MINNEAPOLIS — Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) told TPM this morning that if the President Obama wants to keep bombing Libya, he’ll need to ask Congress’ permission.
“We’re going to have to vote,” Franken said shortly after his speech to the Netroots Nation crowd gathered here in his home state Saturday.
In an explosive article Friday, the New York Times reported that Obama overruled Justice Department advice that continuing the war in Libya without congressional authority was illegal. Asked about the story, Franken said he rejected the president’s reported reasoning behind overruling his own legal team.
“I disagree with his take on it,” Franken said. “I understand what his take is, which is that we don’t have any troops on the ground, we are — you know, whatever it is, I don’t agree with it.”
In the long term, Franken said, Congress must give Obama authorization to continue the war.
“The War Powers Act should be enforced,” Franken said.
