Senator Ted Cruz Defends the Constitution

BY SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX)

Today, the legislative bodies of two of our closest allies are engaged in emergency meetings on the prospect of military engagement in Syria.

In Great Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron has called the House of Commons home from vacation to deliberate over the use of force in Syria.

In Israel, the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is reviewing potential responses should Israel be attacked in the fallout over action in Syria.

In Washington, DC, crickets are chirping.

* FOLKS... THIS IS - OR AT LEAST SHOULD BE - A TOTALLY NON-PARTISAN ISSUE. ALL HOUSE MEMBERS AND SENATE MEMBERS SHOULD BE DEMANDING NO NEW "WAR OF CHOICE" ABSENT CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION.

* FOLKS... THE FACT THAT CRUZ AND MYSELF ARE SO FAR OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM IN ASKING FOR THIS BASIC RESPECT FOR THE CONSTITUTION TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW RIGHT I ACTUALLY AM WHEN I GO ON AND ON ABOUT AMERIKA 2013 NOT BEING A NATION UNDER THE RULE OF LAW.

It may be that there is a compelling case to be made that intervention in Syria is necessary to defend U.S. interests.

* YEP! (I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS... BUT IF THERE IS I'D LIKE TO HEAR IT; I'LL KEEP AN OPEN MIND!)

But to date no such case has been made by President Obama, leaving those of us in Congress with some serious questions.

The President has in the past insisted that Assad must go, but this week his press secretary insisted that regime change is not part of any planned action in Syria.

* TRUE...

Given this lack of strategic consistency, Congress has every right to ask what the basic purpose of this action would be?

* YEP...

On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed certainty that the Assad regime was responsible for the attack, but today we are learning there are outstanding questions about who actually ordered it and who controls the weapons. Given this confusion, Congress has every right to ask what the basis is for action at this time?

In a press interview yesterday, the President said that the “very limited” action he is considering “may have a positive impact on our national security.” Given this modest mandate and uncertain outcome, Congress has every right to ask why we are considering this action at all?

* AND BEYOND THAT... EVEN IF IT "MAY" HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT... ISN'T THE FLIP SIDE OF THE COIN THAT IT MAY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT...?!?!

According to the Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war.

* YEP...

While the Commander in Chief must have the flexibility to act in the event of an imminent threat, the President’s comments suggest this does not currently exist in Syria.

* IT DOESN'T! WE KNOW IT DOESN'T!

There is time for debate, and no more important subject for Congress to consider.

* AGREED...

Deploying our armed forces is a serious commitment of the highest order, and we should only consider it in cases where our vital national security interests are at stake.

* FOLKS... IF OBAMA ORDERS AN ATTACK ON SYRIA ABSENT SPECIFIC CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL HE'LL HAVE FURTHER TRASHED OUR CONSTITUTION AND THOSE MILITARY LEADERS WHO FOLLOW HIS ORDERS... THEY WILL IN MY EYES BE WAR CRIMINALS. (HONORABLE MILITARY OFFICERS WOULD RESIGN RATHER THAN OBEY ILLEGAL COMMANDS.)

* AND, FOLKS... DON'T GET HUNG UP ON THE TERM "DECLARE" WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT'S CONSTITUTIONAL OR NOT; READ THE WAR POWERS ACT. ABSENT RESPONDING TO AN ACTUAL OR IMMINENT ATTACK UPON US, OUR VITAL NATIONAL INTERESTS, OR OUR TREATY ALLIES TO WHOM WE'RE BOUND IN MUTUAL DEFENSE, OBAMA HAS NO LEGAL RIGHT TO ATTACK SYRIA.

Our allies have demonstrated a willingness to do proper due diligence on this issue.

* MAN FOR MAN... WOMAN FOR WOMAN... I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE ISRAELI KNESSET ARE FAR BETTER MEN AND WOMEN THAN THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF OUR CONGRESS.

We owe it to the men and women in our armed forces, who would execute this mission, to do no less. When and if President Obama makes a decision on Syria, he must immediately call a special session of Congress and persuade the American people that what he proposes is critical to the defense of our nation. I am confident all members of Congress would willingly return to Washington to work with him on this issue.

* ARTICLE 2, SECTION 3 OF THE CONSTITUTION EMPOWERS THE PRESIDENT TO CALL CONGRESS INTO SESSION.