Joseph R. Biden Jr. Quotes

The respective powers of the President and Congress of the United States, in the case of war with foreign powers are yet undetermined. Perhaps they can never be defined.

The power to make war is vested in Congress and not in the President. Congress has no constitutional authority to grant such authority to the president.

Under our Constitution the Congress alone has the power to declare war.

The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.

We were having problems with the War Powers Act, so I hesitate to use the term war.

As the Executive cannot decide the question of war on the affirmative side, neither ought it do so on the negative side by preventing the competent body [Congress] from deliberating on the question.

As Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy, in time of war, I suppose I have a right to take any measure which may best subdue the enemy.

President’s don’t have the authority to go to war.

Congressional power has not so much been usurped by the Presidency as given up to the Presidency by Congress.

The way I read the Constitution,. the Congress is paid a salary to determine whether we should go to war ... Therefore, I don't think Congress is earning its money.

Those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper and safe judges of whether a war ought to be commenced, continued or concluded.

Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion … and you allow him to make war at pleasure. … If today he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may see no probability he would say to you, “Be silent!, I see if you don’t.”

Every American war has brought a struggle between Congress and the Executive over war powers. The Constitution is somewhat annoyingly ambiguous on the point declaring that the President is Commander in Chief but empowering Congress to provide for the common defense, declare war, and raise and support armies.

I don’t think we should go to war with one person’s authority..

Not every Congressionally declared war will be remembered as a “good war”, but few if any Presidentially declared wars, if any, will ever be.

Without the authority of Congress, the President cannot fire a hostile gun in any case except to repel the attacks of the enemy.

It is only while the public mind is held in suspense—It is only while there is doubt as to what will be the result of deliberations—it is only while we linger in this hall that any manifestations of uneasiness will show themselves. Whenever war is declared, the people will put forth their rights.

[I am] against giving the power of war to the Executive, because [he is] not safely to be trusted with it.

We don't declare war any more, we declare national defense.

The Constitution provided an invitation to the President and Congress to struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy.

This talk of blindly following the President in everything pertaining to war—except as to his conduct of military operation in the field—is blithering idiocy.... The Constitution still abides. It defines the powers and duties of Congress. It gave Congress every war power, except that it left with the President the right to direct all military operation in the field. It gave him no other war power.

Candidates for president are always leery of war, but presidents are also Commanders in Chief and have a different perspective…. Presidents are more martial and candidates more peace-loving.

It is true that we are ignorant of the art of war. Yet we know when it is wise or prudent to declare it.

The Declaration of War function is corrupted if the President is the only source of information about the issue…

I will not be the first American President who lost a war!