EDITORIAL: The war soldiers on: Congress yields on deadlines, but Iraq should heed benchmarks.(Editorial)

From: The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) | Date: May 31, 2007 | Copyright information

May 31--The Constitution of the United States invests in Congress, and Congress alone, the power to declare war. It does not, explicitly, grant anyone the power to call it off.

That suggests that the founders understood something that modern Americans may need to be reminded of. It should be difficult to get into a war -- in this case, requiring affirmative majority votes in each of two houses of Congress -- because, once a war is launched, it is impractical to the point of impossibility to simply change your mind and leave.

Many in Congress, and an increasing number of ...

Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

Congress on the sidelines in matters of war.
; ...Constitution's framers gave Congress the power to declare war because they feared that...grandeur and glory. But Congress has not formally declared war since World War II, as...business running the war. Congress's real war power, said Sen. Jim...
How Congress might rein in US war policy; It has often fallen short of its aims when taking on presidents over military matters.(USA)
; ...allocation of the power to make war. In history, Congress often has fallen short of...passed a US civics course. Congress has the authority to declare war, and to raise and support...collapsed. During the Civil War, Congress held extensive hearings...
Why Congress has to ask questions: Legislative branch has a duty to play its role in war policy
; ...armies, and to declare war. In other words, Congress has a constitutional...responsibility to weigh in on war-related policy decisions...this war on terrorism, Congress, by and large, has been...to learn about major war-related decisions through...
Congress controls decision over war or peace
; ...authority to take the country into war, and Congress is not protecting its constitutional...States went into a significant war Congress either declared it or in some...Constitution from Congress shall "make" war to Congress shall "declare" war? Fisher: They...
THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO END A WAR:LOUIS FISHER
; ...commentators have argued that Congress cannot, in time of war, interfere with the President...either assigned entirely to Congress (declare war, issue letters of marque...did it. The framers gave Congress the power to initiate war because they concluded...
Congress goes AWOL. (War In Iraq).
; ...next day's headline should have read Congress Declares War on Iraq --except that Congress did not declare war, despite its constitutionally delegated...were a few heroes who tried to get Congress to reconsider the war in a serious manner. In the Senate...
Congress functions as interpreter Lawmakers give public details, analysis on war
; ...developments on the Persian Gulf war, Congress, which receives special briefings...casualties. Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran, stressed that Congress must "take a back seat" and...constitutional responsibilities of the Congress. Conducting war, however, is in the hands...
Catholics in Congress seek ally against war
; ...joined a dozen members of Congress in calling on the Conference...church members against the war in Iraq. The group Tuesday...that will bring an end to this war," the letter says. DeLauro, who has consistently opposed the war as a Democrat, now opposes the war as a Catholic as well. "As ...
Catholics in Congress seek ally against war?
; ...joined a dozen members of Congress in calling on the Conference...church members against the war in Iraq. The group Tuesday...that will bring an end to this war," the letter says. DeLauro, who has consistently opposed the war as a Democrat, now opposes the war as a Catholic as well. "As ...
How Congress may block a troop 'surge'; The House has the power to trim funds for the Iraq war, but it's a politically risky move.(USA)
; ...any conflict with Congress over the conduct of war. He can rally the...for supplemental war funding to blunt Congress's power of the purse...deny that this civil war is radically different from the mission Congress voted for in 2002...