Congresswoman Lee, In Letter with Colleagues, Urges Speaker Boehner to Hold Floor Debate and Vote on U.S. Military Action in Libya
Media Contact: Joel Payne, (202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Last night, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) was joined by Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Maxine Waters (D-CA) in sending a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner urging him to take immediate steps to hold a robust floor debate and vote on the President’s authority to continue use of military force in Libya. The letter highlights that both the Constitution and The War Powers Act of 1973 clearly outline that the responsibility for declaration of war lies with Congress alone.
The letter also restates the many unanswered questions regarding U.S. military involvement in Libya and underscores the concern that costs associated with an open-ended commitment of U.S. military resources in Libya could be as much as $100 million per week. The co-signers of the letter requested action on this matter as soon as possible due to the fast-evolving nature of the crisis in Libya.
A PDF of the signed letter is attached to this release.
Key excerpts of the letter here:
“Under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war rests with Congress alone. The War Powers Act of 1973 further clarified the important separation of powers and checks and balances in these matters. Consideration of the President's continued military engagement in Libya is our responsibility as elected representatives in the U.S. Congress, and essential to reasserting the undisputed role and responsibility of the Legislative Branch in overseeing and providing for our nation's commitments while at war.”
“The United States has now been engaged militarily in Libya since March 19, 2011. While we firmly believe that a robust debate and up-or-down floor vote should have occurred in advance of U.S. military action in Libya, it is without question that such measures are still urgently required.”
“Many questions remain unanswered regarding our short and long-term responsibilities in Libya as well as our strategy for ending U.S. military operations. The Department of Defense has indicated that the costs of U.S. military operations in Libya totaled $600 million in the first week alone, and are estimated to mount by as much as $100 million per week in the future.”
Full text of the letter here:
March 30, 2011
The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Eric Cantor
Speaker Majority Leader
United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives
H-232, U.S. Capitol H-329, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor:
We, the undersigned Members of Congress, write to request the U.S. House of Representatives immediately take steps to hold a debate and floor vote on the President’s authority to continue the use of military force in Libya.
Under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war rests with Congress alone. The War Powers Act of 1973 further clarified the important separation of powers and checks and balances in these matters. Consideration of the President's continued military engagement in Libya is our responsibility as elected representatives in the U.S. Congress, and essential to reasserting the undisputed role and responsibility of the Legislative Branch in overseeing and providing for our nation's commitments while at war.
The United States has now been engaged militarily in Libya since March 19, 2011. While we firmly believe that a robust debate and up-or-down floor vote should have occurred in advance of U.S. military action in Libya, it is without question that such measures are still urgently required. Beyond defending Congressional authority in these matters, these deliberations are essential to ensuring that we as a country fully debate and understand the strategic goals, costs, and long-term consequences of military action in Libya.
Many questions remain unanswered regarding our short and long-term responsibilities in Libya as well as our strategy for ending U.S. military operations. The Department of Defense has indicated that the costs of U.S. military operations in Libya totaled $600 million in the first week alone, and are estimated to mount by as much as $100 million per week in the future. At a time of severe economic distress here at home, as well as in recognition of the continued strain on our military service members already engaged in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, these concerns are especially worthy of congressional deliberation.
It is our position that the President has a constitutional obligation to seek specific, statutory authorization for offensive military action, as he should have done with regard to U.S. military engagement in Libya. We look forward to working with you to address this matter on the House floor as soon as possible.
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