Critics claim that U.S. military actions overseas not specifically sanctioned by Congress violate the 2001 and 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) law. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now considering two competing bills to update these AUMFs. The first bill, submitted in April, is co-sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman […]
Congress
National Debt is Biggest Security Threat to U.S.
Congress recently fired a shot across the bow of the Pentagon. The Defense Department was warned that it better take advantage of the two-year budget boost in defense spending because lean years are coming. The U.S. now has to grapple with a $21 trillion national debt. Budget deficits are returning to the $1 trillion annual […]
Castro’s Cuba Likely Continues Under Díaz-Canel
For the first time in nearly 60 years, a Castro will not lead the island nation of Cuba, as Fidel’s brother Raúl stepped down and new President Miguel Díaz-Canel was confirmed April 19. What happens next in Cuba is, of course, a matter of speculation. But Latin America observers still offered some insight this week […]
Trump Outlines Syria Attack in Letter to Congress
President Donald Trump sent a letter to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate April 15 outlining his actions taken April 13 to strike suspected chemical weapons locations in Syria. “The targets of the combined operation were a scientific research center installation, a storage facility, and a […]
Six Icebreakers Key To USCG Success, Report Says
The U.S. Coast Guard needs six operational icebreakers to meet ongoing challenges at the poles, particularly with Russia and China seeking to increase their influence, according to an April 9 report from The Heritage Foundation by James Di Pane. Currently, the Coast Guard fields just two icebreakers—Polar Star (heavy) and Healy (medium). A third heavy […]