Dear Congress: 'No'

One reason for congressional dismay over the US raid in Iran was a letter sent to the State Department on April 24 by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The letter, signed by chairman Frank Church and ranking Republican member Jacob K. Javits, said:

"The time has come to commence the consultation procedures contained in . . . the War Powers Resolution. The legislative history of that law makes it clear that the advance consultation provisions . . . are intended to come into before" any decision to send US forces into hostilities.

No such consultion, of course, took place.