Fix the Insurrection Act: Ending Presidents' Dangerous & Unchecked Power

Thursday, July 25, 2024, noon - 1 PM PT (3 – 4 PM ET)

A law last updated 150 years ago gives presidents dangerous authority to use the U.S. military as a domestic police force. The Insurrection Act has virtually no limits on when and how this power can be used, making it a loaded weapon in the hands of any leader, Democrat or Republican, who is tempted to abuse it.

Without urgent reforms, the law is a threat to civil liberties — and American democracy.

Join Brennan Center for Justice for a live virtual panel discussion that will shed light on a president’s alarming powers under the Insurrection Act and examine possible solutions to prevent the law’s misuse.

Speakers:

Hawa Allan, Author, Insurrection: Rebellion, Civil Rights, and the Paradoxical State of Black Citizenship

Jack Goldsmith, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Joseph Nunn, Counsel, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program

Moderator: Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program