WASHINGTON — Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, announced June 19 that her amendment that would prevent the president from circumventing the War Powers Resolution to unilaterally commit U.S. forces to operations in Iraq passed the House unopposed.
She introduced the amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act on June 18.
“I am proud to have earned the support of my colleagues and to have helped preserve the role of Congress in determining America’s defense efforts,” Hanabusa said. “It is vital that we understand the full reasons and objectives of any further involvement in the region, and that we are able to answer the fundamental question of why we are there.
“We have seen the results of entering a conflict in the Middle East without considering the consequences of military action and no effective exit strategies.
“I will continue to stand by my position that we should not put U.S. troops in harm’s way in Iraq. We must learn from our past involvement in the Middle East, and we simply cannot justify further involvement with no definition of how this serves the people’s national security interests.
“Today’s action can help ensure that we act responsibly and with due concern for the men and women who have volunteered to defend our nation.”
Hanabusa said that she has opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq since 2002, before the war began.