Congress leaves Trump with unlimited war powers
The failure to pass a war authorization against the Islamic State will mean few checks on his provocative campaign vows.
By Austin Wright
12/29/16 05:04 AM EST
For much of Barack Obama's second term, Congress sought to pass a formal authorization for the war against the Islamic State — both to signal the country’s resolve and to provide a check on the president's unfettered war powers.
That failure to act now means Donald Trump will effectively have free rein to wage what he calls a global U.S. war on radical Islam, a prospect that terrifies many Democrats.
“You could easily see him wanting to ramp up the war on terror and take it to new parts of the globe,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. “There are few limits on what he can do.”
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http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/congress-trump-military-force-232815
