Booker Breaks With Party Line
In a striking moment of bipartisan self-criticism, Democratic US senator Cory Booker used a Sunday CNN appearance to lambaste both political parties for what he called their collective failure to rein in presidential war-making power. Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, Booker said both Democrats and Republicans have been "feckless" in allowing the executive branch to accumulate unchecked military authority.
"I'm going to be one of those Democrats [who] say I think both parties have been feckless in allowing the growth of the power of the presidency," Booker said, a rare instance of a high-profile Democrat publicly acknowledging his own party's complicity in the erosion of congressional oversight.
The Risk: Cuba, North Korea, and Beyond
Booker's concern is concrete: with Congress having largely abdicated its constitutional role in declaring war, President Trump now has what critics say is effectively unlimited authority to launch military strikes against sovereign nations without legislative approval.
Booker warned this dynamic could embolden Trump to unilaterally attack countries such as Cuba or North Korea, nations Trump has repeatedly targeted with inflammatory rhetoric. The prospect of military action against Cuba has gained particular currency after Trump stated he believes he will have the "honour of taking" the island.
A Constitutional Tug-of-War
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was designed to limit presidential military authority, requiring congressional notification within 48 hours of deploying forces and limiting operations to 60 days without legislative approval. Critics argue it has been consistently ignored or worked around by presidents of both parties.
With the US already engaged militarily in Iran alongside Israel, the question of who holds the authority to expand or end that conflict is no longer theoretical. It is pressing and immediate.
Congress Under Pressure to Act
Booker's remarks are part of a growing chorus calling on Congress to reassert its constitutional role. For now, though, the political will to do so remains elusive. With partisan lines hardened and many members reluctant to oppose a popular-with-the-base president on national security issues, the war powers debate is one that both parties have consistently chosen to defer rather than resolve.
Source: The Guardian
