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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Presidential Authority to Use Military Force

Original title: USING FORCE: STRATEGIC, POLITICAL, AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

January 1, 2019

military force presidential authority congressional oversight war powers foreign policy

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing explores the constitutional and legal boundaries of the President's power to initiate military action, which directly impacts the extent of Congressional control over national security and war-making decisions.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Military Personnel

They are the individuals deployed into hostilities based on presidential decisions regarding the use of force.

U.S. Congress

They are responsible for oversight and the potential authorization of military force.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing to examine the strategic, political, and legal factors that influence a President's decision to deploy military force without prior Congressional authorization. The discussion focused on balancing the need for decisive executive action with the necessity of Congressional oversight.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on December 13, 2017, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The committee examined the legal doctrine allowing Presidents to deploy troops into hostilities without prior Congressional authorization.
The discussion covered the strategic, political, and legal considerations for using military force.
The committee noted that Congressional influence over military action is primarily exercised through the power to withhold funding.
A letter from Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Adam B. Schiff regarding the April 6, 2017, strike on the Shayrat Military Airbase in Syria was submitted for the record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held?

To examine the strategic, political, and legal considerations involved when a President decides to use military force without prior authorization from Congress.

What is the current legal status of presidential war-making power?

According to the hearing, history shows that the President's ability to initiate military action without Congress has been extremely broad, unless Congress takes the step of withholding funding.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Congressional Interest in War Powers

The hearing highlights a specific 2017 effort by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to re-examine and potentially socialize new authorizations for military force.

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Corker

Connected Entities

personAdam B. Schiff“U.S. Congressman”Map →

personBenjamin L. Cardin“Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee”Map →

personJohn B. Bellinger III“Former National Security Council Legal Advisor”Map →

personDonald J. Trump“President of the United States”Map →

personChristine E. Wormuth“Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy”Map →

personStephen J. Hadley“Former Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs”Map →

personTim Kaine“U.S. Senator”Map →

personBob Corker“Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee”Map →

organizationSenate Committee on Foreign Relations“Committee conducting the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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