John Conyers: Our involvement in Libya should be limited

Our involvement in Libya should be limited

By Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)

Today, I will propose an amendment that would prevent funds authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act from being used to fund any type of ground combat operations in Libyan territory.

My amendment would simply codify the policy endorsed by President Obama and the international community, and thereby ensure that our involvement in Libya remains limited in scope. I am proud to report that my amendment enjoys bipartisan support, including the endorsement of my colleagues Ms. Clarke, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Jones, Mr. Farr, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Honda, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Johnson of Illinois, Ms. Lee, Mr. McClintock, Mr. George Miller, Mr. Stark, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Welch, and Ms. Woolsey.

Specifically, my amendment would prevent funds from being used to deploy, establish, or maintain a presence of members of the Armed Services or private security contractors on the ground in Libya. My amendment also contains an exception that would allow for the rescue of members of the Armed Forces participating in the NATO no fly zone operation.

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In short, my amendment does not oppose the president’s policy; it would simply enact his promise into law. If at some point the president believes that our national security interests require a ground presence in Libya, he could come to the Congress and request an authorization for force, which if passed by both the House and Senate, would overrule this provision.

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