Clueless Congress: We Have Troops in Niger?!? [Montage]

Even as the Constitution ostensibly tasks Congress with authorizing the use of military force, an increasing chorus of Washington lawmakers are openly admitting they were unaware American soldiers are stationed in Niger. 

The embarrassing acknowledgement comes after four American soldiers lost their lives last week after being ambushed while out on a patrol in Niger. 

Even worse, many of these lawmakers are tasked specifically with overseeing America's military.

Some appear to be under the impression President Trump orchestrated the dispatch of U.S. soldiers to Niger, when in fact it was President Obama.

The ranking member of the Senate's Committee on Armed Services, Sen. John McCain, said he's demanding answers about America's military presence in Niger from the Trump Administration.

“We should know what caused the death of four brave, young Americans," McCain said Monday during an appearance on The View. "We should know what kind of operations we’re engaged in. And one of the fights I’m having right now, with the administration is that Armed Services Committee is not getting enough information. And deserve it, because we represent their families too.”

Another member of Senate's Committee on Armed Services, Sen. Lindsey Graham, readily admitted being ignorant of America's military involvement in Niger.

"I didn't know there was 1,000 troops in Niger," Graham said Sunday during an interview on Meet the Press. "They are going to brief us next week as to why they were there and what they were doing."

"We don't know exactly where we're at in the world, militarily, and what we're doing," Graham added. "So John McCain is going to try to create a new system to make sure that we can answer the question [about] why we were there."

New York's Democratic Senator, Chuck Schumer, said flatly "No, I did not" know American soldiers are stationed in Niger.

The Democratic senator from Pennsyvlania, Bob Casey, stated that he too "did not" know American soldiers were based in Niger.

"When you consider what happened here, the four sergeants lost their lives, I think there's a lot of work that both parties and both branches of government need to do," he added. "Not only to stay more informed but to focus on why we're there and what happened to get to the bottom of this."

Hawaii's Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono said it was "revelation" to her that 1,000 American soldiers are based in Niger.

"That’s why I think what this points out is that there are troops and more and more we’re using or special troops to go to a lot of different places that we don’t know about," she continued, "and so this points out how we need to find out a heck of a lot more what’s happening to our people. " 

The Democrats' ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Ben Cardin, seemed to think troops were only sent to Niger at the instruction of the Trump Administration. 

"No, I did not," know troops were in Niger, Cardin confided Monday on CNN. "I must tell you I do believe as the ranking Democrat on Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the president of the United States should have come to Congress to seek authorization for American troops that are put in a combat-type situation.”

As the Federalist's Sean Davis recently documented, these lawmakers have been repeatedly notified of American soldiers station in Niger -- going back four years. 

In 2013, President Obama wrote Congress he was sending troops to Niger.

In June 2016, President Obama notified Congress again he was dispatching soldiers to Niger. 

Earlier this year, the head of AFRICOM appeared before the Committee on Armed Services and discussed America's role in Niger. Among those present included Sens. McCain, Graham, Hirono, all of whom now claim to be caught unawares. 

AFRICOM's Twitter account has likewise provided constant updates from its outpost in Niger.