David Skaggs: “Mr. Speaker, of course we want to support American troops as they carry out this dangerous and important mission. But…”

“Mr. Speaker, of course we want to support American troops as they carry out this dangerous and important mission. But let us not lose sight of the sad fact that President Clinton has acted in violation of the Constitution in ordering these attacks without authority of Congress. And let us not forget as well that the decision to go to war is vested in Congress and not in the Commander in Chief and that we too share the blame for this violation of the Constitution because we have time and again defaulted in our responsibility and obligation to insist on our proper constitutional role. The President, to the extent that he relies on a strict reading of the Constitution for other purposes, would be well advised to adhere to a strict reading of the war powers clause as well. But instead this administration engages in a contrived bit of legal sophistry to conjure up a pretext of legality where none exists. Shame on him. And shame on us for letting other Presidents and this one take away one of the most important powers vested in Congress, which the American people have a right to expect us, here, to exercise in their behalf.”