Liberty Maven

Bob Barr criticised a new proposal by Jim Baker and Warren Christopher that would enourage the President and Congress to work together on declaring war. This is yet another example of the “The Cult Of The Presidency“. The executive branch is getting too big for its britches already, and now this?

Atlanta, GA — “Former Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher have proposed a new statute to encourage the president and Congress to cooperate in going to war.  But the Constitution already sets forth a clear rule:  Congress, and only Congress, is tasked with declaring war,” explains Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party presidential candidate.  “Absent exigent circumstances, like defending against a surprise attack, only Congress has the authority to take America into a conflict.”

Secretaries Baker and Christopher understandably complain that the current system is broken and the 1973 War Powers Resolution has failed to ensure executive branch consultation with Congress.  “But a new law won’t change anything unless future Congresses and presidents commit to follow the Constitution,” says Barr.  “The present confusion reflects the fact that Congresses and presidents don’t understand or won’t follow the constitutional framework.  The new law likely would just paper over existing problems, leading to even more confusion in the years ahead.”

Read the rest here.