[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 148 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 148

 Calling on the President to submit to Congress a detailed description 
  of United States policy objectives in Libya, both during and after 
    Muammar Qaddafi's rule, and a plan to achieve them, and to seek 
   congressional authorization for the use of military force against 
                                 Libya.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 2011

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Lee, Mr. Roberts, 
and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the President to submit to Congress a detailed description 
  of United States policy objectives in Libya, both during and after 
    Muammar Qaddafi's rule, and a plan to achieve them, and to seek 
   congressional authorization for the use of military force against 
                                 Libya.

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, protests against longtime Libyan dictator Muammar 
        Qaddafi began in Benghazi, Libya, following the arrest of human rights 
        advocate Fathi Tarbel;
Whereas, on March 10, 2011, rebels in Libya, armed with outdated anti-aircraft 
        guns and facing overwhelming firepower from Qaddafi forces, were forced 
        to retreat from strongholds in eastern Libya, while doctors in Libya 
        reported that civilian casualties had doubled, mostly as the result of 
        airstrikes ordered by Qaddafi;
Whereas, on March 10, 2011, France became the first country to recognize the 
        Libyan Transitional National Council, organized by the Libyan rebel 
        leadership, as the legitimate Government of Libya;
Whereas, on March 12, 2011, Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab League, 
        announced, ``The Arab League has officially requested the United Nations 
        Security Council to impose a no-fly zone against any military action 
        against the Libyan people.'';
Whereas, on March 16, 2011, Muammar Qaddafi's forces neared the rebel stronghold 
        of Benghazi, and Saif al-Islam, Qaddafi's son, vowed that ``everything 
        will be over in 48 hours'';
Whereas, on March 16, 2011, following United Nations Security Council 
        negotiations, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan 
        Rice announced United States support for a no-fly zone, stating, ``But 
        the U.S. view is that we need to be prepared to contemplate steps that 
        include, but perhaps go beyond, a no-fly zone.'';
Whereas, on March 17, 2011, the United Nations Security Council voted to approve 
        a no-fly zone over Libya, passing United Nations Security Council 
        Resolution 1973, which authorized ``all necessary measures'' to protect 
        civilians;
Whereas, on March 19, 2011, President Barack Obama authorized United States 
        military operations against Libya, and Operation Odyssey Dawn commenced;
Whereas, on March 19, 2011, the United States Armed Forces began air and sea 
        strikes against targets along the coast of Libya against Libyan air 
        defenses;
Whereas, on March 21, 2011, President Obama sent a letter notifying Congress 
        that he had ordered strikes on Libya and outlining United States 
        military actions in Libya during the preceding 48 hours;
Whereas, on March 23, 2011, Muammar Qaddafi's forces shelled the town of 
        Misrata, held by Libyan rebels, killing dozens of civilians;
Whereas, on March 24, 2011, coalition forces hit military targets deep inside 
        Libya, but failed to prevent Qaddafi's tanks from re-entering Misrata 
        and besieging its main hospital;
Whereas, on March 24, 2011, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary-
        General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced that NATO would take command of 
        enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya and was considering taking control 
        of the full United Nations-backed military mission;
Whereas, on March 30, 2011, forces loyal to Muammar Qaddafi pressed further east 
        with an artillery offensive, pushing Libyan rebels back more than 95 
        miles towards Brega;
Whereas, on March 31, 2011, United States Africa Command, which had led the 
        initial phases of military operations against Libya under Operation 
        Odyssey Dawn, transferred command and control of international air 
        operations over Libya to NATO;
Whereas, as of March 31, 2011, Operation Unified Protector, under sole command 
        of NATO, is now responsible for the arms embargo, no-fly zone, and 
        actions to protect civilians in Libya;
Whereas, as of April 4, 2011, in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation 
        Unified Protector, the United States had flown approximately 1,600 
        military sorties and, as of April 7, 2011, had launched 228 Tomahawk 
        Land Attack Missiles and spent approximately $632,000,000;
Whereas President Obama has repeatedly indicated that his policy on Libya is 
        that Muammar Qaddafi should no longer serve as the leader of the 
        Government of Libya;
Whereas, on February 26, 2011, 11 days after the protests began, President Obama 
        discussed the situation in Libya with Chancellor of Germany Angela 
        Merkel and, according to a White House statement, said, ``When a 
        leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against 
        his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what 
        is right for his country by leaving now.'';
Whereas, on March 3, 2011, President Obama, at a joint press conference with 
        President of Mexico Felipe Calderon, said, ``Muammar Qaddafi has lost 
        the legitimacy to lead and he must leave. . . . [W]e will continue to 
        send the clear message that it's time for Qaddafi to go.'';
Whereas, on March 18, 2011, President Obama, at a joint press conference with 
        President of Chile Sebastian Pinera, said, ``I have also stated that it 
        is U.S. policy that Qaddafi needs to go. And we got a wide range of 
        tools in addition to our military efforts to support that policy.'';
Whereas, on March 28, 2011, President Obama, in an address to the Nation, began 
        to draw a distinction between United States political and military 
        objectives in Libya, saying, ``There is no question that Libya--and the 
        world--would be better off with Qaddafi out of power. I, along with many 
        other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue 
        it through non-military means.'';
Whereas, on March 29, 2011, President Obama, in an interview on NBC Nightly 
        News, continued to draw this distinction, saying, ``Our primary military 
        goal is to protect civilian populations and to set up the no-fly zone. 
        Our primary strategic goal is for Qaddafi to step down so that the 
        Libyan people have an opportunity to live a decent life.'';
Whereas, despite President Obama's policy that Muammar Qaddafi should no longer 
        serve as the leader of the Government of Libya, President Obama has not 
        presented Congress with a plan to achieve that policy objective;
Whereas President Obama has not sought from Congress any type of authorization 
        for the use of military force against Libya;
Whereas passage of a non-binding, simple resolution by the Senate is not 
        equivalent to an authorization for the use of military force, passed by 
        both the Senate and the House of Representatives and signed by the 
        President; and
Whereas senior officials in the Obama Administration, including Secretary of 
        State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and 
        Harold Koh, the Department of State's Legal Adviser, have incorrectly 
        pointed to the Senate passage of a non-binding resolution, Senate 
        Resolution 85 (112th Congress), as an expression of congressional 
        consent for the United States military intervention in Libya: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the President should submit to Congress--
                    (A) a detailed description of United States policy 
                objectives in Libya, both during and after Muammar 
                Qaddafi's rule;
                    (B) a detailed plan to achieve those objectives;
                    (C) a detailed estimate of the full cost of the 
                United States military operations in Libya and any 
                other actions required to implement the plan; and
                    (D) a detailed description of the limitations the 
                President has placed on the nature, duration, and scope 
                of United States military operations in Libya, as 
                referenced in his March 21, 2011, letter to Congress; 
                and
            (2) the President should seek a congressional authorization 
        for the use of military force against Libya.
                                 <all>