[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 41 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H1877-H1878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MAKE WAR A LAST-CASE SCENARIO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H1878]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, interestingly enough, as a 
member of the Committee on the Judiciary and also a Member of the other 
side of the aisle, I happen to agree with the gentleman from Arizona 
that the First Amendment protects freedom of religion and freedom of 
speech, and that the Pledge of Allegiance is protected sufficiently for 
us to be able to say ``under God.'' I hope we will be able to move 
forward to give the sense and the obvious position that the Pledge of 
Allegiance is still a very legitimate expression of loyalty to this 
country.
  Interestingly enough, those of us who have stood fast against the war 
in Iraq have been accused of being disloyal to the United States of 
America and unpatriotic. That is why it is important to come to the 
floor of the House and try to express the voice of millions and 
millions of Americans and millions and millions of the world family and 
to again say to the singular voice that is resounding out of Washington 
and into the airwaves that I thought a democracy represented practice 
over words; that we would practice the idea that when the people speak, 
or when the people question, the leaders of government should entertain 
their concerns, particularly since the people of the United States send 
their young men and young women to far away shores to defend us. And 
might I say to the troops that are stationed abroad, there is not one 
divide amongst us in support of those very loyal troops.
  The Constitution clearly enunciates the principle that the Congress 
has the duty and responsibility to declare war. We well recognize that 
in the Constitution it also acknowledges that the President is the 
Commander in Chief, and if and when those troops are deployed, the 
United States of America will be unified. That is why the judgment of 
making that decision is so very important.
  We have gotten ourselves in a foreign policy shambles. Many people 
blame it on the United Nations, partly because they do not understand 
that the United States has consented to be a part of the United Nations 
through the U.N. Charter 51. And we have lived in peace for almost 50 
years because, as much as you malign the United Nations, it has kept a 
sense of world decorum and order. It means that one nation does not 
lift up arms against another. It means that the friendship and 
affection for the United States has been because it has been a leader 
for peace over war. It has been a defender as opposed to an offender.
  Now we have thrown all of that to the winds. We have cast Syria 
against Iran, and Iran against Syria, and Turkey against Syria, and 
Turkey against Iraq. We have potentially created a destabilizing 
situation in that region.
  We have not focused on solving our problems with Israel and the 
Palestinians, a strong effective peace, an abhorrence of suicide 
bombings, a recognition of the importance of that region for us. We 
have totally overlooked North Korea, pointing missiles at Japan and 
South Korea.
  I was in China a few weeks ago asking the President of China to 
engage. He said, you, the United States, needs to engage in bilaterals 
with North Korea.
  What are the real ways we could engage in true, meaningful debate and 
respect of the United Nations? First of all, we have been not listening 
to them as they have argued vigorously for more vigorous U.N. 
inspections. It does not mean the United States is a wimp, that we 
cannot defend ourselves. What it means is that you understand the cost 
of war.
  Over $1 trillion is expected we would have to pay out in this war, 
now that we have a $283 billion deficit, and the President is cutting 
$470 billion in child care and special education and, most of all, what 
a horror, veterans benefits. A veterans hospital that I have in my 
district is closing the door to those veterans who are trying to 
enroll, those men and women who offered themselves, who wanted to, or 
if they had to would have sacrificed their lives. We cannot let them 
get in the hospitals because this administration is cutting $470 
billion on top of a $600 billion tax cut and disrespecting the fact 
they have given us no monies and no dollars to account for how much we 
will have to spend for this war.
  So I believe we need action. And what is the action I propose? First 
of all, I hope we will be debating soon a resolution that I have to ask 
the question whether this Congress has abdicated its duty to declare 
war.
  Second, I want the U.N. Security Council to have a tribunal and to 
try Mr. Saddam Hussein as a war criminal. And I want humanitarian aid 
for Iraq, democracy for Iraq. And we should focus, Madam Speaker, on 
the Mideast peace solution and have troops, a small number, to ensure 
the investigation and inspection of the U.N. inspectors.
  Madam Speaker, I say there is another way. War should be the last 
option, and our voices should be heard.

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