U.S. Senators Corker and Kaine Want to Give President Trump the Authority to Wage War.
Under the U.S. Constitution, congress—not the executive branch—has the authority to declare war. Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are working on a revised Authorization for Use of Military Force that is a dangerous threat to our freedom.
The Corker-Kaine AUMF would give the current president and all future presidents ongoing authority from Congress to engage in war. Under Corker-Kaine, the president will always be authorized to use force—and will not only remain authorized but will also be able to expand or change the authorization unless Congress passes a bill ordering him not to. Even if such a bill did pass, it would be subject to a presidential veto.
So in practice, the president will get his way on every military and police action—unless a veto-proof majority of each chamber denies it to him. It has always been the constitutional duty of Congress to oversee the administration’s use of force. An AUMF and a declaration of war are the two methods that Congress has used to exercise its exclusive power to declare war. This bill is the Senate’s attempt to abdicate its power in order to avoid being held accountable.
More alarmingly, this bill will also authorize a president to detain and punish individuals and groups within the U.S. if the president deems them to be “enemies” of the state.
What can you do to oppose this dangerous resolution?
- Learn More: Start with this article by the ACLU and another on The Atlantic.
- Read an historical perspective in this article by The Nation.
- Call your Senators: US Capitol switchboard phone (202) 224-3121
- Sign the petition at Win Without War
- Keep following this proposal and resist