Senator Tom Udall (D. NM), who is a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, has been pushing legislation to stop President Barack Obama from ordering U.S.
military action in Syria:
http://www.worldtribune.com/...
The legislation would prevent the Defense Department and the intelligence community from spending any funding approved by Congress for operations in Syria.
“No funds made available to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, or any other agency or entity of the United States involved in intelligence activities may be obligated or expended for the purpose of, or in a manner which would have the effect of, supporting, directly or indirectly, military or paramilitary operations in Syria by any nation, group, organization, movement, or individual,” the legislation,
introduced on June 20, said.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, Sen. Tom Udall, Sen. Mike Lee and Sen. Rand Paul, three of whom are members of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. Murphy, Paul and Udall cast the lone opposing votes in
the committee in a vote to authorize President Barack Obama to equip and
train the Sunni rebels. - World Tribune, 6/26/13
Here's what Udall and his co-sponsors have to say about their bill an the situation:
I am deeply disturbed by the current situation in Syria and atrocities committed by President Assad's regime and other militant groups inside Syria. The ongoing humanitarian tragedy deserves the attention of the international community.
But there are too many questions about how the president's decision to arm the Syrian rebels will be handled, and unfortunately many of those answers are being kept secret. We don't know where the money is coming from, who the arms are going to, and whether the arms are going to individuals who have the capabilities to maintain a chain of custody of those weapons. This would not be acceptable in any standard sale of weapons to another government and should definitely not be acceptable for sales to rebel groups we know little about.
We need to place a check on the President's unilateral decision to arm the rebels, while still preserving humanitarian aid and assistance to the Syrian people, and that is why I'm introducing this bill.
Bottom line: We should not get involved in another civil war in the Middle East without a clear national security interest. - Senator Tom Udall (D. NM)
I’m deeply skeptical about plans for military intervention in Syria,
given the dangerously fractured state of the opposition, and the very real
risk of American weapons and money falling into the hands of the same
terrorist organizations we’re already fighting around the world. - Senator Chris Murphy (D. CT)
The conflict in Syria has been going on for over two years, yet there are many questions surrounding the composition and goals of Syrian opposition groups and the interests of U.S. national security that need answers. Any military involvement in Syria, including the arming of Syrian rebels, needs to be authorized through Congress, where concerns can be publicly debated and the American people can have a say. We have to ensure that we are not arming extremist groups who seek to cause chaos in the region and harm the United States and our allies. The long-term objectives of increased involvement in Syria are vague, as are the necessary commitments and costs. The United States cannot be involved in more nation building in the Middle East. - Senator Mike Lee (R. UT)
The president's unilateral decision to arm Syrian rebels is incredibly disturbing, considering what little we know about whom we are arming. Engaging in yet another conflict in the Middle East with no vote or Congressional oversight compounds the severity of this situation. The American people deserve real deliberation by their elected officials before we send arms to a region rife with extremists who seek to threaten the U.S. and her allies. - Senator Rand Paul (R. KY)
Glad to see Senators stand up on this issue. Udall's bill is starting gain some traction among his colleagues in the House:
http://vtdigger.org/...
Rep. Peter Welch joined with Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY), Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) at a press conference today to unveil bipartisan legislation to block U.S. military intervention in Syria without an affirmative vote of Congress.
Specifically, Welch and his colleagues’ bill would require military intervention in Syria, including military assistance, to first be authorized by a joint resolution of Congress. It would exempt ongoing humanitarian assistance from the requirement of Congressional approval.
“It is vitally important that we recognize the lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Welch. “Syria is in a brutal and tragic civil war the roots of which go back hundreds of years. To the extent that America can help with humanitarian assistance to ease this tragic refugee crisis, we should do so. But sending military assistance to Syrian rebels, or intervening directly in this conflict, will lead to the Americanization of this Sunni-Shia conflict. If America walks down this path, Congress and the American people should first be part of a vigorous debate. Congress has the constitutional responsibility to authorize any action and it should do its job.” - VT Digger, 6/27/13
There's some actual Republican support for such legislation. Rep. Thomas Massie (R. KY) is leading efforts with his GOP colleagues:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/...
Joined by Republican Representatives Justin Amash (Mich.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Ted Yoho (Fla.), Phil Roe (Tenn.), Mo Brooks (Ala.), Joe Pitts (Penn.), Mark Meadows (N.C.), Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.), and Louie Gohmert (Texas), Representative Massie introduced H.R. 2507, a measure that points out the president’s violation of the separation of powers — particularly regarding the authority to declare war — in the supplying of military arms and funds to Syrian forces opposing the al-Assad government.
As Massie explained in a statement announcing the bill:
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress — not the President — the power to declare war. But the President recently announced his intention to send arms to the rebels in Syria fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. H.R. 2507, the War Powers Protection Act of 2013, prohibits any military assistance to Syrian opposition forces unless Congress issues a formal declaration of war pursuant to Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.
Since our national security interests in Syria are unclear, we risk giving money and military assistance to our enemies. Additionally, all military action must be authorized by Congress. The American people deserve open debate by their elected officials.
Justin Amash, one of the bill’s cosponsors, echoed Massie’s understanding of the Constitution and the power to declare war:
The Constitution empowers Congress — and only Congress — to declare war. Congress has not declared war against Syria or otherwise authorized force in that country, yet the President unilaterally has decided to arm the Syrian rebels. His action is unconstitutional and must be stopped. - The New American, 6/28/13
Glad to see support gaining but when will such legislation be even brought up in the House?
http://www.worldbulletin.net/...
House Speaker John Boehner told a seperate press conference that it was too soon to discuss such a vote.
"I think that the United States has a strategic interest in what happens in Syria. We all would like to see Assad go. We'd also like to see a democratically elected government there," said Boehner. "And so for our interests and to support our allies in the region, I'm going to continue to work with the president on responsible steps that we can take to protect our interests."
On the resolution, he said, "I don't know that we are ready for that conversation because the president has not suggested any specific steps forward at this point and so there is really nothing yet to vote on." - World Bulletin, 6/28/13
If you would like to get more information, please contact Senator Udall and his colleagues for more details:
Udall: (202) 224-6621
Murphy: (202) 224-4041
Lee: (202) 224-5444
Paul: (202) 224-4343
And if you would like to donate to Udall's re-election campaign, you can do so here:
https://secure.tomudall.com/...