{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.paul.senate.gov/hsgac-passes-dr-rand-pauls-bipartisan-republic-act-to-rein-in-presidential-emergency-powers/", "HSGAC Passes Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Bipartisan REPUBLIC Act to Rein in Presidential Emergency Powers", "2024-09-18", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Rand Paul", "P000603", "www.paul.senate.gov", "paul", "https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:\n\nSeptember 18, 2024\n\nContact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343\n\nHSGAC Passes Dr. Rand Paul\u2019s Bipartisan REPUBLIC Act to Rein in Presidential Emergency Powers\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), which U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is Ranking Member of, passed the bipartisan Reforming Emergency Powers to Uphold the Balances and Limitations Inherent in the Constitution (REPUBLIC) Act. The legislation, which wasintroduced in May, would allow the President to take immediate action in crisis situations but also require congressional review of presidential invocation of emergency powers that threaten the constitutional principles of separation of powers and due process.\n\n\u201cThe REPUBLIC Act reins in the blank check of power presidents write themselves in the name of self-declared emergencies,\u201d said Dr. Paul. \u201cIt does all this while preserving the president\u2019s authority to act immediately to defend our nation in a real emergency.\u201d\n\nCurrent law, under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, authorizes the President to unilaterally determine when and how to unlock and exercise extraordinary powers not permitted during normal operations. Once declared, emergencies are rarely terminated. To wit, the 1979 national emergency relating to the Iranian hostage crisis is still in effect.\n\nSome powers are so inimical to the concept of a constitutional republic they should have never been granted in the first place. One such emergency power pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934 gives the President nearly unchallenged authority to restrict access to the internet, conduct email surveillance, and control computer systems, television and radio broadcasts, and cell phones. Additionally, the executive branch issues secret Presidential Emergency Action Documents, which, among other things, have in the past authorized the detention of \u201cdangerous persons\u201d within the United States and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus during emergency situations.\n\nThe REPUBLIC Act would:\n\nAllow the President to exercise emergency powers for 30 days prior to congressional approval.\n\nProhibit the President from issuing a subsequent declaration and exercising emergency powers with respect to the same circumstances if a national emergency is not approved or renewed.\n\nProvide expedited procedures in each House of Congress to consider joint resolutions of approval.\n\nTerminate the ability of the President to seize control of U.S. communications infrastructure pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934.\n\nProhibit the use of IEEPA to sanction U.S. persons without due process.\n\nRequire the disclosure of Presidential Emergency Action Documents to Congress.\n\nYou can read the REPUBLIC Act HERE and watch Dr. Paul\u2019s remarks on the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.paul.senate.gov/hsgac-passes-dr-rand-pauls-bipartisan-republic-act-to-rein-in-presidential-emergency-powers/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8056778460741043, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}