[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 108 (Friday, July 11, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H6127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRESS HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT ON IRAQ NOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern) for 30 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I joined today with Representatives Walter 
Jones and Barbara Lee to introduce a privileged resolution, House 
Concurrent Resolution 105, to direct the President to remove U.S. 
troops from Iraq within 30 days, or no later than the end of this year, 
except for those troops needed to protect U.S. diplomatic facilities 
and personnel. We did this for a simple reason. Congress has the 
responsibility to authorize the introduction of American troops where 
hostilities are imminent.
  In less than 3 weeks, in three separate deployments, the U.S. has 
sent at least 775 additional troops to Iraq. Now is the time for 
Congress to debate the merits of our military involvement in this 
latest Iraq conflict openly and transparently.
  Do we approve of these deployments and any future escalation? If so, 
we should vote to authorize it. If we do not support it, then we should 
bring our troops back home. It is that simple, Mr. Speaker. Congress 
has the responsibility to act on Iraq now.
  Mr. Speaker, we did not introduce this privileged resolution lightly. 
By doing so, we have started a process to hold a debate on our 
engagement in Iraq later this month. We are using the special 
procedures outlined under the War Powers Resolution.
  While this is an imperfect tool, it requires the House to take up 
this bill after 15 calendar days. Like most of my colleagues, I would 
prefer for this House to bring up a bill authorizing our engagement in 
Iraq. And nothing in this resolution inhibits such important 
legislation from being drafted and brought before this House for debate 
and a clean up-or-down vote. Frankly, I wish that were happening, but I 
have not heard that such authorization is even under discussion, let 
alone being prepared for debate.
  So my colleagues and I are introducing this concurrent resolution 
because we strongly believe Congress has to step up to the plate and 
carry out its responsibilities when our servicemen and -women are, once 
again, being sent into harm's way.

                              {time}  1200

  The time for that debate is now, not when the first body bag comes 
home from Iraq, not when the first U.S. airstrikes or bombs fall on 
Iraq, not when we are embedded with Iraqi troops trying to take back an 
ISIS-held town, and--worst-case scenario--not when our troops are 
shooting their way out of an overtaken Baghdad.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, is the time to debate our new engagement in Iraq, 
before the heat of the moment, when we can weigh the pros and cons of 
supporting the al-Maliki government--or whatever government is cobbled 
together should al-Maliki be forced to step down--now, before we are 
forced to take sides in a religious and sectarian war; now, before the 
next addition of more troops takes place.
  Make no mistake--I firmly believe we will continue to send more 
troops and more military assets into this crisis.
  Now is the time, Mr. Speaker, before we are forced to fire our first 
shots or drop our first bombs. Now, Mr. Speaker, is when the House 
should debate and vote on this very serious matter.
  For those who say it is too early, too premature for this debate, I 
respectfully disagree. The longer we put off carrying out our 
constitutional responsibilities, the easier it becomes to just drift 
along. This is what Congress has done over and over and over and over, 
and it has to end, Mr. Speaker. Congress must speak, and Congress must 
act.
  This resolution, should it pass the House, would direct the President 
to bring our troops home from Iraq within 30 days--or should that pose 
security questions, no later than by the end of this year, nearly 6 
months from now.
  It would not require those troops that have been deployed to 
safeguard the security of our diplomatic facilities and personnel from 
withdrawing. They could remain and carry out their crucial roles of 
protecting our civilian personnel on the ground in Iraq.
  This is why we need to take up this resolution later this month, 
debate our military engagement in this latest war in Iraq, and have a 
clean vote on this resolution, up or down, about whether we stay in 
Iraq or whether we bring our troops home.
  We owe this much to our troops and their families, we owe this much 
to the American people, and we owe at least this much to our own 
democracy and democratic institutions that require Congress to be the 
final arbiter on whether our troops are sent into hostilities abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join Representative Jones, 
Representative Lee, and me as cosponsors of this resolution. I look 
forward to debating the merits of the Iraq war later this month and 
voting on whether our troops should stay or leave Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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