Rand Paul and Justin Amash on Syria: Only Congress can Declare War

Senator Rand Paul released a statement today in response to President Obama’s threat of using military force against Syria.

The Constitution grants the power to declare war to Congress not the President.

The war in Syria has no clear national security connection to the United States and victory by either side will not necessarily bring in to power people friendly to the United States.

@BarackObama in 2007: POTUS lacks authority to unilaterally authorize military attack w/o imminent threat to nation http://t.co/jiWx9oFmHK

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) August 28, 2013

This is in stark contrast with Rep. Peter King (R-NY) who told CNN,

I believe the president can take the action without authorization from the Congress…I believe as commander in chief, he has the right to take the action. It’s in his interest to consult with the leadership in the House and Senate, but I don’t believe he has to.

In the past, both President Obama and the vice president are on record insisting that congressional authorization was required under President Bush. Why wouldn’t President Obama want the backing of Congress before starting hostilities with Syria now? Rep. Justin Amash has his theory:

Why don’t Pres Obama & leaders in Washington want Congress to vote on attacking #Syria? Because the vote would fail.

— Justin Amash (@repjustinamash) August 28, 2013

92 House members (76 Republicans and 16 Democrats) have signed a letter demanding that President Obama seek congressional approval before taking military action against Syria.

Both Rep. Thomas Massie and Amash are supporting a bill “to restrict funds related to escalating United States military involvement in Syria.”

UPDATE: Senator Paul elaborated further on his position during a radio interview with Chris Stigall out of Philadelphia.