Tony Hall: “This bill is unnecessary. It is probably unconstitutional. And it will interfere with the President's ability to use…”

“This bill is unnecessary. It is probably unconstitutional. And it will interfere with the President's ability to use U.S. military troops for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions around the world. I am proud of the role that our service men and women have played saving lives and providing humanitarian relief around the world. I have been to Somalia, Bosnia, and other places where United States troops have worked with our allies to make extraordinary contributions to the peoples of those regions. I have seen the results of these missions with my own eyes. Starving people are fed, the sick are cared for, and the homeless provided shelter. These are good things that we should encourage. These kinds of missions not only help others. They can boost the morale of our own Armed Forces and provide valuable training. I fear this bill could greatly diminish the U.N. peacekeeping efforts and our ability to contribute to those efforts. There is no need to tie the President's hands with this bill. Moreover, this bill represents a dangerous overreach by Congress into the constitutional powers of the Commander in Chief.”