[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Pressure Congress to Debate Libya

Tue Mar 22 16:51:49 CDT 2011

The resolution referenced here, introduced by Ron Paul and supported by
Conyers, Honda, etc., currently only has 7 co-sponsors, but I think that is
overwhelmingly the result of the fact that you can't add co-sponsors when
the House is out of session, as it has been since the bombing started.

Given Tim's statement to the News-Gazette, I can't imagine why he wouldn't
agree to co-sponsor Ron Paul's resolution, which is more modest than what he
has in mind.

In any event, we are doing this mainly as a hook to get people to write
Congress this week against the Administration's decision to go to war
without Congressional authorization; I expect there may be a flurry of
initiatives when the House returns, but you can't introduce anything when
the House is out of session, and as far as I know, the Paul resolution was
the only thing introduced before the recess.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 4:15 PM
Subject: Pressure Congress to Debate Libya
To: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com

 [image: Just Foreign
Policy]<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justforeignpolicy.org>

Dear Robert,

*Urge your Representative to affirm that U.S. military action in Libya must
have Congressional authorization by supporting H. Con. Res. 31.
*

[image: Take Action]<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justforeignpolicy.org%2Fact%2Fdebatelibya>

Whatever one thinks of the present U.S. military intervention in Libya,
President Obama has set a dangerous precedent by embarking on a major
military operation in Libya without Congressional authorization.

If President Obama can bomb Libya without Congressional authorization, then
President Palin can bomb Iran without Congressional authorization.

Eight Members of the House have brought forward H. Con. Res. 31, a
bi-partisan resolution affirming that the President must obtain specific
statutory authorization for the use of U.S.Armed Forces in response to civil
unrest in Libya.

*Would you ask your Representative to join them in affirming that U.S.
military action in Libya must have Congressional authorization?*

*http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/debatelibya<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justforeignpolicy.org%2Fact%2Fdebatelibya>
*

The House is not in session this week. But Congressional offices are open;
indeed, sometimes it's easier to get the attention of staffers during recess
when they are not as busy. This is a good time to let your Representative
know that you want him or her to speak up on the new war in Libya, and the
need for Congressional authorization, so that when they are back in session,
they are ready to take action.

The price tag for the first day of the war was well over $100 million for
missiles alone, and costs could easily pass $1 billion, the National Journal
reported. [1] Despite earlier reports that no U.S. planes would be flying
over Libya, a U.S. warplane has already crashed in Libya. [2] It is past
time for Congressional debate on U.S. military intervention in Libya.

John Larson, chair of the Democratic Caucus in the House, organized a
meeting on Libya with nine House Democrats who "all strongly raised
objections to the constitutionality of the president's actions," the *
Politico* reported. [3]

On the Republican side, Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Member on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, told CBS's *Face the Nation* on Sunday that if
the United States is going to war with Libya, it ought to have a declaration
of war by Congress. [4]

In December 2007, as a candidate for President, then-Senator Obama said the
President needs Congressional approval to bomb countries that are not posing
an imminent threat to the United States. He said, “the President does not
have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military
attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent
threat to the nation.” [5]

*Barack Obama was right in 2007. Congress must have a say in any new war.
Urge your Representative to affirm its Constitutional right, using the link
below.*

*http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/debatelibya<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.justforeignpolicy.org%2Fact%2Fdebatelibya>
*

Thank you for all you do to help bring about a just foreign policy,

Robert Naiman, Chelsea Mozen, Sarah Burns, Megan Iorio and Kate Gould
Just Foreign Policy

*Please support our work.* Your donation allows us to promote opportunities
for Americans to advocate for a just foreign policy.
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*

References:

1. "Costs of Libya Operation Already Piling Up," Megan Scully, National
Journal, Monday, March 21, 2011,
http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/costs-of-libya-operation-already-piling-up-20110321<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=6&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationaljournal.com%2Fnationalsecurity%2Fcosts-of-libya-operation-already-piling-up-20110321>
2. "American Warplane Crashes in Libya as Ground Fighting Continues,"
Elisabeth Bumiller, Kareem Fahim and Alan Cowell, New York Times, March 22,
2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/world/africa/23libya.html<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2011%2F03%2F23%2Fworld%2Fafrica%2F23libya.html>
3. "Liberal Democrats in uproar over Libya action," John Bresnahan &
Jonathan Allen, Politico, 3/19/11,
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51595.html<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fnews%2Fstories%2F0311%2F51595.html>
4. "Lugar on Face the Nation - Libya," March 20, 2011,
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DTJqvv0V8rvU>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJqvv0V8rvU
5. "Barack Obama's Q&A, Charlie Savage, Boston Globe, December 20, 2007,
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/CandidateQA/ObamaQA/<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=10&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F2008%2Fspecials%2FCandidateQA%2FObamaQA%2F>

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