Arlen Specter: “As I look at the proposed military action, what has been described constitutes an act of war. The Constitution gives the…”

“As I look at the proposed military action, what has been described constitutes an act of war. The Constitution gives the President extensive authority, as Commander in Chief, but gives the Congress the sole authority to involve the United States of America in war--to have a declaration of war. That constitutional authority by Congress has been very, very significantly eroded. I stand by them, that there ought not to be the use of force without congressional authorization. The use of force was authorized prior to the Gulf war in a historic debate which occurred on this floor back on January 10, 11 and 12 of 1991.”