Rep. Seeks to Cut Off Libya Funding; Obama ‘Violating the War Powers Act’

ABC News’ Rick Klein (@rickklein) reports:

6-21-11 As bipartisan frustration mounts over President Obama’s actions in Libya, a Republican lawmaker is moving to cut off funding for U.S. efforts unless the president gets congressional approval.

Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., is filing a bill today that would shut down funding for the operations within 30 days, with the exception of money spent to withdraw American assets from the region.

“We went into Libya with no notification, no request for congressional authority or approval -- violating the War Powers Act. We're not sure what the actual final objective is,” Heck, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told us on ABC’s “Top Line” today.

“So there is a very difficult situation where we find ourselves in a Congress. We all want to support our troops and make sure that our military has the tools they need to do the job. But the president has failed to come to Congress to ask for the authority that is required by the War Powers Act.”

Heck’s proposal would go further in constricting the Obama administration than most Republicans – and many Democrats - would. But House leaders are pressing for some type of action on Capitol Hill this week, to register bipartisan disapproval – and potentially threaten funds for U.S. operations.

Heck, a freshman Republican, said he would be pushing his legislation regardless of who’s in the White House.

“It’s not an issue of whether it’s a Republican or Democratic president. But the fact is, the president didn’t follow the War Powers Act,” he said. “At a time where we're struggling with such a crushing debt and deficit … we need to be very wary where we're obligating U.S. resources and U.S. troops.”

Regarding the president’s new strategy on Afghanistan – which will be announced in a speech to the nation tomorrow – Heck said a troop drawdown needs to be “conditions-based.”

“It’s got to be conditions-based -- it can't be based on a strict calendar and a strict set of numbers,” Heck said.

Watch the full interview with Rep. Joe Heck HERE.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/06/gop-rep-seeks-to-cut-off-liby...