Rep. Ritchie Torres on Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch

Today, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) issued the following statement:

“I fully support reasserting Congress’s war powers. But in doing so, we must be honest: presidents of both parties have unilaterally undertaken major military operations without Congressional authorization. If there is a serious effort to reclaim those powers, I would vote for it—because the principle at stake is larger than any single conflict. On matters of war, trade, and immigration, Congress has ceded far too much authority to the executive. Reclaiming that authority is critical to restoring Congress as the Article I branch of government, as the Founders intended.

“Congress should embark on an Article I project—a bold reassertion of its constitutional primacy. 1. Repeal the President’s open-ended deportation powers under the Alien Enemies Act. 2. Repeal the President’s unilateral tariff powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). 3. Modernize the War Powers Resolution.”