Examining impact of midterm election on Congress and foreign poicy

Well, the results of the midterm will likely have enormous effects on international affairs, including the war in Iran and the future of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Russia-Ukraine war, along with NATO. Joining us this morning is USF Professor of Politics and International Studies, Stephen Zunes. Stephen, thanks for joining us this morning. Good to be with you. So, Stephen, why should viewers at home pay attention to how this new Congress handles foreign matters, and how could these decisions end up hitting their wallets, gas prices, or even national security here? Well, certainly there will be some major debates around foreign policies with the Democratic majority chairing the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. There will be some critical evaluation of the Trump administration's policy. However, the fact is that the executive branch does have quite a bit of power, and there are going to be some very... Contentious debates, including raising some pretty tough constitutional issues about what authority the president has to continue to engage in foreign policies that do not have the backing of the majority of the American people, particularly in regard to Iran. How does changing the leadership in Congress directly affect the billions of dollars the U.S. sends overseas for military aid and wars like those in Ukraine and the Middle East? Well, the Congress does have the power of the purse, but President Trump has found ways of getting around that by announcing emergencies to spend money for various projects, both domestically and internationally, that have not gotten congressional approval. And this is where those constitutional arguments are going to get in. Now, it's possible that Congress will be able to, for example. Make some kind of provision that says, you know, U.S. funds can be used for military operations in Iran, similar to one that was made back in the 1970s regarding U.S. intervention in some of the civil wars in Africa. But other than that, there's been very little precedent of this, and it's going to be a tough fight. Another possibility is on the other end is Ukraine, where not only the Democrats, but a large number of Republicans believe we should be giving more support to the Ukrainian war effort. In that case, they may try to pass legislation. To support Ukraine, President Trump would likely veto it but there may be enough votes for an override at this point. All right, Professor Stephen Zunes, thanks for joining us this morning and providing your insight. We appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Let's head over to Salomon Traffic Center now.