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National War Powers Commission
Bipartisan panel led by Secretaries of State Baker and Christopher
Meet the Press
June 19, 2011Doris Kearns Goodwin notes the Commission's recommendations on Meet the Press during a roundtable discussion. The relevant portion of the roundtable discussion begins around minute 2:23, with a specific mention of the Commission roughly a minute thereafter.
Breaking the war powers stalemate
Op-Ed: James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher, June 9, 2011With our country engaged in three critical military conflicts, the last thing that Congress and the White House should be doing is squabbling over which branch of government has the final authority to send American troops to war.
War act would ensure that president, Congress consult
Op-Ed: James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher, March 3, 2009America is riven with partisan bickering as we confront a range of serious threats – economic, political and military. In these times, we are well served to remember Abraham Lincoln's admonition: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
Put War Powers Back Where They Belong
Op-Ed: James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher, July 8, 2008The 1973 War Powers Resolution should be replaced by a new law that would require the president and Congress to discuss the matter before going to war.
Public Wants Congress to Approve Military Action, Bombings
July 7, 2008An overwhelming 79% majority of Americans believe the president should get the approval of Congress before sending U.S. armed forces into action outside the United States, and 70% believe congressional approval should be required before the president decides to bomb suspected terrorists.
Panel calls for new war powers legislation
Anne Flaherty, July 8, 2008Congress should pass legislation to require the president to consult lawmakers before going to war, according to a bipartisan study group chaired by former secretaries of state James Baker III and Warren Christopher.
Panel urges new law on government war powers
July 8, 2008The president should be forced by law to consult Congress before going to war, a bipartisan panel including several prominent former U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
War-making powers scrutinized in study
David Lerman, July 8, 2008After decades of turf battles between the White House and Congress over how and when to go to war, a bipartisan commission will issue a report today urging greater collaboration.
Panel Offers New Policy For Going To War
Tom Gjelten, July 8, 2008The president should be required to consult with Congress before taking the nation to war, according to a bipartisan panel led by two former secretaries of state. Congress, in turn, should vote on any military action.
Bipartisan panel wants to rewrite government's policies for going to war
Mike Carney, On Deadline blog, July 8, 2008The National War Powers Commission is set to announce this morning that it "has unanimously concluded after a year of study that the law purporting to govern the decision to engage in war – the 1973 War Powers Resolution – should be replaced by a new law that would, except for emergencies, require the president and Congressional leaders to discuss the matter before going to war."
Baker and Christopher: Replace 'War Powers Act'
Teddy Davis and Gregory Wallace, July 8, 2008Former Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher recommended Tuesday that the 1973 War Powers Act be replaced by a new law that would provide for more meaningful consultation between the president and Congress.
Commission wants new congressional war powers
Michael O'Brien, July 8, 2008A bipartisan commission of high-profile congressional and White House alumni released a report Tuesday calling for the repeal of the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
Group Proposes New Controls over U.S. War Powers
July 8, 2008A bipartisan study group proposed a new war powers legislation that would force the president to consult lawmakers before launching a long-term combat. James Baker and Warren Christopher defend changing the original 1973 act.
A conversation with James Baker and Warren Christopher
July 8, 2008A conversation with two former secretaries of state, James Baker and Warren Christopher, about the war powers debate. Link from Huffington Post
Panel demands US war power reform
July 8, 2008Two former US secretaries of state have called for a change in the way America goes to war.
'War Powers' Plan Faces Steep Odds
Ben Pershing, Capitol Briefing blog, July 8, 2008Former secretaries of state James Baker and Warren Christopher held a press conference on Capitol Hill this morning to unveil the fruit of their most recent bipartisan commission labors.
Commission Proposes Formal Role for Congress in War Decisions
July 8, 2008Two former secretaries of State unveiled a plan Tuesday to require better consultation between Congress and the president over sending U.S. troops into war.
Editorial: War powers: A place to start
Editorial, July 8, 2008Given the mess we're in in Iraq, it's encouraging to see that there's a bipartisan proposal on the table for Congress to update the War Powers Act of 1973.
Panel calls for new war powers law
Shannon Bond, July 8, 2008The next president and Congress should overhaul the law governing the power to wage war, which is ineffective and possibly unconstitutional in its present state, a bipartisan panel said Tuesday.
Christopher, Baker: Revise War Powers bill
July 8, 2008Former U.S. Secretaries of State Warren Christopher and James Baker announced a bipartisan plan Tuesday to revise the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
US group calls for law limiting presidential war powers
Devin Montgomery, July 8, 2008A US group co-chaired by former Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher released a report Tuesday calling for a new law requiring the president to consult with Congress before going to war.
Commission Recommends New US War Powers Act
Kent Klein, July 8, 2008Two former U.S. Secretaries of State are recommending that the United States change its procedures for deciding to go to war.
Commission Recommends Changes to Way US Goes to War
July 8, 2008Two former U.S. secretaries of state are recommending the United States change how it decides to go to war.
New statute of war gives Congress a seat at the table
July 8, 2008The two Co-chairs of the National War Powers Commission, former Secretary of States James Baker, III and Warren Christopher, led a news conference in order to release findings and recommendations on the war powers of the president and Congress.
James Baker Punches George Bush in the Nose with Radical New Proposal
Jackson Williams, July 8, 2008James Baker has joined his nemesis from the 2000 Bush v Gore battle in recommending a stunning new piece of federal legislation.
"When it comes to war, Americans deserve better." So do Iraqis.
Meg White, July 8, 2008In the news Tuesday were two seemingly unrelated stories about the heels of the proverbial loaf of war.
Former Secretaries Propose New War Powers Law
Mark Impomeni, Political Machine blog, July 8, 2008Two former Secretaries of State, James Baker III, a Republican, and Warren Christopher, a Democrat, chaired a commission looking into the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
War Powers Consultation Act
James Joyner, July 8, 2008Former Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher take to the op-ed pages of the NYT to call for a new War Powers Act.
July 9, 2008
Ex-Officials Offer Plan to Revamp War Powers Act
John M. Broder, July 9, 2008Two former secretaries of state have declared the War Powers Resolution of 1973 obsolete and proposed a new system of closer consultation between the White House and Congress before American forces go into battle.
Ex-Secretaries Suggest New War Powers Policy
Karen DeYoung, July 9, 2008The 1973 War Powers Resolution is ineffective, possibly unconstitutional and should be repealed, two former secretaries of state said yesterday in proposing new legislation to govern the war-making powers of the president and Congress.
New law is urged on war powers
Doyle McManus, July 9, 2008A bipartisan commission Tuesday called for a new law to require the next president to ask Congress for formal approval of any decision to go to war and force the White House to consult Congress once a war is underway.
War Powers Act needs fixing, bipartisan panel says
July 9, 2008The United States needs a new law requiring that the president consult with Congress before going to war, a blue-ribbon panel led by two former secretaries of state said Tuesday.
Clearing Up a President's War-Making Powers
Thomas Omestad, July 9, 2008It's the most profound of government decisions-when to launch war or hostilities-but the way American presidents and the Congress make such life-and-death decisions is downright dysfunctional.
Panel calls for overhaul of War Powers Act
Susan Page, July 9, 2008James Baker and Warren Christopher, who struggled with the War Powers Act when they were secretaries of State, Tuesday proposed an overhaul designed to increase consultations between the White House and Congress when U.S. troops go into battle.
GOP Moderate Joins Christopher on War Powers
July 9, 2008Did you hear about the joint report from Warren Christopher and James Baker on new war powers legislation?
Commission Recommends War Powers Overhaul
The Bryant Park Project, July 9, 2008A bipartisan commission is recommending new legislation that would foster more consultation between the president and Congress before the nation goes to war.
A war powers act for the 21st century
Editorial, July 9, 2008Since the end of World War II, the war-making power granted to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution has been a virtual dead letter.
Baker, Christopher aim to boost war powers
S.A. Miller, July 9, 2008A plan by former Secretaries of State James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher that would enhance Congress' war powers received a warm bipartisan welcome Tuesday from Capitol Hill lawmakers, who applauded the idea of playing a larger role in deciding when to go to war.
Congress urged to demand war role
July 9, 2008Future presidents should be required by law to consult with senior members of Congress before taking the nation to war, a bipartisan study commission recommended Tuesday.
Findings from the National War Powers Commission
July 9, 2008Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and part of the bipartisan National War Powers Commission, joins Midday to talk about the Commission's recent findings.
Panel suggests War Power overhaul
Brian McNeill, July 9, 2008Under a proposed overhaul of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, future American presidents would be required by law to consult with congressional leaders before entering into any major armed conflict.
Former Va. gov. drives new look at war powers
July 9, 2008If Congress takes up legislation next year to increase consultation with the White House over any future war plans, it may have a trio of Virginians to thank.
A supine Congress will yield to wars
Editorial, July 9, 2008The 1973 war-powers law is busted, and has been for a long time.
Congress Doesn't Want War Powers
Timothy Noah, July 9, 2008James Baker and Warren Christopher, two former secretaries of state, have set forth a new plan to streamline the role of Congress in declaring war.
War Powers Commission makes recommendations
July 9, 2008Just days after our war-mongering president came to Monticello, a commission established to address over-reaching like his has released its recommendations today.
Reveley leads War Powers Committee, recommends changes
July 9, 2008The National War Powers Committee, co-directed by Interim College President Taylor Reveley and chaired by former Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher, announced yesterday that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 has failed to promote cooperation between the legislative and executive branches.
US Congress wants input on war decisions
July 9, 2008A bipartisan panel has recommended a new law to make sure the US President consults Congress before going to war.
Call to curb US leader's war powers
July 9, 2008A bipartisan group of US statesmen led by two former secretaries of state has recommended stricter limits on the president's ability to wage war.
Panel seeks to curb president's power
July 9, 2008A panel consisting of both Democratic and Republican politicians seeks a law to curb president's power to 'take the nation to war'.
Congress should get a say on going to war
July 9, 2008Former US secretaries of state James Baker and Warren Christopher say the next time a president goes to war, Congress should be required to say whether it agrees.
U.S. former state secretaries call for return of war powers to Congress
July 9, 2008U.S. former state secretaries called for return of war powers to Congress "where they belong" in an editorial article published by The New York Times on Tuesday.
July 10, 2008
Fixing How We Go to War
David S. Broder, July 10, 2008Just shy of eight years after they squared off in the Florida recount battle, James A. Baker III and Warren Christopher have joined forces to clean up one of the ugly legacies of Vietnam -- the misguided piece of legislation called the War Powers Act.
Congress and the Next President Should Repeal the War Powers Act
Michael Barone, July 10, 2008I tend to be cynical about proposals advanced by bipartisan panels of the great and the good. But I'll make an exception for the National War Powers Commission sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
Congress And War
Kevin Drum: Political Animal, July 10, 2008James Baker and Warren Christopher have proposed a new piece of legislation that would replace the War Powers Act and clarify Congress's role in declaring war.
More checks and balances before war
Editorial, July 10, 2008Perhaps the toughest decision for any president or Congress is whether to go to war.
Fighting words: Who gets to declare war?
July 10, 2008No one is really sure who gets to decide when the United States goes to war, according to former Secretary of State James Baker.
The War Powers Gambit
Editorial, July 10, 2008For those of us who lived through the great debate over war powers in the wake of the Vietnam conflict, the gambit by Secretaries of State Baker and Christopher - a proposed law called the War Powers Consultation Act of 2009 - looks like the worst of both worlds.
War Powers Act should be revised
Editorial, July 10, 2008Congress should act quickly to adopt the recommendations in a bipartisan report on the War Powers Act. The report calls for Congress to be given more power and oversight over any effort to wage war. That just makes sense.
July 11, 2008
Congress in retreat on war powers reform
Op-Ed: Charles A. Stevenson, July 11, 2008The members of the National Commission on War Powers agreed not to disagree, and so produced a report this week that leaves basic constitutional issues unresolved.
July 12, 2008
Wrestling Over War Powers / Chatter in the System
Dahlia Lithwick, July 12, 2008What can you do with a Congress that does nothing?
War powers compromise
Editorial, July 12, 2008A thoughtful new proposal seeks to improve consultation between the White House and Congress on questions of "significant armed conflict."
July 13, 2008
We think: Requiring more talks with Congress on armed conflicts make sense
Editorial, July 13, 2008It's worth paying attention when two former secretaries of state from different parties agree that there needs to be a new law staking out the roles for Congress and the president in sending U.S. forces to war.
July 14, 2008
The ultimate power
Editorial, July 14, 2008No governmental decision is more profound than the one that takes a nation to war.
Time to take war seriously
Editorial, July 14, 2008A proposal to review and revamp the War Powers Resolution of 1973 should be acted on by Congress to clear up long-term problems exposed by the current situation in Iraq.
July 15, 2008
Miller Center war powers group splits the difference
July 15-21, 2008The Miller Center's national profile rose a little more last week when the National War Powers Commission, convened by the public affairs research center at UVA in February 2007, released its recommendations on July 8.
July 16, 2008
War powers: Proposal should launch debate on who has final say on decision to go to war
Editorial, July 16, 2008The last time Congress declared war was Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the "date which will live in infamy." Since World War II, presidents sending troops into battle haven't concerned themselves with war declarations, relying instead on vague congressional resolutions or acting without approval by Congress.
The Next War
Editorial, July 16, 2008The next time a U.S. president concludes war is justified and necessary, the people's representatives - Congress - should be more closely consulted and should have the final say over military action.