Foreign Affairs Hearing on War Powers
March 13th, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight is currently holding a hearing, “War Powers for the 21st Century: The Congressional Perspective.” Witness include former U.S. Representatives David E. Skaggs, a Democrat, and Mickey Edwards, a Republican, as well as sitting Republican Rep. Walter Jones.
Former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK): “So let me just close with this: I’m partisan. I’m a Republican, I was Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee when I was in the House, part of the Republican Leadership. I prefer Republican policies. But political party loyalty cannot trump the Constitution. Loyalty to a president of your own party, when it violates the Constitutional principles, is acquiescence in something that violates the oath of office every Member of Congress takes.” |
Extended transcript:
Former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK): “When the Constitution was adopted in 1787, when it was written in 1787 rather, we faced both Britain and France with the power, had they decided to focus on the United States, of strangling this country in the crib. They could have wiped us out. And we had a great man about to become president, George Washington. And with George Washington about to assume the presidency, and two countries ready to wipe us out if they so chose, the Founding Fathers said we are still going to withhold from the presidency the powers that kings have traditionally held. So that’s why the Constitution is not vague about who declares war, not vague at all. In fact, if you look at the Constitution and I’m sure you do, it even includes giving the Congress authority over treatment of prisoners, which people here seem to have forgotten. So let me just close with this: I’m partisan. I’m a Republican, I was Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee when I was in the House, part of the Republican Leadership. I prefer Republican policies. But political party loyalty cannot trump the Constitution. Loyalty to a president of your own party, when it violates the Constitutional principles, is acquiescence in something that violates the oath of office every Member of Congress takes. There is no excuse for taking the oath, saying ‘I’m going to uphold the Constitution’ — we all did that right? — ‘I’m going to uphold the Constitution.’ You take loyalty to the United States and this Constitution, not to a president. And we have seen to often a tendency of Members of Congress to line up with the quarterback instead of lining up with the Constitution.”