[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8280-H8281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                WAR POWERS OF CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by associating myself 
with the remarks of my colleague, Mr. McGovern.
  It is difficult to fathom the daunting array of foreign policy 
challenges President Obama has had to weather since the start of his 
administration, challenges which are not the result of any misjudgment 
on his part.
  Few modern leaders have had to contend with such an assortment of 
diverse global challenges, and the President deserves immense credit, 
which he rarely receives, for confronting them judiciously.
  At nearly every turn, the 44th President has boldly promoted a global 
vision of peace and security defined by negotiation with allies and 
adversaries alike. The President's tenacious pursuit of a diplomatic 
solution to the Iranian nuclear program is the hallmark of that 
doctrine. Moreover, he has held fast to these principles in the face of 
Republican and even some Democrat charges of weakness, arrogance, and 
treachery.
  I admire the President and appreciate what an unenviable position he 
is faced with in Iraq. However, like Mr.

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McGovern, I am alarmed by the recent developments in what is becoming, 
in my mind, a full-fledged military campaign in Iraq. The situation in 
Iraq may be difficult, but that excuse does not merit the President's 
overreliance on war powers and the two outdated authorizations for use 
of force. When it comes to war and peace, the authority remains firmly 
with this body, the United States Congress.
  Last month we heard that the White House planned to double the number 
of troops in Iraq, bringing the total to 3,000, despite the President's 
own promise not to put U.S. troops on the ground. On Monday another 250 
paratroopers were called up from the 82nd Airborne for service in Iraq, 
and Congress is poised to give the President his $5.6 billion request 
to combat ISIS with virtually no debate scheduled on this House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to implore the President to come to Congress and 
explain his strategy for this new campaign in Iraq. Even the last 
President, who was far less sensible, sought congressional authority. 
It is in President Obama's best interest to address not just those 
relevant committees apt to grant him the legal leeway the White House 
weakly asserts but all 435 Members who have congressional authority and 
constitutional authority to send our Nation's sons and daughters to 
war.
  The President must tread carefully going forward, and not just 
because our recent military history in Iraq is poor but also because he 
now faces a Republican Congress. Those recklessly clamoring for greater 
military involvement against ISIS would like nothing more than to blame 
what could easily become a wider conflict, likely doomed to fail, 
squarely on the President's head. I trust this President, and I have 
faith that he will make the decisions in the best interest of the 
American people, as he understands them.
  Let me be clear: it is in the American people's best interest for the 
President to ask the people's representatives--us in the House of 
Representatives--for a proper authorization for the use of military 
force. Then John Boehner should lead the debate on such an 
authorization--a debate at great length and with complete transparency, 
not behind closed doors, not in committees, not somewhere in conference 
reports, but out here on the floor in front of the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, we have wandered down this road in Iraq before with a 
far less thoughtful President. What our goal was in Iraq is long since 
lost. Whatever President Bush said it was, it never turned out to be 
what we were there about. And here we are doing the same thing again, 
unfortunately. It is time we learned from our mistakes and that we, as 
Members of Congress, take responsibility for sending our people over 
there to die. There will be deaths, make no mistake about it. Generals 
have already said if we go over there a little bit, we are going to be 
there for the next 2 years. It is time for us to vote on this issue 
after a lengthy debate.

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