Speaker Boehner’s Libya Resolution Passes House

Speaker Boehner’s Libya House resolution H.R. 292 passed the House by a vote of 268 – 145 – 1 this past week. While many Republicans supported and voted for this bill on Friday, Congressman Allen West (R-FL) voted against it, and instead voted for Dennis Kucinich’s H. Con. Res. 51, The Kucinich War Powers Resolution. This resolution failed largely due to the intervention of Speaker Boehner, as noted in a FoxNews.com article:
Rep. Dennis  Kucinich (D-OH) authored a resolution a few weeks ago to require the  president to halt the involvement of the U.S. in the Libya conflict. Initially,  the House planned to consider the Kucinich resolution on Wednesday. But quickly,  the GOP leadership realized that if the House worked its will, it’s likely the  lawmakers would adopt Kucinich’s plan.
Even though many rank-and-file lawmakers agreed with Kucinich, the GOP  majority was reluctant to have a liberal, Democratic Congressman take the lead  on this issue. Secondly, some feared Kucinich’s resolution went too far,  mandating a withdrawal when Congress had failed to consult top commanders in the  field. Plus, House Republicans certainly didn’t want to debate the Libya issue  on the same day the entire GOP Conference huddled with Mr. Obama at the White  House on the debt ceiling. Third, there was worry that a U.S. withdrawal could  harm the viability of NATO. (emphasis mine)
Instead of adopting the Kucinich resolution and withdrawing the U.S. troops from Libya, ( that we are told are not really there) we see Speaker Boehner intervene with a resolution to “talk” about the issue instead of taking action. Seems like the time for talking was before we attacked a country who has not attacked anyone in NATO, as their charter states is the prerequisite for waging war on Libya. Using the White House meeting on the debt ceiling debate as an excuse to not address this situation immediately is bowing down to the bully pulpit of Barack Hussein Obama, and a disservice to America and the rule of law. Throw in here the fact that there was a worry that the withdrawl of troops in Libya would harm the viability of NATO, and we see just how incompetent our Congress has become today. The viability of NATO is already down to nothing when we consider the fact that NATO peacekeeping troops have been non-existent in the Middle East and North Africa, as these regions implode in a fireball of revolution and chaos. I find it to be hypocritical on how NATO refuses to intervene on the behalf of oppressed citizens whom are being murdered in many other countries, and yet they can wage an illegal war on Libya at the direction of Barack Hussein Obama. America is being used here once again, as the truth is that without the United States doing the bombing and killing in Libya, and thus footing the bill for the Libyan war action, NATO would not be there. Period. This is Obama’s war, and Congress and the War Powers Act of 1973 are irrelvelant.
In Former Military Commander and new Florida Congressman Allen West’s weekly eNewsletter we see exactly what a soldier who has been in two wars thinks of the recent House Libya war action resolutions:
Libya is falling apart, and I shall not support our President’s violation of our law, the War Powers Act of 1973. Speaker Boehner Resolution on Libya – On Friday, June 3, the House approved H. Res. 292 by a vote of 268-145-1, I was one of 10 Republicans who voted “No.”
The resolution would establish that the President has not asked for congressional authorization, and the Congress has not granted it.  H. Res. 292 would reassert Congress’ constitutional role on funding, would require the President to provide within 14 days information on the mission that should have been provided from the start, and would reaffirm the vote Congress took last week that says there should be no troops on the ground.  I voted “No” because we are all aware of these facts as we have seen the Libya operation reach Day 74, as of this vote. By law the President was to come to Congress at or near Day 60, which he did not do. The time for requesting more reports is long past. I shall not see us commit our most precious resources, the American fighting men and women, into another undefined combat theater of operations. Libya is becoming a classic “mission creep” operation.
– Kucinich War Powers Resolution – On
Friday, June 3, H. Con. Res. 51 failed to pass the House by a vote of 148-265, I voted “Yes.”  The bill would direct the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya within 15 days of adoption. This bill was in keeping with the letter of the law, the War Powers Act of 1973. ( emphasis mine)
Allen West Congressman West has not only taken a stand against the Obama administration’s illegal war action in Libya but has also also taken a stand against the cowardice of the establishment GOP in failing to denounce our involvement in the Libyan civil war today, their failure to demand it be stopped immediately.
**As a footnote here, just where is the anti-war faction of The Democratic Attack Machine and their masters in the media today? You know, the Liberal anti-war zealots who called G.W.Bush a war criminal for freeing millions of oppressed Iraqi citizens from the murderous Sadaam Hussein? When was the last time you heard anyone in the mainstream media denounce Barack Hussein Obama’s illegal war in Libya? The fact is that the D.A.M., led by the media have been largely silent about Obama’s newest war action. This type of hypocricy should be called out be all Americans, including our supposed GOP Leadership in Congress.

Support Conservative Daily News with a small donation via Paypal or credit card that will go towards supporting the news and commentary you've come to appreciate.

Rich Mitchell

Rich Mitchell is the editor-in-chief of Conservative Daily News and the president of Bald Eagle Media, LLC. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Bald Eagle Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and

Related Articles

One Comment

  1. Kudos for LTC-Rep West, for having the guts to stand up for what he knows is right, even if it came from a staunch liberal. Good-on-ya, sir!

    And shame on any congressperson who voted against the Kucinich bill based purely on partisan or political-positioning reasons. Mr Boehner should remember November, and realize that his party controls the House because the people are fed up with business-as-usual political maneuvering.

    They – WE – want representatives who will do the right thing, regardless of which party offers the solution, despite any upcoming no-related legislation. Pussy-footing around the issue because they didn’t want to jeopardize another debate, debt-ceiling or not, is pure political cowardice. Shame.

Back to top button