Posted on 12/27/2025 8:14:21 PM PST by Kazan
On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) said that she hopes extremists will be deterred by the strikes in Nigeria, “But if they don’t, I do think that Congress needs to take the step of declaring, or at least taking the vote to declare, because we don’t want to see more unilateral action out of the administration, whether it’s Republican or Democrat.”
Host Cheryl Casone asked, “Congresswoman, your reaction to these new strikes in Nigeria. The president had warned the Nigerian government ahead of time, and, apparently, that government agreed that these strikes were the best move. But do you worry about further military actions in Africa?”
Cammack answered, “I, of course, am always concerned about increased escalation, no matter where this is taking place in the world. And, of course, Africa, as we have seen, has been a hotbed for increased radicalism and extremism, and so I think this was a shot across the bow that, hopefully, they will take heed to. But if they don’t, I do think that Congress needs to take the step of declaring, or at least taking the vote to declare, because we don’t want to see more unilateral action out of the administration, whether it’s Republican or Democrat. That is an Article I authority. And so, I would love to see Congress more engaged in this type of activity moving forward.”
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Grim thought.
Huddled together with panicked people as Chinese nuclear missiles are exploding in the distance and new ones are getting closer, a neighbor can say: “Well, the Libertarian and anti-Trump GOP never allowed Trump to fight back without a formal declaration of war after debate including filibuster so we can all die now with our heads held up in pride.”
Since the Vietnam War, the U.S. has launched numerous military actions, including interventions in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen, without a formal Congressional declaration of war, relying instead on UN resolutions, Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)s, or presidential authority, with examples ranging from Nixon’s Cambodia bombing to Biden’s strikes in the Red Sea.
Here’s a breakdown of significant actions:
Post-Vietnam, Pre-9/11:
Invasion of Grenada (1983): Operation Urgent Fury, a swift invasion to overthrow a Marxist government, bypassed a formal declaration.
Invasion of Panama (1989): Operation Just Cause aimed to oust dictator Manuel Noriega, again without a declaration.
Gulf War (1991): Authorized by a UN Resolution and a Congressional AUMF (not a declaration).
Somalia (1992-1994): Operation Restore Hope and subsequent operations involving combat, like the Battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down).
Bosnia & Kosovo (1990s): NATO-led air campaigns (Operation Deliberate Force, Operation Allied Force) conducted under presidential authority and UN mandates.
Post-9/11 Era (War on Terror):
Afghanistan War (2001-2021): Began with an AUMF passed by Congress following the 9/11 attacks.
Iraq War (2003-2011): Also authorized by an AUMF, though claims of independent presidential power were made.
Libya (2011): NATO-led intervention against Gaddafi, claimed under independent authority by the Obama administration.
Syria (Ongoing): Airstrikes against ISIS and chemical weapons facilities, often relying on claimed inherent presidential powers or AUMFs.
Yemen & Red Sea (Ongoing): Strikes against Houthi militants, initiated by the Biden administration, citing independent authority and self-defense.
Other Notable Actions:
Cambodia (1969-1970): Nixon’s secret bombing campaign, a significant expansion of the Vietnam conflict without Congressional approval.
Iran (2020): The Trump administration’s drone strike killing General Qassem Soleimani, asserting unilateral authority.
These actions highlight the shift from formal declarations of war (last used in WWII) to various forms of congressional authorizations or claims of inherent presidential power as Commander-in-Chief, often under the War Powers Resolution framework.
Yup.
‘zackly. Thanks.
This is why the president and only the president is CNc.
Syria is on the uniparty OK-to-mess-with list; even a ‘maverick’ unnamed former senator was over there stirring up trouble upon a time.
Defending actual innocents is Beyond the Pale.
Congress are a Joke.
Not only that, Nigeria government was Consulted and Cooperating with the strikes. Syria gov’t not so much. Is this congresswoman so uninformed? Amazing.
“… I do think that Congress needs to take the step of declaring…”
Declare what, exactly? Declare war on Boko Haram? It’s already a designated terrorist organization.
This guy is an idiot.
But denying such funding would require congress to stand for something that might be controversial and they'd rather avoid all that and just get rich so they do basically nothing. Ever. About anything. Except grow the debt.
Another demonstration of the perils of women in politics...
Congress has proven itself incapable of participating in decision- making. The DNC contingents block anything whatsoever that could be of any benefit to the country.
“Nigeria government was Consulted and Cooperating with the strikes.”
And that’s huge/yuge.
kinda like the electorate at large ... as intended by our founders ...
I finally educated myself about Christians in Nigeria. I am amazed of how early and how many.
F@#$ you. So, repeal the Congressional act that let Obama kill thousands , including women and children.
Go ahead, take a stand. Coward.
The 2025 NDAA not only authorizes funds for our dept. of defense, it discusses the broad outlines of our defense policy. There is a sense in which the NDAA describes the consensus view of the Congress and the President. Having said this, it would be good for the Congress to hold hearings on what exactly is our policy regarding Africa. These hearings could be in executive session.
(By the way, I’m o.k. with the missile attacks being merely a show of force. Sometimes, that’s what Presidents do. My real concern is supporting Nigeria’s capability of defending itself from terrorists, not us assuming that responsibility.)
As it is, the U.S. is the only country in the world capable of projecting force well beyond our borders, and we can do so in multiple directions simultaneously.
For a long time, our so-called allies took advantage of us, falling short of the NATO standard of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. Even worse, Iraq and Afghanistan indulged themselves in corruption, and did not raise armies that could defend themselves believing that we would always be there to defend them. Welfare doesn’t work here in the U.S., and it doesn’t work in foreign countries either.
Those days are over.
Trump has demanded that our allies take primary responsibility for their region. Europeans should secure peace in Europe. Poland and Germany have stepped up their expenditures and manpower policies. France and England, frankly, have a way to go.
With free and fair trade, with allies that are committed to mutual defense, and with national borders that are meaningful, we can be a force for good in the world. Evil people, whether Putin or Boko Haram, should fear us, not us fear them.
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