Congressman Adam Kinzinger Wants To Give Biden More Power

Congressman Adam Kinzinger a Republican from Illinois, though reading his twitter profile seems more like reading a Democrats, announced his introduction of a joint resolution which would authorize the use of the United States armed forces to defend the territory currently embroiled in a civil war. The congressman would support use of battalions against Putin-backed separatists with this new piece of legislation. The authorization for use of military force to defend America’s allies’ resolution of 2022 would authorize the president of the United States to use our forces to respond to a scenario in which Putin decided to use chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons against another country. What business we have wading into another country civil war, the congressman did not state. He did make the announcement on CBS’s Face the Nation. He stated, “I’m introducing this AUMF as a clear redline so the Administration can take appropriate action should [redacted] use chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons. We must stand up for humanity and we must stand with our allies.” “As the President of the United States has said, Putin must be stopped. Accordingly, the Commander in Chief to the world’s greatest military should have the authority and means to take the necessary actions to do so.”

What the congressman seems to have forgotten is that the President does have the authority to use The United States military against a foreign aggressor but must have Congressional approval and backing for any war efforts within 30 days of the beginning of any aggressions. This authorization act would remove Congress’s ability to halt any action by the United States military after 30 days. This resolution would sidestep Congress’s authority and, in the process, silence the American people and their representatives about whether or not this country goes to war. Considering this is a civil war between Azov and Putin-backed separatists, one has to wonder what would the American people gain by entering this war? Why do we need to sidestep our Representatives’ ability to say no to this war? If the president is the only one with the authority to declare war after a biological, chemical, or nuclear strike what makes us different than a Kingdom wherein one man decides the future of an entire nation?

Supporters of the bill say that this would establish important red lines that Putin can’t cross. It establishes punishments for crossing these red lines. This piece of resolution also sells that the commander in chief will be the one to determine if weapons of mass destruction have been used. Haven’t we learned from the Iraq war that weapons of mass destruction in another country that has nothing to do with us is not a reason to go to war? Is this Iraq 2.0? This legislation would give President Biden an almost blank check to wage war in the name of the American people. There is no oversight to determine if weapons of mass destruction have been used and there is no expiration date.

Remember president George W. Bush used his authority to go to war originally just to compel Iraq to make good on its obligations to United Nations. At that time, he said that approving the resolution would not mean any military action was imminent or unavoidable. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. We don’t need a resolution to react to a foreign aggressor for chemical, biological, or nuclear strikes. We aren’t the policemen of the world. We don’t need to be the policemen of the world. We need less foreign entanglements and more focusing on our problems here at home. We don’t need to be sending money to another country when our own deficits are astronomical. We don’t need to send our soldiers to another country meddling in a civil war.