On the recordJune 24, 2011
I appreciate the chairlady for yielding me time on this issue. Mr. Speaker, going to war is a big deal. That's why our forefathers put within the Constitution that when America is to go to war it is Congress that is to lead that charge, that it is Congress to authorize America's going to war. That has been the law in the Constitution since it was written. Then came the War Powers resolution, and Congress decided that it would give a little of that constitutional authority to the President for a period of days until he justified his action before Congress. We can argue whether the War Powers resolution is constitutional or not. But in any event, Congress has not led America to war in Libya. The President has. The President made that decision. As James Madison, the author of the Constitution, said in a letter to Thomas Jefferson--and I paraphrase--it has been the history of peoples that it has been the executive branch that has led a country to war, and that's why our Constitution prevented kings and dictators and even Presidents from leading this country to war. It must be authorized by Congress. But now we find ourselves in America's third war--in Libya. The President took us to war. Now, on this day, we are being asked to support and justify that war in this resolution. I vote ``no'' on this resolution. We have no business in Libya. Even the administration has said it is not in the national security interest of the United States to be in Libya. So why are we there?…
