WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today made the following statement regarding her support of both Congressional House Resolutions on Libya. H. Res. 292 which declares that President Obama shall not deploy, establish, or maintain the presence of units and members of the United States Armed Forces on the ground in Libya which passed with a vote of 268-145; and H. Con. Res. 51 which directs President Obama, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya within 15 days of passage which failed with a vote of 148-265. Miller said:

“Qaddafi is a brutal, bloody dictator and the world would be a better place with him out of power. However, Qaddafi is no threat to our vital national interests, a fact that even Secretary of Defense Robert Gates agreed with. Libya has not attacked the U.S. or our interests, has not provided a safe haven for terrorists, and in recent years has actually cooperated with the U.S. in abandoning its nuclear program and turning over stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. It is my firm belief that there is no Constitutional authority or compelling U.S. national interest that warrants the intervention of the United States military in Libya, particularly when our Armed Forces continue to be engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan in operations authorized by the United States Congress.

“President Obama committed U.S. forces into Libya without seeking the authorization of the United States Congress, as the Constitution and the War Powers Act require, and the Congress cannot allow such an alarming precedent to stand. Today, the President has been put on notice that he can no longer ignore the will of Congress and the American people when putting our Armed Forces in harm’s way. If the President fails to comply with the terms of the resolution which was passed today, then Congress must take further action consistent with the Constitution and as a co-equal branch of government to end U.S. military operations in Libya.”

###