Gulf Insider
War Powers: 60 Days There’s common agreement that today: Friday, May 1st, constitutes the 60-day mark on Operation Epic Fury. But President Trump and his administration are trying to sidestep the 1973 law which requires a president to withdraw troops within 60 days of notifying Congress of their deployment unless lawmakers formally authorize the military action as a declaration of war. Of course, thus far there’s been no Congressional authorization, amid some six failed attempts to push through War Powers resolutions. The administration is now arguing that the extended ceasefire itself, reached three weeks ago and then recently unilaterally extended by Trump, buys more time and allows the White House to avoid Congressional approval. Admin officials argue the absence in exchanges of fire between Iranian and US forces means the 60-day timeline doesn’t apply. “For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” a Trump official has been cited broadly in US media as saying. The same perspective had first been put forward by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth during his hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday: Answering questions from senators on Thursday, Hegseth said: “We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the […]
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