National security laws

How the New Russia Sanctions Bill Shows How Far the U.S. Has Come

In defiance of President Donald Trump’s wishes, the Republican-led Congress has decided not to wait until Russia or another foreign power has altered or nullified the outcome of an American election before acting. The sanctions bill, which the House is expected to vote on Tuesday, won’t solve the problem, but the strong bipartisan support for it sends an important signal concerning our resolve to protect democratic values. This unusual bipartisanship in Congress happens to coincide with the anniversary of the most important piece of national security legislation ever passed, which also depended on bipartisan cooperation.

Seventy years ago, Democratic President Harry S. Truman signed into law the National Security Act, passed by a Republican Congress. No legislation in U.S. history more fundamentally altered the way security policy is made and executed. It established the Department of Defense, the Air Force as a separate service, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency, and it gave permanent standing to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.