The Trump administration’s claim that the Iran ceasefire “pauses” the 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution isn’t just legally dubious, it’s the latest proof the law no longer works.

Cato scholar Katherine Thompson offered the following statement:

“The Trump administration’s argument that the 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution “pauses” at all is a violation of certainly the spirit if not the letter of the law. Moreover, Congress should not let the administration’s dubious logic stand in arguing hostilities have “terminated” given there is still an active blockade of the Strait of Hormuz which it appears the U.S. military still plans to enforce.

What is abundantly clear is the War Powers Resolution is no longer a viable tool for checking the modern American president on matters of war. Presidents of both parties have exploited the lack of definitions and explicit specifications in the law’s mechanics, and Congress has not stopped them. At this point the law is a dead letter. Congress’s time would be better spent scrapping the War Powers Resolution entirely and starting from scratch in developing a new tool of accountability that actually works.”

If you’d like to speak with Thompson, please contact Madison: mmiller@​cato.​org.

About Katherine:

Prior to joining Cato, Katherine was the Deputy Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of War for Policy and performed the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, overseeing US defense policy for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She also spent over six years working on Capitol Hill, serving as National Security Advisor to Senator Mike Lee (R‑UT) and Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Josh Hawley (R‑MO).

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