1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support legislation that would restrict the president's authority to unilaterally deploy military force and to condemn the use of military action without proper congressional authorization. The Constitution grants Congress, not the executive branch, the power to declare war, yet this authority has been steadily eroded over decades through expansive interpretations of executive power. Recent administrations have repeatedly bypassed congressional oversight when initiating military operations, undermining the checks and balances fundamental to our democracy. This concentration of war-making power in a single office contradicts the framers' intent and removes the deliberative process that should precede decisions with such profound consequences for American lives and national security. Military interventions carry enormous human and financial costs. Service members and their families bear the direct burden of deployment, injury, and loss of life. Taxpayers fund operations that can cost billions of dollars while diverting resources from domestic priorities like infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Communities near military bases face the strain of repeated deployments, and veterans return home requiring long-term support services. Congressional authorization ensures that military force is used only when necessary and with broad democratic support. It requires elected representatives to publicly debate the merits, risks, and objectives of military action, creating accountability to constituents. Without this process, the decision to go to war becomes isolated from the people who will bear its consequences. I urge you to cosponsor and vote for any legislation that reasserts congressional authority over military force, including measures that would repeal or replace outdated authorizations for the use of military force that have been stretched far beyond their original scope. Our constitutional system depends on Congress fulfilling its role as a check on executive power, particularly in matters of war and peace. Will you commit to supporting legislation that restricts unilateral presidential military authority and requires meaningful congressional authorization before committing American forces to combat?