Iraq | The New Liberator

Barbara Lee

(photo by Ayesha Walker)

US Congresswoman representing the 9th Congressional District of California (CA-09). [Oakland, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Emeryville, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Piedmont, Albany, and parts of San Lorenzo and Hayward.]

March 19, 2009 – Lee speaks on the floor of the US House of Representatives on the 6th Anniversary of the invasion and continuing occupation of Iraq.

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0923-04.ht

Published on Sunday, September 23, 2001 in the San Francisco Chronicle

Why I Opposed the Resolution to Authorize Force

by Barbara Lee

ON SEPT. 11, terrorists attacked the United States in an unprecedented and brutal manner, killing thousands of innocent people, including the passengers and crews of four aircraft. Like everyone throughout our country, I am repulsed and angered by these attacks and believe all appropriate steps must be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice. We must prevent any future such attacks. That is the highest obligation of our federal, state and local governments. On this, we are united as a nation. Any nation, group or individual that fails to comprehend this or believes that we will tolerate such illegal and uncivilized attacks is grossly mistaken.

Last week, filled with grief and sorrow for those killed and injured and with anger at those who had done this, I confronted the solemn responsibility of voting to authorize the nation to go to war. Some believe this resolution was only symbolic, designed to show national resolve. But I could not ignore that it provided explicit authority, under the War Powers Resolution and the Constitution, to go to war.

It was a blank check to the president to attack anyone involved in the Sept. 11 events — anywhere, in any country, without regard to our nation’s long- term foreign policy, economic and national security interests, and without time limit. In granting these overly broad powers, the Congress failed its responsibility to understand the dimensions of its declaration. I could not support such a grant of war-making authority to the president; I believe it would put more innocent lives at risk.

The president has the constitutional authority to protect the nation from further attack and he has mobilized the armed forces to do just that. The Congress should have waited for the facts to be presented and then acted with fuller knowledge of the consequences of our action. Continue reading →