Debating the War Powers Act & today’s wars

Hour 1

Sunday marked 90 days since the U.S. began a military intervention in Libya, officially extending past the later of two deadlines set forth in the War Powers Act for presidential war-waging without congressional approval. Through his spokesman, President Obama announced last week that he would not seek Congressional authorization because the Libya actions didn’t rise to the level of the “hostilities” cited in the Vietnam War-era legislation. Libya represents the latest front in a struggle over military matters that dates back to the Founding Fathers and the separation of powers they embedded in the Constitution. Joining us to brief us on how the debate has been playing out in Congress and in the White House is CHARLIE SAVAGE, Washington correspondent for The New York Times best known for his reporting on presidential power and the intersection of law and policy. Then we’ll go further in-depth on the War Powers Act and the issues it attempted to address with ROBERT F. TURNER, co-founder and assistant director of the Center for National Security Law at the University of Virginia; and BRUCE FEIN, a deputy attorney general under President Ronald Reagan who has called for President Obama’s impeachment for violating the War Powers Act.

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[audio: 062111_100630.mp3]