Political Quotes

“Let me thank my colleague for yielding. Let me say that I am disappointed that we have reached this point here today. Mr. Speaker, it didn't have to come to this. Nearly 100 days ago, the President initiated a strike against Libya without consultation from the Congress and without prior explanation to the American people. Then, as now, we all supported the removal of the regime of Libya, a regime that was slaughtering and is slaughtering its own people. Yet rather than seek regime change from the start, the President chose to follow, not lead, and pursued a strictly humanitarian mission under the banner of the United Nations, with no plan for Colonel Qadhafi's removal. So at the outset, we asked some very straightforward questions for the President: Why isn't removing Qadhafi a part of this mission? What if he doesn't leave? Who are the rebels that we are there helping to fight? How long is this going to last and at what cost? And what does success look like? These were questions that the administration would not, or could not, answer. Under our Constitution, the Commander in Chief has the authority to take actions necessary to protect our national security. This is an authority which I and this House respect, but it does not free the President from accountability to the American people, to this Congress, or to the rule of law. Now, whatever your opinion of the War Powers resolution may be, the fact is it is the law of the land and simply cannot be ignored.…”