Adam Schiff: None of what we're doing in Syria is authorized

[riversedge]

Source: raw story



http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/adam-schiff-none-of-what-were-doing-in-syria-is-authorized/#.WOb17TbowLU.twitter





06 Apr 2017 at 22:12 ET

Rep. Adam Schiff (MSNBC)


....................“At most, we can hope that this will deter the regime from using chemical weapons again,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said. “That is probably the most significant thing you could hope for as well as a deterrent to other regimes in the future by using chemical weapons, but there are still a lot of issues to be resolved and one of them for the Congress is all of this is being done, not just the attack today, but is being done without any congressional vote, any congressional authorization and Congress really needs to deal with this.”

Maddow asked Schiff if he thought that the strike was legal and he confessed that he asked that same question to the Director of National Intelligence.

“That was out of his lane as I thought it might be, that’s really not directly the responsibility of the DNI,” Schiff continued, but said it was one he thinks Congress should ask.


“I think we already know the answer to the question in terms of U.S. law and that is none of what we’re doing in Syria is authorized and this is an issue I took with the Obama administration. I introduced the AUMF that would authorize the use of force against ISIS and al Qaeda. I’m going to be reintroducing that after the recess. Even that authorization, even the argument the Obama administration used that the pre-existing authorizations were broad enough to go after ISIS in Syria, that rationale doesn’t hold up. Even if it did, it wouldn’t extend to attacks like this one on the regime.”........................................












Read more: www.rawstory.com/2017/04/adam-schiff-none-of-what-were-doing-in-syria-is-authorized/#.WOb17TbowLU.twitter

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No doubt there will be a big debate about this.

Link to tweet

[gordianot]

1. Adam is correct but we must remember we are no longer a Constitutional Democracy.

The authorizer does not need a Republic. That day is upon us in the U.S..

[Achilleaze]

2. USA is no longer a democracy

with help from the russian mob, the republians have shoved a kristo-fascist thugocracy, Inc. into being.

[Fast Walker 52]

3. the thing is, there was no real argument for self-defense or national security here

which in theory, gives the POTUS a lot less leeway.

This is analogous to Obama's Libya intervention, where there was a huge stink about his actions for humanitarian intervention, though supposedly Obama's action was more of a supporting and less a direct role.

[RobinA]

12. Yep, People Can't Suddenly

start demanding Congressional approval if they never demanded it during Obama, Clinton et al. And yes, I am aware that plenty of people have been demanding it all along. My point is that switching horses midstream on this gives way to legitimate accusations of hypocrisy.

And yes, I will admit that I am a lot more comfortable with, say, Obama going it alone than this current clown show of actors, in whom I have absolutely no confidence concerning their ability to make an adult decision.

[Volaris]

14. That's the problem with the Imperial Presidency.

Just because I trusted Obama with that power, doesn't mean I think he should have had it to begin with.

[Bradical79]

22. Yeah it's the slipery slope in full effect

People dismiss a lot of those types of arguments, yet here we are. Keep giving more room to the President to act without a check on his power, and we set ourselves up for a tyrant and the nullification of our Constitution. The Constitution is worth less than the paper it's printed on if the government and enough voters decide to just ignore what it says.

[GitRDun]

4. Whose fault is that?

The American public has allowed Congress to weasel its way out of giving its approval in foreign wars.

I don't give a rat's ass what Schiff has to say on the topic. No President, D or R will ask Congress for permission unless Congress once again asserts its authority.

Until the day comes where Congress on a bipartisan basis, re asserts its authority to declare war, fuck them....shit has got to get done.

Just my opinion...

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Yes to the extent

a declaration of war is a serious national commitment in the world's view,
as it should be because it polarizes potentially all nations, as in WWII

So avoiding that we have these undeclared skirmishes, conflicts, proxy wars

Congress doesn't want to deal with it. Just keep sending money to the Pentagon
and everything is fine.

John Perkins' Economic Hit Man series peels back the layers of deflected responsibility.
Negotiated imperialism requires dominance and conflict. Remove incentive, exploitation,
resources, risk - and the whole system locks down to stagnation. We are boxed in to
a great extent.

[riversedge]

20. Sen.Pelosi has written to Ryan to call back the House to debate the authoriztion for strikes on

Syria. She did the same in 2014.



https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141748093

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Is Putin for or against this?

Are we puppets, or adversaries?

[janx]

21. Here:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/russia-us-syria-strike/index.html

[johnp3907]

7. It was authorized by Putin.

[dalton99a]

10. That's all that matters

[jzodda]

8. Congress no longer does anything

In 1973, the war powers act set forth the relationship between Congress and the executive with regards to this stuff. Since then I don't think any President had actually complied.

[madokie]

9. He is one of, if not the most, intelligent, clear headed, well spoken

congress critters we have.

I want to see and hear much more from this man as we go forward
He is the Real Deal

[dalton99a]

11. Yes, he is.

[riversedge]

19. well said.

[riversedge]

13. Sen. Tim Kane arguing on Cnn that Trump needs Congressional authorization to attack a

sovereign nation of Syria. Host saying not done before and congress wimped out. Kane continues to argue needs to get authorization. Kane agrees that Congress has bypassed its duty in the past.

[FakeNoose]

24. Rand Paul said the same thing

Seems the GOP and Dems are in agreement on this. At least in the Senate in any case.
Trump is on his own now.

[Calista241]

15. We've been bombing the state of Syria for years now

The fact that we've been attacking ISIS positions does not mitigate the fact that we've been conducting military operations within the internationally recognized borders of Syria.

The War Powers Act requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids those forces from remaining for more than 90 days, absent authorization.

The 48 hours notification was certainly honored since Schiff and others were on tv, almost as the rockets were still in flight, talking about their briefing from the DNI.

As much as I hate Trump, this was certainly a legal military action.

[Honeycombe8]

17. This seems correct. I recall other hits in the past, where Congress auth. not needed.

Congressional authority is only needed in certain situations, like a declaration of war or such.

But I'm not up on the details. What you say seems to make sense, though.

[LeftInTX]

23. We also had our intervention in Libya

Many were up in arms over Obama, but apparently what he did was within the War Powers Act.

[bluestarone]

16. fully agree AND!

What did we actually achieve by this strike that Russia new we were about to do? Just another move by Putin and Trump to better there plan!

[janx]

18. Pelosi's letter to Ryan (scroll down):

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/middleeast/us-attacks-syria-live-updates/index.html?lf-content=190166658:[e-mail]&hubRefSrc=permalink

[Fryto]

25. Schiff is correct

Congress has lost its authority.

[HoneyBadger]

26. Schiff is definitely hurting his approval ratings