Washington’s Power Test: Blanche Takes DOJ, Congress Pushes Russia Sanctions, And the Courts Draw a Line

National news, liberty, trending politics, and the Constitutionalist for Liberty perspective

By Peter Boykin
GoRightNews.com | PeterBoykin.com

Washington is spending this weekend arguing about something much larger than any single nomination, sanction, executive order, or construction project. The underlying question is how much power Americans are willing to place in the hands of government, and whether the constitutional guardrails around that power still work when politics gets heated.

The Senate has narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general after Republican concerns nearly sank his nomination. Congress is asserting itself on foreign policy with an overwhelmingly approved Russia sanctions package. A federal appeals court has told President Donald Trump that congressional authorization matters in his White House ballroom dispute. Meanwhile, the administration continues pushing the boundaries of executive authority on birthright citizenship. Those stories may look unrelated. Constitutionally, they are connected by one word: power.

What Matters Before The Noise Takes Over

The biggest fresh domestic political development is Blanche’s confirmation. Senate Republicans confirmed him 50-49 on Saturday. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposed the nomination, while Bill Cassidy supplied the decisive support after Blanche made written commitments concerning a controversial tax-immunity arrangement and the administration’s so-called anti-weaponization payments. (Reuters)

Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and had been acting attorney general since April. That history fueled questions about DOJ independence, including from Republicans. Blanche’s supporters counter that he is an experienced prosecutor committed to public safety and the rule of law. The confirmation settles who runs the Justice Department, but it does not settle the larger debate over how independent federal law enforcement should remain from presidential politics. (Reuters)

That distinction matters. Conservatives spent years objecting to the possibility of federal law enforcement being weaponized against political opponents. That principle cannot suddenly expire when Republicans control the executive branch. Accountability should apply regardless of which party occupies the White House.

Washington’s Noise Machine Keeps Spinning

Another significant fight is developing between Congress and the executive branch over Russia.

The Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an overwhelming 86-11 vote. The legislation targets Russian officials and would give Trump authority to impose steep tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. The bill also contains expanded sanctions against Iran. It now faces an uncertain path through the House. (Reuters)

The unusual part is that Senate Republican leaders had previously held the legislation back amid resistance from Trump, who preferred sanctions decisions to remain largely under White House control. Congress has now asserted itself with a veto-proof-sized Senate vote, although that does not guarantee the House will approve the same measure. (Reuters)

There is a legitimate conservative debate here. Russia should face consequences for aggression, and America’s adversaries should understand that strength carries consequences. But giving presidents broad tariff or emergency powers also deserves scrutiny.

Today’s useful power can become tomorrow’s abused power.

What The Right Is Covering

The right is also watching the continuing battle over presidential authority.

A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to halt construction of the $400 million White House ballroom project, ruling 2-1 that a president cannot fundamentally reshape the White House without congressional authorization. The court temporarily held its order for 14 days so the administration can seek Supreme Court review. Trump says the project contains security infrastructure and intends to appeal. (Reuters)

The political temptation is to reduce this to whether somebody likes Trump’s ballroom.

That misses the constitutional issue.

Presidents are temporary occupants of an institution belonging to the American people. If Congress has constitutional authority over spending or structural changes to federal property, presidents should have to respect it. The same standard should apply to Republican and Democratic presidents.

Trump’s renewed effort to restrict birthright citizenship creates an even larger constitutional confrontation. He signed two narrower executive orders Thursday after the Supreme Court rejected his earlier effort. The administration says the new directives address narrower historical exceptions, including what it describes as birth tourism. Critics contend the orders attempt to circumvent the Court’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Legal challenges are expected. (Reuters)

The administration has legitimate authority to enforce immigration law aggressively. The Constitution still establishes boundaries around how that authority can be exercised.

Liberty Means Holding Power Accountable

One of today’s more interesting liberty stories comes from outside the usual partisan battlefield.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found 61% of Americans support stronger oversight of social-media companies, including 62% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats. Sixty-six percent support age-verification requirements intended to prevent children under 16 from accessing social media. (Reuters)

Protecting children online is a legitimate public concern. So is protecting privacy and anonymous speech.

Age verification can sound simple until government or private companies begin collecting identification documents, biometric information, or other sensitive data from millions of lawful adults.

The Constitutionalist position should therefore demand both goals: protect children and protect everybody’s civil liberties.

Congress should require strict data minimization, prohibit secondary use of identification information, create meaningful penalties for breaches, and make certain that online-safety laws do not quietly become universal digital-ID systems.

Meanwhile, national security is increasingly becoming industrial policy. The Trump administration announced roughly $3 billion in federal investment and conditional financing for critical-mineral and battery projects. The stated objective is reducing American dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly China, while rebuilding supplies needed for defense production. (Reuters)

There is a compelling national-security case for domestic mineral production.

There is also a taxpayer-accountability case for asking who receives the money, what taxpayers receive in return, and whether government financing creates politically favored winners and losers.

Both questions can be true at once.

Power Must Have Guardrails

The Go Right with Peter Boykin Perspective

Republicans should celebrate policies that strengthen America without becoming afraid to question the power used to achieve them.

Secure the border.

Rebuild American industry.

Keep dangerous criminals off the streets.

Confront hostile foreign governments.

Protect children online.

Restore confidence in federal institutions.

But do it constitutionally.

I supported limited government before Republicans controlled Washington, and limited government matters just as much when Republicans are running it.

If the Justice Department was dangerous when Democrats could weaponize it, then DOJ needs guardrails when Republicans control it.

If presidents should not invent powers Congress never gave them, that principle applies to Trump too.

If technology companies should not harvest Americans’ private information, government should not create child-safety laws that accidentally build a nationwide identification database.

If taxpayers finance strategic industries, taxpayers deserve transparency about where their money goes.

The Constitution is valuable precisely because it restrains people we support as well as people we oppose.

Liberty cannot depend upon who won the last election.

Quick Hits

The Senate is moving toward another major technology fight. Majority Leader John Thune has initiated the process for a procedural vote on the CLARITY Act after the August recess. The legislation would establish a federal regulatory structure for digital assets and clarify when cryptocurrencies fall under securities or commodities regulation. Passage would still require overcoming Democratic opposition and reaching the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. (Reuters)

Democrats are preparing their own Washington offensive ahead of November. Reuters reports House Democrats are discussing investigations and possible subpoenas involving companies, donors and financial entities connected to Trump’s political and business orbit if Democrats capture the House. The plans remain preliminary, and impeachment is described as a possibility rather than an immediate predetermined action. (Reuters)

The administration is also putting more American money behind hemispheric security. The State Department says it intends to work with Congress on a $1 billion security-assistance package for Colombia’s new government, focused on shared security priorities and drug trafficking. (Reuters)

And in a considerably less consequential Washington controversy, some Taylor Swift songs were removed from White House and Trump campaign social-media videos after several recent uses. Neither the White House nor Swift’s representative had commented to Reuters when its report was published. (Reuters)

What To Watch

Watch whether Blanche’s written commitments during confirmation translate into actual DOJ policy. Watch whether the House takes up the Senate’s Russia sanctions legislation and whether its sweeping tariff authority survives. Watch Trump’s expected Supreme Court appeal over the White House ballroom. Watch the first lawsuits challenging the new birthright-citizenship orders. Watch whether child-safety legislation evolves toward privacy-protecting age assurance or government-backed digital identification. And watch the CLARITY Act when senators return from recess.

Those fights involve different policies, but almost all of them come back to the same constitutional question: who gets the power, what limits exist, and who can hold them accountable?

Final Word

America does not need powerless government.

It needs limited government with enough legitimate power to perform its constitutional duties.

There is a difference.

Government should secure the nation, enforce lawful borders, prosecute criminals, protect constitutional rights and defend the country.

It should also have boundaries.

The strongest America is not one where our preferred president can do anything he wants. It is one where the Constitution remains strong enough that no president can.

That principle protects conservatives today, liberals tomorrow, and every American after them.

That is how we Go Right.

The August 9 Go Right Daily Brief examines Todd Blanche’s narrow confirmation as attorney general, the Senate’s sweeping Russia sanctions vote, Trump’s White House ballroom and birthright-citizenship court battles, new pressure for social-media age verification, critical-mineral investments, cryptocurrency legislation, and why constitutional limits must apply regardless of who controls Washington.

#GoRightNews #PeterBoykin #ConstitutionalistForLiberty #DonaldTrump #ToddBlanche #DOJ #Congress #Russia #Ukraine #Immigration #BirthrightCitizenship #FreeSpeech #Privacy #Crypto #CLARITYAct #LimitedGovernment #Constitution #Liberty #Accountability

Sources

Reuters: Senate Republicans narrowly confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general

Reuters: U.S. Senate passes Russia sanctions legislation

Reuters: Appeals court blocks Trump’s White House ballroom project

Reuters: Trump signs new orders seeking to limit birthright citizenship

Reuters: Americans favor stronger oversight of social-media companies

Reuters: Trump administration announces $3 billion critical-minerals push

Reuters: Senate advances landmark cryptocurrency legislation

Reuters: Democrats prepare investigations if they capture the House

Reuters: U.S. plans $1 billion security package for Colombia

Reuters: Taylor Swift songs removed from White House and Trump campaign posts