Webb: No funds for Iran attack without Congressional approval

Freshman Senators don’t typically jump right onto the Senate floor and start proposing a lot of legislation in their first few months in Congress and Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) has been no exception. But the two pieces of legislation Webb has authored have been big and meaningful.

I reported in January about Webb introducing a bill the day the new Congress began to provide an old-school, all-inclusive G.I. Bill to members of the Armed Forces who have served since September 11, 2001 -- an outstanding and overdue piece of work that will hopefully pass this year.

And on Monday, for his second Senate bill, Webb proposed S. 759, legislation that would prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without the express approval of Congress.

"The purpose of this legislation is to restore a proper balance between the executive and legislative branches when it comes to the commencement of military activities," said Webb, while introducing his bill. "The major function of this legislation is to prevent this administration from commencing unprovoked military activities against Iran without the approval of the Congress."

Webb then explained that his legislation preempts rash action on the part of George W. Bush by using the only mechanism available to Congress: the Constitutional process of prohibiting all funding for such action.