As much of the nation goes into lockdown and millions of businesses and tens of millions of lives are being destroyed, the people’s so-called representative in Washington passed a $740 billion defense budget… the largest in American history.
Despite President Trump’s call for withdrawing half of the 4,500 troops currently in Afghanistan – by far the longest war in U.S. history and with no end in sight – the bill included an amendment that would block funding to pull the troops out.
The U.S. currently has 34,500 troops stationed in Germany. Trump had wanted 12,000 of them to be pulled, but the bill would block him from withdrawing those troops as well. The new defense bill would, once again, make it a requirement for the commander-in-chief to get approval from Congress to withdraw forces.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, but the president has the ability to direct the military once the war is declared, according to Cornell’s Legal Information Institute. The website said presidents have engaged in military operations without the approval of Congress. These conflicts included the war in Afghanistan in 2001, the 2002 war in Iraq, and dates back to the Korean War.
The LawFareBlog stated Congress has recently “begun to feel its oats” when it comes to foreign troop deployment. 2019’s “Responsible Withdrawal From Syria Act” would ban the use of military funding without Congress’ approval.
Senator Rand Paul said the newly passed (and veto-proof) National Defense Authorization Act sets a “very dangerous precedent” over an amendment that will require additional hurdles for a president to draw down troops stationed overseas and will limit a president’s power to end the war.
“This bill creates 535 commanders in chief,” Paul said. He called the bill misguided and pointed out it is the height of hypocrisy that – under the bill – presidents have the ability to start a conflict and not end one.
TRENDPOST: This story was in and out of the news. It should be noted that during this year’s Presidential Reality Show®, U.S. foreign policy, the burgeoning defense/intelligence budgets, and the immorality of America’s illegal and murderous foreign entanglements, i.e., Libya, Syria, etc., was barely mentioned by the candidates.
As for the nation as a whole, there is little mainstream media coverage of U.S. involvement overseas, and it is of little concern among the general public.
