Tom Rooney Slams Obama On Unconstitutional Libya War
Many in Washington D.C. presumed that an American entry into the civil war in Libya would soon turn the tide of battle against Moammar Qaddafi. That’s proved not to be the case, however, and a stalemate has developed between the Libyan government and rebel militias. Many are beginning to discuss the Libyan civil war as a third quagmire for the U.S. military.
Earlier this week, Representative Dennis Kucinich issued a statement suggesting that American involvement in the civil war has extended the conflict and extended civilian deaths, rather than controlling them. ” It’s easy for the rebels to reject a peace proposal: The U.S. is spending more money on this war than any other nation. The cost of the war has reportedly passed $600 million and there is no end in sight,” he said.
It’s not just liberals in Congress who are questioning the U.S. entry into the war in Libya. Republican Tom Rooney spoke yesterday in protest of President Obama’s rush to war without obtaining the congressional authorization required by the Constitution and by the War Powers Resolution. Congressman Rooney said,
“It’s been 25 days since the President began kinetic military action in Libya without congressional authorization. He made this decision despite the fact that the conflict in Libya did not represent an imminent threat to the United States. Instead, the President sought the approval of the United Nations and the Arab League before taking military action, and not Congress. This sets a terrible precedent… Whether you call it a kinetic military action or war, this Congress must authorize it. If we don’t, we will be setting the precedent that we are irrelevant, and the President need only seek approval from international bodies outside of the jurisdiction of the American people.”
