Key Points

1. 1) The continued minimization of Congress's institutional role leads to an out-of-balance reliance on other parts of our government.
2. 2) Issues such as national emergencies, war powers, arms sales and defense spending are well within Congress's purview and all areas where the Executive Branch has enjoyed outsized control. The last Congress discussed and introduced multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation to reign in these Executive powers, but there are still opportunities for the 117th Congress to expand upon these efforts.
3. 3) Reforms such as amending the National Emergencies Act and War Powers Resolution; revising the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs); and placing more controls on Pentagon spending and arms sales were all issues seriously discussed and advocated for in the 116th Congress. Encouragingly, each plan was bipartisan, which offers a hopeful forecast for the 117th Congress.