TODAY’S QURAN VERSE

And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Quran 16:53

Congress must reclaim war powers

When I saw satellite images of hidden, undeclared missile operating bases in North Korea on the news, I wasn’t surprised, but I could feel my stomach tighten. Would our president possibly react by dropping ongoing diplomacy in order to “teach Kim Jong Un a lesson”?

My fear has less to do with who the president is, and more to do with whether Congress is paying close attention and exercising its constitutional mandate to decide, on behalf of its constituents, where and when America goes to war.

The Founding Fathers explicitly restricted the president from being able to unilaterally declare war. Yet, since Harry Truman bypassed congressional authorization to send U.S. troops to Korea in 1950, this original intention Email letters to letters@commercial appeal.com; mail Letters to the Editor, The Commercial Appeal, 495 Union, Memphis, TN 38103; or click on the “Submit Letter” link on the Opinion page atcommercialappeal.com. has been largely ignored. Even laws passed by Congress in 1973, after the Vietnam War, to restrict the president’s ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad without congressional consultation have been skirted by several presidents.

Now that the midterm elections are over, let’s urge Sen. Lamar Alexander and Sen.-elect Marsha Blackburn, as well as U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, to work to restore this vital authority back to Congress as we head into another internationally turbulent and volatile year.

Madge Bares, Memphis