[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H68]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SAY NO TO ANOTHER WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the 
thousands of patriots who are taking to the streets of towns and cities 
throughout our Nation later today, taking to the streets to stand up, 
to speak out, and to say no to yet another war in the Middle East.
  Less than 48 hours ago, our Nation was gripped by fear as we watched 
missiles rain down on our servicemembers and other allied forces in 
Iraq, an attack that was a direct response to this administration's 
reckless and impulsive decisions to assassinate a high-ranking military 
leader in Iran.
  Like so many of my colleagues, I prayed. I prayed for all of the 
servicemembers and their families. I prayed for the innocent civilians 
in Iraq who once again find themselves in the crossfire in a 
battlefield of our own making. I prayed for peace.
  But I also know perfectly well that the people of the Massachusetts 
7th did not send me to Washington, D.C., to just pray. As a woman of 
faith, I will continue to send prayers up and to work for peace. But 
what this moment demands and what this country deserves is a strategy.
  For more than 3 years now, this administration has been devoid of a 
coherent approach, instead implementing our Nation's foreign policy 
like a game of Battleship. They have actively incited further conflict 
in the region, abandoned diplomacy, and isolated our country from even 
our strongest allies.
  The administration tore up the international agreement keeping Iran 
from developing nuclear weapons. The administration then engaged in a 
maximum pressure campaign that has ravaged the Iranian economy and 
harmed innocent civilians.
  Yesterday, the White House had the opportunity to change course. 
Instead, we heard more of the same.
  Let me be clear: We cannot allow our country to be lied into another 
war. We have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of our past.
  For nearly two decades, endless wars have claimed the lives of 
hundreds and thousands of civilians and servicemembers alike. An entire 
generation has only known war. Millions of refugees have been 
permanently displaced.
  I remind my colleagues today that war is never inevitable. We reject 
the false choice between peace and security.
  The 116th Congress is a fundamentally different Congress, and it is 
time to advocate for a fundamentally different foreign policy: foreign 
policy centered in the dignity and humanity of all people.
  Prayers alone will not suffice. We need prayers and strategy. This is 
our chance. Let me be abundantly clear. The American people do not want 
war.

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