On the recordJune 3, 2011
The first airstrikes against Libya were launched in March. Now it is June. Seventy-six days after this mission began, Congress still hasn't been given an opportunity to vote for or against a declaration of war. Every Member of this body, regardless of individual feelings, should demand--demand--that their constitutional authority be respected. The engagement in Libya is lingering without accountability or checks on Presidential power, without a vigorous debate about the consequences of our actions. What is the endgame? What is the timetable? What are the metrics or benchmarks of success? With the United States already fighting in two theaters, with the human and financial costs of Iraq and Afghanistan mounting every day-- $10 billion a month alone in Afghanistan, our military is stretched to its breaking point. We simply cannot take on a third war. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
