[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8555-8556]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORT WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

  (Mr. SHERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHERMAN. We will soon vote on an amendment which I offered last 
night. It simply says that none of the funds in this appropriations 
bill can be used in contravention of the War Powers Resolution, which 
is the law of the land, Public Law 93-148. The law of the land states 
that the President can deploy troops but then must seek congressional 
authorization and must withdraw within 60 days if he doesn't get it.
  Why do we need to add to this bill a provision that says the 
President can't spend money in violation of existing law? Because the 
President has asserted that resolutions of the United Nations or 
discussions with Members of Congress substitute for congressional 
authorization.
  Why are we voting on this now? It has been ruled by the 
parliamentarian to be germane. We are voting now because Congress 
should take a stand before we take our 1-week break.
  Even if you agree with everything that is happening in Libya, and we 
all

[[Page 8556]]

long for democracy and the rule of law in Libya, this is a vote about 
democracy and the rule of law in the United States. This is our chance 
to simply say the President, even the President, must follow law.
  Please join with me, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. McGovern in supporting the 
Sherman amendment.

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