War Power Quotes
The Attorney General had taken the position that the Congress could not pass laws in time of war that the President was required to follow if in his judgment as Commander in Chief, the war effort and safety of the nation was at stake—that he could instruct the military to ignore laws passed by Congress. The legal theory of the George W. Bush administration was that the President had “inherent powers” under the Constitution and that Congress could not supersede these by legislation.
He has exactly right, but at the time there was much isolationist sentiment arguing against getting involved in “foreign wars”. To obtain the full industrial power of the United States, most of the manufacturing capability and raw materials would have to be taken from the civilian sector and devoted to military production. That would take men like Nelson, but primarily President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who would persuade the American people to make the immediate sacrifice to insure the future. See {642356} as an example.