Do Obama's Actions Against ISIS Violate The Constitution? Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Presidential War Powers At Columbia University, 3.31

As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant continues its campaign of terror, some are calling for President Obama to ramp up our military's fight against them. But can he? Indeed, does the President have the constitutional authority to order any military action at all without Congress's approval? On Tuesday, March 31, Intelligence Squared U.S. will get to the heart of what "Commander in Chief" means with a live debate on the motion "The President Has Exceeded His Constitutional Authority by Waging War Without Congressional Authorization" at Columbia University.

Presented in partnership with the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University and the National Constitution Center, this debate marks the latest in Intelligence Squared U.S.'s ongoing constitutional debate series. At the previous constitutional debate at the National Constitution Center, an audience in Philadelphia ruled that the NSA's collection of phone records violated the fourth amendment: http://shorefi.re/YMFIhx

Arguing for the motion:
* Gene Healy: VP, Cato Institute & Author, False Idol
Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute. His research interests include executive power and the role of the presidency, as well as federalism and overcriminalization. He is the author of False Idol: Barack Obama and the Continuing Cult of the Presidency (2012) and The Cult of the Presidency: America’s Dangerous Devotion to Executive Power (2008).
* Deborah Pearlstein: Asst. Prof., Cardozo Law & Fmr. Dir., Law & Security Program, Human Rights First
Deborah Pearlstein joined the Cardozo faculty in 2011 following her tenure at Princeton’s Law and Public Affairs Program at the Woodrow Wilson School, and visiting appointments at UPenn Law School and Georgetown Law Center. Her research focuses on national security law and the separation of powers, and her work has appeared widely in law journals and the popular press. A leading national voice on law and counterterrorism, Pearlstein has repeatedly testified before Congress and in 2009 was appointed to the ABA's Advisory Committee on Law and National Security. Before embarking on a career in law, Pearlstein served in the White House as a senior editor and speechwriter for President Clinton.

Arguing against the motion:
* Philip Bobbitt: Professor, Columbia Law School & Lecturer, Univ. of Texas at Austin
Philip Bobbitt is a professor at Columbia Law School, the director of its Center for National Security, and a distinguished senior lecturer at the University of Texas, where he was previously the A.W. Walker Centennial Chair in Law. One of the nation's leading constitutional theorists, his interests include constitutional law, international security, and the history of strategy. He has published eight books, most recently, Terror and Consent (2008). He served as law clerk to the Hon. Henry J. Friendly (2 Cir.), associate counsel to the President, counselor on international law at the U.S. Department of State, and has held various directorships at the National Security Council.
* Jake Sullivan: Lecturer, Yale Law School & Fmr. Dir. of Policy Planning, U.S. State Dept.
Jake Sullivan is a visiting lecturer in law and the Oscar M. Ruebhausen Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in National Security at Yale Law School, as well as a senior fellow at Yale's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Until 2014 he served as a national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. Previously, he served as director of policy planning at the U.S. Department of State and as deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He was deputy policy director on her 2008 presidential primary campaign, and a member of the debate preparation team for Barack Obama's general election campaign.

The debate will also stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated NPR show "Intelligence Squared U.S." On March 31, online viewers can tune in here (http://bit.ly/1BcZWAI) or via IQ2's new app (http://shorefi.re/VTwKwx)

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "The President Has Exceeded His Constitutional Authority by Waging War Without Congressional Authorization"
WHEN: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 / Debate 6:45-8:15 PM
WHERE: Miller Theatre at Columbia University / Broadway at 116th Street
TICKETS: $25 for public, $15 for Columbia alumni, $5 for students w/ ID, $5 for faculty/staff. To purchase, visit here

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
A non-partisan, nonprofit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to restore civility, reasoned analysis and constructive public discourse to today’s often biased media landscape. IQ2US reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts and interactive digital content. It is one of the top 25 most popular podcasts on iTunes, and has won the 2014 Clarion Award for Radio Regular Feature Program and back-to-back 2013-2014 New York Festivals International Radio Awards for Best Public Affairs Program. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Forbes, Dr. Neal Barnard, Arianna Huffington, Paul Krugman, and Karl Rove. With over 100 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.

ABOUT THE RICHARD PAUL RICHMAN CENTER FOR BUSINESS, LAW, AND PUBLIC POLICY
Established in 2011 with a visionary gift from Richard Paul Richman, JD ’72, MBA ’73, the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University is a joint venture of Columbia’s Business and Law Schools. The Richman Center promotes evidence-based public policy and fosters dialogue and debate on emerging policy questions where business and markets intersect with the law. The Center supports empirical, theoretical, and institutional research targeting central issues at the nexus of law and markets, both domestically and internationally, and helps translate this academic research into practical strategies for executing new regulatory reforms and business opportunities. It also fosters curricular innovations and student activities that tap synergies between the Business and Law Schools.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia is the Museum of We the People, America’s Town Hall, and a Headquarters for Civic Education. As the Museum of We the People, the National Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life for visitors of all ages and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition. The museum features interactive exhibits, engaging theatrical performances, and original documents of freedom. As the only institution established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis,” the National Constitution Center serves as a Headquarters for Civic Education—offering cutting-edge learning resources including the premier online Interactive Constitution. As America’s Town Hall, the National Constitution Center hosts timely constitutional conversations uniting distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists from across the political spectrum. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.

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