Reclaiming Congressional War Powers November 7, 2007

by Will

Will Grigg's Liberty Minute

November 7, 2007

George Orwell observed that ?In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.?

For decades, presidents and their advisers have emitted a dense fog of deceit regarding the Constitution's assignment of war powers.

House Joint Resolution 53, the Congressional War Powers Resolution, would dispel that deceit by prohibiting the president from initiating a military intervention without an explicit declaration of war. The sole exception would be to repel an aggressive attack or to evacuate US citizens. Even that exception is too broad. But the amendment would prevent future presidents from committing our nation to war on their own initiative, as was the case in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.

As James Madison wrote, ?In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department.? We are paying a horrible price for ignoring that wisdom.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

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