- United States
- Maine
- Letter
Congress Must Assert its Constitutional Authority over Foreign Interventions
To: Rep. Pingree, Sen. King, Sen. Collins
From: A constituent in South Portland, ME
January 5
I am writing to urge you to immediately and publicly reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over war, territorial integrity, and U.S. foreign policy.
President Trump has repeatedly used rhetoric suggesting U.S. control, acquisition, abandonment, or coercive pressure against other nations without congressional authorization. This includes public statements about Greenland, Canada, Cuba, and countries in Latin America that frame sovereignty as negotiable and destabilization as acceptable leverage. Even when framed as “jokes,” “leverage,” or “economic pressure,” such statements carry real consequences and risk escalation.
Article I of the Constitution gives Congress—not the President—the sole authority to declare war, authorize the use of force, and control appropriations. The War Powers Resolution was enacted specifically to prevent unilateral executive action and foreign entanglements driven by personal or ideological ambition.
Congress’s continued silence enables executive overreach. Expansionist rhetoric, threats of abandonment, and coercive foreign policy conducted without authorization undermine international law, U.S. credibility, and democratic accountability.
I urge you to:
- Publicly reaffirm Congress’s exclusive authority over war and military engagement
- Demand transparency regarding any military, covert, or destabilizing actions or plans
- Use hearings, funding restrictions, and legislation to enforce constitutional limits
- Make clear that no territorial, military, or coercive foreign policy will proceed without congressional approval
This is not about party. It is about constitutional governance. Congress must act now.