On Tuesday, President Joe Biden received a reminder from a bipartisan group and coalition of antiwar groups that he must seek authorization from Congress to use U.S. troops in any conflict with Russia. moving forcesThis week, it sent its own troops into eastern Ukraine.
“Our nation’s laws are highly relevant to the ongoing situation in Ukraine,” 43 U.S. House members led by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) wrote in a letterTuesday to the White House. “Were an attack by Russia to be imminent or underway, the War Powers Resolution would clearly require congressional authorization before the president may command U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities.”
The letter was signed by a diverse group of lawmakers, ranging from the right-wing Rep. Louie Gohmert to the progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). It was delivered after Biden announced economic sanctions against Russia. said he “authorized additional movements of U.S. forces and equipment already stationed in Europe to strengthen our Baltic allies.”
“Let me be clear: These are totally defensive moves on our part,” added Biden, who has approvedIn the last weeks, thousands of U.S. soldiers have been deployed to Eastern Europe. “We have no intention of fighting Russia.”
But no matter the president’s stated intentions, the lawmakers argued in their letter that he must “seek specific congressional authorization” in order to “leave any remaining U.S. advisers, trainers, special forces, or other U.S. military personnel in areas of these imminent or active hostilities.”
“You must also receive congressional approval before initiating any preemptive strike,” they wrote. “We strongly urge your administration to respect the separation of powers, U.S. law, and Congress’ constitutional war powers authority. Should your administration seek to introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities or decline to remove any U.S. military personnel currently deployed inside Ukraine from unauthorized hostilities or imminent hostilities, Congress stands ready to deliberate over the potentially monumental implications of such scenarios.”
“The American people, through their representatives in Congress, deserve to have a say before U.S. troops are placed in harm’s way or the U.S. becomes involved in yet another foreign conflict,” the lawmakers added.
I’m urging Pres Biden to follow the Constitution and the law and receive authorization from Congress before involving US forces in Russia-Ukraine conflict. The American people have the right to have a say in foreign conflicts.👇 pic.twitter.com/0RJKEi1k9u
— Rep Peter DeFazio (@RepPeterDeFazio) February 22, 2022
The letter came as Ukraine’s situation was deteriorating and fears of war grew. On Wednesday, Ukraine beganPreparations were made to declare a national emergency and ordered its citizens to leave Russia in the face of an invasion.
With congressional Republicans and hawkish Democrats clamoring for Biden to respond more forcefully to Russia’s latest aggressive actions in Ukraine, DeFazio told PoliticoTuesday’s resolution was that the president should be more restrained and consult with Congress.
“Americans are fed up with risking U.S. troops’ lives and spending taxpayer dollars on endless overseas wars,” said DeFazio. “I’m calling on President Biden to ignore the warmongers and receive authorization from Congress — as required by the Constitution and U.S. law — before even considering any involvement by the U.S. military in a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”
Nearly a dozen advocacy groups — including the progressive anti-war organizations Just Foreign Policy, Peace Action, and Demand Progress — endorsed DeFazio’s message, hailing it as a “timely” and “level-headed” intervention amid loudening drumbeats of war.
“Even allowing U.S. advisers and special forces to remain in harm’s way in Ukraine without authorization creates the potential for direct conflict between the world’s leading nuclear powers,” Erik Sperling, executive director of Just Foreign Policy, said in a statement Tuesday. “Regardless of one’s view on how the U.S. should respond to tensions over Ukraine, these are precisely the critical questions that the framers of our Constitution sought to entrust to the American people through their representatives in Congress.”
Cavan Kharrazian, a foreign policy campaigner for Demand Progress added that “by no means should the president put American troops — including embedded military advisors and special forces — into harm’s way in Ukraine without a debate and vote in Congress.”
“While Congress remains divided on many issues,” Kharrazian added, “we are glad to see such a diverse range of representatives defending our constitutional system of checks and balances when it comes to war.”
