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GOP: Obama broke law by not informing Congress of Bergdahl prisoner swap in advance
Hot Air ^ | 1 June 2014 | WaPo

Posted on 06/02/2014 3:09:09 AM PDT by MegaSilver

Top Republicans on the Senate and House armed services committees went so far as to accuse President Obama of having broken the law, which requires the administration to notify Congress before any transfers from Guantanamo are carried out.

“Trading five senior Taliban leaders from detention in Guantanamo Bay for Bergdahl’s release may have consequences for the rest of our forces and all Americans. Our terrorist adversaries now have a strong incentive to capture Americans. That incentive will put our forces in Afghanistan and around the world at even greater risk,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. McKeon (R-Calif.) and the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, James M. Inhofe (Okla.), said in a joint statement.

Lawmakers were not notified of the Guantanamo detainees’ transfer until after it occurred.

The law requires the defense secretary to notify relevant congressional committees at least 30 days before making any transfers of prisoners, to explain the reason and to provide assurances that those released would not be in a position to reengage in activities that could threaten the United States or its interests…

A senior administration official, agreeing to speak on the condition of anonymity to explain the timing of the congressional notification, acknowledged that the law was not followed. When he signed the law last year, Obama issued a signing statement contending that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers as commander in chief and that he therefore could override it.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; alqaeda; bergdahl; bobbergdahl; bowebergdahl; deserter; gitmo; obama; obamination; wagthedog
When he signed the law last year, Obama issued a signing statement contending that the notification requirement was an unconstitutional infringement on his powers as commander in chief and that he therefore could override it.

The president gave his signature to a law that he knew to be unconstitutional? That's a dereliction of duty. If it's true Obama should be censured.

And if it turns out that Bergdahl IS a deserter, and that Obama knew of this when his fellow soldiers were sent to die to find him and/or when he traded five terrorists for the man, then Obama should be censured, impeached, deposed and stripped of both his passport and his right to Secret Service.

For life.

1 posted on 06/02/2014 3:09:09 AM PDT by MegaSilver
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To: MegaSilver

I can’t wait to hear them cluck about this nonstop and then fail to do anything about it. ‘Cause, ya know, impeachment and Dem Congress and waste of time and such.


2 posted on 06/02/2014 3:13:57 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: goodwithagun

Should be Senate not Congress. Haven’t had even a sip of coffee yet.


3 posted on 06/02/2014 3:14:31 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: MegaSilver

I think Obama is trying to close Gitmo. This was a way to do it with cover. Very thin cover.


4 posted on 06/02/2014 3:14:49 AM PDT by DariusBane (Liberty and Risk. Flip sides of the same coin. So how much risk will YOU accept? Vive Deco et Vives)
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To: MegaSilver
-- The president gave his signature to a law that he knew to be unconstitutional? --

Reagan, Clinton and Bush did the same thing. "Signing statements."

5 posted on 06/02/2014 3:21:09 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: goodwithagun

I hope you realize that we absolutely must take the senate back from the rats


6 posted on 06/02/2014 3:21:52 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Of course we must; however, will the seats be filled with conservatives or Democrat lights? If they’re filled with RINOs then there’s no point.


7 posted on 06/02/2014 3:28:36 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: DariusBane
I read something yesterday that needs to be verified.

I read...When all the combat troops are gone from Afghanistan, all the prisoners in Guantanamo have to be released.

So is that in 2015...just before elections or 2016...just after elections.

8 posted on 06/02/2014 3:31:50 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: MegaSilver

I wonder what would take place if the GITMO Commander and guards refused to release those extremely dangerous prisoners. IIRC, Lt. Calley was prosecuted for obeying illegal orders.


9 posted on 06/02/2014 3:37:27 AM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: goodwithagun

that strongly worded statement is gonna be a doozy....


10 posted on 06/02/2014 3:47:39 AM PDT by slapshot
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To: MegaSilver

BFD...

So Obama decided AGAIN not to enforce or acknowledge a law he didn’t like or agree with...

Add it to the list...

Also add another round of hand-wringing and harsh words from Congress (Senate or House makes no difference)...


11 posted on 06/02/2014 3:51:26 AM PDT by bfh333 ("We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.")
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To: MegaSilver
Obama the Tyrant wants to "show" (liar) that he
leaves "no American behind" (to avoid Benghazi).


12 posted on 06/02/2014 3:51:44 AM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: goodwithagun
AND GOSH DANGIT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!
BUT, BOY OH BOY WE'LL SEND A LETTER if it doesn't offend you.
13 posted on 06/02/2014 3:56:03 AM PDT by MaxMax (Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
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To: MaxMax

I’m offended! A letter symbolizes white privilege since we* oppressed the slaves even more by not allowing them to learn to read or write.

*Your family’s slave owning status is irrelevant because racis!


14 posted on 06/02/2014 4:03:59 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: MegaSilver
So Pubbies, what are you going to do about it, other than huff and puff a lot of hot air? Launch yet another go-nowhere Congressional investigation? IOW, nothing? Thought so.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

15 posted on 06/02/2014 4:06:21 AM PDT by wku man (Veterans, it's up to us to save the Republic...let's roll.)
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To: Cboldt

If you read the last paragraph of that statement, signed December 26, 2013, Barry states that if implementation of any provision violates separation of powers principles, his administration would do so in a manner that avoids any such conflict.

But as usual that’s all just BS, and he winds up doing what he wants, like a spoiled brat, and again as usual, ‘thumbs his nose’ at comity and mutual respect between coequal branches of government.

Arrogance like his begs for impeachment and removal, if Congress had the stones, but they do not.


16 posted on 06/02/2014 4:11:13 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: MegaSilver

And now the new, shiny squeaky toy of Bergdahl diverts attention from VA, which diverted it from the release of 36,000 criminal illegals onto our streets, away from Benghazi, etc.

Since Obama is immune from scandal backlash, the regime’s thinking seems to be “why not create a new one every couple weeks.. just for fun?”


17 posted on 06/02/2014 4:20:50 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)
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To: tumblindice
-- But as usual that's all just BS, and he winds up doing what he wants, like a spoiled brat, and again as usual, `thumbs his nose' at comity and mutual respect between coequal branches of government. --

Not that I think Obama is a good man, let alone a good president, the principle you cited swings both ways. Congress is supposed to understand that the president has pardon power and is vested with "commander in chief" status with regard to the conduct of military activities. When Congress asserts itself in the sphere of presidential powers, if is congress thumbing its nose at separation of powers; and when congress complains that the president isn't respecting a congressional incursion into presidential powers, it is congress acting like a spoiled brat.

I think congress has every right to criticize the president, but in this case, "he broke our law" is disingenuous.

-- Arrogance like his begs for impeachment and removal, if Congress had the stones, but they do not. --

I think he deserves to be impeached and removed too. He flouts immigration law, and many others. His justice department is racist and selects prosecution on race-based rationale. He's incompetent. Agreed that Congress lacks the stones to act responsibly. All it wants to do is score political points with empty rhetoric.

18 posted on 06/02/2014 4:33:36 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: MegaSilver
GOP: Obama broke law by not informing Congress of Bergdahl prisoner swap in advance.

Ok, so what's their point?

It's not like they are going to do anything about it.

19 posted on 06/02/2014 9:01:48 AM PDT by Know et al (Keep on Freepin'!!!)
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