Date: 2015-06-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. this hour. this minute. this second is actually a gift to the American people. I thank the proponents of this resolution because it recognizes. first and above all. that this little document. the Constitution. albeit small. creates mountains of responsibility on behalf of the American people. This moment. this minute. this second we are giving the American people their due and their respect. and that is to acknowledge that there must be a full debate on sending our treasure continuously to Iraq and Syria. There is no divide between us on the vileness of ISIS and all of the terrorist groups and the willingness of the American people to be empathetic. sympathetic. and helping the Iraqis and Syrians and those who are suffering and those who are bleeding. But the question has to be. after 6.000 wounded. hundreds who have been killed particularly in my State. and thousands more across the Nation. we have to find the pathway where all of us know what we are doing. This is an important resolution. We need the debate. and we need to understand that our soldiers need to be protected and ultimately brought home. Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 55. directing the President. pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution. to remove United States Armed Forces deployed to Iraq or Syria on or after August 7. 2014. other than Armed Forces required to protect United States diplomatic facilities and personnel. from Iraq and Syria. This resolution provides a procedural mechanism for Congress to do its job. Specifically. the resolution gives the House leadership 6 months to take up an AUMF. debate it and vote up or voted down. This time frame allows the President the opportunity to revise the AUMF to state his objectives and goals for consideration by Congress. As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime. Terrorism. Homeland Security and Investigations. I stand in strong support of our countrys armed forces might and our valiant soldiers and armed personnel who have fought to protect our country. I also stand with the American people and taxpayers. who have placed their trust in the President and his Administration through war and peace. After all. not too long ago. he was one of us grappling with the war logic we were presented by the prior administration. President Obama inherited this war. along with a problematic economy and we applaud all his good faith efforts to do "damage control" to fix a problem he did not create as it relates to ending war and facilitating a better economy for the American people. I recognize that it is not an easy feat to fix our problematic war policies under enormous pressure from both sides of the aisle. We recognize that the President has been thoughtful. deliberative and judicious about our presence in Iraq and Syria. We appreciate the threat to the United States posed by the current instability in the Middle East. especially with events in the recent past: the Arab Spring. ISIS in Iraq and Syria. We have spent nearly trillions of dollars in wars against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Let me be clear the threat of ISIS and terrorism is clear. That is why we need to have a full clear and comprehensive debate on what the plan is. We have six months to do it and thus we can be thoughtful and deliberate about it. To keep our homeland safe. we must be able to defeat and destroy ISIS. Over 7.000 fallen heroes have sacrificed their lives to protect our country and help facilitate democracy in Iraq and Syria. Their devotion to our country is remarkable and inspiring. The Islamic State. also known as ISIS is gobbling up land in Iraq and Syria. In 2007. I introduced H.R. 930. the "Military Success in Iraq and Diplomatic Surge for Political and National Reconciliation in Iraq Act of