{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-huffman-introduces-one-president-at-a-time-act-to-ensure-clarity-in", "Rep. Huffman Introduces One President at a Time Act to Ensure Clarity in Foreign Policy Decisions", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Jared Huffman", "H001068", "huffman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.- New legislation introduced by Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) would amend the Logan Act to ensure that U.S. foreign policy is conducted only by the sitting President, enshrining into law the longstanding policy that only one President serves at a time. The \u201cOne President at a Time Act\u201d would require that in the period between a Presidential election and the President-elect\u2019s inauguration into office, the President-elect cannot conduct foreign policy matters without the authorization of the United States government.\n\u201cForeign policy does not exist in a vacuum,\u201d said Rep. Huffman. \u201cNot only is it an unacceptable intrusion for a President-elect to start engaging in foreign policy matters before they are in office \u2013 let alone before they are fully briefed on complex and fragile geopolitical situations -- it is dangerous and harms America\u2019s standing in the world. That\u2019s why I am introducing the \u2018One President at a Time Act\u2019 to clarify what most of us already believe: that only the President, not the President-elect who is fresh off the campaign trail and not yet in office, has the authority to make critical foreign policy decisions that impact America\u2019s safety, economy, and global standing.\u201d\nThe \u201cOne President at a Time Act\u201d amends the Logan Act, which bars private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, to clarify that its authority extends to Presidents-elect during their transition period.\nIn 2008, President-elect Barack Obama notably steered clear of commenting on foreign policy decisions during the period between his election and inauguration, as did his predecessors Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who each recognized during the transition period that there is only one U.S. President serving at a time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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": ["http://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-huffman-introduces-one-president-at-a-time-act-to-ensure-clarity-in"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7308329697698355, "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"}