Ok, so I’ll admit, the title is a bit misleading. Technically, Congress has been irrelevant for quite some time. 535 little busy bodies out to line their own pockets and those of their corporate buddies. Ok, so not all of them are evil.
On the 7th of March, testifying before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta both stated that President Obama needed only an international legal basis to go to war, and Congress would be an afterthought.
Wait, what?
Yea, that’s right. In complete defiance of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution which provides that only Congress may declare war, this administration says it doesn’t need congress.
After 9/11, Congress by and large ceded power to the Executive branch to execute a loosely defined “war on terror.” Essentially, they marginalized themselves. And Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) had the nerve to act surprised when the Administration asserts its emperor-like powers.
Panetta was asked by Senator Jeff Sessions, “We spend our time worrying about the U.N., the Arab League, NATO and too little time, in my opinion, worrying about the elected representatives of the United States. As you go forward, will you consult with the United States Congress?”
The Defense Secretary responded “You know, our goal would be to seek international permission. And we would come to the Congress and inform you and determine how best to approach this, whether or not we would want to get permission from the Congress.” ((http://www.infowars.com/pentagon-launches-desperate-damage-control-over-shocking-panetta-testimony/))
Excuse me? “Inform” Congress? Wow. I’m actually quite speechless. But I guess all is fair in the “war on terror.”
Here’s video of the testimony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNwOeyuG84
Sources
- http://personalliberty.com/2012/03/14/congressional-irrelevance/
- http://www.infowars.com/pentagon-launches-desperate-damage-control-over-shocking-panetta-testimony/
Aaron Graves
Aaron Graves is a veteran and a staunch libertarian, consistently breaking ranks with his Conservative friends on social issues, and with his Liberal friends on economic issues. He is also the guy that wrote the crap that you just read. Sic Semper Tyrannis
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