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Obama Libya Report Not Ending Anger From Lawmakers
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| Contributor | Craverguy |
| Last Edited | Craverguy Jun 16, 2011 07:19pm |
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| Category | Analysis |
| Author | Julie Pace |
| Media | Website - Huffington Post |
| News Date | Thursday, June 16, 2011 01:40:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | WASHINGTON -- The White House is vigorously defending President Barack Obama's right to keep the U.S. military engaged in Libya without congressional approval, but its arguments aren't soothing the anger among Republican lawmakers and anti-war Democrats.
In a report sent to Congress on Wednesday, administration officials said that because the U.S. is in a supporting role in the NATO-led bombing mission, American forces are not facing the "hostilities" that would require the president to seek congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. That 1973 law prohibits the military from being involved in actions for more than 60 days without congressional authorization, plus a 30-day extension. The Libya campaign has gone on for nearly three months.
The report, which put the cost of U.S. military operations at about $715 million as of June 3, with the total increasing to $1.1 billion by early September, did little to appease lawmakers who have been critical of Obama's dealings with Congress throughout the Libya campaign.
"I'm sure Sen. Barack Obama would have disagreed if he were serving at this time," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was amazed that the administration did not believe U.S. forces were facing "hostilities" in Libya, saying generals have told lawmakers otherwise in classified briefings.
"The way the administration handled this entire affair left people on both sides of the aisle very perplexed," said Corker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Adding to the congressional pressure on Obama, a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers on Wednesday sued the president for taking military action against Libya without war authorization from Congress. The lawmakers said Obama violated the Constitution in bypassing Congress and using international organizations like the United Nations and NATO to authorize military force. |
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