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Overseas Conflict
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Eastern North Carolina is home to several military installations and conflicts overseas affect all of us.
Where I Stand
Our Constitution, a document I have sworn to protect and defend, explicitly states that our nation does not go to war without Congressional approval. I believe in our Constitution, and I will continue the fight to prevent the president from waging war unilaterally without Congressional approval. I took the president to Federal Court because he violated the Constitution and the War Powers Clause by going to war against the Libyan regime without authorization from the U. S. Congress. I have introduced legislation expressing the sense of Congress that it is an impeachable offense for any president to wage offensive war without prior Congressional approval. I will continue the fight to reign in the Executive Branch and restore power to the citizens of our nation.
Afghanistan
President Obama's decision to keep our troops in Afghanistan through 2014 is the wrong policy for the United States. We have accomplished our original goals to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice and to break up the Al Qaeda network. Bin Laden is now dead and Al Qaeda has been dispersed. Our continued presence in Afghanistan is not in the best interest of our nation.
America is spending $10 billion a month – over $120 billion a year - in Afghanistan. Forty-seven percent of that money is borrowed from the Chinese and other foreigners. America is sending that borrowed money overseas to prop up a corrupt leader in Afghanistan, who has said he would side with Pakistan over America. At a time when our nation is already over $15 trillion in debt, we simply can’t afford it.
Legislative Action in the 112th Congress
Sponsored Bills
H.Con.Res 107 - Expressing the sense of Congress that the use of offensive military force by a president without prior and clear authorization of an Act of Congress constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor under article II, section 4 of the Constitution.
Cosponsored Bills
H. R. 780 - Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act - states that it is the policy of the United States to ensure that funds made available for operations of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan are to be used only for providing for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (DOD) contractor personnel in Afghanistan. Allows such funds to be obligated and expended only for such purpose.
H. R. 974 - True Cost of War Act of 2011 - directs the president to report to Congress an estimate of the long-term costs to U.S. taxpayers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Requires the president, in preparing such report, to make estimates and projections through at least FY2020, and to take into account specified cost factors, including: (1) the deployment of U.S. military personnel, contractors, and private security firms; (2) the number of veterans in need of medical or mental health care due to injuries and illnesses; (3) pending veterans' disability compensation claims; (4) total casualties and injuries; (5) current and future operational expenses and related costs; and (6) the amount of money borrowed to pay for such operations, the sources of that money, and the interest on the money borrowed.
H. Con Res 31 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the president is required to obtain in advance specific statutory authorization for the use of U.S. Armed Forces in response to civil unrest in Libya.
H. Con Res 51 - Directs the president, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. Armed Forces from Libya within 15 days after the adoption of this resolution.
H. Con Res 58 - States that pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, Congress does not approve U.S. intervention in Libya.