Holding the President Accountable on Libya

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Holding the President Accountable on Libya  
      
Last week, more than 70 days after President Obama sent our military to 
attack Libya without a congressional declaration of war, the House of 
Representatives finally voted on two resolutions attempting to rein in the 
president.  This debate was long overdue, as polls show Americans 
increasingly are frustrated by congressional inaction. According to a CNN 
poll last week, 55 percent of the American people believe that Congress, not 
the president, should have the final authority to decide whether the U.S. 
should continue its military mission in Libya. Yet for more than 70 days 
Congress has ignored its constitutional obligations and allowed the president 
to usurp its authority.

Finally, Congressman Dennis Kucinich was able to bring to the floor a 
resolution asserting that proper constitutional war power authority resides 
with Congress. His resolution simply stated that "Congress directs the 
President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya by not later 
than the date that is 15 days after the date of the adoption of this 
concurrent resolution."

Opponents of the withdrawal resolution said the 15 day deadline was too 
abrupt. But as I pointed out during debate, the president attacked Libya 
abruptly – he didn't even bother to consult Congress – so why can't he order 
an end to military action just as abruptly? When members of Congress took an 
oath of office to defend the Constitution, we did not pledge to defend it 
only gradually, a little bit at a time. On the contrary, we must defend it 
vigorously and completely from the moment we take that oath. I was pleased 
that 87 Republicans were able to put the Constitution first and support this 
resolution.

House Speaker John Boehner offered his own resolution on the same day, which 
declared that Congress would not support the insertion of US ground troops 
into Libya. Although this unfortunately was far from adequate to satisfy our 
constitutional obligations, it certainly was a step in the right direction 
and I am pleased that it passed in the House.  Just days before Speaker 
Boehner's resolution, an amendment to the defense authorization act 
prohibited the president from using any funds in the bill to insert US troops 
into Libya. A separate amendment last week prohibiting any funds appropriated 
to the Department of Homeland Security from being used to attack Libya came 
within just a handful of votes from passing.  All of these votes demonstrate 
that members of Congress increasingly understand that our foreign wars are 
deeply unpopular with their constituents.  We are broke, and the American 
people know it.  They expect Congress to focus on fixing America's economic 
problems, rather than rubber stamping yet another open-ended military 
intervention in Libya.

I believe these resolutions and amendments indicate that the tide is turning 
in the right direction.  I am confident we will see Congress move toward 
ending our unconstitutional wars.  The American people are demanding no 
less.  The president's attack on Libya was unconstitutional and thus 
unlawful.  This policy must be reversed.

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