Vote up the active national emergencies that you're surprised still have that status.
The United States has faced its share of disasters, from threats abroad to natural disasters on its own soil. Woodrow Wilson was the first president to issue an emergency proclamation, which dealt with insufficient maritime shipping tonnage. However, the president's ability to declare a national emergency was not entirely defined by law until 1976, when President Gerald Ford signed the National Emergencies Act.
Since the act was passed, 59 national emergencies have been declared. Some of these emergencies are called in response to natural disasters, including some of the worst hurricanes in history, while others are a result of international tensions. Though many crises have since reached a resolution - like President Barack Obama's declaration regarding the swine flu pandemic - there are plenty of national emergencies still in effect.Â
From the Iranian sanctions of 1979Â to the declaration of an emergency at the border with Mexico, here's every national emergency that is still active today.
2006: Protecting Democracy In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo
Who Declared It: George W. Bush
When Was It Declared: October 27, 2006
Why Is It Still Active: This declaration restricts the Congolese government in response to reports of fraud during the runoff election for the presidency. The emergency has consistently undergone renewal, though it's unclear if it will continue, as Joseph Kabila, the victor of the 2006 election, stepped down in 2018.
Why Is It Still Active: After Sudan was declared a state sponsor of acts of terror in 1993, President Clinton issued a national emergency in 1997 to freeze Sudanese assets and prohibit transactions with the country.
While the sanctions remain in place to this day, the policies have received heavy criticism for the toll they take on the citizens and small business owners of the impoverished nation.
2001: Protecting Stabilization Efforts In The Western Balkans
Who Declared It: George W. Bush
When Was It Declared: June 26, 2001
Why Is It Still Active: This national emergency restricts any group funding the Albanian insurgents in Macedonia during the Balkan conflicts. It remains in effect due to the continued, albeit reduced, presence of such groups in Macedonia and throughout the western Balkans.
Why Is It Still Active:This emergency blocks transactions between the US and "certain members of the Government of Belarus" in response to the hotly contested Belarusian elections of March 2006. International monitors declared the election invalid.
The emergency remains in place because the government of Alexander Lukashenko is still in control of Belarus.
Why Is It Still Active: The Development Fund for Iraq was put into place to help rebuild Iraq following the American invasion and protect its national assets, specifically its oil fields owned by American companies.
101 votes
Photo: US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt/Released / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
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78 VOTES
2011: Blocking Property And Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related To Libya
Who Declared It: Barack Obama
When Was It Declared: February 25, 2011
Why Is It Still Active: The Libyan Civil War of 2011 ended with the loss of Muammar Gaddafi, the authoritarian who was in control of Libya for many years. When the conflict broke out in 2011, this national emergency placed a freeze on Gaddafi's accounts, as well as targeted his children and close associates.
Since many of those targeted still live in Libya, the emergency has not ended.
