[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 92 (Friday, June 24, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       H.J. RES. 68 AND H.R. 2278

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2011

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I support limited U.S. involvement in 
NATO military operations in Libya because I believe it is the right 
thing to do. The Qaddafi Regime was threatening to show ``no mercy'' 
against the rebels and swore to go ``door to door to hunt them down 
like rats.'' In contrast with our NATO allies and the Arab League, the 
President decided to act to prevent a massacre. Failure to act will 
have also sent the wrong signal to other dictators trying to snuff out 
the Arab Awakening.
  The president assured us that, in time, leadership of military 
operations would be handed over to NATO and that the U.S. would then 
assume a supportive role. True to that pledge, the U.S. now plays a 
non-combat, support role comprised primarily of intelligence gathering, 
logistics, surveillance and search and rescue. Three-quarters of 
sorties, including the majority of the strike sorties flown in Libya 
are being conducted by our coalition partners; all 20 of the ships 
enforcing the arms embargo of Libya are European and Canadian; and no 
American troops are on the ground.
  It is for these reasons that I am supporting H.J. Res. 68, a 
resolution authorizing limited use of U.S. Armed Forces in support of 
the NATO mission in Libya and opposing H.R. 2278, a bill to defund all 
but a specified list of U.S. actions in support of the NATO effort.
  H.J. Res. 68 authorizes for one year the continued supportive role 
the U.S. is already playing in Libya while expressing Congress' 
concurrence with the language in the UN Resolution forbidding the use 
of ground forces in the military action.
  Conversely, I cannot support H.R. 2278, a bill to defund all 
operations other than search and rescue; intelligence gathering; aerial 
refueling; and operational planning. This bill threatens the mission 
and the safety of coalition forces.
  Under the specific set of circumstances the president faced in Libya, 
I believe he made the right decision. To undermine the effort at this 
moment would be a serious mistake.

                          ____________________