Congress has the power to end a national emergency and has done so in the past, demonstrating that there are checks in place to prevent abuse.
Clinton declared a national emergency in 1995 to address the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including through sanctions against countries like Iran, Libya, and North Korea. He also used national emergency powers to regulate certain financial transactions involving foreign assets.
Obama declared a national emergency in 2012 to address the situation in Syria, specifically to impose sanctions on Syrian officials involved in human rights abuses and to combat the Assad regime’s violent actions. He also declared an emergency in 2014 to address the Ebola outbreak and to aid in the global response.
Obama also used national emergency powers in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, issuing sanctions against Russian officials and entities, and declaring a national emergency regarding the threat posed by Russia’s actions to U.S. interests.
Carter declared a national emergency in 1979 following the Iranian hostage crisis, which allowed the U.S. to freeze Iranian assets and impose economic sanctions. This was a significant use of emergency powers to protect national security and American citizens abroad.
