Top 5 Things You Need to Know About the War Powers Resolution
- It forces the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops into hostilities or situations where war is imminent, and then automatically terminates that military action after 60 days unless Congress explicitly authorizes it or extends the deadline.
- The resolution was passed in 1973 over President Nixon's veto after lawmakers grew furious over the secret bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War, making it one of the few times Congress successfully checked the White House's war-making authority.
- Every president since Nixon has claimed the War Powers Resolution is an unconstitutional infringement on their powers as Commander-in-Chief, leading to a pattern of ignoring its legal requirements while providing "consultation" reports to avoid outright legal challenges.
- There is a longstanding 90-day loophole for "non-hostile" operations, which some administrations have exploited to deploy troops for missions in Yemen and Libya without triggering the clock, as they argue the forces are only facing "sporadic attacks."
- The most controversial recent test came in 2020, when the House passed a resolution to limit President Trump's military actions against Iran after a drone strike killed General Soleimani, sparking a national debate about whether the War Powers Resolution is dead or just waiting for a Supreme Court challenge.