Ours is a nation which sends its young into battle, not on the capricious acts of individuals, but with the collective judgment of the people – expressed through their representatives – that goals of engagement are worthy of the sacrifice we ask of our young.
It is no easy thing to send men into combat, and it should not be easily arrived at. That is the essence of the War Powers Resolution. It confirms the intent of the authors of the Constitution. The Congress has a constitutional role both in the introduction of American armed forces into hostilities and in the determination to continue the use of such forces.
– DANIEL K. INOUYE
Statement on the War Powers Resolution delivered on the Senate floor, September 23, 1983.