Date: 2015-02-11
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I am. again. so proud to be joined by my colleague from Florida and my colleague from California. When we talk about ISIS. this is a true threat to Americans abroad. I have never in my lifetime seen such a savage organization who finds it entertaining to show the death of innocent civilians. Let us also recognize that most of the civilians who have been killed by ISIS have been fellow Muslims. So it is not something that we here in America with our freedoms that we enjoy can comprehend. I think we have to do everything we can to eradicate them. to destroy them and ensure that they never get a foothold in any type of nationstate whatsoever because their plans will be to do one thing. and that is to kill Americans. Part of our job as Members of Congress is to come here and make some pretty tough decisions. These are decisions that none of us. when we stood up to get sworn in in this institution. thought we would have to make. but they are decisions that the American people demand that we make. We are being demanded to ensure that America remains safe here in the homeland and Americans should remain safe abroad. The President talks about a trajectory of peace. I dont know what he is looking at. It seems like a flat line of destruction to me. We have an opportunity now to put forth an Authorization for Use of Military Force. something I never wished that we would vote on in this House. but we are forced to by the failures of the foreign policy coming out of this administration in dealing with ISIS. I stood on this floor and I said I am willing to stand with the President. who told me this strategy of using air superiority and working with our allies on the ground was going to work. It is clearly not working. The last thing I wanted to do was stand here and offer up an opportunity for American Special Forces and ground forces to partner with allies to go in and defeat ISIS. but it may be the only chance we have. And this Authorization for Use of Military Force. I like the fact that it may expire in 3 years. Let it be reauthorized. But the fact of the matter is we need the President to stand up and be the Commander in Chief. We can put any piece of paper in front of him and his administration that we want. but if he is not willing to do the job and be the Commander in Chief. to destroy. defeat. and ensure that America remains safe here and abroad. then he is not doing the job that he was elected to do. We will do our job. We will pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force. and we will give the President the opportunity to fight ISIS. but we have to make sure that our men and women in the military are the ones who are put at the forefront of what matters most. and the only thing that we should consider is that the American military. our soldiers. our men and women who fight for our freedoms. should be given the opportunity to do what they are trained to do. Lets not play politics with destroying ISIS. Lets actually allow our men and women in uniform to do just that. They can do it. They have done it throughout history. and that is exactly what we need to continue to do in this institution. Lets work together. Lets make this happen.