Hoyer Says Obama Could Strike Syria Without Congress Vote (who didn't see this line coming?)

[morningfog]

The second-ranking House Democrat said President Barack Obama has the authority to use military force against Syria without returning to the U.S. Congress for approval should diplomacy fail to compel Syria to surrender its chemical weapons arsenal.

Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland said neither he nor House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi “believe the president is required to come to Congress in this instance, and could act on his own.” He made his comments in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend.

Separately, Hoyer, 74, said Republican disarray in the House over what strategy to pursue in a looming battle with Obama over funding the federal government and raising the nation’s borrowing limit makes a government shutdown at the end of the month more likely.

On Syria, Hoyer said there’s only a brief window for Russia to prove that its bid to require Syria to give up its chemical arms stockpile to avert a U.S. military strike is “real” -- “certainly not longer than weeks.”

If it fails, Hoyer added, Obama’s hand would be strengthened in taking military action if Congress explicitly empowered him to do so.

“If we passed a resolution, he’d have a stronger hand,” Hoyer said. “But having said that, neither the Russians nor the Syrians ought to conclude that the president is without authority to act.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002

Call off the vote when it looks like a lose in both Houses and reserve right to strike without Congress. When the US decides Syria hasn't complied to our satisfaction, war time.

[leveymg]

1. We need new leadership in the House.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

2. Just as I said

[BlueStreak]

3. But does Obama have that authority now that Assad has signed on to the chemical protocol?

The war powers act only allows the President to act on his own in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." That was always a stretch before Syria agreed to the chemical ban. Clearly if they have agreed to the ban, there could not possibly be an argument for "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Now they are telegraphing it

[pinboy3niner]

5. Another read is that he's saying this only to keep pressure on Assad

Hoyer's no dummy, and his public remarks are calculated.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

6. It is weird to list Hoyer's age. What is that about?