[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2056-H2069] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. JACKSON LEE: let me thank the gentleman for his distinguished leadership as the manager on this floor and, certainly, the proponent of this resolution. I know it came with good intentions. Let me indicate the wisdom of a young college student some many years ago when I offered to my college for my winning traveling fellowship that I would go to the continent of Africa. Everyone else would go to places well defined and well recognized. I told them that I wanted to take the fellowship that I had received to travel to West Africa, and I did, from then-Togo-and-Dahomey--obviously, changed names to Cote d'Ivoire--to Ghana and Nigeria, and I studied, seeing the potential even then. I am gratified to be in this Congress to be able to have the leadership of our chairman and our ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee to recognize the cruciality of our purpose on the continent. It was members of the Congressional Black Caucus who organized to say how important it was under the George W. Bush administration that the Africa Command be set up. It was crucial in the bloody fight in Liberia for that command to be set up, and only without shooting one gun were they able to begin to bring peace. So, I rise with great concern and opposition to H. Con. Res. 30 because I have realized the importance of the Africa Command because it has elements of diplomacy. I am glad that President Biden reversed Trump's get-out-of-town and get-out-of-Dodge-quick resolution to, in fact, leave a footprint of 500, who are helping us bring down Al-Shabaab, bring down al-Qaida, and boost up the Somalian partners of which our soldiers are working through and working to degrade Al-Shabaab's ability to plot external operations while building the capacities of our partner. The rest of Africa is watching. If they try to be peaceful and to stand up a democratic entity, do they have a powerful force like the United States? I, too, want a full debate on the Authorization for Use of Military Force. I have been here for 9/11 and afterward, and I, too, believe that it is our duty. What I will say at this time is that we should not remove those troops from Somalia. I ask my colleague to join with his committee and engage in debate on the AUMF, but I want to protect the Somalian people, Africa, and I want to protect the interests of democracy and the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.Con. Res. 30--Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove all United States Armed Forces, other than United States Armed Forces assigned to protect the United States Embassy, from Somalia. This concurrent resolution directs the President to remove all U.S. Armed Forces from Somalia, other than those assigned to protect the U.S. embassy in Somalia, within 365 days of the adoption of this concurrent resolution. Premature withdrawal would risk reversal of critical counterterrorism and governance gain. Al-Shabaab is al-Qaida's largest and best--financed affiliate in the world and has repeatedly demonstrated its intent and capability to launch lethal and complex attacks against U.S. citizens in east Africa and beyond. Al-Shabaab has killed more than a dozen U.S. citizens since 2014-- more than all of al-Qaida's other affiliates combined during the same period. U.S. forces, 500-900 working through Somali partners, seek to degrade Al-Shabaab's ability to plot external operations while building the capacities of our partners. The small but effective U.S. military presence supports a critical counterterrorism mission by working with partners forces. There is no legal basis for this legislation. The resolution is based on section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution. But section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution applies only when our forces are engaged in hostilities without statutory basis. In this case, there a statutory basis for U.S. actions in Somalia, as U.S. forces are supporting hostilities against Al-Shabaab and al-Qaida in Somalia--both of which are covered by the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force. Since July 2022, the Federal Government of Somalia has retaken more territory than the previous five years combined. U.S. military presence is a vital component of efforts to improve local partners capacity and local conditions to the point that our presence is no longer needed. The persistent presence of a modest number of U.S. forces increases the effectiveness of the DoD's training efforts and bolsters its credibility as a consistent and durable partner for Somali forces. The DoD's presence in Somalia forms the backbone of a whole--of-- government approach that layer's diplomacy, security assistance, stabilization programing, and intelligence operations to counter Al- Shabaab and address the conditions that have allowed it to thrive. I urge all my colleagues to oppose H.Con. Res. 30.