14 - The U.S. Congress and German-American Relations

Summary

In studies of German-American relations, the role of the American Congress has received comparatively little attention. This comes as no surprise because even many legislators accepted the primacy of the executive in foreign policy until America's involvement in Vietnam provoked a reassertion of congressional prerogatives. A 1962 study of Congress's role in foreign policymaking concluded that legislative influence was “primarily (and increasingly) one of legitimating and amending policies initiated by the executive to deal with problems usually identified by the executive.” Or, in Robert Dahl's words, “the President proposes, the Congress disposes.”

Although America's policy toward Germany has tended to confirm Congress's deference to the White House, one cannot say that congressional leaders “shied away from foreign policy issues,” even if they did shy away from forcing policy changes. Legislators grappled with many of the most important issues in postwar German-American relations, and rarely could the president - or the government in Bonn - simply ignore congressional opinion. Understanding Congress's role is, therefore, vital to understanding the postwar German-American relationship.

As World War II drew to a close, Congress generally reflected the nation's attitudes toward Germany. Legislators were particularly interested in seeing that those responsible for war crimes be punished. Prior to Germany's collapse, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs considered resolutions defining American policy toward war criminals. Executive and legislature generally agreed on this important issue.