Key Aspects of the 1973 Act: Purpose: To restore the constitutional balance between Congress and the President regarding the use of military force, particularly in response to the Vietnam War. Consultation and Reporting: The President must consult with Congress "in every possible instance" before sending troops into hostilities. Within 48 hours of deployment, the President must submit a report detailing the reasons and scope of the action. Time Limitation: If Congress does not declare war or provide specific authorization, the President must withdraw troops within 60 to 90 days. Constitutional Debate: Despite its passage, many presidents have viewed the Act as an unconstitutional infringement on their authority as Commander-in-Chief. 2025/2026 12-day conflict involving U.S. bombing of Iranian facilities involved significant costs, with just one night of bombing estimated at $100–$132.5 million. Oil Prices & Inflation: A 2026 escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran controls a major shipping route, was estimated to push oil prices toward $100–$130 a barrel. 2020, Neta Crawford, chair of the political science department at Boston University, in her Costs of War Project, estimated the long term cost of the Iraq War for the United States at $1.922 trillion. This figure includes not only funding appropriated to the Pentagon explicitly for the war, but spending on Iraq by the State Department, the healthcare of Iraq War veterans, and the interest expense on debt incurred to fund 17 years of U.S. military involvement in the country.[16Iraq War (2003–2010s) initiated by the Bush administration cost the U.S. an estimated $3 trillion to over $8 trillion, including long-term care for veterans. On February 13, 2008, an average of major polls indicated that Bush's approval rating stood at 33.3%.[32] The same average showed, for polls issued during the period from September 5 to 16, 2008, that Bush's approval rating was 31.9%, and his disapproval rating was 64.8%.[32] A poll by Rasmussen Reports on December 10, 2005, asked, "Should President Bush be impeached and removed from office?" 32% said "yes", and 58% said "no".[37] Earlier polls asked conditional versions of the impeachment question. For example, Zogby International on November 2, 2005, asked whether respondents agreed with the statement, "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment." Americans agreed with this, 53% to 42%.[38] A poll by Newsweek on October 19, 2006, revealed that 51% of respondents believed that the impeachment of Bush should be a priority.[39] An August 2008 poll found that 41% of Americans thought that Bush is the worst President in United States history, while 50% disagreed.[40] Beloud