Elspeth Reeve: House Takes up Resolution to Stop Airstrikes in Libya.

House Republicans will again challenge President Obama om Libya, offering two resolutions that seek to limit the scope of the mission for a vote as soon as Thursday, The New York Times' Charlie reports. One proposal would demand that Obama halt American bombing of Libya by both drones and piloted aircraft, while allowing the US to to support the NATO mission in other ways, like search and rescue and reconnaissance. The other resolution would only forbid ground troops in the country, but otherwise authorize the mission. The latter is modeled on a proposal offered by Senators John Kerry and John McCain. Both will be discussed by the House Republican Conference Wednesday. The no-more-bombing resolution appears to be aimed at the Obama administration's controversial argument that the military's activities in Libya do not constitute 'hostilities', and so are not bound by the War Powers Resolution, according to Senator Savage. That law requires presidents to seek approval from Congress for hostilities no less than 60 days after they begin. In the case of Libya, that deadline was May 20. House speaker John Boehner said: "we have no desire to damage the NATO alliance," but he does not buy the White House's argument that that we're not engaged in "hostilities" in Libya. According to top lawyers at the Pentagon and Justice Departments, neither do they!