Which 1973 US law sought to limit presidential power to commit troops without Congress?

The 1973 US law that sought to limit presidential power to commit troops without Congress was the War Powers Resolution. Congress passed it over President Richard Nixon’s veto on November 7, 1973, amid deep distrust of executive war-making after Vietnam.

The resolution requires a president to notify Congress within 48 hours when US forces are introduced into hostilities or situations where hostilities are imminent. Unless Congress declares war, authorizes the action, or extends the period, the troops generally must be withdrawn within 60 days, with a possible 30-day extension for safe removal.

The measure was designed to reinforce Congress’s constitutional war powers, though presidents and lawmakers have disputed its interpretation and enforcement ever since. It is distinct from the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which had helped authorize escalation in Vietnam, and from the Cooper-Church and Case-Church measures, which restricted particular operations or funding connected to Cambodia.