U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., speaks to an audience of more than 200 people on Monday night at the Knight Law Center.
Expressing concerns about the growing powers of the president and the diminishing strength of Congress, U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., spoke to a packed classroom at the Knight Law Center on Monday night.
DeFazio focused his 45-minute speech on actions President Bush took to pursue a pre-emptive war with Iraq and how Congress did little to restrain the current administration’s actions. His speech was sponsored by the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics, an independent organization located at the School of Law.
Speaking to an audience of more than 200 people, DeFazio said Bush has sought to gain enough authority to enact “preventative wars” in order to stop sensed threats.
“I don’t believe that preventative wars like the war in Iraq are justified,” DeFazio said. “The threat is not imminent; it is perceived.”
DeFazio voted against a Congressional resolution in October 2002 that granted Bush authority to pre-emptively and unilaterally use military force in Iraq. DeFazio said the president can now use that same authorization to pre-emptively attack other countries such as Syria and Iran without approval from the United Nations or help from U.S. allies.
DeFazio said the authority to declare war should return to Congress.
“It’s critical that Congress reasserts its constitutional authority,” he said.
DeFazio said a U.S. policy of pre-emption would cause the world to react accordingly. The congressman said other countries with nuclear arms — such as Russia, India, Pakistan, China and North Korea — have all said they would consider pre-emptive action because of the U.S. policy.
“It cannot be in the U.S.’s and world’s interest to adopt a policy of pre-emption,” DeFazio said.
DeFazio is the first speaker for the Wayne Morse Center’s new two-year series on current international topics titled “Changing Geopolitical Order.”
Morse Center Interim Director Caroline Forell said the center was “very excited” about DeFazio’s talk.
“I thought it would be great to have him kick off the Morse Center this year,” Forell said.
First-year law student Brian Millington said he enjoyed DeFazio’s talk, as well as the topic that he focused on.
“I like that he’s talking about the topic of Congressional powers,” Millington said. “It’s important, especially given the climate of the administration right now. They’re asserting more power than they should.”
DeFazio concluded by suggesting today’s officials aren’t doing the right things for the country.
“It’s up to the political leaders of each generation to leave a world behind that is better off,” he said. “Under the current crop of leaders, they are leaving it in worse condition, sadly.”
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