Sending the U.S. To War is not The President's Call
- Thread starter wkmac
- Start date
Catatonic
Nine Lives
... the incremental power grab by the executive branch has often been met by a silent abdication of Congress's authority and neglect of its duty."
The Constitution clearly states that only Congress has the power to declare war. The Executive branch does not. LBJ lied and got congress to pass the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
The Constitution clearly states that only Congress has the power to declare war. The Executive branch does not. LBJ lied and got congress to pass the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
Heres the easy way to look at it
The president can send troops where ever he wants, hes the commander in chief of the armed services, he has that authority. However without appropriations the jets dont fly the tanks don't roll
On the other hand congress can appropriate all the money they want in the world and declare all the wars they want, but without a order signed by the executive, the jets dont fly and the tanks dont roll
The president can send troops where ever he wants, hes the commander in chief of the armed services, he has that authority. However without appropriations the jets dont fly the tanks don't roll
On the other hand congress can appropriate all the money they want in the world and declare all the wars they want, but without a order signed by the executive, the jets dont fly and the tanks dont roll
That's a pretty radical interpretation of the constitution.
thanks for cutting out the point that negates that
its actually pretty tradtional IN CONTEXT
its all checks and balances
I cut out the last part because I didn't think it was all that relevant to what you said in the first part. Irrespective of whether congress has the power of the purse, it's pretty radical to suggest that the president is empowered, by the constitution, to send troops "wherever he wants". Maybe I'm just behind the times though 
Its completely relevant, the president works with the will of what the congress will let him
moving a carrier group to the south china sea when they act like theyre going to invade tawian
sending troops/naval support to disaster areas to help with relief
greneda and panama in the last 25 yrs
boxer rebellion at the turn of the century
movement of US troops across the west into technically foreign nations in the 19th century
washington marching on quebec and the rebellions of the early days of the republic
all cases where the sitting US president didnt have congressional approval to send troops to where ever they wanted, but did anyway
theres no being behind the times, its the story of the US
moving a carrier group to the south china sea when they act like theyre going to invade tawian
sending troops/naval support to disaster areas to help with relief
greneda and panama in the last 25 yrs
boxer rebellion at the turn of the century
movement of US troops across the west into technically foreign nations in the 19th century
washington marching on quebec and the rebellions of the early days of the republic
all cases where the sitting US president didnt have congressional approval to send troops to where ever they wanted, but did anyway
theres no being behind the times, its the story of the US
tieguy
Banned
I cut out the last part because I didn't think it was all that relevant to what you said in the first part. Irrespective of whether congress has the power of the purse, it's pretty radical to suggest that the president is empowered, by the constitution, to send troops "wherever he wants". Maybe I'm just behind the times though
We have had quite a few actions on both sides of the aisle where the president made decisions to move troops into harms way without first gathering the support of congress.
I believe the constitution still requires the support of congress for a declaration of war.
When was the last time we had a declaration of war?
WW2
S
shorfuse
Guest
Does it drive you crazy that the President can send troops to defend the nation? I feel your pain,it's similiar to the Supreme Court making law rather than interpeting.just by fiat.
tieguy
Banned
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
I found this when I Googled "Declaration of war":
Article I, Section 8 of the constitution says flatly that "The Congress shall have Power...To declare War," but no Congress has declared war for the past 60 years. They've passed resolutions, they've passed authorizations, and they've passed budget authorities, but they haven't declared war. The 108th Congress certainly never declared war on Iraq.
Article I, Section 8 of the constitution says flatly that "The Congress shall have Power...To declare War," but no Congress has declared war for the past 60 years. They've passed resolutions, they've passed authorizations, and they've passed budget authorities, but they haven't declared war. The 108th Congress certainly never declared war on Iraq.
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