House Demands Answers on Libya
The House on Friday harshly rebuked President Barack Obama’s handling of the conflict in Libya and demanded the White House provide Congress with a formal justification within 14 days.
On a bipartisan 268-145 vote, the House approved Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) resolution rebuking Obama and calling for him to give Congress the reasons the United States joined a NATO-led campaign that has seen U.S. war planes bombing Libyan government and military sites. The NATO mission began in response to international concerns that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was attacking unarmed civilians and protesters, but the conflict has evolved into a civil war.
A more aggressive resolution authored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) failed on a 148-265 vote. But Kucinich’s measure, which would have required the U.S. to stop Libyan operations within 15 days, did attract 87 Republicans — a testament to the increasingly anti-war sentiment in Congress.