WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the ARTICLE ONE Act today, a bill that would take back significant legislative powers given to the executive branch by the National Emergencies Act of 1976.

Specifically, the bill would automatically end all future emergency declarations made pursuant to the NEA after 30 days unless Congress voted affirmatively to extend the emergency. Currently Congress can cancel an emergency declaration only by passing a resolution that can withstand a presidential veto.

“If Congress is troubled by recent emergency declarations made pursuant to the National Emergencies Act, they only have themselves to blame,” Sen. Lee said. “Congress gave these legislative powers away in 1976 and it is far past time that we as an institution took them back. If we don’t want our president acting like a king we need to start taking back the legislative powers that allow him to do so. The ARTICLE ONE Act will go a long way to restoring the balance of powers in our republic.”

Currently the bill has 14 cosponsors including Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Moran (R-KS), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).

The bill’s full name is the “Assuring that Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies Act”. 

One Pager on the NEA:

NEA bill text: