Lugar, Kucinich turn up pressure on Obama over U.S. military operations in Libya

By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/23/11 06:04 PM ET

Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) on Monday evening turned up the pressure on the Obama administration to clarify the U.S. military mission in Libya.

Lugar sent a letter to Obama that insists the administration seek congressional approval for continued operations in Libya. Lugar's letter said the administration had informed Congress on Friday "indicating that U.S. military operations in Libya -- which since April 4 have included suppression and destruction of air defenses and precision strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles -- will continue beyond the 60 day deadline specified in the War Powers Resolution, even though Congress has not authorized these operations."

Lugar also said Congress continues to be under-informed about the mission in Libya, in particular because a planned closed-door briefing with Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright was "cancelled without explanation."

"This decision was particularly unfortunate given that your Administration declined the Committee’s request that a Defense Department official testify at its May 12 hearing on Libya," he said. "The one administration witness who did appear at that hearing -- Deputy Secretary Steinberg -- declined to answer questions about our military operations in Libya on the ground that such questions would be more appropriately answered by the Defense Department.

"These actions make it difficult to see as credible your Administration's professed commitment to consult closely with Congress on these matters," Lugar added.

Lugar did not threaten any particular action against the administration, but called on officials to fulfill their commitment under the WPA to "respect the role of Congress with regard to our policy in Libya, including timely consultation on, and seeking authorization for, any continuation of U.S. military operations."

In contrast, Rep. Kucinich on Monday introduced a resolution requiring the Obama administration to remove troops from Libya 15 days after it is adopted. The resolution cites the WPA as a legal basis for the resolution.

The WPA allows the president to make military decisions without congressional approval for 60 days in order to address imminent threats to the U.S., and many in Congress argue that with more than 60 days elapsed in Libya, the Obama administration needs congressional authority to continue military activities there. At the same time, Kucinich and other members have said the decision to send troops to Libya itself was inconsistent with the WPA, since the uprising in Libya had no immediate bearing on U.S. security.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) indicated on Monday that some form of Libya resolution would be attached to a bill funding the Defense Department in FY 2012, which the House will take up later in the week.