In June 1950, Harry Truman committed American forces to combat in Korea without ever asking Congress. He called it a “police action.” His legal theory — that a five-year-old treaty was the present authorization — became the template every president has used since.
Seventy-six years later, the United States is at war with Iran. Congress was not asked. Resolutions to require its consent have failed.
What did Daniel Ellsberg tell us to do about it?
