SMF (SAD MOTHERFUCKER)

Never declared by Congress

The U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11, states that one of the functions of Congress is "To declare War…", yet despite the many wars or military engagements the U.S. has been involved in, Congress has formally declared war only five times, the last time being for World War II. Instead, the Congress has passed resolutions authorizing force, such as the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution that formally opened the Vietnam War, or the one for the Persian Gulf War. The war on terrorism resolution is similarly ambiguous.

In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution which provides some checks on the President's evolved power to wage war, including compelling information about and justification of the entering into hostilities. This Resolution probably does not apply to covert military action, such as Special Forces Direct Action, although such would fall under the jurisdiction of Congress's intelligence or defense committees.