When you bomb a country and take out its leader, that’s an act of war. Under the Constitution, Congress must declare war or otherwise authorize the use of force before the president may take such action. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Iran, where the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have already led to retaliation; Venezuela, where the Trump administration grabbed President Nicolás Maduro in January; or Libya, where the Obama administration participated in the 2011 bombing campaign that led to the removal of Muammar Qaddafi. And it doesn’t matter whether the ruler is morally repugnant or a confirmed lifelong enemy of the U.S. It’s still a war for purposes of the Constitution, not to mention international law.Back when the Constitution was written, Congress had not only the legal authority but also the power to ensure that the president didn’t initiate a war without its authorization. There was no standing army, so Congress had to raise and fund one. Congress also controlled the power of the purse, and no fighting could go on for long witho