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The Constitution seems to indicate that Congress should control war making, since it has the sole power to declare war. However, as the Commander in Chief, the President is given very broad powers over foreign policy and the use of the military.
If the US President wants to keep fighting a war, but Congress (presumably a veto-proof majority) wants to end it, is there any way to do so? If so, what tools can Congress use to end the war.
There's quite a lot of verbiage about POTUS war powers, but it's otherwise unclear exactly how Congress stops a war, even if is the one that has to declare it.
If it was considered urgent enough that Matt's defunding solution would be too slow, Congress could impeach the President, though that would be stretching the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors.
However, if Congress felt strongly enough about ending a war to have a veto-proof majority to do so, it would presumably be concerned about some aspects of that war, or POTUS's leadership in it, that it would be willing to consider something in POTUS's conduct as crimes. And note that the 2/3 of each chamber of that veto-proof covers majority to impeach (House) and 2/3 to remove (Senate) nicely.
(remember: high crimes and misdemeanors is basically whatever House and Senate says it is).
During the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1999, White House Counsel Charles Ruff described a "narrow" interpretation of "high crimes and misdemeanors" as requiring "a standard that the framers intentionally set at this extraordinarily high level to ensure that only the most serious offenses and in particular those that subverted our system of government would justify overturning a popular election". Writing in 1999, Mark R. Slusar commented that the narrow interpretation seemed to be most common among legal scholars and senators.
I'd argue that subverted our system of government would stretch handily to a POTUS refusing to end a war whose beginning needs to be approved by Congress.
Note that this might be different in the case of a "real war", i.e. declared as such by Congress and with a declaration of war to an enemy. Versus one of the numerous conflicts that are not declared wars (very few wars have been declared as such by Western countries in the last 65 years).
See also War Powers Resolution
Congress controls funding for the military. In an extreme situation, Congress could choose to defund the military budget entirely. In practice, this will probably never happen because members of Congress have numerous incentives to keep the military funded.
The legislative branch is in charge of deciding the rules. The executive branch is, as the name says, in charge of executing those rules. If Congress wishes to end a war, they can simply pass a bill doing so. This would be subject to the president's veto power, so if the president is determined to continue the war, Congress would need 2/3 majority in both houses. If you want textual support, there is plenty in Article I, Section 8. For instance:
The Congress shall have Power ...
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
So they can make a rule that the land and naval forces can't participate in the war (I suppose there is a bit of a loophole regarding the air force, but I think most judges would find that to be included).
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
The Congress can declare the war illegal and punish anyone participating in it.
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
The Congress can prohibit any capturing, which would make prosecuting a war more difficult.
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
The power to support the army suggests the power to have it not be supported.
To provide and maintain a Navy;
This implies that the power to maintain a navy is Congressional prerogative, and they are free to, for instance, disband it if they wish.
