Doesn't Trump need Congress to vote before attacking Iran?

[edhopper]

Look, I know he will do whatever he fucking wants. And the grovelling cowards in Congress will do nothing about it.
But legally, what would authorize him to attack Iran?

[unblock]

1. Generally, the war powers act lets a president take "limited" military action for up to 60 days

Plus 30 more days for withdrawal. Beyond that, congressional authorization is needed.

As a practical matter, this give a president the power to get us into a mess that might be very awkward for congress to try to get us out of.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

3. Also should be added

The war powers act is pretty toothless. The only remedy for refusal to withdraw is Congress would need to cut funding. There are no legal penalties for the President for not complying and Congress has never used it to attempt to force a withdrawal. And, the War Powers act constitutionality has always been a question mark, its just never been challenged. I believe every President since its passage has sorta complied, sorta not, depending on the situation. And with this SCOTUS, I wouldn't bet on it surviving an actual challenge.

[Layzeebeaver]

2. You're confusing two different things.

1) going to war, and,
2) declaring war.

As per Robert DeNiro in “Wag the Dog”

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. The Vietnam War was due in part to a skirmish in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964.

Which gave LBJ his reason to escalate US presence there.

TACO Don cannot stand the fact that his Republican predecessors were "war time" Presidents and he NOT one. He is itching to start a war that will cause catastrophic damage to our integrity as a Nation and World Leader, cause death to our troops around the world, and more. His FRAGILE EGO and lust to be in the class of DICKtators like Kim Jung Un, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Xing Ping, is insatiable.

[edhopper]

5. Gulf of Token Resolution

Gave LBJ the authority to escalate.

[usonian]

6. It's real simple. NOT

Declaration of War vs. Authorization for Use of Military Force: How America Goes to War
https://govfacts.org/explainer/declaration-of-war-vs-authorization-for-use-of-military-force-how-america-goes-to-war

Point is: he doesn't give a shit for laws.

[JI7]

7. No