Reforming the Insurrection Act
Fact Sheet: Reforming the Insurrection Act Reforming the Insurrection Act should be a key priority for the 119th Congress. January 20, 2025 By Sarah Turberville Find on facebook Find on x Find on bluesky Find on linkedin Find on reddit Find on email Find on print (Photo: Paul Becker / Flickr , CC BY 2.0 (modified); Illustration: Leslie Garvey / POGO) Download The Problem Congress is the first branch of government — the one in which the drafters of the Constitution placed significant power. Over time, however, Congress has ceded some of its most critical powers to the executive branch. One of the most worrisome ways Congress has abrogated its constitutional role is by giving the president nearly unfettered discretion to deploy the military for domestic law enforcement. The drafters of the Constitution included numerous safeguards to prevent the president from possessing limitless power to deploy the armed forces. 1 Congress also adopted the Posse Comitatus Act, prohibiting use of the m...
