Congress girds for clash with Bush - Hearing examines war powers granted by Constitution

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 1/31/7 | Edward Epstein

[SmithL]

Washington -- Like chess players planning several moves ahead, some Democrats in Congress are looking toward what they see as the inevitable clash with President Bush over who has the power to end the Iraq war.

Such a confrontation could provoke a constitutional crisis between two co-equal branches of government -- a Democratic-led Congress bolstered by polls showing the war is deeply unpopular and a Republican president who so far won't budge from his position that he is the decision-maker who will control policy for Iraq.

"Since the president is adamant about pursuing his failed policies in Iraq, Congress has the duty to stand up and use its power to stop him,'' Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said Tuesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing he chaired that looked into Congress' constitutional war powers.

Feingold has introduced a Senate bill that would ban the use of government funds to continue the deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq six months after enactment. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has a similar proposal.

And similar bills have been proposed in the House by such outspoken anti-war advocates as Bay Area Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee of Oakland and Lynn Woolsey of Petaluma.

[Rummyfan]

Like chess players planning several moves ahead, some Democrats in Congress are looking toward what they see as the inevitable clash with President Bush over who has the power to end the Iraq war.

These ass-hats must not be looking at the US Constitution then......

[sure_fine]

really good for troopers moral



/sarc

[wastedyears]

What part of the President being Commander-in-Chief don't they understand?

I wish Bush would go on TV and say that, including in a very annoyed tone of voice.

[TheKidster]

The only time these scoundrels pay attention to the constitution is when they can find a way to consolidate govt. power. All of the language restraining them or ceding unmentioned powers back to the individual and state was written in invisible ink as far as they are concerned.

[theDentist]

They ran away from the War Powers act when all this began, fearing having to actually cast a vote that could come back to haunt them, thus giving the sole discretion to the man in the Oval Office. Now they want to attack him for their cowardice....

[prognostigaator]

"...a Democratic-led Congress bolstered by polls " just missed being wiped out on 9/11 because Flight 93 fell in a Pa. field instead of on the Capitol dome...

[o_zarkman44]

Our government is ONE BIG CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS.

Bring back the Republic and the peoples voice.

[TheKidster]

Bring back the Republic and the peoples voice.

how?

[GrandEagle]

Actually the Constitutional issue is who has the power to Start a war. The Congress has final authority on Declaring war period. The problem exist because the war powers act granted the President enough authority to commit us to war without the Congress declaring it. This is a fine balance. Without this authority the Commander-in-Chirf couldn't respond immediately to an attack - but with it he (hopefully not She next time) can obligate us to continue a war that Congress never declared.
It is very clear that constitutionally the Congress can defund any program it desires to and thereby put an end to our immediate involvement in a war.
However, if they do so this time I am afraid that the consequences will be severe. Congress is under the impression that the US has the ability to end this war - we do not. Our only choice is who's yard we fight in. Presently we moved the war from our yard to the enemies yard. Sounds like the Dems would rather fight it here in our own yard.
A decision we will deeply regret letting them make.

[wny]

"...over who has the power to end the Iraq war..."

The President has the power to win. Congress only has the power to lose.

[Rapscallion]

President Bush does not seem to realize that he can beat the democrat Congress bloody by going to the people as Reagan had to do more than once. The people just await the President's argument that the treasonous democrats are wrong....now, and for the future of this war. The SOB democrats have fooled the public into complacency that this is Bush's war and it is a wrong thing he did. History will show that this is AMERICA'S war, not a war of our making, but a war to subjugate us to Allah and destroy our rights under the Constitution.

Mr. President why do you not say the truth? The people wait.

[Mrs.Z]

Unfortunately, it might take another attack at home for this to be driven home.

That is a lose/lose for conservatives. "They (conservatives) let it happen." "They (conservatives) were in power (presidency) when it did happen."

[Political Junkie Too]

Bush can veto anything that the Democrats do.

If the Democrats vote to defund the war and Bush vetos the bill, are there enough votes in Congress to overturn the veto?

I doubt it.

-PJ

[AU72]

The 'rats want to run the WOT by issuing subpoenas to al-Queda.

[popdonnelly]

"the president is adamant about pursuing his failed policies in Iraq"

It will only fail if Congress lets it, Feingold.

[Congressman Billybob]

This is a stupid article about the War Powers Clause of the Constitution. But the MSM usually gets such stories wrong.

Congress can, any time it chooses to do so, retract the two declarations of war which it passed in 2001 and 2002. This writer hasn't noticed that Congress took those actions. The ignorance proceeds from there.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Announcement: I'm Not Running for President"

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Congress is under the impression that the US has the ability to end this war - we do not. Our only choice is who's yard we fight in. Presently we moved the war from our yard to the enemies yard. Sounds like the Dems would rather fight it here in our own yard."

Why more people fail to understand this is beyond me.

[xzins]

Unless the Congress totally defunds the military, the President can continue to commit them how he sees fit.

If the Senate Republicans have any vigor at all, they'll filibuster anything that tries to remove from the President's hands his rightful, constitutionally granted authority to deploy the troops.

[pabianice]

Chance SCOTUS will rule in favor of Congress: 0.