Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul slammed the Obama administration’s handling of the intervention in Libya, saying President Obama has “failed miserably.” “The Obama Administration has failed miserably in its attempt to justify their unconstitutional war in Libya. Their attempt yesterday to convince Congress that we are in fact not engaged in hostilities was breathtaking in its implications for both Libya and for future presidential war authority,” Mr. Paul said in a statement.
“[President Obama's] policy completely violates his constitutional authority. It also sends a dangerous signal to rogue nations and schoolyard bullies alike: If we hit you hard enough that you can’t hit back, it doesn’t count as an attack,” the Kentucky Republican added.
Mr. Paul, who has been vocal in his criticism of the Obama administration, is the latest member of Congress to question whether the White House is exceeding its constitutional authority in engaging Libya without congressional approval.
The White House and Congress remain at odds over the issue with House Speaker John Boehner sending a letter to the White House Friday, issuing a deadline for a response.
“The War Powers Resolution is the law of the land and cannot simply be ignored. The White House’s suggestion that there are no ‘hostilities’ taking place in Libya defies rational thought,” Mr. Boehner said in a statement Friday.
