Introduction
The Korean War and the Vietnamese conflicts affected the war-making prowess of the United States Congress. The Korean War happened between 1950 and 1953 and was fought between the two Korean nations, the South and the North (Catherine 205). The Vietnam War, on the other side, was fought between 1955 and 1975 when Saigon fell, and was fought between Northern and Southern Vietnam (Bougleux 523). These two wars, which happened almost simultaneously, significantly affected the war-making powers of the United States Congress.
The outcomes of the wars and the decisions made by Congress contributed to the erosion of the war-making power of Congress. This paper will analyze the Truman-MacArthur scuffles, the Cooper Church Amendment attempt, and the War Powers Act as specific events and occurrences that resulted in the reduction of powers that Congress had over the president to wage wars in the previous decades. A critical analysis of the events reveals that both the external outcomes of the wars and the internal decision-making in the US contributed significantly to reducing the war-making powers of Congress.
The Truman-MacArthur Struggles
The US got involved in the Korean War, not through a declaration of war in the region, but through military oversight of the region. However, things quickly escalated, and what was initially thought to be just a police action transitioned into war. At this time, tensions and disagreement arose between the then-president of the US, Harry S. Truman, and the then-military General Douglas MacArthur (Matray 180). MacArthur wanted to take a more aggressive approach to the war, recommending airstrikes on China, while the president opposed this. The struggle between the president and his general, as well as the transition of police action into war, underscored the weaknesses of the US Congress in having meaningful oversight in matters related to wars.
The disputes during the Korean and Vietnam wars also revealed the blurriness of the Constitution on many aspects related to war. For instance, President Truman revealed that the executive had powers not addressed before and could curtail war actions. During these tensions, the public had more support for MacArthur than President Truman, thus demonstrating that the public supported military actions more than congressional and constitutional authority (Millett 378). These issues further brought into question the ability of Congress to manage war-related issues.
The Cooper-Church Amendment Attempt
The attempt by Senator Frank Church to limit the president’s and military war-making power and increase congressional powers during the Vietnam War was also a significant point in history. This proposed amendment to limit the military power to reduce the military power to wage wars and reduce the funding given to the Vietnamese war projects was made to boost the war-waging powers of Congress (Townley and Dafydd 127). The amendment was highly controversial, meaning that the executive branch, particularly the president, would be given more authority in dealing with foreign issues.
The Vietnam War revealed that Congress had little or limited power to make significant decisions regarding war-related issues. The resistance to the bill by the executive branch, notably President Nixon, revealed that the executive was unwilling to relinquish this power. Moreover, the executive and the military were more supported by the public. Thus, although the Senate passed the Church’s suggestions, the argument that the president was the ultimate decider in war-related issues reduced the power of Congress in such matters.
The War Powers Act
After the Vietnam War in 1973, the US passed an act addressing the power imbalances and issues raised during the Korean and Vietnamese wars. This act, referred to as the War Powers Act, sought to have the president consult Congress before sending the US military across borders or sending armed forces to places where conflict could arise. The act made the executive above Congress in matters related to wars, but gave Congress a chance to be consulted.
However, despite the law clearly stating that presidents must consult Congress in such matters, many presidents have gone against the law. This has resulted in the executive being the chief decider of war-related issues, and Congress is forced to play second fiddle. However, constant struggles exist between the two branches of government over the power of the executive and the degree of oversight that Congress should provide.
Conclusion
Both external factors, such as the Korean War and Vietnam, and internal factors, such as the Truman-MacArthur Struggles, an attempt to enact the Cooper-Church Amendment, and the War Powers Act, contributed to the reduction of Congressional powers in war-related issues. The Truman-MacArthur conflict displayed that Congress had limited powers regarding oversight issues concerning wars, effectively, and some areas remained blurry in the Constitution concerning wars.
Senator Church’s Amendments revealed that although Congress was willing to reinstate control over war matters, the president was the final decision-maker in matters that affected foreign nations. Finally, the War Powers Act of 1973 revealed that the president would be given priority regarding war issues and that Congress would only be consulted in such matters. The three internal and two wars reduced congressional authority in war-related issues.
Works Cited
Bougleux, Elena. “The Diverse Accounts of Anthropology in Viet Nam.” Histories of Anthropology. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023, pp. 517–547. Web.
Catherine, Gina. Between North and South: Colombia in Korean War Exhibitions. 2022, pp. 203–25. Web.
Matray, James I. “US Entry into the Korean War: Origins, Impact, and Lessons.” Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament. 2022, vol. 5, no. sup 1, pp. 167–184. Web.
Millett, Allan R. The War for Korea, 1950-1951: They Came from the North. University Press of Kansas, 2021.
Townley, Dafydd, and Dafydd Townley. “The Creation of the Church Committee.” The Year of Intelligence in the United States: Public Opinion, National Security, and the 1975 Church Committee 2021, pp. 123–163. Web.