Why the 60 day war powers resolution deadline doesnt actually constrain presidents?

The 60 day war powers resolution deadline is like having a timer that might go off, but you can keep it from going off by just asking for more time.

Imagine you're playing a game with your friend, and the rule is: if you don't finish the level in 60 minutes, you lose. But instead of losing, you just say, "Can we have 15 more minutes?" And your friend says yes. That means the timer isn’t really stopping you, it’s just a reminder.

The Timer Isn’t Magic

The 60-day rule is like that timer in the game. It's meant to push the president and Congress to make decisions faster, but they can always say, "We need more time!", and the other side usually agrees.

So even though the deadline seems important, it’s not actually stopping anyone from doing what they want. It's just a friendly nudge, like your friend saying, "Hey, you still got time!"

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Examples

  1. A president starts a war without asking Congress, but they have to report back in 60 days, but sometimes they just ignore that rule.
  2. Congress passes a law saying presidents can't go to war alone for too long, but the rule doesn't always work as intended.
  3. The War Powers Resolution is like a timer on a war: it goes off after two months, but presidents often don’t care.

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