Congress Ashlyn Nassar, Julie Bontems, Tess Bedell

I. Congress and the Persian Gulf, 1990-91A. Congressional Breakdown

1. Parties2. Votes

B. Structural Aspects1. Committees2. Congressional Human Rights Caucus

C. Powers Used and Unused 1. Legislative2. Oversight3. Power of the Purse

Overview

Overview

II. Congress and the Bosnian Intervention,1994-95A. Congressional Breakdown

1. Parties2. Votes

B. Structural Aspects1. Committees2. Congressional Human Rights Caucus

C. Powers Used and Unused1. Legislative2. Oversight3. Power of the Purse

Congressional Breakdown - Desert Shield

102nd United States Congress (1991-1993)● Senate

o 56 Democratso 44 Republicans

● House of Representativeso 267 Democratso 167 Republicanso 1 Independent

Congressional Voting - Desert Shield

Authorization of Military Force Against Iraq● Senate Joint Resolution 2

o Approved 52 to 47o Democrats - 10 to 45o Republicans - 42 to 2

● House Joint Resolution 77o Approved 250 to 183o Democrats - 86 to 179o Republicans - 164 to 3o Independents - 0 to 1

Structural Aspects - Desert Shield

Congressional Committees● Hearings before the invasion

○ Senate Armed Services Committee ○ House Committee on Foreign Affairs

● Following the decision to invade ○ Funding and logistics

Congressional Caucuses● Congressional Human Rights Caucus

Congressional Powers - Desert Shield

Legislative powers vs. Oversight:● Bush sought congressional authorization for a war

which the military was already prepared to fight

● House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting the President’s deployment of forces to defend Saudi Arabia

● The Senate passed a more limited resolution supporting the President’s actions in the U.N. and his demand for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait

Congressional Powers - Desert Shield

Power of the Purse: ● First formal congressional action of the Gulf War: A

continuing resolution that appropriated just over $2 billion for Desert Shield

● $61.1 billion overall, but was fought with only $1 billion in specific appropriations

● Congress authorized the use of force in January 1991, but did not appropriate funds for Desert Storm until April 1991; in the meantime, the entire Gulf War was waged and won

Congressional Breakdown - Joint Endeavor

104th United States Congress (1995-1997)● Senate

o 47 Democratso 53 Republicans

● House of Representativeso 204 Democratso 230 Republicanso 1 Independent

Congressional Voting - Joint Endeavor

Bosnia and Herzegovina Self Defense Act of 1995● Senate Bill 21

o Passed 69 to 29o Democrats - 21 to 24o Republicans - 48 to 5

● House Vote on Senate Bill 21o Passed 298 to 128o Democrats - 93 to 103o Republicans - 204 to 25o Independents - 1 to 0

Congressional Voting - Joint Endeavor

Authorization of Troop Deployment in Bosnia● Senate Joint Resolution 44

o Passed 69 to 30o Democrats - 45 to 1o Republicans - 24 to 29

● House Resolution 302o Passed 287 to 141o Democrats - 65 to 130o Republicans - 221 to 11o Independents - 1 to 0

Structural Aspects - Joint Endeavor

Committees● Senate Committee on Armed Services

○ Chairman Sam Nunn 1994○ Strom Thurmond 1996

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe● Special agency created by Congress 1976● Consists of 9 representatives and 9 senators, and

3 executive agency members ● Hearing on humanitarian issue in Bosnia

Congressional Powers - Joint Endeavor

Legislative powers: Clinton veto● Both houses passed the measure to end the United States

part in the embargo by two-thirds majorities.● The Senate majority leader, Bob Dole agreed about the

volatility of the situation ● The Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle, thought there

was enough support to sustain the veto, but added that it was "a very close call,"

● Clinton warned that unilaterally ending the United States role in the embargo would damage mutual security agreements with allies.

Congressional Powers - Joint Endeavor

Oversight and War Powers Resolution: ● President Clinton kept the

bombing campaign in Kosovo going for more than two weeks after the 60-day deadline had passed.

● What about the War Powers Resolution? ● The War Powers Resolution specifically says that such

funding does not constitute authorization.● Challenged by a member of Congress but the court

found the issue was a “non-justiciable” political question

Conclusions

● Political Parties and Voting: foreign policy approval divides along party lines

● Structure: Leaders in Congress and the President

● Powers: Congress elected to use certain powers depending on perception of the issue at hand

Works Cited ● http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/13/world/confrontation-gulf-congress-acts-authorize-war-gulf-margins-are-5-votes-se

nate.html● http://articles.latimes.com/1995-12-10/news/mn-12378_1_white-house● http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/14/world/balkan-accord-congress-anguished-senators-vote-support-bosnia-mission-cl

inton.html● http://www.cnn.com/US/9512/bosnia/12-13/pm/● http://www.senate.gov/● http://history.house.gov/● http://clerk.house.gov/● http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:HJ00077:@@@L&summ2=m&● http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:SJ00002:@@@L&summ2=m&● http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d104:SN00021:@@@L&summ2=m&● http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/12/world/clinton-vetoes-lifting-bosnia-arms-embargo.html● http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d104:SJ00044:@@@L&summ2=m&● http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d104:HE00302:@@@L&summ2=m&● http://www.gao.gov/archive/1997/ns97050.pdf● http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/12/world/clinton-vetoes-lifting-bosnia-arms-embargo.html● http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/hjackson/WarBudgeting_39.pdf● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Resolution● http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000017591584;view=1up;seq=5 ● http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/25/world/senate-leaders-fight-plan-to-lift-bosnia-arms-embargo.html ● http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000025747560;view=1up;seq=56 ● http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/12/world/clinton-vetoes-lifting-bosnia-arms-embargo.html ● http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000031705462;view=1up;seq=3