Restoring the Guardrails on U.S. War Power

Stephen Pomper argues that decades of legal interpretations and political passivity have hollowed the War Powers framework, enabling Trump to launch strikes abroad without substantial congressional or public justification. The War Powers Resolution’s protections have become Swiss cheese; the 2001 AUMF has been stretched to cover groups beyond its original scope. He calls for concrete reforms—strengthen the War Powers Resolution, narrow or repeal the 2001 AUMF with sunset and oversight, shorten the authorization window, and condition funding on authorization—along with rescinding problematic Office of Legal Counsel opinions. Reform will be hard but is necessary to force deliberation, accountability, and a sharper check on presidential war-making.