ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hughes–Ryan Amendment

Okay, so imagine you and your friends want to play a game, but your older sister wants to make sure you're not doing anything dangerous. The Hughes-Ryan Amendment is kind of like that - it's a rule that was made by people in charge to make sure the government isn't doing anything risky or harmful.

You know how your mom and dad always tell you to be careful and not do anything that could hurt you or your siblings? Well, the people who made the Hughes-Ryan Amendment wanted to make sure the government was being just as careful about the way it was doing things. They wanted to make sure the government was always thinking about the possible consequences of its actions, and not just acting recklessly or without thinking things through.

So, they made the Hughes-Ryan Amendment - which requires that the President of the United States (who is kind of like the boss of the government) has to tell Congress (which is like a group of grown-ups who make decisions for the whole country) whenever the government wants to do something that could be considered spying or secret.

It's like your sister making you promise to tell her if you're going to play a game that might be dangerous. The Hughes-Ryan Amendment makes the President promise to tell Congress if the government wants to do something that might be risky or secret. This way, Congress can make sure the government is being careful and only doing things that are necessary and safe.