[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CHOOSING WAR IS NOT PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH

  (Mr. Doggett of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, as Baghdad was first bombed 23 years ago, 
Americans were bombarded with lies. When that giant statue of Saddam 
Hussein was pulled down, the lies were paired with attacks on all of us 
who opposed what was ultimately recognized by almost all as a colossal 
American blunder.
  Though later President Bush announced ``mission accomplished,'' the 
killing continued. Ultimately, over 4,400 American lives were lost and 
$2 trillion spent on this unwarranted invasion that, unfortunately, 
only benefited Iran.
  Now, as Tehran is bombed, we are once again being bombarded with 
lies. Our trigger-happy President issued his personal declaration of 
war without approval of Congress, without exhausting nonviolent 
alternatives, and without any real plan after the bombs stopped 
falling.
  Just months ago, Trump told the Nation that he had obliterated the 
Iranian nuclear capability. With no imminent threat to our country, he 
declared war just because he likes issuing decrees.
  He loves issuing imperial decrees, whether it is imposing new tariff 
taxes, obstructing our voting rights, or declaring himself the acting 
President of Venezuela. It is the American people who will pay the 
price in blood and treasure for his military adventurism.
  Trump callously has responded already ``that's the way it is'' to the 
deaths of American servicemembers and so many innocent civilians. With 
his war spreading across the Middle East, Trump is not ruling out 
ground troops, since airpower alone will not be sufficient to 
accomplish the regime change that he is obviously seeking.
  While certainly not mourning the death of Iranian tyrants, despicable 
people, rarely has assassination of such foreign leaders produced a 
peaceful result. Two decades of experience in Afghanistan and Iraq tell 
us that even boots on the ground are insufficient to accomplish a 
peaceful democratic society. Only the Iranian people can do that.
  Of course, Trump is also sending a message to fellow authoritarians 
Xi and Putin that might makes right. Use war if it is helpful.
  Ironically, we learned that President Trump's action does not 
demonstrate strength, but rather weakness. Secretary Rubio has 
confirmed that Trump was just yielding to Netanyahu's planned attack by 
saying, essentially, ``me, too.'' He was too weak to tell Netanyahu no, 
as President Bush had wisely done. Trump talks tough and brandishes a 
very powerful military, but he cannot stand up to powerful leaders like 
Netanyahu and Putin.
  Choosing war is not ``peace through strength.'' It is a means of 
diverting attention from multiple Trump failures here at home. Coming 
just after revelations from the Justice Department of hiding documents 
accusing Trump of sexually abusing a minor, this war of choice may even 
be useful as a distraction from the Epstein files that have not been 
fully disclosed.
  In Trump's own words, this is a war that could go on ``as long as it 
takes,'' perhaps as long as it takes for him to interfere in the 
November elections and secure a Congress that will continue to be 
little more than a doormat for him.
  With war so much easier to get into than to get out of, it is 
imperative that this Congress act swiftly this week to approve the War 
Powers Resolution to save American lives and stop another 
destabilizing, bloody conflict that will have repercussions for 
generations to come.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Norman). Members are reminded to refrain 
from engaging in personalities toward the President.

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