Key House Democrat: Obama Should Seek Congressional Approval for Afghanistan Surge

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Obama is confronting deep skepticism over his plans to send 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan — and some leading Democrats are pushing for a showdown in Congress, as they seek to stop his move.
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a leading proponent of ending the war in Afghanistan, said on ABCNews.com's "Top Line" today that the president should put his strategy up for an "up or down" vote in Congress.
 
"One of the things I hope will happen — and I hope President Obama will embrace this idea as well as our leadership — and that is, before he escalates our military presence in Afghanistan by this significant number that we ought to have a debate here in the United States congress," McGovern told us.

"I mean, this is a big deal. You know, we are enlarging our military footprint, and I think members of Congress have a role here; we should debate this. He should submit a supplemental request to Congress, we should debate it, vote up or down on it. And you know, and if he has the votes then he proceeds."

The White House has indicated that the president has all the authority he needs to order additional troops into battle in Afghanistan. In his speech last night, Obama pointed out that the 2001 vote for war in Afghanistan — which sailed through Congress with only a single "no" vote — is "an authorization that continues to this day."

Asked about whether an additional vote is necessary, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told ABC's Jake Tapper that "the president made really clear last evening" that the 2001 war authorization covers his decision to deploy more troops.

That's a position that Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill seem inclined to support. A senior Democratic leadership aide tells ABC News that no votes on war strategy are likely to come until some time in 2010 — well after the surge begins — when the administration is expected to come back to Congress for additional funds.

McGovern said he's not doubting the president's authority, as commander-in-chief, to send more troops to Afghanistan. But he said that basing such a move on the 2001 war vote would mean that Obama has "stretched" the meaning of that resolution.

"Well, he may have the authority, but I think he ought to engage Congress," McGovern said. "We've been at this war for eight years. I think that his kind of interpretation of what we voted for in 2001, I mean — he's kind of stretched, if you will, the intent of Congress. The intent of Congress was not to get bogged down in Afghanistan; the intent of Congress was to go after Al Qaeda, those are the people who killed our fellow citizens in 2001. And I think by getting bogged down in Afghanistan and involved with a corrupt and incompetent government, that we are taking our eye off the real fight."

McGovern said he doesn't believe that the July 2011 timeline for starting troop withdrawals will mean very much in practice.

"We're still beginning a strategy to exit from Korea," he said. "My sense is that he gave himself enough wiggle room so that this could be a war that goes on for many, many, many years. … I envision American troops in Afghanistan a lot longer than 2011. I'm sad to say — I'm sad to say that but I think the approach here is the wrong approach."

He also said he disagrees with Obama's judgment that the Karzai government will ever be able to stand up on its own.

"I would like a little bit more nation building here in the United States but the Karzai government is corrupt," McGovern said. "I'm concerned about the plight of Afghan women and all Afghans, quite frankly, who live under a kind of oppressive system. And the Taliban, by the way, is a very oppressive force. But … does anyone have any confidence that in two or three years we're going to be able to pass anything over to that government?" Watch the full interview with Rep. Jim McGovern HERE.
We also assessed the political fallout from last night's speech with Jeff Zeleny, who covers the White House for The New York Times. Watch that discussion HERE. UPDATE: After today’s program, McGovern joined Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., in writing a letter to the president formally requesting that he submit his plan for a vote in Congress. “A decision of this magnitude should not be made without the support of the American people and their elected representatives in Congress,” they write. “History has shown that our national security is often best served when the political branches work together to form a consensus on major strategic decisions. Congress should vote on whether to continue an armed nation-building campaign in Afghanistan that has already cost the lives of over eight hundred brave American men and women and hundreds of billions of dollars.” You can read the full letter HERE.