Repeal of "IWR" (Tonkin), Ending funding ASAP bills passed and signed by Nixon - then ignored

[papau]

13 Jan 71 - President Nixon signs a bill repealing the Gulf of Tonkin resolution

24 Jun 71 - Mansfield Amendment was passed along with the draft extension bill. It was a controversial amendment by Senate Majority leader Mike Mansfield (D-Mont) setting a national policy of withdrawing troops from Indochina 9 months after the bill's enactment (wording was later softened to the "earliest practical date"). It was the first time in modern US history that Congress had urged an end to a war in which the country was actively involved

The above were all ignored by Nixon under his "inherent power" claim - which is the same claim the neo-cons make now.

Is there some other way, other than impeachment, to stop a President who loves war?

[Kagemusha]

1. Um, in what way was that an ending funding bill then?

I don't get it. Nixon could just say that there was no practical date to be found, right? So where in the above was there a funding cut-off? Not saying there wasn't, but I don't see that in the description.

[papau]

2. True - the "don't hurt the troops" GOP slogan stopped the date certain - but the you can't

go to war without authorization concept of repealing the Tonkin resolution fell flat as he ignored any claim that he needed such authorization - the Constitution's "Congress shall declare war" being some how trumped by the Presidents inherent power - the admitted inherent power to repel an attack on the US becoming the power to go to war and stay at war forever, with or without Congress's permission.

Indeed, the "inherent power for emergency that lasts forever has a logical extension that you need not get Congress to appropriate funds - you spend what is necessary to defend the US.

The only control on presidential power seems to be impeachment - and removal.

[Kagemusha]

3. Look, you may be right that impeachment/ removal is the only real check.

It's just that the congressional actions short of that seem to me to read as weaker than they first appear.

What *I* heard is that when the final withdrawal from Saigon was made, Congress cut the funds off, which is the *real* check on executive power, which made damned sure that when Saigon was about to fall, the US government was not in a position to support it, dooming S. Vietnam to defeat and absorption. Money talks.

Frankly, the whole Gulf of Tonkin thing is a classic example of the consequence of fighting a war without declaring one. Congress being unable to declare a war finished is the result.

[papau]

4. The fund cut off at the end of the VietNam war was for funds for S. VietNam - nothing to do with US

troops.