War Powers Resolution is a United States law designed to balance military powers of the president and Congress. The law, passed in 1973, is popularly known as the War Powers Act. According to Section 4(a)(1) of the resolution, the president must inform Congress within 48 hours if U.S. forces are sent into a hostile area without a declaration of war. The forces may remain no longer than 60 days unless Congress approves the president’s action or declares war. The president may extend this deadline an additional 30 days.
The resolution was created as a result of actions taken by Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon during the Vietnam War (1957-1975). Johnson and Nixon sent troops into battle even though Congress did not specifically approve such an action or declare war.
The resolution’s 90-day limit has never been applied because no president who has ordered troops into combat areas since 1973 has referred to Section 4(a)(1) of the resolution. Instead, the presidents have referred to their constitutional authority as commander in chief.
Congress took its first major action under the resolution in 1983 after U.S. Marines in Lebanon were attacked. President Ronald Reagan reported the situation. But he disagreed with Congress that the 90-day limit of the War Powers Resolution had been triggered because he did not mention Section 4(a)(1) in his report. Congress later passed a law allowing the troops to remain in Lebanon for 18 months.
