The only lawmaker to have voted against the broad legislation that launched the War on Terror criticized its continued use on Monday, immediately after the Pentagon cited it when carrying out airstrikes in Libya against the Islamic State (ISIL).
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) expressed discomfort at the lack of congressional oversight in the global counter-ISIL campaign, noting in a statement: “The US military continues to become engaged in the Middle East, despite the lack of a Congressional debate or a specific authorization.”
“I have called for and will continue to use every available legislative lever to force a full congressional debate and vote on any military action, as required by the Constitution,” Lee said. “We must stop relying on an outdated and overly broad authorization that was passed nearly 15 years ago.”
Just beforehand, the Pentagon had announced that it carried out the airstrikes, in Sirte, a town that has been controlled by ISIL since June 2015. The attacks were carried out after a request from the UN-recognized Libyan government, according to Department of Defense Spokesperson Peter Cook.
Cook then reaffirmed the Obama administration’s position, that the mission was legally justified by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed just days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The legislation was written to allow the US military to pursue the perpetrators of the terrorist kamikaze attacks. The self-described Islamic State, however, did not exist in earnest until after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
Lee was the only lawmaker in both the House and Senate to have voted against that bill, after calling for “restraint” in a Sept. 14, 2001 floor speech.
“Our country is in a state of mourning,” Lee said. “Some of us must say: ‘Lets step back for a moment. Let’s pause just for a minute and think through of the implications of our actions today so that this does not spiral out of control.”
“I am convinced that further military action will not prevent further attacks against the United States,” she had also said.
Afterward, Lee was deluged with death threats and received around-the-clock protection from the Capitol Police.
Lee echoed the sentiment of that speech on Monday, urging colleagues to think about a plan with less of an emphasis on military action.
“Our military experts are clear: there is no military solution to this crisis,” she said. “Only a comprehensive, regionally-led strategy that addresses the underlying political, economic, humanitarian and diplomatic challenges will be effective in ultimately degrading and dismantling ISIL.”
