Congress declares war, raises and funds the armed forces, and writes the rules that govern them. The framers split the war power deliberately: Congress decides whether to fight; the President commands the fighting.
Read the clause itself, verbatim and in plain language, in the in-app Constitution.
Congress
Formal declarations are rare (five wars, none since 1942); modern conflicts run on authorizations for the use of military force (AUMFs), appropriationA law permitting federal agencies to spend money. The Constitution forbids any spending without one, Congress's 'power of the purse'.Full definition in the glossary, and the contested 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires notice to Congress and a 60-day clock on unauthorized hostilities. The two-year limit on army appropriations keeps the military on a congressional leash.
