Donald Trump, chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, tours the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima during Fleet Week New York City 2009. Approximately 3,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsman will participate in the 22nd Commemoration of Fleet Week New York. The event will provide the citizens of New York City and surrounding tri-state area an opportunity to meet service members and also see the latest capabilities of today's maritime services. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class David Danals
Austin Wright, Politico: Congress leaves Trump with unlimited war powers
The failure to pass a war authorization against the Islamic State will mean few checks on his provocative campaign vows.
For much of President Barack Obama's second term, Congress sought to pass a formal authorization for the war against the Islamic State — both to signal the country’s resolve and to provide a check on the president's unfettered war powers.
That failure to act now means Donald Trump will effectively have free rein to wage what he calls a global U.S. war on radical Islam, a prospect that terrifies many Democrats.
“You could easily see him wanting to ramp up the war on terror and take it to new parts of the globe,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “There are few limits on what he can do.”
Democrats like Schiff worry that without an updated legal framework to govern the war on terror, Trump could turn some of his controversial campaign rhetoric into reality — from vows to bring back waterboarding to killing families of terrorists.
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WNU Editor: Both parties are to be blamed for this mess. When the Democrats had super majorities in Congress for the first 2 years of President Obama's term they had the means to write and pass anything they wanted .... but choose not to put forward a new war authorisation. Now .... with President-elect Trump about to take the White House .... the push for a new war authorisation is on. My prediction .... a new war authorisation is needed, but it is going to go nowhere in the next Congress.
There needs to be a formal declarstion of war as the Constitution calls for. Also, anytime sanctions are imposed on anyone, there should be Congrssiinal declaration of war. These are acts of war. At least the targets will view it this way.
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