What Presidents Said About the War
Powers
A confused George Bush once said "I am mindful
not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for my
predecessors as well". Here is a sampler of what those
predecessors had to say about the war powers.
"The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress;
therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until
they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a
measure. "
George Washington
"Congress must be called upon to take [reprisal on a nation]; the
right of reprisal being expressly lodged with them by the Constitution,
and not with the Executive".
Thomas Jefferson
"Whether the United States shall continue passive under these
progressive usurpations and these accumulating wrongs, or, opposing
force to force in defense of their national rights, shall commit a just
cause into the hands of the Almighty Disposer of Events ... is a solemn
question which the Constitution wisely confides to the legislative
department of the Government"
James Madison
"Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation whenever he shall
deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so
whenever he may choose to say he deems in necessary for such purpose,
and you allow him to make war at pleasure."
Abraham Lincoln
"By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic
representative of the United States and without authority of Congress,
the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been
overthrown. A substantial wrong has thus been done..."
Grover Cleveland
"The remedy for this state of things can only be supplied by Congress,
since the Constitution has confided to that body alone the power to
make war."
James Buchanan
"The issue [of war with Spain] is now with the Congress. ...
Prepared to execute every obligation imposed upon me by the
Constitution and the law, I await your action"
William McKinley
"The assumption by the press that I contemplate intervention in Mexico
soil to protect American lives is of course gratuitous, because I
seriously doubt whether I have such authority under any circumstances,
and if I had I would not exercise it without congressional approval"
Howard Taft
"To send troops [to Russia], would be to create a state of War, into
which the United States could not enter without a formal declaration,
by Congress, so I could not send a man, even if I wanted to, which I do
not."
Woodrow Wilson
"I know that you will understand that these statements carry with them
no implication of military commitments. Only the Congress can
make such commitments."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"There is going to be no involvement of America in war unless it is
a result of the constitutional process that is placed upon Congress to
declare it. Now, let's have that clear"
Dwight D. Eisenhower
The quotes above were culled from an appendix to War
Powers of
the President and Congress, by W. Taylor Reveley III.
Finally,
here is what Richard Nixon had to say, in a David Frost interview taped
in
1977:
"When the President does it, that means it is not illegal"
Richard Nixon, The Experts Speak, p. 80.
Before 1950, no President or member of Congress believed that
the executive branch could wage war without debate in Congress,
when such debate was possible.
|
|