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Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) today voted in support of two resolutions concerning the ongoing U.S. military action in Libya. The House considered H. Res. 292, which declares that the President shall not deploy members of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Libya, and H. Con. Res. 51 which directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya, effectively ending the conflict. Both resolutions received substantial bipartisan support with the House approving the ban the use of ground troops but failing to pass an outright end to the conflict.

“The President failed to make a compelling case to Members of Congress and the American people regarding any imminent threat that Col. Gaddafi and his regime pose to the United States and our allies and make a cogent argument for putting our men and women in uniform in harm’s way,” said Congressman Posey. “Instead, the President chose to ignore Congress and commit our troops to a military effort which has no clear objective and has now collapsed into a civil war with little end in sight. We simply cannot afford to engage in a third military conflict, costing precious American lives and hundreds of millions of dollars, with no apparent mission, or threat to our national security and no real understanding of who we are actually helping.”

Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the President is required to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to battle. The War Powers Act also forbids military forces from remaining in the field longer than 60 days, with the allowance of a 30 day withdrawal period, without Congress declaring war or authorizing the use of military force. “The President has violated the War Powers Act by failing to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending our troops into action, and as of May 13th, he is in violation of the 60 day limitation as well,” concluded Posey.