Coalition urges Congress to reclaim war powers

The Hill reports:

A coalition of 20 advocacy groups from across the political spectrum are joining together to urge Congress to “restore the balance of national security powers” between itself and the executive branch. ‘All Americans have a stake in decisions to go to war, bypass ordinary laws through emergency declarations or sell weapons to foreign regimes,’ the advocacy groups said in a ‘statement of principles’ obtained by The Hill ahead of its release. ‘However, the system of checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution is broken,’ the statement continues. ‘This is a bipartisan problem, created through generations of presidential power grabs, and by Congress’s failure to do its job. As a result, it has become practically impossible for the public to have their say in debates that have huge implications both for the American people and for international peace and security.’

The House of Representatives’s Rules Committee also has announced a hearing on this subject will be held on Tuesday, March 3 at 10am.