Key Legislation

The U.S. constitution focuses more on domestic issues rather than foreign issues. There are only a few clauses in the constitution that explicitly say anything about relations with foreign countries. The clauses focus on commerce, treaties, and war with foreign nations.

Most the legislation passed by congress deals with the exporting and importing of arms and providing assistance to foreign nations. For example:

The Export Administration Act (EAA), the Arms Control Act (AECA), and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) amended by the International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act of 2007 and the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010 must all be grouped together when non-U.S. persons or nations are granted access to regulated products or higher education in the U.S. The EAA and the EAR control the export of dual-use goods and technology (items and technical information that have both commercial and military purposes) and the AECA and ITAR control the export of products and technology with primarily military, intelligence or defense-oriented purposes.

The Arms Export Control Act - 22 U.S.C. 2778 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) provides the authority to control the export of defense articles and services, and charges the President to exercise this authority. Executive Order 11958, as amended, delegated this statutory authority to the Secretary of State.

Foreign Relations Act - The Act reorganized the structure of existing U.S. foreign assistance programs, separated military from non-military aid, and created a new agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to administer those non-military, economic assistance programs. On November 3, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Act and issued Executive Order 10973, detailing the reorganization.