Editor, Times-Union: The following is the second part of my letter concerning the need for an amendment that would update and clarify the current congressional and presidential powers spelled out in the Constitution for declaring and waging war. Part one of my letter which was printed in the Times-Union on February 15 and listed 27 sources of information that are currently being used in the development of this amendment. The text of this amendment listed below is part of a working rough draft subject to future revision. Proposed Constitutional Amendment – (Working Rough Draft) Congress shall have the sole authority through the means of a declaration of war approved by a two-thirds majority of its membership to authorize the armed forces of the United States to wage offensive military operations such as full-scale war or major acts of war against any alliance(s), empire(s), nation(s) or armed faction(s) who have attacked the United States and its territories, or who pose a credible catastrophic threat to the continued independence of the United States as a sovereign nation and its American way of life, or who have infringed upon the lives, liberties and property of American citizens, or who have attacked an ally of the United States who we have a mutual defense treaty with, or who have the will, the means, and are in the process of attempting to enslave the entire planet under the rule of an authoritarian or totalitarian dictatorship. The end of hostilities shall occur under the following conditions: victory on the battlefield, negotiated peace settlement, an executive order issued by the president ordering the armed forces of the United States to end hostilities and begin an orderly withdraw from the combat zone, a Congressional recall order passed by a two-thirds majority of the membership of Congress ordering the armed forces of the United States to cease hostilities and to withdraw from the combat zone in orderly fashion. The president shall have the authority to authorize the armed forces of the United States to repeal invasions and sneak attacks upon the United States and its territories and to suppress rebellions, insurrections, and mutinies within the United States and its territories. The final version of my amendment, along with actual text of the U.S. Constitution concerning war powers and more sources of information for readers to explore, will follow at later dates. Alexander Houze Leesburg
