Hegseth hearing ignites battle over who holds the power to wage war |
Hegseth hearing ignites battle over who holds the power to wage war
We’ve now watched Pete Hegseth face two straight days of questioning on Capitol Hill, and what stands out isn’t just the tension, it’s the disconnect. Because at the center of all of this is a very simple question: who decides when America goes to war and how long we stay there?
Hegseth started the hearing like this yesterday: “The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Deficits from the cheap seats who two months in seek to undermine the incredible efforts that have been undertaken”
That kind of language might rally a base, but it doesn’t answer the legal reality. Under the War Powers Resolution, a president has 60 days to either get congressional approval for military action or stop.
That deadline is now here. Literally today.
But instead of clarity, we’re getting reinterpretation. Hegseth argues that because fighting has paused, the clock pauses too. The problem? The law doesn’t say that. And........