What’s next for Congress on the world front

In Rep. Michael McCaul’s office, World War II artifacts and images are on display, such as a B-17 bombardier jacket belonging to his father that sits prominently on a shelf.

The items are a nod to his father’s Air Force service in that war, but they now perhaps carry more weight and relevance than at any point in the two decades McCaul has been in Congress. When asked what’s keeping him up at night these days, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman says directly, “World War Three. It would be an unholy alliance between Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, threatening both Europe and the Pacific.” He doesn’t think there’s been an environment this ready to combust since the last World War.

While McCaul has a front-row seat to worldwide conflict and threats, including when he takes an upcoming trip to the Indo-Pacific, House Republicans are simultaneously mired in their own turmoil that has slowed Congress’s ability to act. For instance, the recently passed House $95 billion foreign aid package — including funds for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — encountered several months of delay and at times seemed on the verge of collapse, despite McCaul speaking up strongly for it.

We asked the Republican tasked with leading the House agenda on international issues about global concerns and the current Congress’s ability to handle them. “The world is moving fast, and Congress needs to respond accordingly,” McCaul said.

The threat of “an unholy alliance”

Chair Michael McCaul talks about what he thinks the most urgent issue is now that a long-debated foreign aid package has passed. (Video: Ross Godwin, Rhonda Colvin/The Washington Post)

Detained Americans and hostages

The U.S. government does not publicly disclose the number of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. However the Foley Foundation, an organization that advocates for U.S. hostage release, found in its latest annual report that China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela are responsible for the largest share of known detained U.S. nationals.

“We’re seeing a trend now where it is becoming a practice of foreign governments to take hostages in exchange for a trade,” said McCaul in a recent roundtable with several family members of those currently detained overseas.

Families of Americans who are being held overseas discussed their experiences with House Foreign Affairs Committee members on April 30. (Video: Ross Godwin, Rhonda Colvin/The Washington Post)

Aftermath of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

The House Foreign Affairs Committee continues to receive documents and interview transcripts from the State Department about the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and plans to release a report on its findings in August.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.) discussed the House Foreign Affairs Committees's ongoing investigation into the August 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Video: Ross Godwin, Rhonda Colvin/The Washington Post)