Rob Andrews: “I have a very different interpretation than he put on this resolution. The statement that our role is finished after…”

“I have a very different interpretation than he put on this resolution. The statement that our role is finished after this week as a Congress, I do not read the resolution that way, in two very important respects. The first is that the resolution explicitly references the War Powers Act and the reporting requirements that the President has under that act to come back to this body, consult with us and pay due homage to our co-equal constitutional responsibilities. Second, obviously the appropriations process is an ongoing process that gives us a frequent and important role in assessing the decisions that the executive branch makes. I would also say that the reference to the language of 'as the President determines,' it is important to understand what precedes that language. What precedes it is an exhaustion, a complete playing out of the United Nations process and the weapons inspection process that so many people wish to see. This was an important improvement in this resolution that the majority leader of the Democratic Party was successful in negotiating.”