The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and control the purse.
Posted by Deadline: White House, Checked
- Sources
- 3 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
Deadline: White HouseSep 7, 2026
The Constitution's Article I, Section 8 expressly gives Congress the power 'To declare War,' and the constitution.congress.gov essay identifies Congress's power of the purse (taxing and spending) as among its most significant powers. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post, which said 'Well, they did.'
What was said
… and then we'll go right back to where we were before, and the Iranians know it, and I think that's really not only an indication that this is a war, but it's a war in which our enemy probably understands us better than we understand them at this point. If only our founders had created a co-equal branch of government and given them the power to declare war and control the purse. I mean, that would have been a good idea. Well, they did. It's amazing that they're heading into the midterms not using their own power. General Kurtling and Tom Nichols, to be continued. Thank you for joining us today. We will be right back. …
Deadline: White House · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution gives Congress the power 'To declare War,' as quoted in the CRS Defense Primer and the Cornell Constitution Annotated.[3][4][5]
Supports. The Congressional Constitution Center essay on Article I, Section 8 identifies Congress's power of the purse, including its authority to tax and spend, as among its most significant powers.[3]
Context. FactCheck.org quotes the Constitution's text granting Congress the power 'To declare War' and notes that the President's role as commander in chief is in Article II, which the war-powers debate concerns but does not contradict the grant.[1]
Context. PolitiFact notes that Congress has used authorizations and funding to limit presidential military action, consistent with its constitutional powers over war and the purse.[2]
Sources
5 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 3 primary
- 1Examining Whether Trump Had the Constitutional Authority ...factcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Republican lawmaker claims Congress has never set limits on a commander-in-chiefpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3ArtI.S8.1 Overview of Congress's Enumerated Powersconstitution.congress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Scope of Congress's War Powers | U.S. Constitution Annotatedlaw.cornell.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5Defense Primer: Congress’s Constitutional Authority with Regard to the Armed Forcescongress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post