Protect Democracy’s Soren Dayton testifies before Congress on reforms to the National Emergencies Act

Soren Dayton, policy advocate at Protect Democracy, testified before the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties House Judiciary Committee on simple reforms to the National Emergencies Act (NEA). Reforms to the NEA can ensure a proper balance of power between Congress and the president on national emergencies, and as a result, restore Congress’s original intent to address executive power overreach.

“The core structure of the reform is straightforward: the president gives clear declarations of the use of delegated authorities, the authorities sunset automatically, and expedited procedures give Congress the ability to extend those authorities in a timely manner.

These reforms have broad bicameral and bipartisan support, and would restore the kind of necessary checks that Congress originally enacted in its original 1976 bill,” said Soren Dayton.

Watch his testimony below. For a PDF of the remarks, click here.

To read more about reforms to the National Emergencies Act, click here.