Defense

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on Thursday morning said he is not qualified to assess whether it makes tactical sense to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, and implied that others in Congress are equally unqualified due to the lack of information from the Obama administration.

"I don't yet know what's going on tactically on the ground," King said in a C-SPAN interview Thursday morning.

House Republicans have released two Libya resolutions that could be considered in the coming days

House Republicans will meet Wednesday to discuss two resolutions, one to authorize force in Libya, and another requiring a U.S. withdrawal

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Monday called on the Obama administration to end its counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan by criticizing it as not winnable and arguing that the U.S. should instead focus on counterterrorism efforts.

Menendez spoke just days before the Obama administration is expected to reveal just how many U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan in July. Up until now, the administration has hinted at a withdrawal of 5,000 troops, a number many who oppose current efforts there say is not enough.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said Friday he would push an amendment to the Department of Defense spending bill that would cut off all funds for military operations in Libya. The House is expected to begin consideration of the DOD bill next week.

Kucinich said his amendment would be the "first test" of whether Congress wants to defend its constitutional right to declare war.

The House next week is expected to begin work on a Department of Defense spending bill that would increase spending in several key areas, despite the broad Republican call to cut spending.

The bill, H.R. 2219, would set a base DOD budget of $530 billion, $17 billion more than fiscal 2011 but still about $9 billion less than the Obama administration requested.

The Obama administration on Wednesday released its much-anticipated report describing the scope of U.S. military operations in Libya and in it said the administration does not believe congressional authorization is needed under the War Powers Resolution to continue operations there.

"The President is of the view that the current U.S. military operations in Libya are consistent with the War Powers Resolution and do not under that law require further congressional authorization, because U.S. military operations are distinct from the kind of 'hostilities' contemplated by the Resolution's 60 day termination provision," the report said.

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) on Wednesday sharply criticized Iraq's refusal to help pay for the ongoing costs of U.S. military occupation in that country with oil revenues.

Speaking on the House floor, Poe said he raised this question with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his visit to Iraq last week, but was rejected.

"The war has cost billions [of dollars] and thousands of American lives," Poe said. "Since we are building Iraq, and have given them a free democracy, it seems only right that Iraq at least consider paying for part of the cost with future oil revenues.

Both members have argued that Obama failed to seek congressional authority for Libyan military actions

A bipartisan proposal would let the White House liquidate up to $10 billion in Libyan assets to spend on aid.