“If members of Congress were to vote to allow a military action, they might then share the blame if the mission were to go wrong. So they demand in the abstract that presidents ask their approval for going to war but in practice prefer to let presidents bear the burden alone.”

American politician and former diplomat

Tom Malinowski is an American politician and former diplomat. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district from 2019 to 2023 and was an Assistant Secretary of State in the Obama administration. A Democrat, he worked on democracy, human rights, and labor as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. His public career spans diplomacy and elected office, with a focus on international affairs and civil rights.