Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act of 2026

The Constitution vests in Congress the power to provide for the common defense and to regulate commerce with foreign nations. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 grants Congress the authority to declare war and to make rules concerning captures on land and water; Clause 12 empowers it to raise and support armies; and Clause 14 authorizes it to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces. Moreover, the President, as Commander in Chief, is constitutionally charged with the conduct of foreign relations and the defense of the realm. A bill that directs the Secretary of De…

While the Constitution vests in the Congress the power to provide for the common defense and to declare war, and in the President the power to make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate, the proposed federal initiative to bolster defense cooperation with foreign nations must be strictly confined to the enumerated powers. Any attendant entangling alliance or standing military engagement without a formal declaration of war or specific treaty provisions would exceed the limited authority granted by the People and the States. The Tenth Amendment reserves to the States or to the People…

The proposed legislation aligns with the constitutional power of Congress to provide for the common defense (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) and to define and punish offenses against the law of nations (Article I, Section 8, Clause 10), as well as the President's role as Commander-in-Chief (Article II, Section 2) to conduct foreign relations. The Constitution entrusts the federal government with the authority to enter into alliances and strengthen defense cooperation with foreign nations, as affirmed in Federalist No. 42, where the regulation of foreign intercourse is shown to be essential to …

The Constitution vests in Congress the power to provide for the common defense and to define and punish offenses against the law of nations. Article I, Section 8 grants Congress authority to raise and support armies, to provide and maintain a navy, and to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces. This bill, by directing the Secretary of Defense to establish an initiative for defense cooperation with nations that have entered into peace agreements with Israel under the Abraham Accords, falls squarely within Congress's enumerated powers over foreign affairs and n…