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Syria: Obama does not need congressional approval to launch military intervention
U.S. President Barack Obama has the authority to launch air strikes against Syria. But he has to notify lawmakers in Congress, a process which has begun, according to both sides.
“The administration is actively consulting with members of Congress, and we will continue to have these conversations in the days ahead,” Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday in a strongly-worded statement on Syria.
The Republican speaker of the House Of Representatives, John Boehner, has had “preliminary communication with the White House about the situation in Syria and any potential US response,” his spokesman said.
“The speaker made clear that before any action is taken there must be meaningful consultation with members of Congress, as well as clearly defined objectives and a broader strategy to achieve stability,” said the spokesman, Brendan Buck.
In 1973, after the Vietnam War and despite the opposition of Richard Nixon in the White House, the U.S. Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to compel U.S. presidents to seek congressional approval in order to deploy soldiers.
A president must, in theory at least, obtain an authorization voted on by Congress if introducing troops into “hostilities” or “situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances” to keep the operation going beyond 60 days.
In practice, however, all presidents since Nixon have deemed this unconstitutional and regularly neglected to ask for such permission, instead simply notifying Congress.
