Us congress approved which wars

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History Vault. Recommended for you. After World War II ended, unlike in previous eras, Congress continued to relinquish those powers , largely by declining to rein in presidential actions that overstepped into congressional power. Congress never authorized the war in Korea; Harry Truman used a U. Security Council resolution as legal justification. Even after the Cold War, Bill Clinton regularly acted unilaterally to address humanitarian crises or continuing threats coming from leaders like Saddam Hussein.

In the two decades since their passage, four presidents have used those authorizations to justify all manner of military action, from targeted killings of terrorists to the years-long fight against the Islamic State group , which continues to this day. This approach provides few, if any, congressional checks on the control of military affairs exercised by the president. The Biden administration has called for more congressional oversight of military actions , saying the powers granted in and were too broad and invite abuse by power-hungry presidents.

And yet Biden has said he did not need anything beyond the Constitution to launch attacks in Syria in February and June , saying he was doing so to defend U. Terminated by Treaty of Peace with Italy, which entered into force September 15, Roosevelt asked June 2, House passed on June 3, Senate passed on June 4, President signed on June 5, Act of June 5, , ch.

Terminated by Treaty of Peace with Bulgaria, which entered into force September 15, Terminated by Treaty of Peace with Hungary, which entered into force September 15, Terminated by Treaty of Peace with Rumania, which entered into force September 15, From the Administration of President John Adams to the present, there have been various instances when legislation has been enacted authorizing the use of military force by the President instead of formally declaring war.

In most cases such legislation has been preceded by a specific request by the President for such authority. During the Presidencies of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, these Chief Executives noted in messages to Congress that congressional authorizations for use of force would be appropriate to enable the United States to protect its interests from predatory actions by foreign powers, in particular attacks on U.

Congress responded with specific authorizations for the use of force under the President's direction in against France and in against Tripoli.

In President James Madison formally requested that Congress declare war against the Regency of Algiers in response to its attacks on U. Congress responded with an act authorizing the President to utilize U. In the period following World War II, Presidential requests for authority to use military force, when made, have usually been for broad authority to use U. More recently, due to an expansive interpretation of the President's constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and of his inherent powers to use force without congressional authorization, the President has welcomed support from the Congress in the form of legislation authorizing him to utilize U.

What follows is a brief overview of key legislative authorizations of the use of military force by the President from the Administration of John Adams to the present. The United States during the s had remained neutral in the conflict in Europe between France and Great Britain and had only begun to develop a Navy.

During the Administration of President John Adams, relations with France deteriorated as American commercial ships were frequently seized by French naval vessels. In response, in his message to Congress on May 16, , President Adams argued that it would be prudent for the Congress to enact legislation that would address the actions of the French by authorizing, among other things, the use of U.

President Adams reiterated, in a message of March 19, , his view of the necessity for congressional action on his recommendations for the adoption of measures to protect American seafaring citizens and commerce. Congress subsequently responded to the President's recommendations by passing legislation "more effectually to protect the Commerce and Coasts of the United States" authorizing the President to instruct commanders of U.

Navy warships to "subdue, seize and take any armed French vessel which shall be found within the jurisdictional limits of the United States, or elsewhere, on the high seas Navy vessels, subject to instructions given by the President. President Thomas Jefferson, in response to attacks on U.

Navy forces to protect U. Navy "to subdue, seize and make prize of all vessels, goods and effects belonging to the Bey of Tripoli, or his subjects President James Madison, after the conclusion of a peace treaty with Great Britain ending the War of , sought authority to use the U.

Navy to take action against vessels of the ruler and Regency of Algeria that had been seizing U. Due to acts of "overt and direct warfare against the citizens of the United States," President Madison, on February 23, , recommended that Congress declare the "existence of a state of war between the United States and the Dey and Regency of Algiers.

Navy, "as judged requisite by the President" to protect the "commerce and seamen" of the United States on the "Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and adjoining seas. Navy to seize "all vessels, goods and effects belonging to the Dey of Algiers, or to his subjects During the years after the War of , there was a notable increase in the number of attacks on U.

Some of this was stimulated by the chaotic conditions attendant to the struggles for independence by South American colonies of Spain. Pirates attacked not only Spanish vessels in the region, but vessels of other nations generally. In response to calls for action against these predatory attacks on their vessels, American shippers petitioned Congress for action to protect them from pirates.

In response, on March 3, , legislation was enacted "to protect the commerce of the United States, and punish the crime of piracy. The legislation also authorized U. The legislation further established penalties for those that engaged in piracy. This statute was subsequently made permanent law on January 30, It has been amended, but the current text, found in Title 33 of the United States Code , contains substantially the same language as was enacted in March of In a message to Congress on January 24, , President Dwight Eisenhower, detailed a series of "provocative political and military actions" by the Chinese Communist government that he believed established a "pattern of aggressive purpose.

Such a resolution would "make clear the unified and serious intentions of our Government, our Congress and our people. In response to the President's request, Congress passed legislation on January 29, , that authorized the President to "employ the Armed Forces of the United States as he deems necessary for the specific purpose of securing and protecting Formosa, and the Pescadores against armed attack Eisenhower requested congressional support for a program of military and economic cooperation with nations in the general area of the Middle East to "deal with the possibility of Communist aggression, direct or indirect" against nations in that region.

As one component of this military and economic assistance program, President Eisenhower sought authority to employ the "armed forces of the United States to secure and protect the territorial integrity and political independence of such nations, requesting such aid, against overt armed aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism. In response, Congress passed legislation, enacted on March 9, , that, among other things, authorized the President "to undertake, in the general area of the Middle East, military assistance programs with any nation or group of nations of that area desiring such assistance.

The joint resolution further provided that it would expire when the President determined that the "peace and security of the nations in the general area of the Middle East" was "reasonably assured" or should Congress terminate it earlier by passage of a concurrent resolution. In the early s the United States had been providing military assistance and support to the government of South Vietnam. Over time tensions, associated with the U. On August 2, , a U.

Maddox, while in international waters off the coast of North Vietnam the Gulf of Tonkin was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats.

The attack was repulsed. The State Department protested to the North Vietnamese government and noted that grave consequences would follow additional offensive actions against U.

Subsequently, on August 4, further attacks by North Vietnamese vessels against U. President Lyndon Johnson responded on August 4 by sending U. After meeting with congressional leaders, President Johnson on August 5, , formally requested a resolution of Congress that would "express the support of the Congress for all necessary action to protect our armed forces and to assist nations covered by the SEATO Treaty.

Congress responded to President Johnson's request by passing a joint resolution to "promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. When the forces began to land on August 25, President Reagan reported this action to Congress but did not cite Section 4 a 1 of the War Powers Resolution, 26 and said the agreement with Lebanon ruled out any combat responsibilities.

After overseeing the departure of the Palestine Liberation Organization force, the U. Marines in the first Multinational Force left Lebanon on September 10, The second dispatch of Marines to Lebanon began on September 20, President Reagan announced that the United States, France, and Italy had agreed to form a new multinational force to return to Lebanon for a limited period of time to help maintain order until the lawful authorities in Lebanon could discharge those duties.

The action followed three events that took place after the withdrawal of the first group of U. Marines: the assassination of Lebanon President-elect Bashir Gemayel, the entry of Israeli forces into West Beirut, and the massacre of Palestinian civilians by Lebanese Christian militiamen. On September 29, , President Reagan submitted a report to Congress that 1, Marines had begun to arrive in Beirut, but again he did not cite Section 4 a 1 , of the War Powers Resolution, stating that the American force would not engage in combat.

As a result of incidents in which U. Marines were killed or wounded, there was controversy in Congress on whether the President's report should have been filed under Section 4 a 1. In mid Congress passed the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Act of requiring statutory authorization for any substantial expansion in the number or role of U.

Armed Forces in Lebanon. It also included a section that stated:. Nothing in this section is intended to modify, limit, or suspend any of the standards and procedures prescribed by the War Powers Resolution of President Reagan reported on the Lebanon situation again on August 30, , still not citing Section 4 a 1 , after fighting broke out between various factions in Lebanon and two Marines were killed.

The level of fighting heightened; and as the Marine casualties increased and the action enlarged, there were more calls in Congress for invocation of the War Powers Resolution. Several Members of Congress said the situation had changed since the President's first report and introduced legislation that took various approaches.

Senator Charles Mathias introduced S. Representative Thomas Downey introduced H. Senator Robert Byrd introduced S. A similar amendment was later rejected by the full body, but it reminded the Administration of possible congressional actions.

On September 20, , congressional leaders and President Reagan agreed on a compromise resolution invoking Section 4 a 1 of the War Powers Resolution and authorizing the Marines to remain for 18 months.

The Multinational Force in Lebanon Resolution became the first legislation to be handled under the expedited procedures of the War Powers Resolution. On September 28 the House passed H. On September 29 the Senate passed S. The House accepted the Senate bill by a vote of to later the same day. The President signed the joint resolution into law on October 12, As passed, the joint resolution contained four occurrences that would terminate the authorization before eighteen months: 1 the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, unless the President certified continued U.

Congress also determined in the joint resolution that the requirements of Section 4 a 1 of the War Powers Resolution became operative on August 29, In a statement made on signing S. He sharply differed, however, with various "findings, determinations, and assertions" by the Congress on certain matters.

He stated his concerns about the practical problems associated with Section 4 a 1 of the War Powers Resolution, and the wisdom and constitutionality of Section 5 b. President Reagan noted that in signing the Lebanon resolution it was important for him to state. Nor should my signing be viewed as any acknowledgment that the President's constitutional authority can be impermissibly infringed by statute, that congressional authorization would be required if and when the period specified in section 5 b of the War Powers Resolution might be deemed to have been triggered and the period had expired, or that section 6 of the Multinational Force in Lebanon Resolution may be interpreted to revise the constitutional authority to deploy United States Armed Forces.

On August 2, , Iraqi troops under the direction of President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, seized its oil fields, installed a new government in Kuwait City, and moved toward the border with Saudi Arabia. A week after the invasion, on August 9, President George H. He noted that he did not believe involvement in hostilities was imminent. Throughout the rest of , President Bush continued to work to establish an international coalition opposed to Iraq's aggression, while continuing to deploy additional U.

By the end of the year approximately , U. As the prospect of a war without congressional authorization increased, on November 20, , Representative Ron Dellums and 44 other Democratic Members of Congress sought a judicial order enjoining the President from offensive military operations in connection with Operation Desert Shield unless he consulted with and obtained an authorization from Congress.

By January, , President Bush had secured the support of the United Nations and an international coalition to use force, if necessary, to free Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. Resolution of November 29, , authorized all U. It set a January 15, deadline for Iraq to implement fully all relevant U.

On January 8, , President George H. Bush, in a letter to the congressional leaders, requested a congressional resolution supporting the use of all necessary means to implement U. Security Council Resolution He stated that he was "determined to do whatever is necessary to protect America's security" and that he could "think of no better way than for Congress to express its support for the President at this critical time.

In a press conference on January 9, , President Bush reinforced this distinction in response to questions about the use of force resolution being debated in Congress. He was asked whether he thought he needed the resolution, and if he lost on it would he feel bound by that decision. President Bush in response stated: "I don't think I need it I feel that I have the authority to fully implement the United Nations resolutions. Armed Forces pursuant to U.

Security Council Resolution to achieve implementation of the earlier Security Council resolutions. Section 2 b required as a precondition that the President would first have to report to Congress that the United States had used all appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to obtain compliance by Iraq with the Security Council resolution and that those efforts had not been successful.

Section 2 c stated that it constituted specific statutory authorization within the meaning of Section 5 b of the War Powers Resolution. Section 3 required the President to report every 60 days on efforts to obtain compliance of Iraq with the U. Security Council resolution. On signing H. As I made clear to congressional leaders at the outset, my request for congressional support did not, and my signing this resolution does not, constitute any change in the long-standing positions of the executive branch on either the President's constitutional authority to use the Armed Forces to defend vital U.

He added that he was pleased that "differences on these issues between the President and many in the Congress have not prevented us from uniting in a common objective. On September 11, , terrorists hijacked four U. The fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, after passengers struggled with the highjackers for control of the aircraft.

The death toll from these incidents was nearly 3, President George W. Bush characterized these attacks as more than acts of terror. He added that "freedom and democracy are under attack," and he asserted that the United States would use "all of our resources to conquer this enemy. In the days immediately after the September 11 attacks, the President consulted with the leaders of Congress on appropriate steps to take to deal with the situation confronting the United States. One of the things that emerged from discussions was the concept of a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the President to take military steps to deal with the parties responsible for the attacks on the United States.

Between September 13 and 14, draft language of such a resolution was discussed and negotiated by the President's representatives and the House and Senate leadership of both parties. Other Members of both houses suggested language for consideration. On Friday, September 14, , the text of a joint resolution was introduced.

It was first considered and passed by the Senate in the morning of September 14, as Senate Joint Resolution 23, by a vote of The House of Representatives passed it later that evening, by a vote of , after tabling an identical resolution, H. President Bush signed the measure into law on September 18, The joint resolution further states that Congress declares that this resolution is intended to "constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5 b of the War Powers Resolution.

A notable feature of P. This authorization of military action against organizations and persons is unprecedented in American history, with the scope of its reach yet to be determined.

The authorization of use of force against unnamed nations is more consistent with some previous instances where authority was given to act against unnamed states as appropriate when they became aggressors or took military action against the United States or its citizens. Bush in signing S. The Bush Administration interpreted P. Thus, the Administration cited the joint resolution to support the President's power to detain persons he has deemed to be "enemy combatants" whether citizens or aliens and without regard to the location or circumstances of their capture 42 and to conduct electronic surveillance of communications within the United States without following the procedures prescribed in FISA.

In the summer of , the Bush Administration made public its views regarding what it deemed a significant threat to U. Senior members of the Bush Administration cited a number of violations of U.

Security Council resolutions by Iraq regarding the obligation imposed at the end of the Gulf War in to end its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.

On September 4, , President Bush met with congressional leadership and stated that he would seek congressional support, in the near future, for action deemed necessary to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the regime of Saddam Hussein.

The President also indicated that he would speak to the United Nations shortly and set out his concerns about Iraq. On September 12, , President Bush addressed the U. General Assembly, explaining U. Security Council resolutions, including those related to disarmament.

He stated that the United States would work with the U. Security Council to address the threat to international peace and security posed by Iraq. He emphasized, however, that if Iraq refused to fulfill its obligations to comply with U. Security Council resolutions, the United States would see that those resolutions were enforced.

Since then, the United States has only issued five other war declarations: against Germany and Italy on December 11, and against Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania on June 4, The United States military involvement in Korea came as part of a United Nations effort, while the escalation of the Vietnam War followed a joint resolution passed by Congress as requested by President Lyndon B.

Johnson in