House rejects measure to continue US role in Libya
The House on Friday overwhelmingly rejected a measure giving President Barack Obama the authority to continue the US military operation against Libya, a major repudiation of the commander in chief. The vote was 295-123, with Obama losing the support of 70 of his Democrats one day after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had made a last-minute plea for the mission.
While the congressional action had no immediate effect on American involvement in the NATO-led mission, it was an embarrassment to a sitting president and certain to have reverberations in Tripoli and NATO capitals. The vote marked the first time since 1999 that either House has voted against a military operation. The last time was over President Bill Clinton's authority in the Bosnian war. (AP)
