B1 · Intermediate
13 min
geopoliticsconstitutional lawmilitary affairsdiplomacy
Sixty Days: Trump, Congress, and the Power to Make War
Los Sesenta Días: Trump, el Congreso y el Poder de la Guerra
President Donald Trump notified Congress that the Iran war is 'terminated,' just ahead of the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution. Fletcher and Octavio dig into what this means for the balance of power between the president and Congress, and what happens next with Iran.
El presidente Donald Trump notificó al Congreso que la guerra contra Irán está 'terminada', justo antes del plazo de 60 días de la Resolución de Poderes de Guerra. Fletcher y Octavio exploran qué significa esta decisión para el equilibrio de poder entre el presidente y el Congreso, y qué ocurre ahora con Irán.
8 essential B1-level terms from this episode, with translations and example sentences in Spanish.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| plazo | deadline / time window | El plazo para firmar el contrato es el próximo viernes. |
| notificar | to notify / to inform officially | El presidente tuvo que notificar al Congreso sobre las operaciones militares. |
| mediador | mediator | Pakistán actúa como mediador entre Irán y Estados Unidos. |
| a corto plazo | in the short term | A corto plazo, la situación no va a cambiar mucho. |
| a largo plazo | in the long term | A largo plazo, las negociaciones pueden traer la paz. |
| autorizar | to authorize / to approve officially | El Congreso tiene que autorizar las operaciones militares después de 60 días. |
| equilibrio | balance | La ley busca mantener el equilibrio entre el presidente y el Congreso. |
| responsabilidad | responsibility / accountability | Votar significa aceptar responsabilidad política por la decisión. |
Here's a sentence I never thought I'd have to parse: the President of the United States sent a letter to Congress this week saying that a war, an actual shooting war, has been 'terminated.' Not ended.
Terminated.
Like a lease agreement.
Sí, y la palabra importa mucho.
Yes, and the word matters a lot.
Trump envió esta carta porque la ley americana tiene un límite de 60 días para las operaciones militares sin aprobación del Congreso.
Trump sent this letter because American law sets a 60-day limit on military operations without congressional approval.
Es una ley muy importante que viene de los años setenta.
It's a very important law that dates from the 1970s.
Right, and that law is the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
I want to actually explain this properly, because it gets glossed over constantly.
Congress passed it after Vietnam specifically to claw back some control over when and how America goes to war.
Exacto.
Exactly.
La resolución dice que el presidente puede usar el ejército, pero tiene que notificar al Congreso en 48 horas.
The resolution says the president can use the military, but must notify Congress within 48 hours.
Y después de 60 días, las operaciones militares tienen que parar, a menos que el Congreso las autorice oficialmente.
And after 60 days, military operations have to stop, unless Congress officially authorizes them.
Nixon vetoed it, by the way.
He called it unconstitutional.
Congress overrode the veto, which doesn't happen often.
And ever since then, every president, Democrat and Republican, has basically argued they don't have to follow it, while also technically following it.
It's a very American contradiction.
Es un problema muy antiguo en la política americana: ¿quién tiene el poder de declarar una guerra?
It's a very old problem in American politics: who has the power to declare war?
La Constitución dice que es el Congreso.
The Constitution says it's Congress.
Pero en la realidad, los presidentes tienen mucho poder militar y lo usan solos, sin pedir permiso.
But in reality, presidents have enormous military power and use it alone, without asking permission.
The last formal declaration of war from Congress was 1942.
World War Two.
Every conflict since then, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, has operated under other legal authorities.
Authorizations.
Resolutions.
Presidential findings.
The actual word 'war' stopped being used.
Y ahora Trump dice que la guerra contra Irán está 'terminada', pero Irán todavía quiere negociar.
And now Trump says the war against Iran is 'terminated,' but Iran still wants to negotiate.
Irán envió una propuesta a los mediadores de Pakistán esta semana.
Iran sent a proposal to Pakistan's mediators this week.
Entonces, ¿la guerra terminó o no terminó?
So, did the war end or didn't it?
Eso no está muy claro.
That part isn't very clear.
That's the thing that caught me.
Trump declares the war over to satisfy the legal clock at home, while Iran is simultaneously sending peace proposals through Pakistan.
Those two things are happening at the same time, in parallel, and they're almost completely disconnected from each other.
Pakistan es un mediador interesante.
Pakistan is an interesting mediator.
Tiene una relación complicada con Irán, pero también con Estados Unidos.
It has a complicated relationship with Iran, but also with the United States.
No es neutral completamente, pero los dos países lo aceptan como intermediario.
It's not completely neutral, but both countries accept it as an intermediary.
Eso ya es mucho en la diplomacia.
That's already a lot in diplomacy.
I spent some time in Islamabad in the early 2000s.
Pakistan's foreign policy operates on about five different tracks simultaneously.
They're talking to everyone.
That's not cynicism, that's survival for a country sandwiched between India, Afghanistan, Iran, and China.
Sí, y Pakistán quiere estabilidad en la región.
Yes, and Pakistan wants stability in the region.
Una guerra larga entre Estados Unidos e Irán es muy mala para Pakistán también.
A long war between the United States and Iran is very bad for Pakistan too.
Los precios del petróleo, la seguridad en la frontera, los refugiados.
Oil prices, border security, refugees.
Tienen razones muy prácticas para mediar.
They have very practical reasons to mediate.
Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R.
Ford left the Middle East this week.
Two carriers remain.
That's the military drawdown happening on the ground while the legal and diplomatic machinery churns away separately.
Un portaaviones es un símbolo muy potente.
An aircraft carrier is a very powerful symbol.
Cuando el ejército americano retira un portaaviones, todo el mundo lo nota: Irán, los países del Golfo, China, Rusia.
When the American military withdraws a carrier, everyone notices: Iran, the Gulf states, China, Russia.
Es una señal de que algo está cambiando.
It's a signal that something is changing.
Now, back to the War Powers clock.
The specific language Trump used, 'terminated,' is doing real legal work here.
He's not saying 'paused.' He's not saying 'de-escalated.' He's checking a box.
And by checking that box before the 60-day deadline, he avoids a forced congressional vote he might not win.
Eso es muy importante.
That's very important.
En el Congreso americano ahora hay muchos políticos que no quieren más guerra con Irán.
In the American Congress right now there are many politicians who don't want more war with Iran.
Algunos son republicanos también.
Some are Republicans too.
Trump sabe que si el Congreso vota, el resultado puede ser difícil para él.
Trump knows that if Congress votes, the result could be difficult for him.
There's a wing of the Republican Party, the non-interventionists, people who follow a kind of America-first foreign policy logic, who were never enthusiastic about the Iran operation.
Getting out before Congress forces the issue is cleaner politically.
Y al mismo tiempo, Trump puede decir que ganó.
And at the same time, Trump can say he won.
Que las operaciones militares tuvieron éxito y que ahora terminaron.
That the military operations were successful and now they're finished.
Es importante para él hablar de victoria, aunque la situación con Irán todavía no está resuelta.
It's important for him to talk about victory, even though the situation with Iran is still not resolved.
Every president does this.
Every single one.
The framing of military action is as important as the action itself.
I covered enough of these to know: the words 'mission accomplished' are the most dangerous words in the presidential vocabulary.
George W.
George W.
Bush y el barco.
Bush and the aircraft carrier.
Sí.
Yes.
Eso es una lección histórica muy clara.
That's a very clear historical lesson.
Declaró el fin de las operaciones principales en Iraq en 2003, y la guerra continuó durante muchos años más.
He declared the end of major operations in Iraq in 2003, and the war continued for many more years.
May 1st, 2003.
I was in Baghdad when that happened.
The cynicism in the press pool was immediate and total.
We all knew it wasn't over.
But the visual was perfect, and that's what mattered that day.
Y ahora, más de veinte años después, estamos otra vez en la misma conversación.
And now, more than twenty years later, we're having the same conversation again.
El presidente dice 'terminado', pero los soldados todavía están en la región, los barcos todavía están en el mar, y el enemigo todavía existe.
The president says 'finished,' but the soldiers are still in the region, the ships are still at sea, and the enemy still exists.
Which brings me to something I keep turning over.
The War Powers Resolution was meant to restore a constitutional balance.
Congress declares war, the president commands the army.
That's the design.
But in practice, the 60-day clock has become a kind of grace period that every administration manages around rather than genuinely respects.
Y el problema es que el Congreso tampoco quiere votar.
And the problem is that Congress doesn't want to vote either.
Votar significa responsabilidad política.
Voting means political responsibility.
Si votas 'sí' a una guerra y va mal, eso es un problema para las elecciones.
If you vote 'yes' to a war and it goes badly, that's a problem for elections.
Es más fácil criticar al presidente sin votar.
It's easier to criticize the president without voting.
That's a point I find genuinely uncomfortable, because it's correct.
Congressional cowardice on war powers is as much a part of this story as presidential overreach.
You can't complain about losing authority you've refused to exercise.
Exactamente.
Exactly.
Y esta situación con Irán es un buen ejemplo.
And this situation with Iran is a good example.
Ahora que Trump dice 'terminado', el Congreso no tiene que actuar.
Now that Trump says 'terminated,' Congress doesn't have to act.
El plazo pasó.
The deadline passed.
El problema político desapareció para ellos.
The political problem disappeared for them.
Todos están contentos, de forma extraña.
Everyone is happy, in a strange way.
Meanwhile, what's Iran actually thinking right now?
Their state media reported the proposal to Pakistan's mediators almost simultaneously with Trump's announcement to Congress.
That timing feels deliberate.
Irán tiene un problema interno muy serio.
Iran has a very serious internal problem.
La guerra costó mucho: económicamente, militarmente, también políticamente.
The war cost a lot: economically, militarily, politically too.
La población iraní ya vivía con muchas dificultades antes de la guerra.
The Iranian population was already living with many hardships before the war.
Negociar ahora es necesario para el gobierno iraní, no solo estratégico.
Negotiating now is necessary for the Iranian government, not just strategic.
The UAE complicated things this week, too.
They publicly said Iran cannot be trusted on Hormuz peace efforts.
That's a Gulf state with enormous economic interests in stability essentially telling the world they don't believe the Iranian signals.
That matters.
Los países del Golfo tienen mucho miedo de Irán.
The Gulf states are very afraid of Iran.
No es nuevo.
That's not new.
Pero ahora es diferente porque la guerra cambió las capacidades militares de Irán.
But now it's different because the war changed Iran's military capabilities.
La pregunta es cuánto daño sufrió el ejército iraní realmente.
The question is how much damage Iran's military actually suffered.
And that information is genuinely hard to get.
Official statements from both sides are, to put it charitably, optimistic.
The independent assessments trickling out of think tanks in Washington and London vary wildly.
Nobody really knows yet.
Lo que sí sabemos es que las negociaciones van a ser muy difíciles.
What we do know is that negotiations are going to be very difficult.
Irán quiere garantías de que Estados Unidos no va a atacar otra vez.
Iran wants guarantees that the United States won't attack again.
Estados Unidos quiere que Irán abandone partes de su programa nuclear.
The United States wants Iran to abandon parts of its nuclear program.
Los dos quieren cosas muy grandes del otro.
Both want very big things from the other.
Which is what every serious Iran negotiation has looked like for forty years.
I'm not being defeatist, I'm just noting the pattern.
The JCPOA in 2015 was genuinely remarkable precisely because that basic exchange finally found a temporary form.
And even that fell apart.
Y Trump retiró a Estados Unidos del JCPOA en 2018.
And Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA in 2018.
Eso es importante recordarlo.
It's important to remember that.
Ahora Trump habla de paz, pero el problema empezó, en parte, con decisiones de Trump también.
Now Trump talks about peace, but the problem started, in part, with Trump's own decisions too.
La historia de este conflicto es muy circular.
The history of this conflict is very circular.
The circularity is the thing.
And the War Powers Resolution has its own circularity.
Congress passed it to take back authority, presidents ignore the spirit of it, Congress doesn't force the issue, the next crisis arrives, repeat.
Fifty years of the same loop.
Y lo que me parece más interesante de esta semana es que Trump usó la ley para terminar algo, no para empezarlo.
And what I find most interesting about this week is that Trump used the law to end something, not to start it.
Normalmente, los presidentes ignoran la Resolución de Poderes de Guerra.
Normally, presidents ignore the War Powers Resolution.
Trump la usó activamente, aunque sea para sus propios intereses políticos.
Trump used it actively, even if it's for his own political interests.
That's actually a fair observation, and it's not one I'd seen made clearly anywhere.
He's complying, on the letter, even if the spirit is more complicated.
Whether that sets a useful precedent or just gets cited selectively in future is the open question.
En política, los precedentes son muy importantes.
In politics, precedents are very important.
Si Trump terminó la guerra dentro del plazo, el próximo presidente también tiene que hacerlo.
If Trump ended the war within the deadline, the next president also has to do so.
O tiene que explicar muy bien por qué no lo hace.
Or has to explain very clearly why they don't.
Eso es un cambio pequeño, pero es un cambio.
That's a small change, but it's a change.
You know, there was a phrase Octavio used earlier that I want to come back to.
You said 'el plazo' when you talked about the 60-day deadline.
I've heard that word in a few different contexts and I'm never entirely sure I have the full shape of it.
Bueno, 'plazo' es una palabra muy útil.
Well, 'plazo' is a very useful word.
Significa el tiempo que tienes para hacer algo.
It means the time you have to do something.
Por ejemplo: 'el plazo para pagar es el viernes' significa que tienes hasta el viernes para pagar.
For example: 'el plazo para pagar es el viernes' means you have until Friday to pay.
Es el límite de tiempo, pero también la oportunidad que ese tiempo representa.
It's the time limit, but also the opportunity that time represents.
So it's not just 'deadline' in the cold sense.
It carries both the limit and the window of possibility within that limit.
English kind of splits those into two different words, 'deadline' and 'window.' Spanish does it in one.
Exacto.
Exactly.
Y también decimos 'a corto plazo' para el futuro cercano, y 'a largo plazo' para el futuro lejano.
And we also say 'a corto plazo' for the near future, and 'a largo plazo' for the distant future.
Entonces la misma palabra sirve para los plazos legales y también para hablar de planes o estrategias.
So the same word works for legal deadlines and also for talking about plans or strategies.
Es muy flexible.
It's very flexible.
So Trump's letter to Congress was very 'a corto plazo' thinking, and the Iran negotiation is very 'a largo plazo.' That actually captures it perfectly.
I'm filing that one away.
Sí, aunque yo no confiaría mucho en que recuerdes esta palabra la próxima vez que la necesites.
Yes, although I wouldn't trust you too much to remember this word the next time you need it.
Recuerdo que una vez intentaste decir 'el plazo' y dijiste 'el piso'.
I remember that once you tried to say 'the deadline' and said 'the floor.' You gave your lawyer an apartment number.
Le diste a tu abogado un número de apartamento.