“The administration has also failed to justify why these boats could not have been interdicted and their crews questioned for information and brought to justice, or why they posed an imminent threat to the United States. If these operations are truly intended to prevent illicit drugs from reaching the United States, then the administration must explain why this is not a mission for the U.S. Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies, who the Congress has authorized to intercept suspicious vessels and to prosecute criminal suspects. The Congress has not authorized the use of military force.

“The Constitution grants Congress, not the president, the power to declare war; without Congressional approval, the president is not only circumventing the legislative branch, but grossly expanding his power to act as judge, jury, and executioner.

“The War Powers Resolution we’ve introduced would halt the Trump Administration’s unauthorized military actions. It’s time for every Member of the House of Representatives to go on record: do they support President Trump’s executive overreach, or do they stand with the Constitution?”