Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
During a campaign stop at the Richardson headquarters in Cedar Rapids last Thursday, Gov. Bill Richardson repeated his vow that, if elected president, he will protect the U.S. Constitution. Armed with the constitution, Richardson also called upon Congress to de-authorize the war in Iraq before departing D.C. on its August recess.
Iowa Independent: Gov. Richardson, You said the first step of your Iraq War plan is the de-authorization of the war. Why does that need to be the first step? And how would you tell Congress to go about doing it?
Richardson: I would say to the Congress is that you have failed to end the war in Iraq by what they have been doing, which is troop withdrawal deadlines, funding cuts. Do a simple de-authorization on the basis of Article I of the Constitution. There is already a resolution introduced. You authorized this war, now deauthorize it, because the American people don’t want it. There’s no legal basis for it. Our soldiers are at risk, and we have no exit strategy, so the best step for this country and the Congress, who I’m disappointed with, is to deauthorize the war.
Iowa Independent: Why don’t you think the Congress has taken this strategy yet?
Richardson: I believe they’ve been wanting to look at their votes, and they believe the funding cuts are the most effective approach, but they don’t have the votes. And today, the president has a blank check. The Congress, before it goes home for their August recess, should take significant steps to end the war. The best vehicle to do this is a de-authorization, which the president can’t veto, because it’s based on Article I.Iowa Independent: Are you aware of any members of Congress who are pushing for a de-authorization?
Richardson: So far Sen. Robert Byrd has introduced that resolution, and that’s what I would push rather than these funding cuts and these half measures. We elected this Congress to end the war, and they need to do that.
Iowa Independent: So in a sense, a de-authorization will help give Congress back the power they handed over to the president when they gave him authorization in the first place?
Richardson: Yes. Under Article I of the constitution, the Congress should decide whether or not we’re in war, not the president.
______________________________________________________
Citing Article I of the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973, Richardson has been calling upon Congress to deauthorize the war in Iraq since January. Article I gives Congress the power to declare war and the War Powers Act specifies that the president may not continue an undeclared war without reauthorization from Congress. Furthermore, under Section 4 of the War Powers Act, the president is required to report to Congress regarding the status, scope and duration of engaged hostilities:
Sec. 4. (c) :Whenever United States Armed Forces are introduced into
hostilitiesor into any situation described in subsection (a) of this section,
the president shall, so long as such armed forces continue to be engaged in such
hostilities or situation, report to the Congress periodically on the status of
such hostilities or situation as well as on the scope and duration of such
hostilities or situation, but in no event shall he report to the Congress less
often than once every six months.
With summer recess just around the corner for Congress, it appears that Richardson’s call for deauthorization will be postponed until fall. On May 3, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W. Va., did introduce legislation on the Senate floor calling for the deauthorization of the war in Iraq. Byrd was joined by fellow member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and offered the Byrd-Clinton bill, which would sunset the outdated 2002 use of force resolution at its five-year anniversary on Oct. 11 of this year.
In a press release, Richardson applauded Clinton for agreeing with his proposal for reversing the president’s failed policing in Iraq and getting U.S. troops out of Iraq, although he would like Congress to act sooner than October. “It’s the only way to avoid an endless ‘Groundhog Day’ cycle of legislation and veto that would not accomplish the goal of getting our troops out of Iraq,” said Gov. Richardson. “I welcome Senator Clinton’s endorsement of my approach, and I urge Congress to embrace this course of action and show the president that his defiance of the will of the American people and a vote of Congress will not stand.”
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter