Sen. Adam Schiff blamed both Republicans and Democrats for Congress's failure to assert its constitutional authority to declare war over the past 20 years. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," the California Democrat said, "Both parties have fallen down on the job in terms of asserting Congress's war power."
Congress has ceded war-making authority to the executive branch repeatedly since the early 2000s, authorizing military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere without formal declarations of war. Instead, lawmakers passed broad authorizations for military force that presidents from both parties have invoked to expand military operations globally.
Schiff's comments reflect growing bipartisan frustration with the erosion of congressional oversight on national security decisions. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action, but enforcement remains weak. Presidents regularly cite decades-old authorizations or invoke emergency powers to bypass fresh congressional votes.
The Democratic senator did not specify which recent military actions prompted his criticism. His remarks come as Congress continues debating its role in military decisions, with some lawmakers pushing for updated war authorizations and others calling for greater oversight of executive power in foreign policy.