House rejects move to cut Libya funds

Washington— The House of Representatives refused to either endorse or curtail U.S. involvement in Libya, delivering a mixed message Friday that highlighted deep divisions surrounding the issue.

By an overwhelming margin, lawmakers refused to sanction U.S. participation in a NATO campaign of airstrikes in the North African country, a vote that amounted to a rare, bipartisan rebuke of a president's foreign policy during an active military conflict.

Minutes later, however, a Republican-led effort to try to curb financial support for U.S. involvement also failed. A majority of Democrats and a group of Republicans rejected the bill to cut funding for combat activities — surprising GOP leaders, who tailored the bill at the last minute to suit the rank and file.

Both measures were largely symbolic. The first measure, which would have authorized U.S. involvement, was not expected to pass the Republican-led House, where fiscal conservatives and "tea party" freshmen have expressed increased skepticism about stretching the military thin.

The second bill, to cut off funding, had virtually no chance of passing the Senate, much less garnering a presidential signature.

GOP leaders framed the vote as an attempt to rein in the president, who decided not to seek authorization under the 1973 War Powers Act for U.S. participation in a NATO military effort.

The White House argues that because the United States is acting as a part of NATO, its engagement does not meet the definition of “hostilities” that requires congressional authorization under the War Powers Act.

The argument has won over few in Congress, even Democratic allies. But opponents of the House bill argued that the solution was to authorize the Libya mission. Cutting off the funding was merely an attempt to score political points while risking damage to the United States’ relationship with allies, they argued.

“If we want our allies to stand by us in our time of need in Afghanistan, we have to stand by them in places like Libya,” said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “We’re either in an alliance or we’re not.”

Earlier, an attempt to authorize the current level of military force in Libya for one year failed. That measure, identical to one with bipartisan support in the Senate, was overwhelmingly rejected by a vote of 123-295. Seventy Democrats joined with Republicans to reject the measure, and eight Republicans voted for the measure.

The funding bill failed 180-238. It would have cut all U.S. financial backing for the mission until authorized by Congress. It makes an exception for a short list of specific activities not directly related to a typical definition of “hostilities,” including intelligence gathering, search and rescue, aerial refueling, and planning.

Opponents argued that the bill essentially would end U.S. involvement in the mission.

Even if it passed, the bill would have had virtually no chance of becoming law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has expressed support for the mission in Libya and was not expected to bring it up for a vote.