[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SOMALIA

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about our 
deepening military operations in Somalia.
  This Monday, the United States conducted its 30th airstrike in 
Somalia since Donald Trump took office. This number is almost greater 
than the amount of airstrikes President Obama conducted in 8 years in 
office. What is worse, we now have the largest United States presence 
in Somalia since 1993--some 500 United States troops--which has doubled 
in 2017 alone.
  Mr. Speaker, why are we conducting so many airstrikes and ramping up 
our military presence in Somalia with no congressional oversight?
  Why are we sending our troops to fight a war that the American people 
know nothing about?
  Congress has been left in the dark about these operations. At a 
minimum, we should have some basic knowledge of the missions we are 
asking our servicemembers to risk their lives for.
  But we know it is not just Somalia. These U.S. shadow wars are taking 
place all across the world, as we saw so tragically in Niger last 
month.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to rip up the 2001 Authorization for Use of 
Military Force and hold a real debate and vote on these new, ongoing 
wars. The people deserve to know the costs and consequences of these 
wars.
  Yes, Congress has been missing in action once again. We owe it to our 
servicemembers to do our job.

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