Congress Leaves Obama No Chance to Continue Military Operation in Libya

On Friday, the House of Representatives rejected the resolution authorizing the conduct of military operation in Libya. In this way, the members have fulfilled their promise made last week after announcing that the U.S. action in Libya was unlawful.

On June 24, the members of the House of Representatives voted against the resolution authorizing American military actions in Libya. Two hundred and ninety-five members voted against the motion, including around 70 supporters of the president from the members of the Democratic Party. Both parties harshly criticized earlier the actions of President Obama, who had decided to bring American troops to Libya without the prior consent of the American Congress.

We recall that on June 19, the time prescribed by legislation for submitting documents justifying the need for carrying out a war to Congress had expired. According to American law since 1973, the president should inform Congress about the beginning of military actions in the first 48 hours after the beginning of a military operation, and then within 60 days, obtain a permit from legislators on the use of armed forces outside the borders of the country.

“One of those laws is the War Powers Resolution, which requires an approving action by Congress or withdrawal within 90 days from the notification of a military operation,” Speaker of the House John Boehner acknowledged in a letter addressed to the president. According to the congressman’s convictions, the President should offer a legal basis for the United States “so that it may continue current operations” in Libya. Otherwise, legislators will turn to the courts to recognize that the President’s actions are illegal.

Now the Senate should address the resolution on the banning of the conduct of military operations. In the case that the upper house of Congress votes against this, the United States will be forced to limit itself in Libya to supporting actions, such as refueling aircraft, conducting reconnaissance, planning, and searching for the missing.

The decision to ban military actions was made for the first time by American lawmakers in 12 years. As the experts observe, this step will not lead to immediate change in U.S. involvement in the Libyan operation, but it appears to present its own challenge to the Commander in Chief. The last time something similar happened in the United States was in 1999. The president at that time, Bill Clinton, was denied the authority to conduct war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.