Rep. Garrett Statement on Possible Military Intervention in Syria
Aug 30, 2013
U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett of Wantage is the only New Jersey House member so far to sign a letter asking President Obama to seek Congressional authorization before launching a possible military strike in Syria.
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), founder and Chairman of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, issued the following statement regarding a possible United States military intervention in Syria.
“Any time our servicemen and women are sent into combat, the president must receive authorization from Congress. The United States Congress has the sole authority to send the American military into combat—not the United Nations or any other international institutions.
Engaging our military in Syria without prior congressional authorization—when no direct threat to the United States exists—would violate the separation of powers clearly outlined by the Constitution. If President Obama thinks it is in the best interest of the United States to intervene militarily in Syria, he must come to Congress and seek authorization.”
According to the Constitution, the power of declaring war is that of Congress. The Obama administration has gone overboard when it suggests the President can get us involved in small (at least in the outset) military conflicts anywhere and anytime it pleases without seeking congressional authorization. Particularly when the target of planned attacks is not a bunch of non-state actors like al Qaeda, but instead is a sovereign nation with a recognized governmental structure and full UN membership, not getting congressional approval in advance is unthinkable. Scott Garrett, you are a smart and brave man with integrity and a sound understanding of the Constitution and I’m proud to have you as my Congressman.
Isn’t the President seeking the approval of congress?? What am I missing here?
They must be thinking about Bush
Have to disagree with the weak-kneed liberals and conservatives here — the President is the commander in chief and can use military force accordingly. Congress has power to declare war, and it can cut appropriations for the military as it sees fit. Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2 and Obama have used the military accordingly.
If the message is to tell the world we will vehemently respond to chemical warfare, Obama should have acted on day 1. My opinion is he was weak not to do so. Not sure what Congressional debate is going to do now. Wish Garrett would get off his fat rear end and urge action — If the situation is as dire as suggested by the letter signed by him and others, they should all be back in Washington now doing something. Sick of seeing Democrats and Republicans do nothing but urge inaction.
and the upside to the US for bombing Syria is ???????????????????????????????
As a country we got involved in the Korean civil war, the Vietnamese civil war, and we lost thousands of our service men + women, lets learn a lesson from that and stay out of another civil war, after all the rest of the world is staying out why do we have to be the worlds 911 force.