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Congress and Foreign Relations: The Taiwan Relations Act

By Senator Jacob K. Javits
Fall 1981
Article Summary and Author Biography

The role of Congress in U.S. foreign policy is unique among the legislative bodies of the world. Our Constitution provides that the Congress, and especially the Senate, will be a source of independent judgment and a potential check upon the actions of the executive branch on such fundamental matters as the use of military force, the conclusion of international commitments, the appointment of principal policymakers, and the financing of military and diplomatic programs. The phrase _advice and consent_ with respect to treaties and nominations aptly summarizes that role in general.

Jacob K. Javits served as United States Senator from New York from 1957 until January 1981. He is the author of Javits: the Autobiography of a Public Man, Who Makes War, and other works.

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