Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (text of resolution)In August 1964 North Vietnamese boats fired on an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin.

« Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (text of resolution) In August 1964 North Vietnamese boats fired on an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin.

When two American ships reported a second attack, the United States Senateresponded by authorizing increased military activity in the region.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution marked a turning point in U.S.

involvement in Vietnam, giving PresidentLyndon Johnson broad authority to expand the U.S.

war effort.

Congress repealed the resolution in 1970 after critical reassessments of the Gulf of Tonkin incident and of theVietnam War.

In 1973 Congress also attempted to curb the president’s power to send troops into combat with the War Powers Resolution.

Herbert S.

Parmet The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Eighty-eighth Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and sixty-four Joint Resolution To promote the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia. Whereas naval units of the Communist regime in Vietnam, in violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law, havedeliberately and repeatedly attacked United States naval vessels lawfully present in international waters, and have thereby created a serious threat to internationalpeace; and Whereas these attacks are part of a deliberate and systematic campaign of aggression that the Communist regime in North Vietnam has been waging against itsneighbors and the nations joined with them in the collective defense of their freedom; and Whereas the United States is assisting the peoples of southeast Asia to protect their freedom and has no territorial, military or political ambitions in that area, butdesires only that these peoples should be left in peace to work out their own destinies in their own way: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress approves and supports the determination of the President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to preventfurther aggression. SEC.

2.

The United States regards as vital to its national interest and to world peace the maintenance of international peace and security in southeast Asia.

Consonantwith the Constitution of the United States and the Charter of the United Nations and in accordance with its obligations under the Southeast Asia Collective DefenseTreaty, the United States is, therefore, prepared, as the President determines, to take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force, to assist any member orprotocol state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom. SEC.

3.

This resolution shall expire when the President shall determine that the peace and security of the area is reasonably assured by international conditionscreated by action of the United Nations or otherwise, except that it may be terminated earlier by concurrent resolution of the Congress. Speaker of the House of Representatives: John C.

McCormack Acting President pro tempore of the Senate: Lee Metcalf APPROVED AUG 10 1964 Lyndon B.

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