Rep. Jones introduces bill to limit president's war powers

October 25, 2007 - 7:10PM


WASHINGTON — Rep. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina has introduced a bill to prevent the use of U.S. military force in war without the consent of Congress.

The bipartisan legislation would amend the United States War Powers Resolution of 1973, which was passed in response to the extended Vietnam War.

Jones submitted the bill Sept. 25 and announced it Thursday at a press conference with three of five co-sponsors. One of them, Rep. Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts, a Democrat, is a member of the House subcommittee on foreign affairs which will first hear the bill. Also present were Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, both Republicans. The other co-sponsors are Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii and and Rep. Robert Brady of Pennsylvania, both Democrats.

The bill would prevent U.S. involvement in another long war without congressional approval. But Jones said it was not drafted in response to last week’s “World War III” comment by President George Bush or to new numbers released this week by the Congressional Budget Office putting the cost of the Iraq War through 2008 at $610 billion and predicting a cost through 2017 of as much as $2.4 trillion.

“This has nothing to do with Iraq,” said Jones, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and was one of the first Republican congressmen to oppose the war in Iraq.

“This has to do with the Constitution and it has to do with the future,” said Jones. “From what I have seen Congress has not met its constitutional duty regarding oversight.”
....

http://www.newbernsj.com/news/bill_37205___article.html/war_jones.html

Yeah--it has everything to do with IRAN!!!!

ok, maybe i'm being cynical, but i imagine the repugs will try to take back all those 'rights' that dubya gave himself.

ellen fl

Because they have been. Even when the GOP had the majority, they had Fristie and Fatboy Hastert doing the White House's bidding, not doing the bidding of the GOP majority (Bush spent like a drunken sailor, the GOP was the party of 'Screw you--drown the government in the bathtub!'). It was bad enough for the GOP Congress rolling over for Bush and Cheney all the time, but at least in the majority there were some great perks. Now, they have to roll over in the minority, and there's no perks. The old shoe is on the other foot, and it pinches. The Democrats, OTOH, have a thin majority, they're pragmatic, they know they won't have it forever, and their memories of being in the minority haven't deserted them.

This is an overdue measure--it will be interesting to see if it goes anywhere, and if a bipartisan effort will override the inevitable Bush veto. If the Congress can get this baby moving, presents it to the president, and after he vetoes it, overrides, they will be viewed as relevant once more.

war with Iran:

I'm the person who gets to decide, not you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3648220

glad we have conservative Republicans doing our job now.