House Authorizes Use of Force Against Iraq

Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA34) today voted against a resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq, which was ultimately passed by the House of Represnetatives by a vote of 296-133.  The Administration has not clearly and convincingly articulated a case that Iraq poses an imminent threat to the United States, Napolitano said.  Without evidence of an immediate threat and without the support of the U.N. or our allies, I cannot justify sending our children and grandchildren to war, she continued.

From the numerous letters, faxes and calls in opposition to war received in my district and Washington offices, my responsibility and duty to my constituents was clear, the congresswoman noted.  We must work toward a diplomatic solution in concert with the United Nations and our allies to reach our goal of Hussein s disarmament.  There is no doubt that Hussein is working on weapons of mass destruction, but I do not have sufficient information about the extent or the immediacy of the threat he poses. Napolitano stated.

The situation lies in Hussein s hands now.  He can act reasonably, allow the return of weapons inspectors and comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.  This will improve our national security as well as the lives of the Iraqi people.  If he refuses to work with the U.N. and disarm, we may be left with no choice but military action.  But, such action must be taken with the full support of our allies, and we must first fully exhaust diplomatic means, said Napolitano.

The resolution passed by the House today differed from the original White House draft in several important ways.  It supports the efforts of the Administration to build an international coalition against Iraq, limits the use of force to Iraq, requires the President to ensure the war on terrorism will not be hampered by military action in Iraq, and provides for congressional input in the case of a military conflict through the War Powers Act.  While this resolution is more moderate than the President s initial request, it still gives me great cause for concern.  It does not require the President to obtain the support of the U.N., and I feel strongly that any action we take must be in concert with the U.N. and our allies.

Representative Grace Napolitano, 34th District of California 1609 Longworth Building, Washington, DC 20515    Phone 202-225-5256       Fax 202-225-0027 This is an official Web site of the United States House of Representatives.