What did the War Powers Act limit?

The War Powers Act, enacted in 1973, was designed to address and limit the extent of the president's authority to engage U.S. forces in military actions without Congressional approval. The primary concern behind the Act stemmed from the experiences of the Vietnam War, during which presidents increasingly bypassed Congress when committing troops to conflict zones. The legislation requires that if the president deploys military forces, they must be reported to Congress within 48 hours, and that military engagement must be limited to 60 days (with a possible extension of 30 days) without explicit authorization from Congress to continue the action. This framework was established to ensure that any significant military engagement had a degree of legislative oversight and approval, reflecting a desire to rebalance war powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.