Uncertainty over Congress's role in two successive wars - Korea and then Vietnam - led to the passage of the War Powers Resolution in 1973. I think it's fair to say it was significantly a reaction to America's longest war, one that pulled the country apart and left many questions about responsibilities and Presidential decisions.
The resolution, which today's witnesses recommend repealing, has been controversial ever since it was enacted over President Nixon's veto. The 1973 resolution represented Congress's best effort to try to clarify and make concrete its role in the decision to go to war. That resolution required that the President consult with Congress prior to, and on a regular basis after, U.S. forces were deployed. More controversially, the law required that the President withdraw our forces within 60 days of their deployment into combat, absent specific congressional authorization or an extension of the deadline by Congress.
