House Republicans Shred Constitution With Backdoor Proposal of Permanent War

[tpsbmam]

The House Republican leadership, working in conjunction with House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon, R-California, has included in the 2012 defense authorization bill language (borrowed from the sweeping Detainee Security Act) that would effectively declare a state of permanent war against unnamed and ill-defined foreign forces <3> "associated" with the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Instead of an explicit declaration of war with Afghanistan or the ill-defined global conflict, the GOP leaders has slipped language into the spending bill that simply announced theU.S. is "engaged in an armed conflict with al Qaeda, the Taliban and associated forces" and that claims an old "Authorization for Use of Military Force necessarily includes the authority to address the continuing and evolving threat posed by these groups."

That's about a wide-ranging as it gets, and the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee argues that the language makes a mockery of the Constitutional requirement that Congress check and balance the executive branch <5> and the Department of Defense when it comes to questions of extending wars.

(The language included in the spending bill) would appear to grant the President near unfettered authority to initiate military action around the world without further congressional approval," argues Congressman John Conyers, D-Michigan. <6>"Such authority must not be ceded to the President without careful deliberation from Congress."

http://www.thenation.com/blog/160594/house-republicans-shred-constitution-backdoor-proposal-permanent-war

John Conyers with 32 Democratic House members signed a letter to McKeon -- partial text follows:

Among the many troubling aspects of the Detainee Security Act are provisions that expand the war against terrorist organizations on a global basis. The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) of 2001 was widely thought to provide authorization for the war in Afghanistan to root out al Qaeda, the Taliban, and others responsible for the 9/11 attacks. That war has dragged on for almost ten years, and after the demise of Osama Bin Laden, as the United States prepares for withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Detainee Security Act purports to expand the "armed conflict" against the Taliban, al Qaeda, and "associated forces" without limit. By declaring a global war against nameless individuals, organizations, and nations "associated" with the Taliban and al Qaeda, as well as those playing a supporting role in their efforts, the Detainee Security Act would appear to grant the President near unfettered authority to initiate military action around the world without further congressional approval. Such authority must not be ceded to the President without careful deliberation from Congress.

Whatever one thinks of these various proposals in the Detainee Security Act, it is clear that they will have serious consequences and should be examined extensively. We therefore request that you use your chairmanship to immediately call hearings on Detainee Security Act so that the American people have an opportunity to consider the serious impacts that this legislation could have on our national security.

The 32 cosignatories: Steve Cohen (D-TN), Peter Defazio (D-OR), John Dingell (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Bob Filner (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), George Miller (D-CA), Jim Moran (D-VA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Donald Payne (D-NJ), David Price (D-NC), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Fortney “Pete” Stark (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and David Wu (D-OR)

The full text of the letter, including objections to more of the bill, is at the Nation link above or John Conyers' House website.

[Ed Suspicious]

1. The people who would propose and include in a

nearly sure to pass budget bill are truly not representing my idea of government... of America. Erosion of rights and civil liberties, protections from monied interest whose driver is profit at all costs, permanent state of war to support a privatizing military's profit desires, fascism. I want none of it. Why do they keep piling it on? Clearly my voice isn't as loud as the money that drives this pigs.

[Enthusiast]

2. Republicans are just thinking ahead.

They are thinking ahead to all the profit generating wars of the 21st Century. Iran, Cuba, Pakistan and North Korea are a few that come to mind.

[spanone]

3. k&r...

[patrice]

4. Another big F--- You America!!