The War Powers Resolution of 1973: A Legislative History
             On November 7th, 1973, the 93rd Congress completed the final necessary steps to enact Public Law 93-148, the War Powers Resolution. Better known as the War Powers Act, Public Law 93-148 represents the culmination of four years of congressional attempts to ensure that the President can not engage in military conflict without the support of the legislature. While several issues are relevant in analyzing the passage of the War Powers Resolution, three factors, pervasive frustration with military intervention in Southeast Asia, congressional attempts to avoid blame, and the weakness of President Nixon politically, played crucial roles in Congress's formulation and passage of The Resolution. Moreover, in analyzing these factors, it becomes apparent that the War Powers Resolution represents a significant shift in the regime of war powers, from one of Presidential fiat to one of inter-governmental cooperation.
             Before looking at what factors influenced the final text of the War Powers Resolution, it is necessary to examine the political process that The Resolution went through on its path to becoming law. The War Powers Resolution (hereinafter referred to as "WPR") traces its roots to the Senate's 1969 passage of the National Commitments Resolution. The National Commitments Resolution was an affirmation by the Senate of the congressional role in the process of going to war (Brown 1998, 24). This attempt at the insertion of Congress into the affairs of war would be largely ignored by President Nixon, but it would lay the groundwork for congressional support of such legislation. With the failure of the National Commitments Resolution to establish congressional authority over wartime activities, legislators set back to work in 1970. In June of that year, Senator Javits introduced legislation toward this end, and was soon followed by Senators Eagleton, Stenn...