Declarations of War: Background and Implications, and More from CRS
Over the course of American history, Congress has formally enacted 11 declarations of war, as well as a similar number of statutory authorizations for the use of military force.
The differences between these two categories of legislative action, which are quite distinct, are detailed in a Congressional Research Service report that was updated earlier this year. See Declarations of War and Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Historical Background and Legal Implications, January 11, 2013.
As Congress weighs its response to an Obama Administration request to authorize the use of military force in Syria, another newly updated CRS report provides background on Armed Conflict in Syria: U.S. and International Response, September 6, 2013.
The 52 American diplomatic and military personnel who were taken hostage in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 have been unsuccessful in their attempts to recover financial damages from the Government of Iran, but they are still trying. A new CRS report refreshes the story. See The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation, September 5, 2013.
Other new and updated CRS reports that Congress has withheld from direct public access include the following.
China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States, September 5, 2013
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for Congress, September 5, 2013
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, September 6, 2013
Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress, September 6, 2013
Sexual Assaults Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ): Selected Legislative Proposals, September 6, 2013
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Statutes, September 9, 2013
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades as the base prepares for the ability to store U.S. nuclear weapons.
It will take consistent leadership and action to navigate the complex dangers in the region and to avoid what many analysts considered to be an increasingly possible outcome, a nuclear conflict in East Asia.
Getting into a shutdown is the easy part, getting out is much harder. Both sides will be looking to pin responsibility on each other, and the court of public opinion will have a major role to play as to who has the most leverage for getting us out.
How the United States responds to China’s nuclear buildup will shape the global nuclear balance for the rest of the century.