On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in response to reported attacks on U.S. ships off Vietnam. The resolution gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authority to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war. It passed with overwhelming support in both houses. Johnson used this authorization to expand U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In later years, critics argued that the resolution gave too much power to the executive branch. The controversy eventually led Congress to repeal it and pass the War Powers Resolution.
