As the 2012 presidential elections come into sight, President Obama's decision to maintain an American role in NATO operations in Libya has widened the division between the Republicans and the Democrats. Earlier this week, Republican leaders postponed consideration of one of the two resolutions, which would have resulted in the termination of America's military involvement in the operations (Steinhauer). Kucinich said House leaders postponed the vote because they feared his resolution would pass (Rowley). Instead, the House will not vote on Friday June 3rd (Steinhauer). .
The first option is sponsored by Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat who is also one of the most liberal members of the House. However, many leaders fear that his measure would pass with backing from an unlikely coalition of liberals and conservatives. This would send the wrong message to allies engaged in other conflicts with the United States. The other option was proposed by Speaker John A. Boehner, which called for President Obama to paint a clearer picture for Americans on why we are engaged in the Libya mission (Steinhauer). .
"The president really does need to step up and help the American people understand why these missions are vital to the national security interests of our country," Boehner said (Rowley). .
On Friday, the House is looking to pass either or both of the measures, signifying Congress' most assertive stance on the Libya conflict to date. Furthermore, the vote will draw attention to the tensions between executive and legislative branches over the president's ability to wage war without Congress' express approval (Steinhauer). .
Some leaders are concerned that Congress could vote against American support for the operations in Libya. "It sends an unhelpful message of disunity and uncertainty to our troops, our allies, and most importantly, the Qaddafi regime," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell (Steinhauer).