Save the date: The ACFR 29th National Conference, "Congress and American Foreign Policy," is set for Washington, D.C. on June 3 and 4, 2026.

The first day (June 3) will consist of optional early arrival events and an Embassy welcome reception.  Day two will be the Conference, followed by the Distinguished Service Award dinner.  An ACFR board meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 5.      

The National Conference will be held in conjunction with the 2026 Young Leadership Initiative (YLI) mission, which is slated for June 1 to 3, 2026.  In a positive step of growth for ACFR's YLI program, the Youth Leaders will join the National Conference on June 4.    

The theme of the 29th National Conference is “Congress and American Foreign Policy.” In my 2025 visits to various Committees and in the last National Conference, ACFR members often spoke of the lack of consistent engagement by the Senate and House in this first year of President Trump's second term. However, in late 2025, Washington saw the release of the Trump Administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) and the passage of the Congress’s National Defense Authorization Act, key documents with very different objectives for U.S. global leadership.  Other recent action suggests Congress may assert its influence in foreign affairs ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. This may take the form of oversight roles, decisions on issues involving countries such as Russia, Venezuela, and China, and responsibilities granted under the War Powers Act and AUMF.  

The 29th National Conference will seek to address, inform, and engage our Membership on this key constitutional issue of implementation of America's foreign affairs. For more on Congress's foreign policy role, please find this CFR brief https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-foreign-policy-powers-congress-and-president.