Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Congress, Time to Declare War?

Growing up I was taught that Congress had the ultimate responsibility and power to declare the United States at war. I found later that I was wrong, in that through numerous conflicts and "wars", Congress has not declared war, a single time in my lifetime. I wondered how Presidents could embrace such power and Congress could give up such power. Regardless of whether the president, the people, or I supported the war, Congress, I was taught was the final arbeiter on whether we were officially "at war."  I still believe that congress should debate with much deference to the commander in chief, whether we are at war.  Cowards and enabelers that they are, congress will probably decide to abrogate their responsibility and leave it to the president once again.
You go Kucinich, Grayson, Paul, et al!
Bipartisan House Group Pushing For Enforcement Of War Powers Act: "If a war is being waged without a declaration, the War Powers Act allows any representative to introduce a joint resolution forcing the House Committee on Foreign Relations to vote on that resolution within 15 days; Kucinich is hoping to force such a vote. The resolution would then be sent back to the House floor.
'Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States makes it Congress' responsibility to determine whether or not we go to war or stay at war. Consistent with Article 1, Section 8, the privileged resolutions will invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973. I ask for your support of these resolutions, which will be introduced in the House in January,' Kucinich wrote to his colleagues last week.
Grayson and six other Democrats have signed on to his resolution, including Reps. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Bob Filner (D-Calif.), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Eric Massa (D-N.Y.).
The five Republicans include Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Ed Whitefield (R-Ky.) and Timothy Johnson (R-Ill.)."

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