Recent Critical Federal Security Legislation Enacted

Several federal security bills were enacted last week by the United States, including some there were of critical importance, despite government divided between the two major parties that each control a chamber of the Congress and a Democratic President who has been stronger on defense and foreign policy than liberals have historically been, while a significant faction of the Republicans have drifted from their strong pro-security roots. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was renewed for two years, after it passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, despite opposition from Donald Trump and his supporters, and libertarians, and was signed into law by the President. The critical post-September 11 program allows warrantless surveillance against foreign terrorists and spies. Trump had complained that his 2016 campaign staff were surveilled because there were over 100 contacts between his campaign and Russians, including Russian security forces, none of which were reported to law enforcement, as the Russians, who backed Trump, sought to infiltrate the campaign. The GOP-majority House and Democratic-controlled Senate approved bills that were also signed into the law by the President for defensive aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression, Israel against Iranian-backed terrorists, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) against threat of invasion by Communist China. Trump and his supporters had heled up the bill for Ukraine for several months as Ukrainians were running out of ammunition and Russia made tactical advances. A majority of Republican Representatives voted against the bill, but it passed by nearly 3:1 margin, with unanimous support from Democrats. The Senate approved it with most Republicans voting in favor, in a strong rebuke of the isolationist and pro-Russian Trumpist wing of the GOP. A key provision of the bill allows assets of the Russian Central Bank to be seized to fund the aid to Ukraine. Another security bill approved by Congress and signed into law by the President would ban or force a sale of a Chinese-owned social media platform because of concerns that it could be exploited for espionage or other criminal purposes. These acts will enhance global and American security and give encouragement that there can still be bipartisan cooperation for U.S. defense and security.