And for better or worse, it is actually good that it is like this. Otherwise, if Congress declares war on Iran or China or whatever, the whole country will be put on a war footing, companies will be directed to build whatever the Pentagon says it needs, drafts will be enforced and so on. And it would be pretty ugly.
What happened was different: a private company decided to enforce some terms, as they can do during peace time and they have been bullied in a way that is disgraceful precisely because it didn't happen during war time nor it has been done using the existing laws around that.
What is the purpose of having laws in the first place if we accept that the government can rule by intimidation?
usa was not aggressor
fat chance congress declaring war of aggression on a peaceful country
Legit war time measures can be a thing (that's why it's fucked if president can just start a war and then use that as excuse for any war time measures they like)