Obama Report on Libya Not Ending Lawmakers' Anger

The White House is vigorously defending President Barack Obama's right to keep the U.S. military engaged in Libya without seeking congressional approval, a move that appears to have done little to soothe anger among Republican lawmakers and anti-war Democrats over the president's consultations with Congress during the nearly three month-long campaign.In a report sent to Congress on Wednesday, administration officials argued that because the U.S. is in a supporting role in the NATO-led bombing mission, American forces are not facing the "hostilities" that would require the president to seek congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. That 1973 law prohibits the military from being involved in actions for more than 60 days without congressional authorization, plus a 30-day extension.The report, which put the cost of U.S. military operations at about $715 million as of June 3, with the total increasing to $1.1 billion by early September, did little to appease lawmakers who have been critical of Obama's dealings with Congress throughout the Libya campaign.

"I'm sure Sen. Barack Obama would have disagreed if he were serving at this time," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he was amazed that the administration did not believe U.S. forces were facing "hostilities" in Libya, saying generals have told lawmakers otherwise in classified briefings."The way the administration handled this entire affair left people on both sides of the aisle very perplexed," said Corker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Adding to the congressional pressure on Obama, a bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers on Wednesday sued the president for taking military action against Libya without war authorization from Congress. The lawmakers said Obama violated the Constitution in bypassing Congress and using international organizations like the United Nations and NATO to authorize military force.The White House sent Congress the 32-page report in response to a nonbinding House resolution passed this month that chastised Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for U.S. involvement in Libya.The resolution gave the administration until Friday to respond to a series of questions on the mission, including the scope of U.S. military activity, the cost of the mission and its impact on other U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While Obama did not seek congressional consent before ordering U.S. airstrikes against Moammar Gadhafi's forces nearly three months ago, the White House maintained that the president is not in violation of the War Powers Resolution. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, warned Obama this week that the 90-day window runs out Sunday.Previous presidents, Republicans and Democrats, have largely ignored the law, which was created as a check on their power to authorize military force.While the U.S. led the initial airstrikes on Libya, NATO forces have since taken over the mission. The U.S still plays a significant support role that includes aerial refueling of warplanes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance work. Obama has ruled out sending U.S. ground forces to Libya.