Thread by @bridgewriter

With #Trump's term over, I updated the War Powers Resolution Reporting Project with the phenomenal team @RCLS_NYU.

The searchable database analyzes all unclassified 48-hr War Powers reports from enactment through 1/20/2021

warpowers.lawandsecurity.org

Trump's war powers legacy is a mix:

-Expansive claimed authority to use force w/out congressional authorization, even against other countries

-Dubious drawdowns (#Syria) alongside troop build-ups (#Saudi)

-Obscuring info. from #Congress & the public

justsecurity.org/74903/trumps-w…

The loophole in the War Powers Res. that allows classified reports (#Soleimani) is easy to fix.

It's one glaring example of the need for wholesale war powers reform.

As then-Sen. #Biden said about the WPR, it "contains readily identifiable flaws,” but “they are correctable.”

But Trump's broad claims of unilateral power to use force aren't completely new & are harder to fix:

@POTUS and his team now need to decide whether to expend political capital to rein in claimed Art. II authority—which the executive branch is often loath to do—and how to do it.

You can compare #Trump's war powers reports with previous presidents through the interactive graphics and searchable database at warpowers.lawandsecurity.org

Here's a taste:

Huge thanks to @marilisdugas, @nicktonckens, @RCLS_NYU ED Rachel Goldbrenner & team, and
@objectivelyis for their instrumental help making warpowers.lawandsecurity.org a living resource.

We welcome feedback!