Michigan’s Rep. Amash plans bill against military action in Libya

Rep. Mike Rogers may support President Obama’s decision to use U.S. forces in Libya but his Republican colleague in the Michigan delegation, Rep. Justin Amash, is proposing a bill to put a stop to the action unless Congress authorizes the use of force.

Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, a freshman, and Timothy Johnson of Illinois sent a letter to House colleagues on Monday seeking support for their legislation that they said they would introduce on Tuesday. The bill would stop the use of military force against Libya until Obama seeks and receives authorization from Congress.

During the 2008 campaign, Obama himself said that the president does not have the constitutional authority to order military action “in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”