× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

It's time for Congress to step up, reclaim its constitutional authority and exercise its duty to place country over party or president or political gain, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Monday.

"I think the Congress has forfeited its powers in many ways, allowing the president to be the dominant branch of government," Nebraska's former two-term Republican senator said in a telephone interview from suburban Washington.

And that's even more dangerous when "this president, probably more than any we've ever had, is less informed, more arrogant, bullying people, really ignorant about our government and the consequences of his actions," Hagel said.

"I think the role of the Congress is really in play today," he said.

Hagel said he believes there is a welcome sign of independence emerging among some Republican members of the Senate who appeared willing to confront President Donald Trump over the new trade tariffs that he had threatened to impose on Mexico last week before the issue was resolved.

"People are so intimidated by the party and the power of money in politics and the threats," Hagel said. "It's a powerful dynamic and I recognize how that works. I was part of that Senate once and I understand it."