Congress Urged to Amend 1976 Emergencies Law, Requiring Votes After 1 Year

3 articles · Updated · City Journal · Sep 9

A proposed overhaul would end national emergencies after one year unless Congress affirmatively extends them, replacing the current system that lets presidents renew powers unless lawmakers can pass a vetoable disapproval resolution.
One-third support in either chamber can now effectively preserve an emergency because a president can veto efforts to terminate it, concentrating extraordinary authority in the White House.
The argument points to a 25-year chain of emergency rule since George W. Bush's Sept. 14, 2001 declaration, which every subsequent president has extended and which helped normalize wartime-style powers.
Covid-era actions under Donald Trump and Joe Biden, along with Trump's roughly 20 emergency declarations and 2025 tariff order, are cited as evidence that emergency powers now reach far beyond immediate crises.
Backers say fast-track, filibuster-exempt extension votes would preserve rapid executive action in genuine emergencies while restoring a congressional check on long-term changes to Americans' lives.