Resoliferation©™

We are beginning to see a resoliferation©™, that is proliferation of resolutions. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It's about time Congress focuses attention on this issue and tries to take back its constitutional right to declare war and not simply write a blank check to the President.

I previously posted information on the resolution introduced by Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) and Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) and the resolution introduced by Rep. Peter Defazio (D-OR) (which included Mr. Murtha as an original co-sponsor). On 23 January, Rep. Ron Paul introduced H.Con.Res. 43, with 9 original co-sponsors. H. Con. Res. 43, a non-binding resolution, expresses the sense of Congress that the President should implement Recommendation 9 of the Iraq Study Group Report. The resolution concludes:

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the President of the United States should implement Recommendation 9 of the Iraq Study Group Report, which states: `Under the aegis of the New Diplomatic Offensive and the [Iraq International] Support Group, the United States should engage directly with Iran and Syria in order to try to obtain their commitment to constructive policies toward Iraq and other regional issues. In engaging with Syria and Iran, the United States should consider incentives, as well as disincentives, in seeking constructive results.'.

On 24 January, Sen. Byrd (D-WV), introduced S.Res. 39, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for approval by the Congress before any offensive military action by the United States against another nation. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said last week, "I'd like to be clear. The president does not have the authority to launch military action in Iran without first seeking congressional authorization."

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) explained why resoliferation©™ such as this is important (ok, he didn't use the word resoliferation©™, but humor me), when he revealed that the Bush administration tried to get Congress to approve military action anywhere in the Middle East -- not just in Iraq -- in the fall of 2002. According to Senator Hagel, the Bush administration presented Congress with a resolution that would have authorized the use of force anywhere in the region. "They expected Congress to let them start a war anywhere in the Middle East?" the interviewer asked. Hagel responded, "Yes. Yes. Wide open."

Sen. Biden (D-DE and '08 Presidential candidate) has also said he will introduce a resolution similar to the DeFazio resolution and I'm pretty sure there are some others that will be coming down the pipeline.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration tabled a resolution of its own at the United Nations (also known as the "land of resoliferation©™") on 22 January, calling upon all member states to reject any denial of the Holocaust, warning that ignoring the historical fact of these terrible events increases the risk they will be repeated. While the resolution doesn't name any country specifically, the underlying motives behind the it are to isolate Iran and rachet up pressure on the country on the international stage. The resolution is expected to be adopted overwhelmingly by the General Assembly.