and gained explicit congressional authorization to commit US forces to combat if Saddam Hussein failed to withdraw from Kuwait by the United Nations established deadline of January 15, 1991. However, because Bush waited until the last minute to request such approval; with 400,000 US troops poised to attack and the ultimatum only days away, Congress had to debate hurriedly. Moreover, Bush complied reluctantly with the constitutional process, insisting that he did not need congressional authorization and would act without it. He could not, however, ignore the pressure from leaders in both parties, the media, and public opinion to go to Congress. Privately fearing that a prolonged debate or unfavorable outcome would weaken the international coalition and play to Saddam Hussein's advantage, Bush gambled that he could secure support for a war resolution. The slender majorities in Congress (52 -47 in the Senate and 250-183 in the House) (Milkis 361) effectively ended public debate, but also illustrate just how little support President Bush was enjoying. The debate in the House of Representatives did not approach the drama of that in the Senate, where the vote was certain to be close. While critics of Bush's policy reiterated the argument that he was rushing to war without allowing time to for sanctions to be effective, they complained time and again of an abuse of power and disregard for congressional authority to declare war. The Democrats contended that Cangress should act only after Bush had exhausted other alternatives and had come to it requesting approval to wage war. They said that, if Congress passed the Republicans' war resolution, it would transfer the war-making decision to the president.These criticisms of what many Democrats considered presidential arrogance were answered only indirectly by Bush's supporters, who, like their colleagues in the House of Representatives, stressed the need for national unity in the face of ...
