WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement on Monday after questioning Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis during a hearing titled The Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Administration Perspective. Murphy has consistently argued that Congress needs to reclaim its war-making authority and debate new Authorizations for Use of Military Force.

“Secretaries Tillerson and Mattis’s responses to my questions about the Administration's war powers in North Korea were very worrying. The fact is, no president has unlimited power to start a war without congressional approval. The power to declare war or authorize military action rests only with Congress unless we face an imminent threat or attack," said Murphy. “As President Trump continues to threaten military action against North Korea, it's time for Congress to clear up any confusion and pass simple legislation that clarifies the executive's ability to launch a preemptive strike."

Murphy announced last week that he will introduce a bill prohibiting President Trump from starting a preemptive war against North Korea without Congressional approval. He is author of “Rethinking the Battlefield,” a comprehensive proposal containing specific recommendations to dramatically increase the United States’ non-military footprint abroad by nearly doubling the U.S. foreign affairs budget – including the State Department and USAID – with an emphasis on funding for international development, additional foreign service officers, anti-corruption efforts, countering propaganda, crisis response, and humanitarian relief.