The following statement was released by Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, this afternoon.

"Certainly I empathize with the Libyan people who desire to live free; however, I am deeply concerned with President Obama’s decision to intervene militarily in their civil war. Our country is currently facing a myriad of challenges, including working to complete our objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan, protecting our cherished way of life from extremist terrorist networks, and struggling here at home to address a skyrocketing deficit that poses a tremendous threat to our national security. Now is not the time to take on new missions. The Libyans must decide their own fate and we should stop our military operations immediately."