Members of the House Republican leadership announced today their intentions to move forward with a bill to defund the war in Libya, barring a major change of perspective from the Obama Administration, which yesterday claimed the war was immune to the War Powers Act requirement for Congressional support for deploying US troops overseas.
House Speaker John Boehner (R – OH) slammed the claim, insisting that the suggestion does not “pass the straight face test.” Indeed, the letter and spirit of the act, passed during the Vietnam War era, make the administration’s claim extremely difficult to understand.
Detailing next week’s House schedule, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R – VA) said it was possible that legislation about defunding the conflict could be moved on as soon as next week. An amendment barring spending military appropriations bill funding on the conflict already passed with strong bipartisan support.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted President Obama stands behind the claims about not needing Congressional approval, which are particularly perplexing since the administration previously cited the act’s 60-day grace period in justifying their lack of consultation.
