Policy

GOP View Rand Paul as National Security Distraction in March to 2016

The presidential hopeful got what he wanted—expiration of the Patriot Act—but he alienated a lot of people along the way.

Policy

Meet Joe Heck, the GOP One-Star General Who Could Take Reid's Senate Seat

Military experience? Check. Small business owner? Check. Physician? Check. Congressional leadership? Check. Winning record in swing district? Check. National security election? Double check.

Policy

Why Won't the GOP Declare War on ISIS?

Republican presidential candidates delight in slamming Obama's strategy, but won't vote on legislation to define the scope of the struggle.

Policy

No. 2 Senate Democrat Wants US-Enforced Safe Zones In Syria

Sen. Dick Durbin has made it his lonely mission to push for humanitarian safe zones in Syria. The anti-war Democrat knows it would take international force to protect them, but he believes that’s necessary to prevent another Rwanda.

Policy

What Is Rand Paul's NSA Endgame?

With days to go before the Patriot Act expires, the Kentucky Republican could kill the agency’s domestic-phone spying — or save it.

Policy

What a Major Arms Control Treaty Teaches Us About the Iran Deal

Nearly 50 years of the Non-Proliferation Treaty have proven one thing — multilateral agreements can work to make the world safer.

Policy

Exasperated White House Pushes Senate To Pass Surveillance Reform Bill

Without naming Rand Paul, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest faulted the Kentucky Republican for holding up legislation.

Policy

What President Obama Thinks on Iraq, Iran and Israel

Obama speaks about the state of U.S. policy in the Middle East in a wide ranging interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg.

Policy

NSA Domestic Spying Will Start Stopping This Week

Lawmakers only have until Friday—not June 1—to resolve their standoff over the NSA's domestic surveillance, according to a new memo from the Obama administration.

Policy

NatSec Hawk Lindsey Graham Announces that He'll Announce His 2016 Run

The South Carolina Republican joins a very crowded GOP field — but could distinguish himself with his foreign policy experience.

Policy

McCain Brokers Compromise That Would Let Obama Close Gitmo

But there’s a big if: Congress has to approve the president's closure plan.

Policy

House Passes Amendment Requiring Obama To Pick a Hostage Coordinator

As the White House continues to review its policies concerning kidnapped U.S. citizens, the House may force its hand.

Policy

NSA Spying Heads to Critical Senate Showdown

After the House voted to end bulk collection of phone data, Sen. Mitch McConnell promised to force a vote next week to reauthorize it.

Policy

The ‘Rubio Doctrine’ Is a Rerun

For all his attempts to position himself as a fresh-faced foreign policy leader, Marco Rubio stands on the same national security stool the GOP recycles roughly every four years.

Policy

Sen. Corker: NSA Should Do Far More with Your Phone Data

The NSA's bulk-data collection program is so scaled down that it's not nearly as effective as it should be, the Senate Foreign Relations chairman says.

Policy

Jeb Bush Bets Voters Care More About Obama’s Iraq Than His Brother’s

With the U.S. public again finding its appetite for intervention, the real question facing Jeb Bush for 2016 is: What would you do about Iraq now?

Policy

While Ruling NSA Program Illegal, Appeals Court Suggests Path Forward

A recent federal appeals court ruling on the NSA's domestic surveillance program seems to be sending the political branches constitutional messages about how to proceed next.

Policy

Pentagon’s Budget, Middle East Summit Add Up to A Big Week in Washington

The House and Senate take up their respective defense authorization bills while the White House welcomes Gulf leaders for a two-day summit at Camp David.

Policy

Republicans Come Out In Force To Keep NSA's Domestic Surveillance Alive

Sen. Mitch McConnell and his fellow GOP security hawks are working hard to keep the spy agency’s phone dragnet. But they’re making some dubious claims in its defense.

Policy

Federal Appeals Court Rules NSA Spying Illegal

The phone data collection program 'exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized,' a federal judge ruled Thursday in New York.