Foreign Policy Powers of the President and Congress

The congressional hearings in 1987 concerning the Irancontra affair provided a unique and unusual education for the general public. Month after month, American citizens became privy to how arms were shipped to Iran and funds diverted to the contras in Nicaragua. They learned about the Boland amendment, the Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980, and executive orders that provide the overall framework for covert operations. Witnesses included major cabinet officials, the former White House chief of staff, the flamboyant Colonel Oliver North, two national security advisers, and a host of generals, agency officials, and private citizens. Throughout the hearings, there was learned discussion of constitutional issues, including major Supreme Court cases and the specific powers and responsibilities of Congress and the president. This article focuses on two issues: how foreign policy is shared by the two branches, and how Congress tries to use its power of the purse to control executive activities.