On Wednesday June 17, 2015 the House considered H. Con. Res. 55, directing the President, Pursuant to section (5) of the War Powers Resolution, to Remove U.S. Armed Forces deployed to Iraq or Syria on or after August 7, 2014, other than Armed Forces required to protect U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel, from Iraq and Syria.
This resolution calls on the Administration to remove most of U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq and Syria unless Congress votes to authorize additional military action. The Administration recently announced plans to send 450 more U.S. military personnel to Iraq, bringing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to approximately 3,500. There is no question that this represents an escalation of the U.S. role in the region. Despite this increased activity, Congress has not debated an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Instead the AUMF from 2001 is being used to justify current activities.
The President has a Constitutional obligation to bring this matter before Congress and Congress has a Constitutional obligation to take a vote on it. I voted YES on H. Con. Res. 55. It failed and the entire vote is recorded below:
| YEA | NAY | PRESENT | NOT VOTING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REPUBLICAN | 19 |
222 |
1 |
3 |
| DEMOCRAT | 120 |
66 |
0 |
2 |
| TOTAL | 139 |
288 |
1 |
5 |
| MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION |
8 |
1 |
0 |
0 |