[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 15, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H1224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ONLY CONGRESS HAS THE POWER TO DECLARE WAR

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I have just seen a news report that the 
President may invade Syria with ground troops.
  Now, I criticized former President Obama for his actions in Libya, 
Iraq, and Syria, without seeking authorization from Congress, and 
leaning on the weak need that these were somehow authorized back in the 
AUMF after 9/11. This is far beyond the scope of that resolution, which 
I helped write, so to have a ground invasion of Syria, without 
authorization from Congress, will trigger the War Powers Act.
  Let's be clear: The Constitution says, once we are at war, the 
President runs the war as Commander in Chief. But it is only the United 
States Congress that has the power to declare war, authorize war, which 
this essentially would be.
  So the President must come to the Congress and ask for a new 
Authorization for Use of Military Force before launching any ground 
invasion of Syria.

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