LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer in for Steve Inskeep.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: Members of the Obama administration make their case to Congress today on military involvement in Libya. The secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will testify before House and Senate committees. NPR's David Welna reports that the most vocal criticism of the Libya operation is coming from Republicans in Congress.</s>DAVID WELNA: Republican lawmakers, especially those with strong Tea Party ties, have generally given President Obama a thumbs down on his handling of Libya. Kentucky's Rand Paul faults Mr. Obama for not having sought permission from Congress before ordering air strikes.</s>S: To me it's an amazing thing, an amazing thing that we would do this so lightly without any consideration by this august body - to send our young men and women to war without any congressional approval.</s>DAVID WELNA: Minnesota's Michele Bachmann, who chairs the House Tea Party Caucus and is weighing a presidential bid, remained deeply skeptical.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: How in the world are they going to reach their ultimate military objectives if there aren't boots on the ground? I don't want to see U.S. boots on the ground. I don't want to see United States arms. I don't want to see United States involvement at all in Libya.</s>DAVID WELNA: But that's not how California House Republican Dana Rohrabacher sees it.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: I've from day one given this administration fairly high marks on the way it's handled this crisis. I'm not like the Republicans who are just seeking a way to be critical of President Obama.</s>DAVID WELNA: David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol
Thursday's hearings are expected to be dominated by questions about President Obama's decision to begin military action in Libya without congressional approval. Top Pentagon and State Department officials testify before several panels, making the case for military and diplomatic action.