Ronald Dellums: “I found myself, Mr. Chairman, in opposition to the War Powers Resolution and was one of the few Democrats who voted…”

“I found myself, Mr. Chairman, in opposition to the War Powers Resolution and was one of the few Democrats who voted against the resolution. And I did so for several reasons. One, I felt that the War Powers Resolution diminished the clarity of the Constitution on the issue of Congress' role in war making. Second, I felt that it was a mistake to allow the President to introduce American forces into a situation and seek retroactive approval from the Congress of the United States. I thought that our Founders thought brilliantly and thoughtfully and creatively about the issue of war making and war powers, because that was a grave decision that the body politic would engage in. While I believe, Mr. Chairman, that the post-cold-war era has introduced a new period in American and world history and that the War Powers Resolution should be looked at, we may very well need a new instrument to guide us through this transitional period into the new world of the 21st century.”