Congress Is Always Reluctant to End Wars Unilaterally Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says trying to end U.S.
involvement in Iraq by repealing the use-of-force resolution is
like "un-ringing a bell." Another Member compares it to "trying
to put an egg back in a chicken." Choose your metaphor; the
point remains that ending a war is a lot more difficult than
starting one. The Constitution is silent as to whether Congress
can "un-declare" a war. It is simply understood that a war ends
when one side wins; a peace treaty is signed (ratifying a
victory or stalemate); or one side withdraws from the field of
battle either voluntarily (in frustration or fatigue) or for
lack of resources (men, material and money). While comparisons
between U.S. involvement in Vietnam and Iraq are imperfect at
best, what does bear close watching are the similarities and
differences in how Congress attempts to extricate American
troops from an unpopular war. We may not be witnessing an exact
replay of steps taken in the 19