Reply #120: House ignores Obama's Libya request

[pinboy3niner]

Source: The Hill

By Russell Berman - 05/26/11 06:18 AM ET


House leaders are ignoring a request from President Obama for a congressional endorsement of the U.S. military mission in Libya.

Five days after Obama sent a letter to congressional leaders seeking a resolution of support, there has been no action in the House, and aides in both parties say there are no plans to bring legislation to the floor.

The response in the lower chamber marks a striking contrast with the Senate, where a bipartisan group of foreign policy heavyweights have signed on to a resolution backing the Libya campaign.

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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said earlier this week that the Libya mission would be debated through amendments to the defense authorization bill currently on the floor, but the only amendments on Libya that lawmakers offered sought to criticize or to restrict the mission. With minimal debate, the House on a voice vote Wednesday adopted an amendment from conservative Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) that stated explicitly that “nothing in the bill... shall be construed to authorize military operations in Libya.”

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“It has been communicated to us that the Republican leadership has no interest in having this come to the floor,” one aide said.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/house/163379-house-lawmakers-ignore-presidents-request-on-libya