May Day mayday: The illegal war in Iran reaches a new milestone |
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(Illustration: Luna Velez / POGO) |
May 1 marked the 60th day since the Trump administration notified Congress of military strikes on Iran — a milestone that, under the War Powers Resolution, should mean the president has to end hostilities if Congress doesn’t authorize them. Despite Secretary Pete Hegseth’s claims to the Senate on Thursday, a shaky ceasefire does not stop that clock from ticking. And time is up. We said this war was illegal and unconstitutional from its inception. But blowing past the May 1 deadline without authorization left the administration with no excuse. Both the Senate and the House have failed multiple times to reclaim Congress’s war powers during this deadly and costly conflict in Iran. The 60-day deadline means members of Congress have run out of time and excuses to avoid going on the record. The law is clear — and so are the consequences of Congress’s inaction — billions of your taxpayer dollars will be spent, lives will be lost, and the executive branch will be enabled to stretch its power even further. We have fought across several administrations to end executive overreach and reclaim Congress’s war powers. Continue to stand by us as we push back against the illegal and unsanctioned war in Iran. |
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THE PRESIDENT MUST JUSTIFY THIS WAR: “For decades, presidents have expanded their power to unilaterally use military force, and Congress has met those abuses with a consistent shrug. ... The representatives closest to the people they serve must resist presidents’ attempts to stretch existing authorizations beyond recognition.” David Janovsky, acting director of The Constitution Project at POGO, explains the significance of the 60-day deadline and this pivotal war powers moment. Janovsky also spoke to Al Jazeera and CBS News about the war in Iran’s War Powers Act deadline, how Congress and the courts can intervene, and whether they’ll have the courage to do so. Give now: Help us keep up the fight.
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The fight for your privacy continues |
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Congress faced a tight deadline to reauthorize section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which was set to expire on Thursday. You have been essential in helping us build pressure to close the data broker loophole that allows government agencies to obtain your information without a warrant. On Wednesday, a narrow House majority left you vulnerable to warrantless invasions of your privacy, passing a three-year reauthorization and extension of Section 702 that kept the loophole wide open. It was a betrayal of your freedom under the guise of protecting your safety. But we weren’t done fighting — and neither was the Senate, which extended the deadline by 45 days rather than accept a bill without reforms. That means there’s still time on the clock to protect your constitutional rights. The extension sends a clear and strong signal: the people value their privacy, they want reform, and they have been heard. Now that Congress cannot ignore your calls for reform, we're going to take this across the finish line. We continue urging Congress to safeguard your information and add commonsense reforms to Section 702 in the days ahead. We ask that you not give up, and we ask that you not give in to the idea that our right to privacy and our protection cannot coexist. We certainly won’t. |
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“Today, the House had a real opportunity to pass popular, bipartisan reform. Instead, it ignored the interests of the American people. Fortunately, the fight isn’t over yet.” Read the powerful statement from POGO’s Policy Counsel Don Bell. ICYMI: Closing the Data Broker Loophole: A Q&A with a Privacy Expert.
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K Street Cashes in on U.S. Control of Venezuelan Oil |
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(Illustration: Luna Velez / POGO) |
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The fight for safe, mold-free housing for military families |
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POGO has been shining a light on unsafe conditions in military housing for years, especially when it comes to mold in privatized, on-base housing. On Tuesday, PBS News released a powerful report featuring military families and the reporting of POGO’s René Kladzyk. As the Pentagon promises to budget more money for upgraded facilities, POGO Investigates will continue to monitor the conditions in military housing for our service members and their families. |
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