[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 201 (Thursday, December 20, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H10501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, during this holiday season, I am 
baffled as to why and how we have gotten here to this place.
  In the last 24 hours, a tweet went out from the White House that 
would end the Syrian war, to the opposition of the national security 
team--General Mattis, the Secretary of State, the National Security 
Advisor, and others who thought that a tweet ending the war was never 
heard of in the history of the United States.
  In the course of these 24 hours, we are in the midst of a political 
collapse, a catastrophic collapse, and a shutting down of the 
government. Included in the shutting down of the government will be the 
funding for the State Department and Homeland Security.
  It is clear that we are at a constitutional crisis, one that requires 
the attentiveness of this body, and to recognize the leaving and 
retiring of General Mattis, who has indicated: Maybe you can have a 
Secretary of Defense that fits your thinking.
  What thinking?
  And then to hear from North Korea: Maybe you can remove the troops 
off of our borders.
  This is a time for us to speak up, to protect the American people, 
and not a time to shut the government down.
  I hope the President is listening.

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