Lawmakers File Suit Against Obama Over Libya

By Jon E. Dougherty at 15 Jun 2011

(Newsroom America) -- A group of U.S. lawmakers have filed suit against President Barack Obama, accusing him of violating federal statutes over continued military operations against Libya.

The suit alleges that Obama made an illegal end-run around Congress when he committed U.S. military forces in Libya.

"With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated. We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who led the 10-member group with Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.

News of the suit comes as the administration is expected to deliver a widely anticipated report on Libya to Congress.

Kucinich said the lawsuit challenges Obama's "circumvention of Congress and its use of international organizations such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to authorize the use of military force abroad."

The suit also asks a judge to prevent the president from conducting further operations without the consent of legislators.

The Constitution reserves the right to declare war against another nation to Congress, but the War Powers Resolution, passed in the waning years of the Vietnam War, gives a president the authority to launch military operations for 90 days, after which he must obtain congressional authority to continue.

The 90-day window expires Friday. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Obama Tuesday explaining the provisions of the War Powers act and asking for justification from the president to continue Libyan operations.

NATO has been given control of the mission there, where British and French forces have assumed the brunt of the air campaign aimed at assisting rebels battling dictator Moammar Gadaffi's troops.

Included in Kucinich's group are Democrats John Conyers of Michigan and Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, as well as Republicans Howard Coble of North Carolina, John Duncan of Tennessee, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, Ron Paul of Texas, Tim Johnson of Illinois and Dan Burton of Indiana, Politico.com reported.

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