WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement on today’s vote on an amendment that would require congressional approval to order military action.  

“I have always believed the President, as Commander in Chief, has the ability to deploy military force. If Congress disapproves, the appropriate remedy is to cut off funding for the operation. 

“In my view, the War Powers Act is an unconstitutional intrusion into the power of the Commander in Chief.

“The primary power of the Congress is appropriations, the power of the purse.  That is the leverage Congress has over the executive branch when it comes to war. 

“Putting the nation in a legal state of war is the exclusive right of the Congress, but it does not prevent the Commander in Chief from using force against threats.”

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