Wendy Sherman: “We will soon vote on an amendment which I offered last night. It simply says that none of the funds in this…”

“We will soon vote on an amendment which I offered last night. It simply says that none of the funds in this appropriations bill can be used in contravention of the War Powers Resolution, which is the law of the land, Public Law 93-148. The law of the land states that the President can deploy troops but then must seek congressional authorization and must withdraw within 60 days if he doesn't get it. Why do we need to add to this bill a provision that says the President can't spend money in violation of existing law? Because the President has asserted that resolutions of the United Nations or discussions with Members of Congress substitute for congressional authorization. Why are we voting on this now? It has been ruled by the parliamentarian to be germane. We are voting now because Congress should take a stand before we take our 1-week break. Even if you agree with everything that is happening in Libya, and we all long for democracy and the rule of law in Libya, this is a vote about democracy and the rule of law in the United States. This is our chance to simply say the President, even the President, must follow law. Please join with me, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. McGovern in supporting the Sherman amendment. ____________________”