[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9706]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCING THE ``SYRIA NON-INTERVENTION ACT OF 2012''

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, the Administration is marching toward another 
war in the Middle East, this time against Syria. As with the 
president's war against Libya, Congress has been frozen out of the 
process. The Constitution, which grants Congress and only Congress the 
authority to declare war, is once again being completely ignored.
  The push for a U.S. attack on Syria makes no sense, is not in our 
interest, and will likely make matters worse. Yet the Administration, 
after transferring equipment to the Syrian rebels and facilitating the 
shipment of weapons from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, has 
indicated that its plans for an actual invasion are complete.
  This week there are even press reports that the Central Intelligence 
Agency is distributing assault rifles, anti-tank rocket launchers, and 
other ammunition to the Syrian opposition. These are acts of war by the 
United States government. But where is the authority for the president 
to commit acts of war against Syria? There is no authority. The 
president is acting on his own.
  Today we are introducing legislation to prevent the administration 
from accelerating its plan to overthrow the Syrian government by 
assisting rebel forces that even the administration admits include 
violent Islamic extremists.
  The bill is simple. It states that absent a Congressional declaration 
of war on Syria:
  ``No funds available to the Department of Defense or an element of 
the intelligence community may be obligated or expended for the purpose 
or which would have the effect of supporting, directly or indirectly, 
military or paramilitary operations in Syria by any nation, group, 
organization, movement, or individual.''
  This legislation is modeled after the famous Boland Amendments of the 
early 1980s that were designed to limit the president's assistance to 
the Contras in their attempt to overthrow the government of Nicaragua. 
Congress has an obligation to exercise oversight of the president's 
foreign policy actions and to protect its constitutional prerogatives. 
This legislation will achieve both important functions.
  Mr. Speaker, the last thing this country needs is yet another war 
particularly in the Middle East. Even worse is the president once again 
ignoring the Legislative Branch and going to war on his own. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in standing up for our Constitutional authority 
and resisting what will be another disastrous war in the Middle East.

                          ____________________