The correct answer is:
Congress had no power to raise a military separate from the states.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government, which was quite weak, lacked the authority to raise and maintain a standing army independently of the states. Instead, it relied on requisitions from the states for troops and funding, which made it difficult to maintain a strong and consistent Continental Army. States had varying degrees of willingness and ability to provide resources, leading to challenges in keeping a continental army. This was one of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and played a role in the creation of the U.S. Constitution, which established a stronger federal government with the ability to maintain a standing army.