Nathan Pritchard

Chris Murphy is overstating the War Powers Resolution. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 does not “specifically prohibit” all military action absent prior congressional authorization. It requires: The President to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities. Forces must be withdrawn within 60 days, with a possible 30-day extension, unless Congress authorizes the action or declares war. That is materially different from saying military action is prohibited unless Congress pre-approves it. Presidents of both parties have conducted limited strikes without prior authorization, citing Article II Commander-in-Chief authority. Examples include: Reagan in Libya Clinton in Kosovo Obama in Libya Trump in Syria Biden in Syria and Iraq Congress has repeatedly challenged interpretations, but the executive branch has consistently maintained that limited engagements do not automatically require prior authorization. Article I gives Congress the power to declare war. Article II makes the President Commander in Chief. The War Powers Resolution attempts to balance those authorities… it does not eliminate executive operational discretion. If Murphy wants to argue that the Resolution should be stricter, that’s a policy argument. But claiming it “specifically prohibits” military action without prior authorization is an overstatement of how it has functioned in practice for five decades. Corrected him on the law. Corrected him on precedent. Do not overreach. Precision is lethal. #SilentMajoritySpeaks #AStoneGroove