House progressives challenge Biden's 'unauthorized' mideast militarism
A handful of progressive Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday accused President Joe Biden of violating the Constitution and the War Powers Act by deploying U.S. troops to help Israel's war effort and urged his administration to pursue "de-escalatory action" in the Middle East.
"We are deeply concerned about the increasing role and involvement of the U.S. armed forces in expanding wars across the Middle East," Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), and André Carson (D-Ind.)—who all sponsored last year's " Cease-fire Now" resolution—wrote in a letter to Biden.
This includes the deployment of U.S. commandos and intelligence officers to Israel just days after last year's Hamas-led attack that left more than 1,100 Israelis and foreign nationals dead—some of them killed fratricidally—and over 240 others taken prisoner, as well as a crew to operate an anti-ballistic missile battery following Iran's barrage against Israel last month.
"Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution," the lawmakers wrote. "As Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 makes abundantly clear, Congress holds the power to direct the removal of any armed forces engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization."
"Absent an imminent or actual sudden attack on the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces, the executive branch may not introduce U.S. armed forces into hostilities without Congress' prior approval," they stressed.
The letter—which came shortly before Election Day and is backed by over a dozen peace, progressive, and faith-based groups—continues: "This current involvement, and any additional involvement or deployment, of the armed forces in the Israeli government's expanding regional war fall under the definition of 'hostilities' in the War Powers Resolution and are not in response to an imminent or actual attack against the United States," the lawmakers wrote. "As such, these actions are unauthorized and are subject to Congress' authorities pursuant to the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution."
The legislators ask Biden to explain his administration's "legal or constitutional justification" for "proposed hostilities" against Iran, whether the U.S. is "providing military services of any nature" for Israel, and for clarification of claims that U.S. attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen were conducted in accordance with the Constitution's self-defense authority.
The lawmakers stressed: "These destructive wars must end, as must any unauthorized U.S. involvement in them," the letter concludes. "The American public deserves a say on the issue of war. Thus, Congress' involvement and debate are necessary. Every day that passes without a cease-fire produces catastrophic loss of life and threatens further death and destruction. We have an obligation to both the living and the dead to put an immediate end to this devastation."
Source: Commondreams.org
