Bolton says war powers resolution should be repealed

by Justine Coleman - 01/09/20 10:13 AM ET

Former national security adviser John Bolton, who has spoken out against limitations on the president’s war powers in the past, on Thursday claimed the 1973 War Powers Resolution was “unconstitutional” ahead of a planned vote in the House on a resolution to limit President Trump’s ability to take further action on Iran without congressional approval.

“The 1973 War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional,” Bolton tweeted. “It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Constitution allocated foreign affairs authority between the President and Congress. The Resolution should be repealed.”

The 1973 War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional. It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Constitution allocated foreign affairs authority between the President and Congress. The Resolution should be repealed.

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) January 9, 2020

The former White House adviser has expressed anti-War Powers Resolution views since at least 2007, when he wrote in his memoir that the act was an example of Congress “overreacting” during the Watergate era in an effort to limit the executive branch, Politico Magazine reported.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has announced that the House on Thursday will vote on a war powers resolution to limit Trump’s actions in Iran. The House vote comes less than a week after Trump authorized the strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, without congressional approval, sparking bipartisan criticism.

Several GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), on Wednesday, said the administration’s briefing on the reasoning behind the strike was “insulting and demeaning.” Lee said that officials warned the senators that limiting the president’s war powers would “embolden Iran.”

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has introduced a similar resolution as the one in the House that is set for a vote on the Senate floor as soon as next week.

Iran promised retaliation for the killing of Soleimani and on Tuesday launched missiles at Iraq bases housing U.S. troops, but no casualties were recorded from the incident.