Cory Booker Finally Says What Everyone’s Thinking About Congress and War Powers

Cory Booker just did something rare in Washington. He told the truth about his own party.

The New Jersey senator appeared on State of the Union this past Sunday and called both Democrats and Republicans “feckless” for handing over congressional war powers to Donald Trump. That’s the kind of admission you don’t hear often from career politicians who usually spend their time pointing fingers across the aisle while ignoring the rot in their own ranks.

Here’s what makes Booker’s comments worth paying attention to. He’s acknowledging a problem that conservatives have been screaming about for decades. The presidency has grown into something the founders never intended, and Congress has been complicit every step of the way. Both parties love executive power when their guy sits in the Oval Office. They just hate it when the other team gets a turn.

Trump has ordered military strikes in Nigeria, Venezuela, and Iran since Christmas. On February 28, the US and Israel launched a missile strike that killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. That’s the biggest military engagement America has seen since Afghanistan, according to Booker. And Congress? They’ve been sitting on their hands, doing what they do best. Nothing.

You know what’s fascinating about this moment? Democrats are suddenly rediscovering the Constitution’s war powers clause. Where was this concern when Obama was conducting drone strikes without congressional approval? Where was the outrage when previous administrations expanded executive authority year after year, administration after administration?

The House Democrats put forward a measure to stop military action in Iran. It failed because Republicans didn’t support it. The Senate rejected a war powers resolution 47 to 53. Largely along party lines, naturally. This is the game Washington plays. Propose something you know won’t pass so you can tell voters back home that you tried. It’s political theater masquerading as governance.

Booker said nothing Obama did or what Trump accomplished in his first term compares to what we’re seeing now. That’s probably true. Trump has also renewed threats to seize Greenland by military force if necessary. Whether you think that’s strategic brilliance or dangerous bravado depends on where you sit, but either way, it’s happening without meaningful congressional input.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that Booker is dancing around. Congress gave away its war powers willingly. They did it because voting for military action is politically risky. It’s easier to let the president make those calls and then criticize him later if things go sideways. That way senators and representatives can have it both ways. Support the troops but distance yourself from the decision.

The founders put war powers in Congress for a reason. They knew that making one person responsible for declarations of war was dangerous. They’d just fought a revolution against a king who could drag nations into conflict on a whim. The Constitution was supposed to prevent that. But constitutional restraints only work if people in power actually care about enforcing them.

What we’re witnessing is the logical conclusion of decades of congressional cowardice. Trump isn’t the disease here. He’s a symptom. The real problem is a legislative branch that has systematically surrendered its authority because responsibility is hard and blame is easy.

Booker worries that congressional inaction might embolden Trump to attack countries like Cuba and North Korea. That’s a legitimate concern. But it’s worth asking why Congress finds itself in this position. They’ve spent years expanding presidential power, cheering when their preferred candidate wielded it, complaining when the opposition did the same thing.

If Democrats want to rein in executive overreach, they need to do more than propose doomed resolutions and give interviews on Sunday morning talk shows. They need to actually use the constitutional tools at their disposal. Control the purse strings. Demand votes before military action. Stop funding wars they claim to oppose.

The same goes for Republicans who suddenly remember they believe in limited government now that Trump is back in office doing things his way. Constitutional principles aren’t supposed to be situational. Either you believe in congressional war powers or you don’t.

Booker deserves credit for calling out his own party’s failures. That takes guts in today’s political climate where loyalty to the team matters more than principle. But words without action are just noise. Congress has the power to reclaim its constitutional authority anytime it wants. The question is whether they actually want to.

American Conservatives