Regarding Deployment of United States Armed Forces in Libya

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Mr. TURNER. Thank you, Chairman McKeon.

The President has not made the case for our military conflict in Libya. He has told us who we are against, Qadhafi, but he has not told us who we are for.

Secretary Gates has told us that we know very little about the opposition; we know very little about the rebels. We do not know their geopolitical view to their neighbors; we do not know their geopolitical view to us. We do not know their commitment to domestic diversity. Are we going to have atrocities? We do not know their ideology, we do not know their preferred form of government, and we also do not know their commitment to nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, an issue that is important in Libya.

The President has used United Nations approval of civil protection to wage all-out war on Qadhafi without congressional approval or American support. U.S. Admiral Locklear, in charge of the NATO operations against Libya, recently stated that ground troops would be needed to provide stability in Libya once the Qadhafi regime falls. Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said he believes that the President has the support of the majority of the Members of Congress. I do not think so.

I offered a resolution, House Resolution 58, that would voice this body's disapproval of the President's actions in Libya. Seventy-five Members have co-sponsored this resolution. I believe it's important for this body's voice to be heard.

The President has not provided us any information as to why we are doing this, what a post-Qadhafi regime will look like in Libya, and what will be our involvement. He is committing us to an extended military action; and for Congress to be relevant, our voices need to be heard.

I support the Speaker's resolution, and I urge my colleagues to cosponsor House Concurrent Resolution 58.

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