URGENT: Libya Vote TOMORROW – Wednesday, June 1

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya by not later than the date that is 15 days after the date of the adoption of this concurrent resolution.”  H.CON.RES.51.IH

Rep. Dennis Kucinich has introduced H.Con.Res.51, a resolution ordering President Obama to withdraw armed forces from the war on Libya. This resolution is scheduled for a House vote TOMORROW, Wednesday June 1.

There is bipartisan skepticism toward U.S. intervention in Libya’s civil war. We strongly encourage you to tell your Representative and Senators to support this resolution using DownsizeDC.org’s “Stay out of Libya” campaign.

The hard-wired message states, “Please end the President’s intervention in Libya’s civil war.”

To this I added these personal comments, which you may borrow from or copy . . .

I support Rep. Kucinich’s H.Con.Res.51, a resolution that directs the President to remove our military from Libya.

The President violated the Constitution and launched this war with no form of Congressional authorization whatsoever.

Even AFTER launching the war, the President has never explained how this war impacts U.S. security interests. Perhaps even the President realizes it is AGAINST our interests because . . .

 1) We can’t afford this war
 2) It exposes Americans to terrorist retaliation

The President also changed the stated reason for the war, from protecting civilians to regime change. Bad as Gadhafi is, we have no idea whether a replacement regime will be any better. Moreover, the U.S. is trapped into a policy that will achieve neither victory, nor an end to the war . . .

 * It is difficult to impossible to defeat a country by air power alone, and yet . . .
 * The House already voted 416-5 to prohibit the introduction of ground troops, meaning . . .
 * The only strategy is more bombing, which will likely result in more civilian deaths — the very thing the President originally claimed he wanted to prevent

BUT HERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART . . . 

The 60-day deadline imposed by the War Powers Act came and went on May 20. This war is no longer legal!

Yet Congress has failed to act, one way or another. The House has ignored a request by the Obama Administration to endorse this intervention; it’s as if Congress wants to remain silent and let this war go away. (http://thehill.com/homenews/house/163379-house-lawmakers-ignore-presidents-request-on-libya)

Congress can no longer sit on the fence. You must tell the President to end this war. When you do so, it will send a powerful message to your constituents, and to the world, that you . . .

 * Support the rule of law
 * Oppose intervention in countries where U.S. security interests are not at stake

But if you refuse to direct the President to withdraw the military from Libya, YOU are breaking the law — a law passed with a supermajority, over President Richard Nixon’s veto. The War Powers Act will be a dead article, and you will have killed it, without the benefit of a proper, legal process. 

The U.S. will be STRONGER and MORE SECURE when we stop meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. That’s why I hope you’ll do the right thing, and support H.Con.Res.51

END LETTER

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Thanks for your help!

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

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