A few weeks ago a letter was sent to the Iranian government signed by 47 US politicians. In this letter, American congressional leaders stated that even if a deal is reached between the Iranian government and the White House, it will never come to fruition unless Congress says so.
This letter has caused quite a commotion in the international press and within the American political back channels. But it also raises some very disturbing questions about foreign policy and legislation today. Who really controls our foreign policy anymore? Is it our President? Is it Congress? Or dare I say it: Is it the people..?
These days, especially with the good ol’ gridlock, it is unclear just how any type of policy is actually set down anymore. To add to that, now we have elected officials actively circumventing the Commander-in-Chief’s political stance in the face of international negotiations to invite foreign leaders to speak on the American legislative floor, tell foreign powers who really carries the bigger stick in American legislation, and pretty much show just how divided America has become.
A much deeper part of this is just how mangled the relationship between Congress and the Executive branch has become. One argues the extreme, unprecedented, and utterly disrespectful behavior being exhibited by such Congressman while the other argues that the real problem is the Administration basically ignoring the plights of the legislative body and even several allied bodies against what many see as a truly unfavorable and dangerous deal for America. To be honest, the fact that many Republicans are talking about how President Obama seems fully against considering the arguments of his government and allies against such a deal may be true. But that shouldn’t result in such brash action as direct communication with foreign leaders and speaking invites for politicians not necessarily allied with our nation’s leadership.
Citizens will probably never truly know what goes on behind closed government doors but we should at least be able to feel comfortable with the unified stance of our government in the face of foreign threats. What point is there in seeking a deal with contemporaries from other nations if we can’t trust our own colleagues behind the scenes? Its time the two branches drew the line between fighting partisan battles and protecting the real interests of American people.
Akbar Hassonjee is the Vice President of Student PAC at NYU
This letter has caused quite a commotion in the international press and within the American political back channels. But it also raises some very disturbing questions about foreign policy and legislation today. Who really controls our foreign policy anymore? Is it our President? Is it Congress? Or dare I say it: Is it the people..?
These days, especially with the good ol’ gridlock, it is unclear just how any type of policy is actually set down anymore. To add to that, now we have elected officials actively circumventing the Commander-in-Chief’s political stance in the face of international negotiations to invite foreign leaders to speak on the American legislative floor, tell foreign powers who really carries the bigger stick in American legislation, and pretty much show just how divided America has become.
A much deeper part of this is just how mangled the relationship between Congress and the Executive branch has become. One argues the extreme, unprecedented, and utterly disrespectful behavior being exhibited by such Congressman while the other argues that the real problem is the Administration basically ignoring the plights of the legislative body and even several allied bodies against what many see as a truly unfavorable and dangerous deal for America. To be honest, the fact that many Republicans are talking about how President Obama seems fully against considering the arguments of his government and allies against such a deal may be true. But that shouldn’t result in such brash action as direct communication with foreign leaders and speaking invites for politicians not necessarily allied with our nation’s leadership.
Citizens will probably never truly know what goes on behind closed government doors but we should at least be able to feel comfortable with the unified stance of our government in the face of foreign threats. What point is there in seeking a deal with contemporaries from other nations if we can’t trust our own colleagues behind the scenes? Its time the two branches drew the line between fighting partisan battles and protecting the real interests of American people.
Akbar Hassonjee is the Vice President of Student PAC at NYU