[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 30, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H2045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               IS TWO WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST NOT ENOUGH?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep concern about the 
military campaign in Libya, one that has been underway the last week 
and a half.
  First off, it's distressing to once again see that Congress's power 
has been so casually disregarded in our role and responsibility 
regarding war. There should have been a robust debate in this Chamber 
about the proper course of action in Libya. The American people deserve 
it. The Constitution mandates it.
  The President gave a fine speech Monday night, as he certainly does, 
but I found him more eloquent than persuasive. I'm not satisfied that 
he has made a thorough case for military action against Libya. There 
are still too many unanswered questions.
  What is our responsibility now?
  Where does our commitment end?
  Does the Pottery Barn rule apply in Libya? If we break it do we own 
it?
  I'm not comforted by the fact that NATO is now in charge of this 
mission because the fact is, the United States is the dominant force 
within NATO. Any NATO-led operation is one in which we still bear an 
enormous responsibility.
  And then there's the cost. The Pentagon has acknowledged that it's 
already spent $550 million on the Libya operation. That's after 1\1/2\ 
weeks, Mr. Speaker. The bill to the taxpayer could easily climb over $1 
billion. And, Mr. Speaker, at a time when we're already spending close 
to $7 billion a month on a failed military occupation in Afghanistan; 
this, at a time when my friends in the majority want to snap the purse 
shut on so many important programs the American people need.
  There is unquestionably, unquestionably a humanitarian crisis in 
Libya. I'm appalled, as we all are, about Qadhafi's brutality against 
his own people. But I fear that that operation will set a dangerous 
precedent and send us sliding down a slippery slope.
  We can't afford to head down a path of perpetual U.S. military 
engagement around the world. With developing situations in Syria, the 
Ivory Coast, Congo, Yemen, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, we can't 
give up on diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in favor of guns and 
bombs everywhere there's violence and unrest.
  We're already fighting two wars in the Middle East. Is that not 
enough? Have we learned nothing over the last decade? Have we learned 
nothing about the danger of open-ended military conflicts where the 
exit strategy is unclear and victory is ill-defined?
  The war in Afghanistan is sapping America of its strength in so many 
ways. It has cost us in precious taxpayer dollars and has cost us more 
than 1,500 of our bravest people. And it is costing us credibility and 
moral authority in ways that can't even be measured yet or quantified 
every single day.
  The time is now, Mr. Speaker, for less war, not more. Let's stop, 
let's turn, and let's insist that we don't turn Libya into another 
black hole. Let's bring our troops home from Afghanistan, and let's 
give our children a future of peace.

                          ____________________