Congress Steps Up on Foreign Policy

When President Trump began taking a wrecking ball to some of America's traditional foreign policies, going so far as to threaten the country's long and sturdy relationship with its Western European allies, many hoped that the other branches of government would provide a counterweight to the executive branch, and restrain his worst impulses.
The federal courts helped by slamming the brakes on Mr. Trump's travel ban against several Muslim-majority countries. Now the Republican-led Congress, especially the Senate, is beginning to assert itself on national security issues in a mostly constructive manner.
Last week, the Senate provided reassurance to European allies jittery about America's commitment to NATO by voting unanimously to affirm Article 5, the 68-year-old alliance's core mutual defense provision. Mr. Trump denigrated NATO during his campaign and refused to embrace Article 5 during his recent European trip.
As Mr. Trump continued to display indifference, even hostility, to findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to strengthen sanctions against Russia. For too long, Republican leaders had indulged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's pleadings to delay a sanctions vote while he attempted to forge a new relationship with his Russian counterpart, a dubious proposition.
It's obviously in everyone's interest for the United States to find areas of cooperation with Moscow; Russia is a major power and the only country with a nuclear arsenal comparable to America's. But there has been no sign that Mr. Tillerson, a former ExxonMobil chairman and chief executive with close ties to the Kremlin, has won any concession that suggests Moscow is willing to end its aggressive behavior and engage...