US House votes to defund Libya war

Washington, NU Online
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted on an amendment to a military appropriations bill banning the use of any government funding for the U.S. war in Libya.

Lawmakers adopted the Sherman Amendment by a vote of 248 to 163 late on Monday.

Politicians must still approve the appropriations bill as a whole and the measure must still be approved by the Senate.

A number of American Congressmen are increasingly frustrated with President Obama's decision to go to war with Libya without seeking congressional authorization.

Under U.S. law any president should seek congressional approval for combat on foreign land and is obligated to withdraw U.S. forces within 60 days if Congress does not authorize the use of force.

The war in Libya has been illegal under the War Powers Act of 1973 since May 20, when President Obama missed the 60 day deadline for obtaining congressional consent for the conflict.

A number of anti-war representatives have pushed measures in the House pressuring President Obama to provide a compelling rationale for the continuation of U.S. military involvement in Libya.

In a letter sent to the White House on Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner warned of the legality of the U.S. military involvement in Libya, saying the upcoming weekend will mark 90 days from the first U.S. air strikes on the country.

FACTS & FIGURES

Rep. Brad Sherman introduced an amendment to the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs (VA) appropriations bill, less than two weeks after he forced a similar vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill. On June 2, the House narrowly rejected Sherman's language in a 208-213 vote. The Hill

Six in 10 Americans don't think the U.S. should be involved in Libya, according to a new CBS News poll. That includes majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. The Atlantic

A Pentagon memo shows that the cost of America's involvement in the war in Libya is around $2 million per day, putting the cost well ahead of previous estimates of $40 million a month to more like $60 million a month. Antiwar

U.S. President Barack Obama has acknowledged that there was a "stalemate" on the ground in Libya.

NATO is taking the lead on the bombing campaign against Libyan forces, but the U.S. is providing key intelligence and military support. Politico

Richard Haas, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations has said, "We should push hard for a ceasefire, and do what we can to save as many lives as possible, even if that means for the time being having Gaddafi remain in power and have the country effectively divided." Scrollpost.com. (pt/dar)