House Rejects Efforts to Prohibit Funds for Libya

        
        Today, MSNBC reported that the United States House of Representatives voted against an effort that would deny funds for the United States’ military operation in Libya. This was considered a win for President Obama in the struggle against Congress over war powers. The House voted 229-199 against a measure that would have denied the use of U.S. funds to help in the NATO mission against Gadhafi and his forces. Many members of the U.S. Congress have been trying to argue that President Obama has violated a term of the 1973 War Powers Resolution that requires a president to gain congressional approval within sixty days of U.S. military force use. The House also voted today that the Pentagon is not allowed to provide “military equipment, training or advice or other support for military activities” to rebel forces to fight against Gadhafi. The total cost of the use of military force in Libya has been about $715 million and is expected to increase to $1.1 billion by early September.
            I chose this article because I think that it is important to follow news about Libya. There has been a real struggle between President Obama and Congress on whether or not the United States should be helping NATO in Libya. Our current economy is so bad that I don’t know if I think that we can afford to be spending billions in a military struggle that doesn’t really involve us. It is important to try and understand where President Obama is trying to go with Libya and what his real purpose for being over there. There are billions of dollars and innocent lives that have been lost. I think this article is relevant to everyone in the United States because it shows that Congress isn’t trying to cut spending, especially military spending in countries that we aren’t even at war with.