Rand Paul: Congress Moves to Give the President Unlimited War Powers

[Suzanimal]

By RAND PAUL • May 7, 2018

In the near future, Congress will debate a new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). I use the word “debate” lightly. So far, no hearings have been scheduled, and no testimony is likely to be heard unless something changes. That’s a shame, because this is a serious matter, and this is a deeply flawed AUMF.

For some time now, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to declare war. The status quo is that we are at war anywhere and anytime the president says so.

So Congress—in a very Congress way of doing things—has a “solution.” Instead of reclaiming its constitutional authority, it instead intends to codify the unacceptable, unconstitutional status quo.

It is clear upon reading the AUMF, put forward by Senators Tim Kaine and Bob Corker, that it gives nearly unlimited power to this or any other president to be at war whenever he or she wants, with minimal justification and no prior specific authority.

That isn’t an AUMF. That isn’t Congress reclaiming its constitutional duties. That’s a complete rewriting of the role of the executive and of the constitutional separation of powers.

...

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/rand-paul-congress-moves-to-give-the-president-unlimited-war-powers/

[jmdrake]

So retiring Bob Corker wants to give Donald Trump a parting gift even though Corker supposedly hates Trump.

[Swordsmyth]

So retiring Bob Corker wants to give Donald Trump a parting gift even though Corker supposedly hates Trump.

Maybe he wants to run in 2020.

[phill4paul]

They already have.

[Brian4Liberty]

Kind of ironic that the Democrats have successfully challenged the Trump Admin in court numerous times on flimsy arguments, yet they don't take him to court on such an obvious and blatant Constitutional violation.

Oh yeah, the neocons and MIC lobby own both parties. Never mind.

[jmdrake]

Kind of ironic that the Democrats have successfully challenged the Trump Admin in court numerous times on flimsy arguments, yet they don't take him to court on such an obvious and blatant Constitutional violation.

Oh yeah, the neocons and MIC lobby own both parties. Never mind.

Nancy Pelosi's only criticism of Trump bombing Syria with no real evidence of a chemical weapons attack is that he didn't do enough.

[asurfaholic]

I guess trump really is gonna MAGA.

[merkelstan]

I guess trump really is gonna MAGA.

Mobilize America's Goy Army?

[shakey1]

When congress acts, it acts stupid.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/74921c1d78591949f7730928e43c438b/tenor.gif?itemid=10457865

[devil21]

To be the official military of the global NWO, we can't be bothered with national legislative processes to deploy troops wherever "democracy" is quickly needed, nor have to worry about defined enemies. Only unilateral executive declarations and vague labels like cuz "ISIS" and "Al Shabbab" and "associated forces" are needed, all provided and directed by the UN behind closed doors.

[Swordsmyth]

As the Forever AUMF 2018 (SJRes 59 (https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-draft-counterterrorism-authorization-use-military-force)) (Authority for the Use of Military Force) continues to await action by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, one can only imagine the extent of the behind-the-scene efforts underway to sway those few wavering Senators who may be reluctant to go down in American history as voting to eliminate Congress’ sole, inviolate Constitutional authority ‘to declare war’. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11. (https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/war_powers)
The law would remove Congress from its statutory authority as it transfers “uninterrupted” authority on “the use of all necessary and appropriate force” to one individual, allowing the President of the United States to pursue the Taliban, al Qaeda, ISIS and other ‘associated forces” including a proverbial too little-too late report to Congress 48 hours after the use of military force in a “new foreign country,” presumably in the Middle East (other than Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen or Libya).
In addition to pressure within the Committee itself, it can be expected that those who will benefit most from a Forever State of War are currently pounding the Senate’s marble halls, perhaps even stalking members of the Committee as lobbyists from the MIC, AIPAC and other enthusiasts for war, will do whatever it takes to bring adoption of the AUMF to a favorable committee vote.
Since more than half the Committee, fourteen of its twenty one members received a grand total of $3,397,755 from pro-Israel PAC’s as identified by the Center for Responsive Politics (https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?ind=Q05&recipdetail=S&sortorder=U&mem=Y&cycle=2012), whenever and if ever the final vote comes, it will be positively titillating to compare the vote and the money.
In an interesting reversal of common legislative procedure, the House of Representatives has, as yet, no pending AUMF comparable to the Foreign Relations Committee version while the Senate Committee appears eager to act; perhaps at the behest of one of those aforementioned aficionados of war. If we assume that the Senate Committee adopts the AUMF with the next logical step being a vote by the full Senate, will the Senate create an awkward legislative conundrum without a comparable Forever AUMF 2018 being on a legislative track in the House?



One factor in pushing for speedy AUMF approval might be that there is some new military escapade about to unfold with the need for an unwieldy Constitutionally mandated Congressional debate and vote too onerous, requiring too much effort and consuming a colossal amount of time whereas the Section 8 clause might better inform the American public whether their tax dollars are being efficiently used to improve their lives or might even threaten a halt to the steady drumbeat of war.
Perhaps the delay may be attributed to ongoing negotiations of the finer points in an attempt to create a more perfect air-tight vehicle. Whether there is a sunshine date or some i’s are not dotted or t’s not crossed makes little real difference in the final outcome since the ultimate goal is to allow war to go forward without meaningful Congressional participation while failing to provide the pesky public with information about why their sons and daughters are losing their limbs or lives in some far-away country that is no threat to our national security.
It is difficult to recognize a more ill-considered, reactionary vote of enormous global consequences as adoption of a Forever AUMF which will surely hasten the Final Chapter of the American Empire.
As if the Constitutional violations are not sufficient reason for opposition and while Congress has been less than attentive to its Section 8 duties, a functioning AUMF will not only deny a full and thorough public Congressional debate and roll call vote on the merits of military action but will prevent creation of a historic Congressional record (https://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/how_to_congressional_record.htm), a journal of which began in 1789 as necessary toproviding aformal documentation of all official parliamentary proceedings essential to any operative democracy.
In mid April when the AUMF 2018 draft was introduced, retiring Committee Chair Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn) was optimistic that the AUMF would be approved within a few weeks indicating that a potential Senate floor vote depends on the strength of AUMF support within the Committee. Corker suggested that a wide margin in favor would facilitate Senate floor passage which makes it curious that approval appears to have stalled and brings us back to question why the haste for rapid adoption of a new AUMF.
During the May 24th Committee hearing (https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/watch?hearingid=D3D828CD-5056-A066-600D-38D25DC08439) with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) who was HRC’s running mate in 2016, serves on the Senate Armed Service Committee and is a driving force in favor of the AUMF, referred to adoption as little more than a ‘necessary update’ repealing AUMF 2001 and AUMF 2003.
Kaine, who apparently sees no contradiction with an active-service son in the Marines and adoption of the Forever AUMF, stated that there is ‘near unity” on the Committee regarding a bi-partisan effort, military engagement against ISIS and the desire to do a ‘good job,’ none of which should be confused with real-time support for adoption of the AUMF.
While Kaine and other members of the Committee may be untroubled by the discomfort of a contradictory, cognitive dissonance belief system as necessary qualities in order to function as a Senator, the US has become the most violent country on the planet as its legislative representatives exhibit the lack of any functioning global consciousness.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/forever-aumf-2018-sjres-59-authority-for-the-use-of-military-force-stalls-at-senate-foreign-relations-committee/5643150