Lee seeks to block war against ISIS
According to The Hill, Democrat Congresswoman Barbara Lee has introduced legislation to block the deployment of more troops to Syria to fight ISIS.
“The bill I am introducing today prohibits the Department of Defense from funding any attempt by the administration to expand our presence in Syria by putting U.S. combat boots on the ground,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said in a statement to The Hill.
“It is our constitutional duty as members of Congress to place a check on the executive branch in matters of war and peace,” she said.
Lee was the lone lawmaker to vote against the authorization for the use of military force in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which has been used as the legal justification for the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Her bill has 16 original co-sponsors — all Democrats, except for Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.).
[…]
“We owe it to our brave service members to live up to our constitutional duty,” she said. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in preventing this president from sending our troops into yet another unchecked, ill-advised war without a full and robust debate from Congress.”
According to The Hill, her bill would forbid the Pentagon from sending troops to Syria for combat operations by cutting off funding for that endeavor as well as prohibiting them from hiring private contractors to do the job. I don’t remember her being so worried about the troops in the last eight years. I guess she’s afraid that this time there’s an administration in the seat that will let the troops win.
Category: Congress sucks
Are you sure that’s not ValJar Binks clone?
“…both sides of the aisle….”
What the DildoCrats say when they’re on the losing side of legislation. And the RINOs are stoopid enough to fall for it.
Another Shit hole that deserves not one American Nickel or one drop of American Blood.
That’s true, but I’d rather kill ISIS over there than leave them alone so they can bring the fight over here.
Europe is too easy and soft of a target.
ISIS wants bang for their buck. So we maybe #1 on their hit parade. Functionally they will concentrate there. We should focus intelligence on protecting us and quit being the Cop on the Block.
Do not fall for that fight them over there not here crap, because before you know it. The Bogey man will be every where and so will the troops.
“We cannot wait for problems to arrive here or it will be too late; rather we must remain strongly engaged in this complex world.” -Mattis
I did not say ignore it. I said troops do not belong there. Use intelligence assets to protect us from attack.
“The Great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign Nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. “-Washington
“Who the Fuck made Mattis the be all end all.”-ME
I dunno. It sounded good to me no matter who said it.
Use intelligence assets to protect us from attack? You mean like 9/11.
We had the info. It was correct. Good minded people tried to raise the alarm and self important dithering idiots either refused to listen or share the information. Remember the “Information Wall” between intelligence services.
Not much of a wall but rather a bunch of PC assholes that didn’t want to offend the Muslims and our ally Saudi Arabia
There’s a major difference between fighting the enemy (like what President Trump and General Chaos wish to do) and nation building (which is what the progressive libtard moonbats want to do).
What was the Provisional Government in Iraq? Headed by Paul Bremmer?
“If you break it, you must fix it.”-Colin Powell
AFG and IQ could have ended well before Obama took office.
Just sneak em in 20 at a time like the King did?
Mr. Taylor will be proud.
Is Berkeley in her district? He probably licks her campaign flyers.
Yep, no surprise there.
The “esteemed Member of Congress” has a point.
Absent a Congressional authorization, the POTUS doesn’t have the Constitutional authority to commit US forces to extended hostilities. Only the Congress has that authority, and they’ve let several past Administrations usurp that authority. The proposed legislation – along with Congress collectively growing a spine – would restore the proper balance regarding committing US forces to combat.
The “esteemed Member of Congress” is also a damned hypocrite for not introducing similar legislation within days of the former Occupant and SCoaMF, 1600 Penn Ave, Wash DC beginning his “adventures in Libya” in 2010. Or after he started playing favorites in the Syrian Civil War. Or after he committed US forces against ISIS.
So true on both fronts. The ease at which ALL Presidents use the military like a Personal Force is troubling, and if the Congresswoman wants to be treated and respected, she needs to call Balls and Strikes the same for both teams.
I don’t see that changing any time soon, absent a Supreme Court decision, which would have to be brought before them in the first place. Neither party wants to give up the ability to Executive Order whatever the hell they want when their guy puts his feet up on the Resolute Desk.
This. SO MUCH THIS.
The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), Pub. L. 107-40, codified at 115 Stat. 224 and passed as S.J.Res. 23 by the United States Congress on September 14, 2001, authorizes the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001 and any “associated forces”.
The totals in the Senate were: 98 Ayes, 0 Nays, 2 Present/Not Voting (Senators Larry Craig, R–ID, and Jesse Helms, R–NC). The totals in the House of Representatives were 420 ayes, 1 nay and 10 not voting (The sole nay vote was by Barbara Lee, D-CA).
That’s not an authorization for endless war and one might argue that hardly fits the constitutional model envisioned by the founders…Congress abdicates its authority as the sole declarer of hostilities by creating the war powers act and further abdicates its powers with idiotic resolutions instead of declarations of war…consequently our nation has been killing young men and women since 1946 without any formal declarations of war against sovereign nations….fucking lazy cowards not doing their jobs and our troops dying because of it. This is exactly what Eisenhower was talking about.
That is true. However, ISIL/ISIS/Daesh/whatever the hell they call themselves today did not exist in 2001. The argument that the 9/11 state of emergency covers a war against an entity that didn’t exist until a decade+ afterwards is weak at best. I personally find it ludicrous.
Though I’m repeating myself, I’ll say it again: the “esteemed Member of Congress” (and damned hypocrite) has a point: Congress – not the POTUS – has the Constitutional authority to commit US forces to war. Unfortunately, Congress would have to grow a spine to fix the current mess, and I’m not holding my breath.
I’d like a new AUMF that end the 9/11 AUMF and grants greater specificity and authority to the executive. It would be preferable, but I can’t argue that the authority to fight ISIS in Iraq, Syria, and Libya and other locations already exist.
However, ISIS grew out of AQ in Iraq which was long recognized by the USG as an “associated force”. Just because they changed their branding and split from main AQ HQs doesn’t give them a get out of jail free card from the 9/11 AUMF.
Think of this…..what if Bavaria seceded from Nazi Germany in WWII but still fought the US? Would we not bomb the Messershidt factory in Wurzburg because Bavaria wasn’t specified in the the December 41 declaration of war against Germany?
Note: While the Constitution gives Congress the Power to Declare War, it is silent on the mechanism Congress needs to use. The first AUMF was passed in 1801 for the Barbary Wars and has been an established and the preferred method Congress has used to authorize military action since the days of the founders.
True. However, the Congress also provided a separate authorization for the Second Barbary War, which occurred roughly 10 years later. Madison didn’t try to pull the “this is already authorized” rabbit out of a hat.
The connection between ISIL/ISIS/Daesh/whatever and the 9/11 attacks is so tenuous as to be a ridiculous justification for what are in realities new hostilities – e.g., a direct US intervention in the Syrian Civil War. If Congress want’s to approve that, well, OK; it’s within Congress’ authority to do so, whether I like it or not. But trying to claim the 9/11 AUMF as justification simply doesn’t pass the “smell test”.
It’s not just Syria. We bombed ISIS in Libya for 4 months, yet not a word from Congress.
Completely different subject, L4C. That’s simply another instance of Congress allowing the POTUS to usurp authority that the Constition doesn’t grant him.
The 1st Barbary War (against what is now Tripoli/Libya) was ended via a treaty in 1805 which was ratified by the Senate in April 1806, rendering the first AUMF null.
The 2nd Barbary War (against what is now Algeria) had a separate AUMF and was concluded by peace treaty ratified by the Senate.
Thanks for making my point for me.
The 2nd Barbary War was against Algiers, not Tripoli. So a second AUMF was required, regardless of the status of the AUMF relating to the 1st Barbary War.
Similarly, actions against Daesh are against a different entity than al Qaeda. Thus, a second AUMF is needed because the 9/11 AUMF logically is inapplicable.
All very true. While they are at it Congress can take back their sole authority to write laws and pull all “rule” making authority away from the faceless bureaucratic machine.
Wait, so we’re all for this Syria stuff now? Somebody explain to me again our desired end-state for that shithole? We don’t seem to like either of the major parties involved, so I’m sure that just as soon as we show up, the whole place will turn into a magical democracy that votes entirely with western interests in mind.
This “War on Terrorism” knows no end. Just my belief that we will never see a time of “peace” again. Ever.
Strictly speaking, we’ve rarely, if ever, seen a time of peace since long before 1775. Somebody has alway been fucking with us (e.g. islamic Barbary pirates), or us with them (the Indians), or somebody else’s war threatened to spill over onto us (e.g. Mexican Civil War) pretty much throughout history.
Of course, you’re right.
It’s just frustrating to no end.
Believe it was Joe Haldeman who said (paraphrased) that after millennia of unbroken warfare, in 1945, Man unleashed the most terrible and horrific weapon ever used, which so shocked and appalled all of mankind that it ceased its warlike ways – for 49 days at which time Ho Chi Minh decided to fire up a conflict in SouthEast Asia.
I’m all in favor of cleaning up ISIS and think we could find Syria a good place to start- as soon as we figure out who the good guys are and who is on our side. Which is to say, never.
She doesn’t want to send people over there? Why didn’t she say so over the past eight years? Just trying to understand, that’s all.
Now we have more people there than we did a while ago, Mosul is nearly in friendly hands, the ISers are trying to take over Kabul in Afghanistan.
I’m not crazy about ramping up this war, but mayhe it’s time the gloves came off? I don’t know any more. Dithering is what’s been going on since 2008. When does that stop?
Dithering Started in 2001. We are still in that Asshole fissure called Afghanistan.
The gloves were taken off in the Bush administration and really taken off during the past administration.
The ROE’s that our men and women were saddled with were terrible and led to more than twice as many deaths of our troops as anything else ever done in battle.
It is just like LBJ did in Vietnam by calling out targets that fit his political winds more than it fit the real targets that needed to be hit.
It was a true dereliction of duty on both his and those that put the chains on the hands of our brave military.
Not totally. Afg should not have been a fight, hold and rebuild. The Army should have been on one side, The Marines on the other and told to meet in the middle. From day one we were smart bombing because of the looks. We used AFG Nationals as allies for the look. Osama is Deadin escape Tora Bora because we did not have large scale forces at the ready, which could have ended that farce in 2002.
Totally agree, and both assholes used Contractors in order to say troop levels are only so high.
Atkron’s rule of war:
If you are going to put our sons and daughters in harm’s way; give them the ability to win unconditionally. Take the gloves off, and fight to win.
Our adventures in the middle east are counter-insurgency operations. At lest that’s what I have read. This requires gaining the support of the population. That is not accomplished by turning the whole place into a free-fire zone. That may involve increased friendly casualties. That’s the biz, sweetheart. Do it right or don’t do it at all.
Now you are learning
COIN is not doing it right.
COIN is also the Brain Child Patreus, stolen from Vietnam. Hearts and Minds Sweetheart.
Second, it is not our country so therefore it is not our insurgency. That would have to take place in America.
Okay, so which is the real answer?
1 – Go in and pulverize the place from the air, then follow-up with ground troops to clean up
or 2 – Just pack up everything, every screw and carriage bolt, leave behind a bunch of virus-laden jump drives and backups to foul up their entire system, and get out, period.
or 3) – Make a deal with Vlad Putin. He gets his shipping channels, we split the oil fields, and the rest of the world’s opinions can go pound sand.
Oh, just in case you guys are wondering, China’s getting nervous about Norkiland, and the Japanese just launched their biggest ship.
Who’s oil fields are you taking about?
Syria is .5% of the Worlds Oil.
If anybody is willing to make a deal with Putin it seems like Trump will be more than happy.
#2 Worked pretty well in Vietnam. Took many moons and lots of other peoples blood, but they are becoming more friendly and are helping counter balance China.
All the Middle Eastern oil fields, darlin’. I said a while back that the one person who buggered the entire world was T.E. Lawrence, when he was sent by the British Army to ‘appreciate’ what was going on with the Arabs, meaning Ibn Saud.
What is it about serial douchebag Dem politicians named Lee? Barbara Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee…is there some specific asshattery associated with that name?
The great Robert E Lee would be spinning in his grave to see these people besmirch his great name with such unbridled stupidity…
My thoughts, exactly!
I would like to say: Drop flyers, and make verbal announcements in all targeted cities that everything in that vicinity will die in 7 days.
Bring back that stalwart of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, known as Arc light, and exercise those venerable B-52’s (and I don’t mean Fred, Kate, Cindy, and Keith.
…but that would be me being flip, so I won’t say any of that.
Yeah, those B-52’s could use some flight time. One helluva bomb truck!
“We owe it to our brave service members to live up to our constitutional duty,” she said. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in preventing this president from sending our troops into yet another unchecked, ill-advised war without a full and robust debate from Congress.”
Unless, of course, a Democrat occupies the Oval Office. We didn’t hear a peep from the Left whenever Dear Leader sent U.S. forces into harm’s way.
The depth and breadth of this shameless Libotard hypocrisy is stunning.
“The depth and breadth of this shameless Libotard hypocrisy is stunning.”
It is. It truly is.
This Oxygen Thief is the poster-child for Washington, DC.
With a few exceptions …
“It is our constitutional duty as members of Congress to place a check on the executive branch in matters of war and peace,” she said.”
Does that include drone strikes?
That’s going to leave a mark.
Nah. The Left’s prime directive is, “OK for me, but not for thee.”
She must have seen this article in Reuters, and wants to join the parade of people who will work to block everything Trump wants to do. What an opportunity, to be on TV all the time!!!
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-lawyers-idUSKBN16K1MP
The full extent of my personal foreign policy on Syria goes something like this: “Europe’s Closer.”
Don’t worry guys–they got this. They’ll eventually have to, and while we wait for them to realize it, I’ll just put some popcorn.
You’re right, Reaperman. I think that Europe v Refugees is going to devolve into something akin to the Roman Circuses, except there won’t be any spectators.
I don’t think we should send troops to Syria either. Pull everyone out and let Assad and the Russians do it. They will be more brutal and get the job done faster without a left wing press crying over every knocked down door and hangnail
Either fight to win or get out. This death by a thousand cuts crap is to stupid for words.
(Pssst. Throw an extra “o” in there somewhere.)
Lee is a POS FAHKIN GUNT.