sided.

„The most unusual thing is that there is a body of law that the court has created, but as a practitioner that is part of that law, we have between zero and some very limited knowledge of what that law is,“ Michael Sussmann, a former Justice Department prosecutor and current private attorney in the consumer and computer-privacy field, told Fox News. „But, it’s the fact that there is a secret law and a secret body of law that makes it the most vexing.“

08.12.2019 - 11:34 [ theHill.com ]

‚Fast and Furious‘ impeachment looks like a rush to a failed case

Indeed, another Jackson ruling went a step even further in denouncing “the proposition that the executive may assert an unreviewable right to withhold materials from the legislature” as an offense to the very foundations of our constitutional system. However, those were the words of a different Jackson, Judge Amy Berman Jackson, about a different president, Barack Obama. He withheld evidence in the “Fast and Furious” investigation of the murder of an agent with a gun supplied to criminal gangs by the federal government. Obama not only withheld witness testimony and evidence but also claimed that a court could not even review his order.

08.12.2019 - 11:31 [ Washington Post / Youtube ]

Pelosi: ‘This is about the Constitution’ | Impeachment This Week

When lawmakers returned from Thanksgiving, the House Judiciary Committee took over the impeachment inquiry into President Trump as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats will move forward. Come inside the impeachment inquiry with The Washington Post.

17.11.2019 - 12:15 [ Mother Jones / Twitter ]

.@SpeakerPelosi: “A system of checks and balances—that’s a republic, if we can keep it. And we have the responsibility to keep it as custodians of the Constitution. We are defenders of our democracy.“

(13.11.2019)

17.11.2019 - 11:06 [ New York Times ]

‘The Report’ and the Untold Story of a Senate-C.I.A. Conflict

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic committee chairwoman, was wavering about making the report public, mulling an Obama administration suggestion that the release be postponed indefinitely. It seemed possible that the report, the product of more than six years of painstaking research, might never reach the American public.

13.11.2019 - 07:59 [ theHill.com ]

GOP senators warn against Trump firing intelligence community official

The New York Times reported Tuesday afternoon that Trump has discussed firing Atkinson because the intelligence official found a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky credible and took action to advance it.

01.11.2019 - 13:52 [ Tulsi2020.com ]

Tulsi 2020: Join me in demanding the truth

What was Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the 9/11 attack? Americans deserve an answer to this question. Join me in calling on the Trump Administration to declassify and release all information regarding the 9/11 attack. Add your name to our petition.

01.11.2019 - 13:50 [ apnews.com ]

Tulsi Gabbard: Release documents related to Saudis and 9/11

(29.10.2019)

“Our government should not be invoking secrecy to keep its own mistakes hidden from the American people and should certainly not be used to protect the Saudis from embarrassment or, worse yet, accountability,” said Terry Strada, a Sept. 11 widow and the chairwoman of 9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism. “Until there is an accounting, we will never go away.”

30.10.2019 - 19:25 [ theHill.com ]

‚Squad‘ members recruit Raskin to run for Oversight gavel

Three members of „The Squad“ — Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) — serve on the Oversight panel. The fourth, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), does not but she called Raskin one of her „favorite“ colleagues and said she could back him for chairman.

Raskin “would be a true leader when it comes to holding this Trump administration accountable and especially a leader on this impeachment inquiry,” Tlaib told The Hill in a brief interview before stepping into a closed-door impeachment hearing.

19.10.2019 - 10:25 [ Daily Mail ]

Pentagon DELETES files about Osama bin Laden raid after transferring them to CIA where they can’t be made public

(08.07.2013)

– Military files about the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout have been purged from Pentagon computers
– Associated Press requested information on the raid some 20 times in 2011 but requests were rejected
– A line in an inspector general’s draft report states the files were purged from the defense department to another government department to prevent certain information about the raid being made public
– The sentence was removed from the final report released weeks ago

17.10.2019 - 06:14 [ Nancy Pelosi, Sprecherin des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

I am deeply concerned that the White House has canceled an all-Member classified briefing on the dangerous situation the President has caused in Syria, denying the Congress its right to be informed as it makes decisions about our national security.

05.10.2019 - 09:33 [ US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence ]

White House Subpoenaed in House Impeachment Inquiry

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 4, 2019)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, sent a letter conveying a subpoena to White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney for key documents as part of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

30.09.2019 - 21:00 [ Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee / Twitter ]

We had no choice but to move forward with an impeachment inquiry, And our focus will be on the president’s fundamental breach of his oath office. Coercing a foreign nation to interfere in our election is never ok, No matter what the president and his defenders say.

30.09.2019 - 20:57 [ CNN ]

Trump circulates quote invoking ‚civil war-like fracture‘ if he’s removed from office

President Donald Trump spent the weekend on Twitter defending himself against Democrats‘ upcoming impeachment inquiry by quoting his supporters on cable news, including a pastor’s inflammatory prediction that the country could be destroyed and a civil war would ensue if the President was removed from office.
Evangelical pastor and Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress claimed on the network, „Democrats don’t care if they burn down and destroy the nation in the process“ of impeachment.

30.09.2019 - 20:49 [ New York Times ]

Trump Raises Idea of Arresting House Chairman for Treason

President Trump on Monday questioned whether the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff, should be arrested for treason for his description of a phone call Mr. Trump had with the president of Ukraine during a recent congressional hearing.

A day earlier, Mr. Trump called for Mr. Schiff — the California Democrat who is the de facto head of an impeachment inquiry into the call — to be “questioned at the highest level for Fraud & Treason.”

29.09.2019 - 11:04 [ Newsweek ]

Americans Split on Trump Impeachment Inquiry but 73% Say Whistleblower Should Testify Before Congress: Polls

A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, released on Thursday, shows that 49 percent of Americans approve of the impeachment proceedings, while 46 percent disapprove and five percent said they were unsure.

Despite the divide, an overwhelming portion of respondents—three quarters—including a majority of Republicans, want the whistleblower to testify before Congress so the public can receive more information on the allegations against Trump.

28.09.2019 - 08:53 [ PRI.org ]

Spies and the White House have a history of running wild without congressional oversight

For decades now, the evolving role of congressional oversight of US intelligence has involved major clashes and scandals, from the Iran-Contra affair of the 1980s to the intelligence abuses that led to the 2003 war in Iraq.

Central to all of these clashes are attempts by intelligence agencies, the president and the executive branch to withhold damning information from Congress. Another common element is the use of civilians to carry out presidential or intelligence agency agendas.

20.09.2019 - 18:30 [ Times of Israel ]

Netanyahu lawyers submit defense arguments ahead of pre-indictment hearing

Quoting sources in the State Prosecutor’s Office, Channel 12 news reported Netanyahu’s hearing was not likely to be delayed due to the election results, which left no party with a clear path to forming a government.

It is widely believed that had Netanyahu won the election with a clear majority, he would have sought immunity from prosecution via a Knesset vote and then sought legislation to prevent the Supreme Court from overturning any such Knesset decision. I

17.09.2019 - 20:17 [ Haaretz ]

Mendelblit, Don’t Delay

(14.02.2018)

The police announcement Tuesday – that the investigations into two cases involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been completed – came 13 months after Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit decided that a “preliminary examination” of the allegations, which itself took six months, should become full-fledged criminal investigations.

17.09.2019 - 20:12 [ Washington Post ]

For Netanyahu, winning reelection could be the only way to avoid corruption charges

The prime minister has branded all three cases a baseless “witch hunt.” and his attorneys accused Mandelblit of interfering with elections by announcing his intention to indict during a campaign season.

11.09.2019 - 08:43 [ Buzzfeed ]

60 Words And A War Without End: The Untold Story Of The Most Dangerous Sentence In U.S. History

(17.1.2014)

Written in the frenzied, emotional days after 9/11, the Authorization for the Use of Military Force was intended to give President Bush the ability to retaliate against whoever orchestrated the attacks. But more than 12 years later, this sentence remains the primary legal justification for nearly every covert operation around the world. Here’s how it came to be, and what it’s since come to mean.

07.09.2019 - 09:20 [ Haaretz ]

Casting Doubt on Election’s Integrity, Netanyahu Commits the Worst ‚Terror Attack on Democracy‘

Netanyahu has been in favor, since his earliest days as a politician over three decades ago, of a presidential system of governance – without insisting on a constitution to check and balance the president’s power, however. He sees the Israeli parliament as an unnecessary nuisance. In recent years, he has described every perfectly legal and legitimate attempt to replace him as a “coup.” As far as he’s concerned, the only purpose of an election is to confirm his personal mandate to rule.

06.09.2019 - 06:29 [ Haaretz ]

Poodles of the Autocracy

Over the past few days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intentions and modus operandi have been exposed. It once again turns out that he seeks to get rid of all the checks and balances that he views as impediments to his continued rule, and also to annex the settlements to Israel, including even the most isolated and extreme ones, under a new system of government he has invented – “Jewish sovereignty.”

24.08.2019 - 21:14 [ theHill.com ]

Trump takes aim at media after ‚hereby‘ ordering US businesses out of China

Trump took aim at the press for questioning his authority to order businesses out of China, tweeting, „For all of the Fake News Reporters that don’t have a clue as to what the law is relative to Presidential powers, China, etc., try looking at the Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. Case closed!“

24.08.2019 - 21:09 [ Washington Post ]

Trump ‘hereby’ orders U.S. business out of China. Can he do that?

President Trump’s extraordinary edict demanding U.S. companies move out of China — delivered in a series of angry tweets Friday — left industries of every stripe scrambling to understand how seriously to take the order, and how the White House might enforce it.

24.08.2019 - 15:40 [ Spiked ]

The strangling of European democracy: The EU is the high point of an anti-democratic project that has been brewing for a hundred years.

So, while the EU might well be the apogee of constrained democracy, constrained democracy has many facets. Moreover, the model of constrained democracy existed on a national level before the EU was created. Indeed, the EU can be seen as the grotesque extension of a flawed system that was first developed within nation states after the First World War. For instance, the model of independent central banking was pioneered in Germany before being transposed to the EU much later on.

04.08.2019 - 11:30 [ FCNL Foreign Policy ‏/ Twitter ]

President Trump does not have the legal authority to drag the U.S. into war with Iran. A great quote from our very own @dohlbaum in this piece on Congress and war powers in the #NDAA. #EndForeverWars #AUMF

(23.07.2019)

04.08.2019 - 11:27 [ joan schwartz ‏/ Twitter ]

@SpeakerPelosi Congratulations on passing legislation to stop fueling war in Yemen by unconditionally suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This must remain in the final bill sent to the President for signature.

(31.07.2019)

04.08.2019 - 11:18 [ Jonathan Cohn / Medium ]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the FY 2020 NDAA

(13.07.2019)

Recognizing the Flaws & Failures of the 2001 AUMF ( )

Lee, who was the sole NO vote on the 2001 AUMF passed in response to the 9/11 attacks, offered another amendment to express the sense of Congress that the 2001 AUMF has been utilized well beyond the scope that Congress intended, that it has served as a blank check for any President to wage war at any time and any place, and that any new authorization for the use of military force to replace the 2001 AUMF should include a sunset clause, a clear and specific expression of objectives, targets, and geographic scope, and reporting requirements. Eighteen years ago, she feared that the AUMF would be a blank check, and that is exactly what it has been.

The amendment passed 237 to 183. 215 Democrats, 21 Republicans, and Amash voted for it. 167 Republicans and 16 Democrats voted against it.

Here are the 16 warmongering Democrats:

03.08.2019 - 08:53 [ rnz.co.nz ]

Trump drops spy boss choice after criticism

Mr Trump said he would soon announce another nominee to oversee America’s 17 civilian and military intelligence agencies.

03.08.2019 - 08:51 [ Wikipedia ]

List of positions filled by presidential appointment with Senate confirmation

Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution and law of the United States, certain federal positions appointed by the president of the United States require confirmation (advice and consent) of the United States Senate.

03.08.2019 - 08:42 [ New York Times ]

Trump Drops Plans to Nominate John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence

President Trump on Friday abruptly dropped his plan to nominate Representative John Ratcliffe, Republican of Texas, as the nation’s top intelligence official after questions by Republicans and Democrats about his qualifications and concern over whether he had exaggerated his résumé.

28.07.2019 - 14:15 [ Elijah E. Cummings, Abgeordneter des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

I’m begging the American people to pay attention to what is going on. Because if you want to have a democracy intact for your children, and your children’s children, and generations yet unborn we’ve got to guard this moment…this is our watch.

(24.07.2019)

27.07.2019 - 13:01 [ Nancy Pelosi, Sprecherin des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

This evening’s Supreme Court ruling allowing @realDonaldTrump to steal military funds to spend on a wasteful, ineffective border wall rejected by Congress is deeply flawed. Our Founders designed a democracy governed by the people — not a monarchy.

27.07.2019 - 02:33 [ theHill.com ]

Supreme Court rules Trump can use military funds for border wall construction

The ruling allows the administration to use $2.5 billion in military funds to begin construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border while litigation plays out. A lower court had issued an injunction blocking officials from using those funds.

27.07.2019 - 02:30 [ New York Times ]

Supreme Court Lets Trump Proceed on Border Wall

In a 5-to-4 ruling, the court overturned an appellate decision and said that the administration could tap the money while litigation over the matter proceeds. But that will most likely take many months or longer, allowing Mr. Trump to move ahead before the case returns to the Supreme Court after further proceedings in the appeals court.

13.07.2019 - 10:01 [ DefenseNews.com ]

House votes to curb Trump’s war powers, challenging Senate to act

In the Senate in recent months, Republicans have joined Democrats to pass similar measures, but not enough to override a presidential veto.

13.07.2019 - 09:38 [ Kurt Schrader, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ‏ ]

I voted today in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act. This bill repeals the 2002 AUMF and allows Congress to reassert their war making powers after 17 years of war in the Middle East. Read my full statement below:

13.07.2019 - 08:51 [ Peter DeFazio, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhaus / Twitter ]

I cosponsored an amendment, which passed today, to prevent the Trump administration and warhawk John Bolton from starting a war with Iran unless authorized by Congress. Congress must exercise its constitutional duty and prevent yet another endless war in the Middle East.

13.07.2019 - 08:34 [ Task and Purpose ]

Congress just took a major step towards preventing Iran from becoming another Forever War

Both Concerned Veterans for America and VoteVets have long argued that Congress needs to take back its power to declare war from the executive branch and put an end to the „Forever Wars“ by revoking the 2001 authorization for use of military force against Al Qaeda, which presidents have used to justify military operations all over the world.

12.07.2019 - 20:52 [ Barbara Lee, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

Since its passage, the 2001 AUMF has been used far beyond the scope Congress intended. Today, the House passed my amendment reclaiming Congress’ constitutional authority & recognizing that it is past time to revisit the 2001 AUMF blank check for endless war.

12.07.2019 - 20:45 [ Barbara Lee, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

BREAKING: The House just passed my amendment to repeal the outdated 2002 AUMF & restore Congressional authority in matters of war and peace. This AUMF has been on the books for 17 years, long after the end of the Iraq war. It’s past time for it to go! #StopEndlessWars

12.07.2019 - 20:38 [ Antiwar.com ]

House Passes Amendments to End War Authorizations, Preemptively Defund Iran War

The flurry of amendments to the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moving through the House of Representatives is finally wrapping up Friday, where a series of Thursday night debates gave way to key votes early Friday on some contentious issues.

Major subjects of those debates included amendments that aim to end both the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF). The 2001 repeal passed 237-183, while the 2002 repeal passed even easier at 242-180.

Debates on the AUMF centered on concern that the authorizations could be used by President Trump or future presidents to authorize wars they were never intended for. The aim is to replace the 2001 version with something more current on the global war on terror, and to do away with the 2002 version entirely, since its main goal was to unseat the long-dead Saddam Hussein and conquer Iraq, now a US ally.

12.07.2019 - 20:33 [ New York Times ]

House Votes to Check Trump’s Authority to Strike Iran

The House voted Friday to curb President Trump’s ability to strike Iran militarily on Friday, adopting a bipartisan provision that would require the president to get Congress’s approval before authorizing military force against Tehran.

11.07.2019 - 18:42 [ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Abgeordnete des US Repräsententenhauses / Twitter ]

When you pair: – 9,500 current + former CBP officers are part of a violently racist & sexually violent secret Facebook group – Corroborating accounts of abuse – CBP couldn’t control their own officers for a Congressional tour What else do you call that but a rogue agency?

(02.07.2019)

11.07.2019 - 18:25 [ Ilhan Omar, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

It is clear that ICE isn’t being held accountable; the agency must be abolished. We cannot be complicit in the militarization of our southern border. People who come to our country in search of a better life should be treated with humanity and respect.

11.07.2019 - 18:16 [ Mother Jones ]

ICE Just Quietly Opened Three New Detention Centers, Flouting Congress’ Limits

The facilities are all run by private prison companies, and one experienced a violent riot.

03.07.2019 - 12:53 [ Boston Globe ]

Immigrant detention centers are ‘betrayal of our values,’ says Kennedy

In a visit to Border Patrol Station No. 1 in El Paso, Kennedy said he saw detainees kept in jail-like conditions. He was among the lawmakers who spoke to a group of 13 women from Cuba who had tried to enter the United States to seek asylum, but were detained by federal officials.

Those women began crying when they spoke, he said.

03.07.2019 - 12:43 [ Public Citizen / Twitter ]

As we watch @AOC, @AyannaPressley and @RashidaTlaib expose the horrors of our border camps, don’t forget that private prison companies are getting filthy rich off these atrocities. Of every 100 immigration detainees, 74 are held in private facilities.

(02.07.2019)

03.07.2019 - 12:39 [ Saikat Chakrabarti ‏/ Twitter ]

Imagine all your hateful trolls online, but with guns. Imagine walking into a fenced area full of them. No exit. You don’t get to take any cameras or phones with you. And those trolls with guns? They’re the ones in charge of protecting you. That’s what @AOC faced today.

03.07.2019 - 12:36 [ Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Abgeordneter des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

Do not miss the racist, sexist slurs @RashidaTlaib @RepEscobar @AOC @AyannaPressley and others face for doing their jobs. Nor the fact that they continue to fight like hell anyways.

03.07.2019 - 12:11 [ Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Abgeordneter des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

Spent the morning in TX at Clint and El Paso detention facilities. Big takeaways — 1) @CBP was very resistant to Congressional oversight. They tried to restrict what we saw, take our phones, block photos and video. Atmosphere was contentious and uncooperative.

(01.07.2019)

22.06.2019 - 10:46 [ Fortune ]

What Is the AUMF? The Repeal of This Policy Could Prevent War with Iran

The Authorization for Use of Military Force, passed just a week after the September 11 terrorist attacks, states that the president may “use all necessary and appropriate force” against any nation, organization, or person he determines aided the 9/11 attacks, or “harbored such organizations or persons.”

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the sole power to declare war, but under the AUMF the president can essentially bypass any required congressional approval.

21.06.2019 - 21:42 [ Bernie Sanders, candidate for President / Twitter ]

Let us not kid ourselves. It is very easy for politicians like Trump to pound the table and talk about how tough they are. But it will not be the sons and daughters of billionaires who get killed in a war with Iran. It will be the working class kids of this country.

21.06.2019 - 21:37 [ Ilhan Omar, Abgeordnete des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

And I urge the American people to make your voice heard. Organize. Call your member of Congress. Let all our leaders know that a war with Iran would be a catastrophe. #NoWarOnIran

21.06.2019 - 21:36 [ Ro Khanna, Abgeordneter des US Repräsentantenhauses / Twitter ]

Next week, I will be introducing an amendment to the Defense bill prohibiting any dollars from being used for a war in Iran without Congressional authorization. Every Democrat should join this to prevent another trillion dollar war in the Middle East. #NoWarWithIran

21.06.2019 - 20:56 [ Vox.com ]

House Democrats vote to repeal 9/11-era law used to authorize perpetual war

The House voted Wednesday to repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which was passed in the days after 9/11, and gave President George W. Bush the authority to go to war with al-Qaeda and any related organization. For the past 18 years, presidents of both parties have used this same 2001 congressional war authorization as justification for wars all over the Middle East.

21.06.2019 - 17:10 [ Bernie Sanders, candidate for President / Twitter0 ]

A war with Iran would be a disaster and lead to endless conflict in the region. Congress must assert its constitutional authority and stop Trump from going to war.

19.06.2019 - 04:05 [ Tulsi Gabbard, candidate for President / Twitter ]

Here we go again! The US sending more troops to Middle East for what will be disastrous war with Iran. To prevent Trump and future presidents from waging war illegally (without Congress approval) we must sign my No More Presidential Wars Act. Join me:

16.06.2019 - 11:08 [ Newstalkzb.co.nz ]

Barry Soper: Leave mainstream media out of social media crackdown

It’s not for the politicians to dictate how events should be covered.

The traditional Fourth Estate has for centuries been recognised as distinctly separate from the powers of government which is defined as three estates, the legislature, the executive and a judiciary.

15.06.2019 - 13:35 [ Bernie Sanders, candidate for President / Twitter ]

We have a president who neither understands nor respects the constitution of the United States, and he thinks the law does not apply to him. No president is above the law, including this president — it is time for the House to begin impeachment inquiries.

15.06.2019 - 13:31 [ Yahoo ]

President Trump seeks an international consensus on Iran

Fox News military analyst Col. David Hunt and former State Dept. official David Tafuri on how the U.S. should handle escalating tension with Iran.

15.06.2019 - 13:01 [ Veterans for Bernie Sanders #vets4bernie / Twitter ]

.@realDonaldTrump has a tweet for everything. @potus NATSEC Advisor John Bolton manipulated intelligence to fit the Bush admins case for war on Iraq, what makes anyone think he’s not doing that exact same thing now? #DropTheMIC #NoMiddleGround #RevokeTheAUMFs

15.06.2019 - 12:51 [ Bernie Sanders, candidate for President / Twitter ]

The Gulf of Oman incident must not be used as a pretext for war with Iran. War would be an unmitigated disaster for the United States, Iran, the region, and the world. A unilateral U.S. attack on Iran would be illegal and unconstitutional.

15.06.2019 - 10:45 [ Buzzfeed ]

60 Words And A War Without End: The Untold Story Of The Most Dangerous Sentence In U.S. History

(17.1.2014)

15.06.2019 - 10:38 [ Vox.com ]

How the Trump administration is using 9/11 to build a case for war with Iran

In 2001, Congress passed an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), allowing the president “to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons.”

Which means that if the Trump administration truly believes Iran and al-Qaeda have been in cahoots before or after 9/11, then it could claim war with Tehran already is authorized by law.

15.06.2019 - 10:29 [ Mediaite.com ]

WATCH: Dem and GOP Reps Say Pompeo Told Them War with Iran Could Be Authorized Without Congress

Early Thursday morning, the House Armed Services Committee debated the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act …

15.06.2019 - 10:21 [ Benjamin Armbruster ‏/ Twitter ]

Early this morning [2:42AM ET], GOP Rep. @mattgaetz and Dem. Rep. @ElissaSlotkin said that in private presentation, the Trump admin, specifically Sec. Pompeo, argued how, in Ms. Slotkin’s words, „the 2001 AUMF might authorize war on #Iran.“ Chilling.

(13.06.2019)

15.06.2019 - 10:05 [ theIntercept.com ]

Mike Pompeo Said Congress Doesn’t Need to Approve War With Iran. 2020 Democrats Aren’t Having It.

As the Trump administration ratchets up tensions with Iran, escalating fears that the United States is looking for a possible path to another war in the Middle East, several Democratic presidential contenders are standing firm in their rejection of the White House’s attempts to create a legal rationale for war. They were responding to comments Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made in a private meeting that suggested that the Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, passed by Congress three days after 9/11 could provide a legal basis for a war with Iran.

15.06.2019 - 09:45 [ Esquire.com ]

An Expert on Concentration Camps Says That’s Exactly What the U.S. Is Running at the Border

“We have what I would call a concentration camp system,” Pitzer says, “and the definition of that in my book is, mass detention of civilians without trial.”

Historians use a broader definition of concentration camps, as well.

„What’s required is a little bit of demystification of it,“ says Waitman Wade Beorn, a Holocaust and genocide studies historian and a lecturer at the University of Virginia. „Things can be concentration camps without being Dachau or Auschwitz.

15.06.2019 - 09:38 [ Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg / Twitter ]

“We have what I would call a concentration camp system… a mass detention of civilians without trial.” 24 people that we know of have died under ICE under Trump so far, plus 6 children in other agencies since September. THREAD. Important. 1/x

12.06.2019 - 07:37 [ CNN ]

House Democrats authorize court to enforce subpoenas

House Democrats have used their majority power in a resolution authorizing the House Judiciary Committee to go to court to enforce subpoenas against the Trump administration. CNN’s Sunlen Serfaty has the details.

10.06.2019 - 14:20 [ i24news.tv ]

Netanyahu must inform court today if he will attend indictment hearing

If Netanyahu refuses to confirm his attendance by today’s deadline, then the hearing will be canceled and a summary decision would be made that could lead to his indictment within days or weeks.

06.06.2019 - 19:57 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Appoints Justice Minister Who Supports Immunity From Indictment for Prime Minister

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Likud lawmaker Amir Ohana as justice minister on Wednesday. Political sources told Haaretz that Ohana was appointed because unlike other Likud members, he supports changes that would grant immunity from indictment to acting prime ministers, as Netanyahu is facing possible indictment in three cases of fraud, bribery and breach of trust.

05.06.2019 - 06:04 [ Haaretz ]

Democracy in Netanyahu’s Israel Under Greater Threat Than in Trump’s America, Warns Lawfare Editor

Wittes attributes this dramatic possibility to Israel’s anomalous constitutional regime, which he characterizes as “super-weird.”

Asked to elaborate, he explains in a follow-up email that, beyond the fact that Israel lacks a written constitution (which is not in itself unique), it also has “the combination, on the one hand, of a system of parliamentary supremacy, and, on the other hand, a highly aggressive court that asserts broad authority of judicial review.” Ironically, however, anything the High Court does can be reversed by the legislature, “given that the court’s authority itself is a creature of the Knesset.”

01.06.2019 - 20:27 [ ABC News ]

House Intelligence chair to spy agencies: Tell us what Barr asks for

„This approach threatens national security by subverting longstanding rules and practices that obligate you and other heads of [intelligence community] agencies to safeguard sources and methods and prevent the politicization of intelligence and law enforcement,“ Schiff wrote in the letter to Coats, which was also sent to the heads of the CIA, NSA and FBI.

01.06.2019 - 20:22 [ Bloomberg ]

Barr Doubts Intelligence Accounts of Trump-Russia Probe’s Origin

Attorney General William Barr said he’s not satisfied so far with official accounts justifying the counterintelligence investigation into whether Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was involved in Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

“These counterintelligence activities that were directed at the Trump campaign, were not done in the normal course and not through the normal procedures as a far as I can tell,” Barr told “CBS This Morning” in an interview broadcast Friday.

01.06.2019 - 20:18 [ Fox News ]

Barr has not received ’satisfactory‘ answers from intelligence community in Russia probe origins review

Last month, Barr announced he had assembled a team to review the FBI’s original Russia probe which was opened in the summer of 2016. Barr appointed U.S. Attorney from Connecticut John Durham to lead the investigation which will focus on the use of FBI informants as well as alleged improper issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants.

But Barr, in an interview with CBS News that aired Friday, said he has more questions than answers at this point in the probe.

30.05.2019 - 16:25 [ CNN ]

US intelligence partners wary of Barr’s Russia review

Key allies who share intelligence with the United States could soon be dragged into the middle of Attorney General Bill Barr’s politically-charged Justice Department review of how the Russia investigation began.
President Donald Trump has said he wants Barr to look into the role key intelligence partners, including the United Kingdom and Australia, played in the origins of Russia probe.

26.05.2019 - 09:44 [ Plutobooks.com ]

Reclaiming the State – A Progressive Vision of Sovereignty for a Post-Neoliberal World

In response to these challenging times, economist William Mitchell and political theorist Thomas Fazi reconceptualise the nation state as a vehicle for progressive change. They show how despite the ravages of neoliberalism, the state still contains resources for democratic control of a nation’s economy and finances. The populist turn provides an opening to develop an ambitious but feasible left political strategy.

25.05.2019 - 04:41 [ United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations ]

Menendez on Trump Admin’s Decision to Flout Congress’ Role in Approving Arm Sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE

“In trying to explain this move, the Administration failed to even identify which legal mechanism it thinks it is using, described years of malign Iranian behavior but failed to identify what actually constitutes an emergency today, and critically, failed to explain how these systems, many of which will take years to come online, would immediately benefit either the United States or our allies and thus merit such hasty action. With this move, the President is destroying the productive and decades-long working relationship on arms sales between the Congress and the Executive Branch. The possible consequences of this decision will ultimately threaten the ability of the U.S. defense industry to export arms in a manner that is both expeditious and responsible.”

25.05.2019 - 04:31 [ Senator Bob Menendez ‏/ Twitter ]

BREAKING: The Trump Admin formally informed Congress that it is invoking an obscure provision of the Arms Export Control Act to eliminate the statutorily-required Congressional review of the sales of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others.

24.05.2019 - 05:45 [ WTOC.com ]

Trump moves to escalate investigation of intel agencies

The move marked an escalation in Trump’s efforts to „investigate the investigators,“ as he continues to try to undermine the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe amid mounting Democratic calls to bring impeachment proceedings against Trump.

24.05.2019 - 04:59 [ CNN ]

These House Democrats are calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump

By CNN’s count, there are at least 35 House Democrats who’ve made public comments advocating at least for starting the impeachment inquiry process — while some have gone further.
House Democrats who have publicly state they at least support starting an impeachment inquiry:

24.05.2019 - 04:48 [ Washington Post ]

Does President Trump actually want to be impeached?

Some legal experts have argued that there is a simple solution to this standoff: The legitimate legislative purpose could be easily satisfied by launching impeachment proceedings.

22.05.2019 - 18:30 [ Ynetnews ]

Likud tables new Immunity Law proposal

MK Miki Zohar (Likud) submitted on Tuesday a draft for a new Immunity Law, that would prevent MKs from being brought to criminal trial.

22.05.2019 - 18:27 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN’s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It’s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It’s done. It’s finished.“

22.05.2019 - 18:25 [ Haaretz ]

Attorney General Delays Netanyahu’s Pre-indictment Hearing Until October

Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit agreed on Wednesday to postpone Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s indictment hearing until October.

21.05.2019 - 07:01 [ Shalom Lipner, nonresident Senior Fellow @AtlanticCouncil, former @BrookingsInst, 26-yr vet of @IsraeliPM / Twitter ]

.@Haaretz poll: 55% of Israelis believe PM Netanyahu is somewhat or very corrupt; 45% have little or no confidence in Attorney-General Mandelblit.

(28.03.2019)

21.05.2019 - 06:58 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu’s Lawyers Ask AG to Put Off Hearing for at Least One Year

Mendelblit, who returned Sunday from a trip to Japan, had asked the lawyers to hold the hearing by July 10, but is expected to agree to a hearing held by the end of September.