[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 32 (Thursday, February 27, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H1440-H1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1745
    AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include 
therein extraneous material.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, $100 billion, thousands of 
innocent lives of Iraqi women and children and the lives of our United 
States military and other military, I do not consider that to be 
collateral damage. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is imperative that this 
Congress engage in a debate that is being asked of the United Nations 
Security Council.
  So today I am asking the Speaker to bring to the floor for our debate 
H. Con. Res. 2, a simple resolution that simply allows us to redebate 
the Iraqi war resolution in light of the information regarding North 
Korea, in light of the information and question as to whether or not 
the United States is under imminent danger of attack, in light of the 
question being raised whether the United States should engage in a 
preemptive unilateral attack against Iraq, and in light of the fact 
that the Constitution does say that it is the United States Congress 
under Article I, section 8 that should declare war, but most 
importantly, Mr. Speaker, in order to save lives.
  It is imperative for this Congress to stand up and be heard and be 
counted and not to abdicate its duty to save lives on behalf of the 
American people and on behalf of world peace.
  I include this letter for the Record.

                                               Washington, DC,

                                                February 27, 2003.
     The Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
     Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: We are writing to request floor 
     consideration for H. Con. Res. 2, which expresses the sense 
     of Congress that the Authorization for Use of Military Force 
     Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 be repealed. I introduced 
     this legislation on January 7, 2003 to bring renewed debate 
     and to re-examine the decision to authorize force against 
     Iraq.
       Since the passage of Public Law 107-243, which authorizes 
     the President to use force against Iraq, the world is a 
     different place. We have a dire situation in North Korea and 
     our policies dealing with nations accused of having weapons 
     of mass destruction should be consistent. In addition, many 
     of our long-time allies are advocating that the U.N. 
     inspections should be given more time to continue their work 
     in Iraq. If the President intends to seek a new resolution in 
     the United Nations, thereby allowing the U.N. Security 
     Council to re-debate the question of force against Iraq, then 
     it is more than reasonable for Congress to re-examine its 
     decision based upon all the information available now, so as 
     not to abdicate its constitutional duty.
       Congress is constitutionally obligated to debate and to 
     vote on any decision to go to war. Article I, 8 of the U.S. 
     Constitution vests the authority to declare war solely with 
     Congress. We are calling for a vigorous debate before we 
     launch a probable pre-emptive unilateral strike against Iraq. 
     It is Congress that must ultimately decide to go to war.
       We would like to request that H. Con. Res. 2 be brought to 
     the floor for debate. Before the President uses force against 
     Iraq, approval and considered debate should occur in the 
     Congress.
           Sincerely,
         Sheila Jackson-Lee, Diane E. Watson, John Conyers, Jr., 
           Raul M. Grijalva, Danny K. Davis, Jim McDermott, Bob 
           Filner, Bert Saunders, Jose E. Serrano,

[[Page H1441]]

           Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Frank W. Ballance, Jr., Bobby 
           Scott, Lynn C. Woolsey, Pete Stark, Maurice D. Hinchey, 
           Hilda L. Solis.

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