How Frequently Have Presidents Bypassed Congress in the Use of Force?

American presidents have a habit of going it alone. They say it's urgent. They say there's no time to wait for Congress. And then the bombs start falling. From Vietnam to Syria, military actions have been ordered without a single vote from lawmakers.

Richard Nixon secretly ordered bombings in Cambodia and Laos during the Vietnam War. He never sought congressional approval. Even after Congress cut off funds, the missions continued. Legal challenges failed. It took until 1973 for Congress to finally shut the operations down with funding restrictions.

Ronald Reagan invaded Grenada in 1983 after a Marxist coup. He said it was to rescue American students and restore order. Congress wasn't consulted. The operation lasted eight days. The U.N. General Assembly called it a violation of international law. Reagan shrugged it off.

Reagan also sent U.S. warships into the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War. His goal: to protect oil tankers under the U.S. flag. No authorization from Congress. There were deadly skirmishes with Iranian forces. Again, Congress funded but never formally authorized the mission.

Bill Clinton launched airstrikes against Iraq in 1998 - Operation Desert Fox. The four-day bombardment targeted Saddam Hussein's military infrastructure. Clinton said it was to stop weapons of mass destruction. Congress was not asked.

Clinton acted again in 1999, ordering NATO to bomb Yugoslavia over Kosovo. Operation Allied Force lasted 78 days. He said it was necessary to stop ethnic cleansing. Congress split. The House deadlocked 213-213 on approving the action. The Senate supported it, but only in a non-binding vote. Clinton pressed forward without a formal go-ahead.

Barack Obama joined a NATO mission in Libya in 2011. The stated goal was to prevent mass killings in Benghazi. The administration avoided calling it a war. They said U.S. forces weren't engaged in "hostilities" under the War Powers Resolution. Congress pushed back, but no vote ever passed.

Donald Trump fired Tomahawk missiles into Syria in 2017 after a chemical weapons attack on civilians. He did not ask Congress beforehand. The strike lasted minutes, not days. He informed lawmakers after the fact. Many supported the action, but it was never authorized by law.

From Southeast Asia to the Middle East to the Balkans, the pattern is familiar. Presidents move fast. Congress reacts late. The War Powers Resolution was meant to check that. In practice, it hasn't. Courts have stayed out of it. No president has been reined in.

In theory, Congress controls war. In reality, it mostly watches it happen.

Filed under: General Knowledge