The lone Obama administration witness at this morning’s Senate Foreign Relation Committee hearing on Libya, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, told Ranking Member Richard Lugar, R-Ind., that the Obama administration intends to comply with the War Powers Act: “The administration is committed to act consistent with the war powers act,” Steinberg said.
Left uclear is how exactly the Obama administration intends to comply with the War Powers Act. Obama’s 60 day window of authority for military action is set to expire May 20th. But there is not even a debate scheduled in the Senate for an authorization for continued use of force.
Under earlier questioning from Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., Steinberg stressed that U.S. military involvement was minimal and that NATO members were performing most of the current military action. When Kerry asked how the Obama administration views its authority for military participation under war powers, Steinberg said: “We are in the process of reviewing our role and the President will be making decisions.”
