Post #6 (5/17/17) Unit of study: Constitutional Underpinnings of US Government

Obama's Plan Military Plan to Defeat ISIL Requires Congressional Checks and Balances 

https://www.thenation.com/article/presidents-plan-military-action-requires-congressional-checks-and-balances/

In September of 2014, President Obama gave a speech outlining his military plan to increase US involvement in Iraq and Syria in order to "degrade and destroy and ultimately destroy ISIL." Though 61% of Americans are against US troops being stationed in Iraq and Syria, his plan would have the US in charge of mobilizing an alliance of multiple countries in military actions to take ISIL out and would involve 475 US soldiers being deployed to the Middle East. The number of US troops stationed on the ground in Iraq would then be around 1,700. More than 70% of Americans believe President Obama should go to Congress for approval yet Obama avoided asking for congressional approval in his speech. In fact he said, “I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.” This goes directly against a main component of the Constitution which is checks and balances and separation of powers within the branches of government. The Constitution clearly states that Congress has the sole power to debate and vote on war as well as the power of the purse to say how much of the budget is given for military action. If important aspects of the Constitution cannot be respected and followed then US democracy is threatened. 

If the president disregards checks and balances and separation of powers then the United States is no longer the democracy that the founding fathers intended it to be. Checks and balances ensure that no branch of government is abusing its powers as does separation of powers. Congress checks over the president's military actions by having the power to declare war and make the national budget: therefore, when Obama does not seek out congressional approve to take military action against ISIL he is going against the Constitution. Even if President Obama decided to carry out his plan, within 60 days he would need to gain approval from Congress to continue deploying troops and have them declare war as the War Powers Resolution Act mandates. It would be intelligent of Obama to get congressional approval before taking action against ISIL not only because so many Americans are against troop deployment to Iraq and Syria but also because the Constitution requires checks and balances. This relates to class in that it deals with how checks and balances helps make up the type of democracy the US is. Without checks and balances the branches of government could easily abuse their powers.