4A |
WEDNESDAY EDITION
| JULY 21, 2021
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
CHANTELLE MEYER , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | CMEYER @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibit-
ing the free exercise thereof; or abridg-
ing the freedom of speech, or of the
press, or the right of the people peace-
ably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” — Thomas Jefferson (1800)
Presidential Prerogatives
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub-
missions on this and other topics
are always welcome as part of our
goal to encourage community dis-
cussion and exchange of perspec-
tives.)
George W. Bush administration, backed militias responsible for
the legal basis for US military in- assaults on U.S. and allied per-
volvement has been Congressio- sonnel in Iraq. The United States
nal Authorizations for the Use of is not at war with Syria or Iran,
Military Force (AUMF). Authori- and Congress had not authorized
zations amount to blank checks, the strikes. The president ordered
and have been freely exploited by them nonetheless, based on his
Once upon a time, American Democratic and Republican presi- independent authority, under Ar-
leaders only went to war when, dents alike to attack terrorists and ticle II of the Constitution, “to
in accordance with the Con-
conduct United States foreign
Guest Viewpoint
stitution, Congress declared
relations and as Command-
By Mel Gurtov
it. That practice has long since
er in Chief and Chief Execu-
Professor
Emeritus
of
Political
Science
at
been abandoned.
tive.” Narrowing the 2001 and
Portland State University
In recent times Congress ei-
2002 [AUMFs] would leave
Deadwood, Ore.
ther votes to “authorize” a war
this presidential power un-
already underway or is only
touched.”
casually consulted if at all. Though unfriendly states, support allies,
the 1973 War Powers Resolution and sustain very large forces in the
The Need for Fundamental
was meant to restrain an imperial region.
Change
The authorizations are so ex-
president who had led the country
But the problem goes much
to defeat in Vietnam, no president pansive that they could be used to deeper than presidential hubris.
since has faithfully followed that go to war with Iran, attack the Syr- Congress may often be behind the
law’s requirements. Thus, whereas ian regime’s chemical weapons de- curve when it comes to national
in authoritarian systems the great pots, protect Israel, or reintroduce security, but it is still part of the
leader simply orders troops into forces in and around Afghanistan. problem rather than the solution.
Biden says he would like to re- Bipartisanship has much to do
action, in democracies like ours,
going to war is sneakier, in two voke the 2002 AUMF, which was with the expansion of presidential
directed at Iraq, and he apparent- power in national security mat-
ways.
First, in justifications, as when ly has support in both houses of ters.
the President dispatches troops on Congress to do that. But that still
A majority almost always rejects
the basis of his role as command- leaves the much broader 2001 efforts to limit the command-
er-in-chief, invoking “national AUMF, which gives the president er-in-chief ’s authority, as shown,
security,” the “national interest,” the power to “prevent any future for example, during the Bill Clin-
“regional stability,” “humanitarian acts of international terrorism ton intervention in the Balkan
intervention,” “restoring order,” against the United States.” His wars of the 1990s and the post-
and other wide-open categories capacity to deploy forces and use 9/11 start of endless wars in Iraq
that most Congress-members are other assets in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Republicans and
loath to challenge.
and Africa will not be all that con- Democrats then rejected efforts to
Second, in methods, by using strained.
restrain a president by recourse to
indirect warfare, such as drones,
Remember Ronald Reagan’s war the War Powers Bill.
special forces, economic and cy- making in Central America, which
In fact, if that bill were up for
ber warfare, and sabotage; and culminated in the Iran-Contra af- a vote today — and two senators
unofficial (and deniable) assets fair? That secret operation, though plan on doing just that — it prob-
such as the CIA, private company eventually exposed, demonstrated ably wouldn’t pass, whereas if con-
mercenaries, and third-country how a president determined to tinued direct US involvement in
partners.
defeat a particular enemy (Nica- Afghanistan—or sending troops
No one understands the game ragua) could go around Congress to Haiti in order to “help restore
better than Joe Biden, who as a and, with the help of dogmatic ad- order” — were put to a vote, those
senator had a consistent record of visers and secret channels, erect a actions probably would pass. The
opposing the use of force without sophisticated network of state and reality, of course, is that a presi-
Congressional approval. He says private entities to fund war fight- dent wouldn’t put any of those de-
he wants to end the “forever wars” ing.
cisions to a vote by Congress.
in the Middle East. As Afghan-
The Democratic opposition in
I conclude that no significant
istan shows, however, “ending” Congress fought a rearguard ac- inroads in presidential power in
does not actually mean terminat- tion as it struggled for legislative foreign affairs are possible with-
ing. With the Taliban now intent language that would tie Reagan’s out redefining US national secu-
on overthrowing the US-support- hands. The lesson of Iran-Contra rity. Foreign policy needs to be
ed government, and many in Con- is that presidents have enormous humanized and demilitarized;
gress already critical of Biden’s resources at their disposal for Congress must resist authorizing
troop withdrawal, US policy will conducting wars. A skeptical or poorly defined military action in
actually entail reducing US in- hostile Congress is often playing advance; the bloated military bud-
volvement, using a different mix catch-up.
get, three times the size of China’s
and level of intervention — what
Two scholars who have served and 10 times Russia’s, must be
he calls “over-the-horizon capa- in government have this to say deeply cut; the use of force must
bilities.” The “forever wars” will go about the current state of affairs be proportional and seldom used;
on, justified by an understanding with respect to restricting presi- and diplomacy must be reener-
of presidential power that leaves dential authority to make war:
gized, with an accent on engaging
enormous room for military ac-
“To understand the limited sig- adversaries as well as friends.
tion even when troops are with- nificance of [Biden’s] approach
Pres. Biden is correct to say that
drawn.
[on AUMFs] to ending the forev- foreign policy begins at home. But
er wars, you need look no further he must avoid the trap presidents
Without Constraint
than Mr. Biden’s Feb. 25 airstrikes typically fall into — the tempta-
In the Middle East since the in eastern Syria against the Iran- tion of undemocratic warmaking.
USPS# 497-660
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WHERE TO WRITE
President Joseph Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
Email: Sen.DickAnderson@
oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
State Rep.
Boomer Wright (Dist. 9)
State Sen. Dick
Anderson (Dist. 5)
160 State Capitol 900 Court St.
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Salem, OR 97301
Message Line:
503-986-1409
503-378-4582
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@
www.oregon.gov/gov
oregonlegislature.gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244 | 541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
Lane County Dist. 1
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753 | 541-465-6750
Florence City Council
www.merkley.senate.gov
& Mayor Joe Henry
Florence City Hall, 250
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Highway 101, Florence, 97439
(4th Dist.)
541-997-3437
2134 Rayburn HOB
ci.florence.or.us
Washington, DC 20515
Email comments to Florence
202-225-6416
City Recorder Kelli Weese at
541-269-2609 | 541-465-6732 kelli.weese@ci.florence.or.us
www.defazio.house.gov