Section 5 sets out possible congressional responses to authorize or terminate an unauthorized presidential use of the military. Pursuant to Section 5(a), a Section 4 report of hostilities shall be transferred to both the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees for consideration. Section 5(b) states that when the President reports an introduction of U.S. Armed Forces into active or imminent hostilities, or such report is required under Section 4(a)(1) but not made, the President must terminate such use of U.S. Armed Forces after 60 days unless Congress (1) has declared war or specifically authorized the action, (2) has extended the 60-day period by law, or (3) is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack on the United States. The period of deployment can be extended an additional 30 days by the President if the President certifies that "unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces" requires their continued use in the course of bringing about their removal.

Section 5(b) is sometimes interpreted to allow the President to unilaterally involve U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities for any reason for at least 60 days. This interpretation might seem at odds with the assertions of limited presidential war power in Section 2(c), as well as Section 8(d)(2), which states that the WPR does not confer any presidential authority to involve U.S. Armed Forces in hostilities. Under Section 6 (see below), the 60-day period seems to serve primarily as a window for Congress to possibly authorize an otherwise unauthorized use of the military.

Under Section 5(c), Congress may require the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from such unauthorized hostilities at any time by concurrent resolution.

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13134