[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 3, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H3814-H3822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIRECTING THE PRESIDENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(C) OF THE WAR POWERS
RESOLUTION TO REMOVE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM LEBANON
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of June 3,
2026, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 84) directing
the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to
remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon, and ask for its
immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House today,
the concurrent resolution is considered read.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 84
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
removal of united states armed forces from lebanon
Section 1.
Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50
U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress directs the President to remove the
United States Armed Forces from Lebanon by not later than the
date that is 7 days after the date of the adoption of this
concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The concurrent resolution shall be debated
for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by Representative Mast of
Florida and Representative Tlaib of Michigan, or their respective
designees.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) and the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we must end the U.S. participation in the Israeli
Government's violent assault on Lebanon.
Over 3,400 people in Lebanon have been massacred since the start of
the Israeli apartheid government's brutal invasion and indiscriminate
bombing campaign.
Children, Mr. Speaker, medics, journalists, schools, hospitals,
churches, mosques have all been targeted by the Israeli Government.
Critical civilian infrastructure and entire residential neighborhoods
are systematically being destroyed.
More than 1.2 million people have been forced to leave their homes or
be killed with the Israeli military telling them they will not be
allowed to return.
Last week, Mr. Speaker, the Israeli Government issued a forced
displacement order for all the areas south of the Zahrani River,
declaring the entire vast region to a combat zone.
Mr. Speaker, that is 14 percent of all of Lebanon, home to hundreds
of thousands of people of all faiths as well as over 300 cities and
towns, including Lebanon's fourth largest city, Tyre.
[[Page H3815]]
That is 14 percent of the country told to either leave or die. This
is not a national security, Mr. Speaker. This is an ethnic cleansing
campaign. The Israeli leaders and the Cabinet members are open about
this. Finance Minister Smotrich literally called for the annexing of at
least 10 percent of Lebanon saying that the new Israeli border must be
up to the Litani River.
Defense Minister Katz of Israel has openly stated that the Government
of Israel plans to pursue an indefinite military occupation of southern
Lebanon up to the river, even after the war is over.
The National Security Minister Ben-Gvir has proposed Israel to go
even further to conquer and occupy Lebanese territory all the way north
of the river.
These are not fringe figures. They are the Israeli security cabinet.
They are most powerful decisionmakers in the Israeli Government.
Mr. Speaker, they have made it clear that their goal is to do to
Lebanon what they did in Gaza. The Israeli military officials even
stated that their aim is to implement ``the Gaza model'' in Lebanon.
I can go on and on in explaining this, but I think what is important
to understand is the act of the psychological terror, putting leaflets
all throughout Beirut threatening Lebanon with repeat of the remarkable
success in Gaza. I want my colleagues to know that over the last 3
months we have already seen these horrific threats become a reality.
{time} 1740
This Congress did nothing to save lives in Gaza. We must act now,
though, to prevent the same fate in Lebanon. I want folks to know we
are here because the United States is not a bystander to these war
crimes. It is an active participant.
The Trump administration has engaged in unlawful and unauthorized
participation in hostilities as part of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon
in violation of the War Powers Act.
The Trump administration is providing intelligence, coordinating
strikes, and demonstrating overt command over Israeli military
decisions, including green-lighting specific Israeli attacks and
operations throughout Lebanon, including Beirut.
The President of the United States has, in his own public statements,
over a period of months, asserted authority to approve, prohibit,
condition, and direct specific Israeli military operations.
In one such example, the Israeli Government sought and was granted
Trump's green light for its May 6 strike, the strike on Beirut, and
coordinated with the U.S. in advance to coordinate with Israeli
officials. Even Israel's State officials mentioned this and said it
publicly. Even Israel's own public government state broadcasting
station admitted it.
Not only is the Trump administration illegally participating in this
violent campaign, but it is openly ignoring congressional oversight,
Mr. Speaker, of the U.S. Armed Forces' involvement in Lebanon.
On May 7, Senator Welch and a number of Senators wrote to the
administration requesting specific information about U.S. coordination
with the Israeli strikes, about the Israeli strikes, and other actions
that would violate the War Powers Act, including refueling,
intelligence-sharing, targeting, and other assistance.
We all know the Senators have not received any answers, and the
executive branch has not even tried to argue that the U.S. role in the
Israeli hostilities in Lebanon complies with U.S. law.
Congress must reassert its constitutional authority, Mr. Speaker, and
immediately vote to end the U.S. participation in the destruction of
Lebanon.
I want to make one thing clear, though, and it is super important for
my colleagues to understand. Section 5(c) of the War Powers Act makes
it clear that the Lebanon War Powers Resolution only applies to U.S.
Armed Forces engaged in hostilities. The resolution will not affect
U.S. training and support of Lebanese Armed Forces or the routine
protection of U.S. diplomatic facilities, neither of which is involved
in hostilities.
The War Powers Resolution exclusively ends the U.S. participation and
ongoing Israeli invasion of Lebanon. That is what this vote is about,
nothing less.
The American people are tired. They are exhausted, exhausted of these
endless wars. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for
healthcare and childcare, yet, here we are, U.S. bombs destroying
hospitals and stealing the future of children abroad.
This vote on the Lebanon War Powers Resolution is a clear, moral
choice. Do you stand with the Netanyahu government and Trump's endless
war crimes, or do you stand with human life, peace, and justice?
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just listened to my colleague, Representative Tlaib,
speak for about 6 minutes, trying to convince us that Israeli action in
Lebanon is about ethnic cleansing. Not once in the 6 minutes did my
colleague mention Hezbollah, the terrorist organization that Israel is
going in there and killing. In 6 minutes of rambling on, not one
mention of Hezbollah, not one mention of the 1,729 rockets fired by
Hezbollah into northern Israel since April 7, not one mention of the
1,680 UAVs and drones sent into Israel since April 7, not one mention
of the 283 Israelis injured or the 15 killed by Hezbollah since April
7. She wants you to believe that it is about ethnic cleansing and not
fighting Hezbollah. Okay.
Let's talk about her actual policy. Her actual policy says this:
Congress directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces
from Lebanon. Pretty straightforward.
Let me let my colleague know, Representative Tlaib, that the United
States is not at war in Lebanon. The United States is not engaged in
hostilities in Lebanon. I don't know how else I can say it. This
resolution, it is reckless, and it is unserious.
You are asking to remove U.S. troops in a country where we are not in
conflict. Israel is killing terrorists. I just listed off all the
attacks that have gone on just since early April, but we are not in
conflict there.
You are saying we can't keep any military there.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms.
Tlaib) to engage in a colloquy.
Can we leave no military there, Representative Tlaib?
Ms. TLAIB. I would like to know if Ms. Karam, a university student
from the Christian village of Qlayaa in south Lebanon--she wasn't a
terrorist. She was murdered on Monday. She was returning home after
completing her exams at the Lebanese University in Beirut. Look it up.
The Israeli bomb targeted her family's car, killing her alongside her
brother, Tony, and her father, James, who is a dental surgeon in the
community. He wasn't a terrorist.
Mr. MAST. Prove it.
Ms. TLAIB. Our country must stop aiding in these killings. To me, she
was not a terrorist. She was a human being who should be alive today.
Mr. MAST. Representative Tlaib, I am going to take back my time here,
but I will give you some more time to debate. As you can see, I will
definitely give you the time. It is tough to understand you when you
are yelling.
To my colleague's point--please stay standing because I will yield
you more time. It just has to be a back-and-forth.
Apparently, they are not terrorists. Apparently, everybody that
Israel was killing in Lebanon, they weren't terrorists, according to my
colleague over here. It wasn't terrorists that were firing 1,729
rockets there, 1,680 UAVs, injuring 283, killing 15. Apparently, it
wasn't terrorists that were doing that.
Ms. Tlaib, I yield you time again. Will you answer my question: Can
we leave no military there?
Ms. TLAIB. In the meantime, I include in the Record a May 29 article
from Reuters.
[From Reuters, May 29, 2026]
Eleven Children Killed, Injured Every 24 Hours in Lebanon, UN, Says
(By Olivia Le Poidevin)
Eleven children have been killed or injured on average
every 24 hours in Lebanon over the last week, the U.N.'s
children's agency said on Friday, as Israel has expanded
strikes across the country despite a ceasefire.
Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern
Lebanon overnight on
[[Page H3816]]
Wednesday and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new
swathe of the area a combat zone. It also struck a building
in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday.
A total of 77 children have been killed or injured in the
last seven days, UNICEF said, citing figures provided by
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health. Since the ceasefire
began on April 16, 55 children have been killed and 212
injured, according to the agency.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires called for all parties to
fully respect the ceasefire.
``Under international humanitarian law, children and
civilian infrastructure must be protected,'' he said.
The ceasefire announced by Washington was meant to halt the
fighting that has raged between Israeli troops and Iran-
backed Hezbollah since March 2.
The U.N.'s World Health Organization also said on Friday
that the threat from the expansion of military activities
raised grave health concerns for the Lebanese population.
Since the ceasefire took effect, a total of 27 attacks on
healthcare facilities in Lebanon have been reported,
resulting in 25 deaths and 42 injuries, according to the WHO.
A total of 16 hospitals and 13 primary healthcare centres
have been damaged in attacks, it added.
Mr. MAST. Can we leave the military there?
Ms. TLAIB. ``Eleven children killed, injured every 24 hours in
Lebanon.''
Are those children Hezbollah? Are those children terrorists?
Mr. MAST. I would love to talk about your policies.
To get back to your policy, ``remove United States Armed Forces from
Lebanon,'' can we leave no U.S. forces there? Does that mean we can't
leave any marines in the embassy?
Ms. TLAIB. Right now, the War Powers Resolution that I have is if
they are engaged in hostilities. If they are not engaged in
hostilities--
Mr. MAST. It says ``remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon.''
I am just reading what you wrote.
Ms. TLAIB. It is very clear. This is about saving lives. They are
able to stay there if they are not engaged in hostilities.
Mr. MAST. That is not what this says.
Ms. TLAIB. I think it is abhorrent every day that goes by where this
Congress does not act, 11 more children would die or have serious
injuries as a result of, again, us not pulling back any of the
resources and so forth.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I am going to reclaim my time at this point.
We didn't get an answer, apparently, as to if we can--because I am
reading the gentlewoman's legislation here, ``remove United States
Armed Forces from Lebanon.'' That is just an example of how reckless
her legislation is.
It doesn't say anything about, yeah, you can keep the marines that
are in the embassy, as an example. That is a pretty big oversight. It
doesn't say anything about whether we can keep United States Armed
Forces that are on training missions with the LAF--again, pretty big
oversight.
Of course, my colleague doesn't want to talk about the fact that the
terrorists that Israel is killing there, that they do also use human
shields. This is a well-known thing.
Mr. Speaker, at this point, I will say that a vote for this
resolution is a vote to support Iran, which I think I have to remind
some of my Democrat colleagues is a bad thing. Supporting Iran is a bad
thing. I see no acknowledgment over there.
They are actually--my colleagues over here that would vote for this,
they are serving as proxies for Hezbollah by bringing this resolution
to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, again, we are not at war in Lebanon. There are no combat
forces to remove. There is nothing further to say. I urge my colleagues
to vote against this bill and not be a proxy for Hezbollah.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members to formally yield
and reclaim time when under recognition.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, section 5(c) of the War Powers Act, it is in there. You
can just read it. It says if it is ``engaged in hostilities.'' If U.S.
Armed Forces are there and they are not participating in this ethnic
cleansing campaign, then they are fine. If they are there training the
Lebanese Armed Forces, they are fine.
This is not what it is about. If you read the War Powers section
5(c), it is very clear. It is in writing in the law of the War Powers
Act. It is really important that we understand and not get confusion.
I want to share a so-called, I guess, Amal Khalil. This is a photo of
a very prominent Lebanese journalist. Amal Khalil, she was targeted and
killed. Amal and her colleague Zeinab were reporting devastation in
southern Lebanon when an Israeli drone struck her car near them,
killing two civilians. Amal and Zeinab sought shelter in a nearby
building, but Israel then struck the building, trapping them under the
rubble. But it gets worse. It gets worse.
{time} 1750
When rescue and medical workers finally arrived at the scene to
rescue Zeinab, they came under fire before they could rescue Amal. They
were prevented from returning to the site for hours, Mr. Speaker. Amal
was dead by the time her body was recovered over 6 hours later. Amal is
only one victim of many of the Israeli military's deliberate,
indiscriminate bombings and targeting even of journalists in Lebanon.
Israel has killed 250 journalists and media workers across Lebanon,
Palestine, Yemen, even Iran. Our country should not be sharing
intelligence and coordinating strikes with the military that hunts and
kills journalists for sport.
We must end the U.S. support for this invasion.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), my good colleague and one of the cosponsors of
the resolution.
Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to rise to point out the
hypocrisy of those who would claim to care about our children while
turning a blind eye to the scale of child suffering inflicted by Trump
and Netanyahu's unlawful, unaccountable military operations in Lebanon.
And, yes, I did say Trump and Netanyahu's military operations.
While Netanyahu may be dropping the bombs, those operations are
blessed by Trump, and the bombs are provided courtesy of the United
States Government.
Israeli-executed, U.S.-approved strikes have killed more than 3,400
people, including 240 children.
UNICEF reports that 11 Lebanese children are killed or injured every
single day.
Over a million civilians have been displaced. Nearly a quarter of
Lebanon's entire population does not have enough to eat.
We are watching another catastrophe of U.S. complicity in
destruction, displacement, and death unfold.
Trump, Hegseth, and Netanyahu launched an unlawful war in Iran to
remain in power and enrich themselves. Let's be clear: Trump, Hegseth,
and Netanyahu will keep expanding their war to further consolidate
their power and profit and to stay in power.
My colleagues in Congress have enabled their abuses. They have
watched children die, whether it is in Palestine, Iran, or Lebanon, and
they have shrugged off requests for action because it is complicated.
What is complicated about this? It is not. The President of the
United States is waging an unlawful war, aiding and abetting Israel to
violate U.S. and international law, and it is making his friends rich
and himself richer, all while children are starving. They are
suffering, and they are dying. It is not complicated. It is actually
grotesque.
Bottom line: Whether it is Lebanon, Gaza, or Iran, the United States
and Israel are violating U.S. and international law, and this Congress
has failed to stop them.
But impunity cannot and should not be an option. There shouldn't be
more excuses, more endless wars, more blank checks for warmongers paid
for by the suffering of children.
It is why Representative Tlaib and I introduced the Lebanon War
Powers Resolution--to force Congress to vote, assert our constitutional
authority, and end the complicity and unlawful military operations and
wars.
Let me end by saying this: Let me make sure I look at you, my
colleague here on the right. We cannot bomb our way to peace. True
safety is not realized at the end of a barrel of a gun, by a bomb, or
via choke hold of suppression or oppression.
[[Page H3817]]
I urge my colleagues to support this War Powers Resolution, and I
also encourage you to join the Block the Bombs Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members to direct their
remarks to the Chair.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I hope my colleague is not going to leave. I would love to speak to
you as well. I have a serious question for you if you want to approach
a mike.
The question is for you. I mean, if you need other people to answer
for you, then that is what it is.
Mrs. RAMIREZ. It is his time.
Mr. MAST. It is my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida controls the
time.
Mr. MAST. My understanding is you want to help Lebanon civilians.
Mrs. RAMIREZ. I want to make sure that we no longer are using our
authority, our bombs, our resources to bomb children. That is what I
want to do. I want to make sure that money is going to healthcare,
housing, education--
Mr. MAST. I reclaim my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman reclaims his time.
Mr. MAST. I will yield back to you in a moment. I am reclaiming.
So the United States Armed Forces that are training the LAF who are
fighting Hezbollah, fighting Hezbollah who is killing children there,
killing civilians, would you like to see them stay? And I yield you
some time.
Mrs. RAMIREZ. You are having a different debate here, but let me come
back to what the Congresswoman just mentioned, too. If you look at the
legislation--
Mr. MAST. If you will answer my question, I will give you time.
Mrs. RAMIREZ.--that Congresswoman Tlaib introduced, clearly, pursuant
to section 5(c), it shows you that unless--
Mr. MAST. I will reclaim my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman reclaims his time.
Mr. MAST. So they want to go back. They don't want to talk about
Hezbollah. Still yet no mention of Hezbollah from our colleagues over
there. They don't want us to talk about the support the United States
Armed Forces are giving to the LAF to combat Hezbollah because they are
not acknowledging them, and apparently, they don't want to see Israel
killing Hezbollah, even though it is Hezbollah that is killing Israeli
children, Israeli adults, Israeli elders. I gave them the count of
rockets, UAVs, casualties, drones; I gave them the count. No mention of
it whatsoever.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Miller).
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res.
84, but like most of my colleagues, whether they will admit it or not,
I am a little confused.
The United States, to my knowledge, doesn't have any troops in
Lebanon. In fact, the last time American servicemembers were deployed
in Lebanon was in 1984. Even though the gentlewoman from Michigan
believes that the U.S. is the root of all evil, the United States is
playing a vital role in advancing peace, security, and stability in
Lebanon as we currently speak.
Just a couple of days ago, President Trump brokered a pause to
further defensive Israeli military action in southern Lebanon, and the
U.S. State Department has hosted several rounds of historic peace talks
as we have currently been seeing.
Regardless of what the gentlewoman from Michigan will tell you, the
greatest threat to Lebanon remains the Iranian regime and its terrorist
proxy, Hezbollah, not the United States and not Israel as that country
has come out more of the gentlewoman's mouth than the United States,
and I believe that is who she is seeking to remove from Lebanon.
But if my colleagues on the other side actually cared about the
people of Lebanon, which it is clear they don't, they would cheer on
the elimination of these bloodthirsty terrorists, not advancing
meaningless resolutions to denigrate American foreign policy only to
embolden them.
For decades, Iran has used Hezbollah to project power throughout the
Middle East. In the process, Hezbollah has weakened the Lebanese state
and repeatedly drawn Lebanon into conflicts that serve Tehran's
interests.
While I can appreciate the passion from my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle, I do not appreciate their lack of education and
understanding of what is really going on there.
Let us be clear. * * * *
No nation can be fully sovereign when an armed group operates outside
the authority of its elected--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio will suspend.
Ms. TLAIB. Strike those words.
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Oh, I am sorry. Are we getting a little
emotional?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. The gentleman will suspend.
Ms. TLAIB. I am hanging out with terrorists now?
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. I certainly believe you advocate for them, yes.
You advocate for terrorists on a daily basis.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will be in order.
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. You advocate for a terrorist regime every single
day from the gentlewoman from Michigan.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will be in order.
Ms. TLAIB. That is a problem.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will be in order.
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. You do associate yourself with them.
Ms. TLAIB. Here we go. Strike the last words now. Mr. Speaker, strike
the last words.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Colleagues, this is a serious topic. We will
debate it respectfully and deliberately.
Is the gentlewoman from Michigan making a motion to take words down?
Ms. TLAIB. That is a direct attack on my character.
I please request to strike the words down.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio will be seated.
Ms. TLAIB. It was.
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. It was, yeah. You are terrible.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. No Member is currently recognized for
debate.
The gentleman from Ohio will be seated.
The Clerk will report the words.
{time} 1820
The SPEAKER pro tempore. For what purpose does the gentleman from
Florida seek recognition?
Parliamentary Inquiry
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
May I inquire as to how much longer this is going to take? We watched
this video on C-SPAN already. Can I just inquire what is taking so
long?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is in the process of seeking
clarification.
{time} 1910
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the words.
The Clerk read as follows:
Let us be clear. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, and
the gentlewoman of Michigan and its members are butchers that
you like to, you know, hang out with, to a certain extent.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair is prepared to rule.
The words of the gentleman from Ohio contain an allegation that the
gentlewoman from Michigan is a butcher and affiliated with a terrorist
organization.
Such remarks impugn the patriotism and loyalty of the Member of the
House, which is not in order, as stated in section 361 of the House
Rules and Manual.
The Chair relies on the precedent of December 14, 2021, as carried in
such section of the Manual and finds that the remarks contain
personalities and are not in order.
The offending words are stricken from the Record.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida is recognized.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida has 20 minutes
remaining.
Mr. MAST. Very good. I would also inquire: Can Representative Miller
still speak, or not?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio may not speak for
the remainder of the day.
[[Page H3818]]
Mr. MAST. Very good.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am going to deliver a message from Representative
Miller of Ohio:
``Yes, I said it. I own it, and I stand by it.''
Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit this for the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. That will be covered under general leave.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to submit for the Record an
article titled: ``Rashida Tlaib member of secret Facebook group where
Hamas terrorists glorified.''
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I object. I object, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection? An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. Very good.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to submit for the Record the
transcript of the Congresswoman from Michigan, the transcript of H.
Res. 845, which notes that she is the only one calling for genocide.
She was reprimanded bipartisanly by the House of Representatives.
Ms. TLAIB. I object, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection? An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. Censured for her comments.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. I am sorry. I didn't hear you, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. The objection--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Can there be an objection--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state the point of order.
Mr. MAST. Can there be an objection to the Record being stricken from
the Record?
This is H. Res. 845, which was a bipartisan vote to censure the
Representative for her genocidal comments, so can we--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The objection was to inserting the
transcript into the Record.
Mr. MAST. So something in the Record already cannot be placed into
the Record because this was a vote, bipartisan vote.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. That motion requires unanimous consent. An
objection was heard.
Mr. MAST. Interesting. I learned something new today. All right.
Mr. Speaker, I also would like to submit for the Record another
article: Watchdog release--titled--something titled--an article titled:
``Watchdog releases scathing report on Tlaib's alleged ties to
terrorist groups, warning of potential risks.''
Ms. TLAIB. I object.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. An objection is heard.
Mr. MAST. Very good.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, let's get back to the debate.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts
(Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Rules Committee.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Rules
Committee, what just unfolded in this House makes me sad for this
institution.
It is never okay to attack the integrity or character of another
Member on the floor. These are serious issues that we are debating here
today, and they deserve serious debate. I understand that people have
different points of view, but we need to uphold the decorum and the
decency of this Chamber. We need to do better.
The fact of the matter is that many of us who are here today are here
because we are deeply concerned that Lebanon is suffering a
humanitarian crisis. It may seem far away. It may not be in the news
every day, but it matters.
Mr. Speaker, 1.3 million human beings have been displaced across
Lebanon. That is nearly double the population of my district in
Massachusetts.
More than 200 Lebanese kids have been killed--children--children.
There were just over 200 kids enrolled at Burncoat Street Preparatory
School, where I went to school in Worcester.
I get it. The world is chaotic and a dangerous place, but if we don't
stand up for the principles of basic human rights, then as a country,
we stand for nothing. There just doesn't seem to be any concern about
civilian casualties, wherever they occur.
I oppose violent attacks against people of Lebanon, civilians of
Lebanon, against civilians in Israel, against civilians in Gaza. I
mean, I detest violence. We all should. We should be leading efforts
for peace, not contributing to war and civil unrest.
We ought not to be writing blank checks, one after another, to Mr.
Netanyahu, and he is using these funds for these strikes in Lebanon. We
bear some of the responsibility for this suffering.
Don't we owe the Lebanese people every ounce of effort we can to end
the hostilities? Don't we owe the American people our commitment not to
use their hard-earned money in the service of war crimes? Where is our
humanity?
The United States gives Netanyahu billions of dollars in military aid
every year. Our militaries share intelligence. Reports suggest
President Trump has green-lit specific Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Our support empowers and prolongs the displacement, the occupation,
and the bombing of civilians. We cannot look away. If we do not take a
stand now, it will forever be a stain on our conscience and our
country.
I am tired of all of these endless wars. I am tired of all of the
money that we divert from our people here at home, sending it halfway
around the world to support conflicts and to support tyrants and
dictators who don't care about human rights. It undermines our
stability, and it undermines our national security.
Human rights watchers called on allies of the warring parties to
pressure them to abide by the laws of war and protect civilians. We
must answer that call.
This is a serious matter. This is about basic, fundamental human
rights.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I just listened to the Rules Committee ranking
member speak, as he is walking away right now, and here is something
that he said. I think it is important for the American people to hear:
``Hard-earned money in the service of war crimes'' were his words.
So we are debating right now whether to have our Armed Forces removed
from Lebanon. The gentleman is implying that our Armed Forces who are
there are engaged in war crimes.
That is impugning our Armed Forces. That is despicable, and it is
despicable to say, especially in the light of the fact that, what, our
marines who are in the embassy are the ones who are in the service of
war crimes? I see that he walked off. He doesn't want to listen to an
analysis of his own comments.
The marines in the embassy are engaged in war crimes? Is that what he
is saying today?
Those training the Lebanese Armed Forces are engaged in war crimes?
I don't think he wants to defend those comments because he walked
off.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Fine).
Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, when I heard about this resolution being filed, I
obviously had a great deal of interest, a War Powers Resolution related
to Lebanon. So I said what we should do--I am not going to impugn the
integrity of any Member of Congress. One might debate whether we should
impugn the literacy of Members of Congress, because we are hearing
about genocide and horrible things that have taken place in Lebanon.
So I got the resolution, and I read it. By the way, the good news is,
to anyone watching, it doesn't take long. It is five lines long.
Pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, Congress directs the President
to remove the United States Armed Forces from Lebanon by not later than
the date that is 7 days after the date of the adoption of this
concurrent resolution.
So I naturally asked a question: What United States Armed Forces are
stationed in Lebanon? What are we fighting? What war? What genocide are
we participating in?
The only troops, the only members of the United States Armed Forces,
who are stationed in Lebanon are the marines who protect the embassy.
That is it.
[[Page H3819]]
You remove them, and you let Hezbollah take over our embassy that is
there. But there is another group of marines. There is another group of
U.S. Armed Forces who are in Lebanon that, no matter what we passed, we
would not be able to bring home: 241 of them died in 1983 by the very
same people this War Powers Resolution would embolden and would enable.
This resolution is a disgrace to their memories because what it
should be called is the Hezbollah empowerment act of 2026. It is a
disgrace to every member of our State Department who protects us over
there.
The only beneficiary of this resolution, were it to pass, would not
be the good people of Lebanon. See, the United States is not at war
with the people of Lebanon. The fact of the matter is Israel is not at
war with the people of Lebanon. The civilized world is at war with the
Muslim terrorists of Hezbollah, who would be the beneficiary.
While I would not impugn the patriotism or character of any Member of
this Chamber, I would question the rationality and common sense of
anyone who would consider voting for this. This should be an easy vote
to vote ``no.''
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Minnesota (Ms. Omar).
{time} 1920
Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution
because it is unconscionable for Congress to allow this conflict to go
on.
The United States is complicit in the horrific devastation plaguing
Lebanon. Thousands of people have been killed; more than a million
people have been displaced; and homes and villages have been completely
destroyed.
Israeli officials have openly stated they seek to implement the Gaza
model, but in Lebanon. The Gaza model is one of ethnic cleansing, war
crimes, mass displacement, and illegal occupation.
How can we in Congress stand by as our Nation is made complicit in
such atrocities? U.S. support for conflicts in Gaza and now in Lebanon
is about causing irreparable harm to our reputation and our role
internationally. We are creating a world in which the United States
stands not for peace or security but for destruction, death, and
blatant disregard of international law.
This cannot continue. Congress must put an end to this unauthorized
use of force. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and refuse to enable
another forever war.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I would just let everybody know, again, there
has been no mention of Hezbollah, no mention at all from this side
about Hezbollah, the rockets they are firing into Israel, the UAVs, the
casualties, or all the Americans that Hezbollah has killed in the
past--no mention of either.
I am curious, Mr. Speaker, if the next speaker over there will have
any mention of Hezbollah. I will be interested to hear. I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of the Lebanon War Powers Resolution introduced by my friend
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
The United States is actively participating in Israel's illegal
invasion and bombing of Lebanon and its mass displacement of the
Lebanese people. This participation was not authorized by Congress, and
it supports strikes that are illegal under U.S. and international law.
This resolution is urgently needed to stop using our tax dollars to
fund Israeli war crimes.
There has been confusion about what support looks like, so I would
like to be specific about what the United States' support looks like
here. In southern Lebanon, homes are being leveled with U.S.-supplied
bulldozers. Israel is engaging in chemical warfare with U.S.-supplied
white phosphorus. The U.S. is providing targeting intelligence for
Israeli strikes. There are even credible reports that President Trump
personally green-lit specific Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
These examples demonstrate the depth of U.S. involvement and the
urgency for Congress to act. This is exactly the kind of military
involvement that Congress intended the War Powers Resolution to cover.
I urge my colleagues to consider that by supplying Israel with
weapons and logistical support, we are giving Netanyahu the means to
continue bombing and displacing thousands and thousands of people.
Trump can yell at Netanyahu all he wants, but we can't have it both
ways. We can't supply weapons and then be surprised when they get used.
We can't supply diplomatic cover for previous violations and then be
surprised when Netanyahu threatens to do it again.
The American people overwhelmingly oppose Trump's cruel, wasteful,
and illegal war in Iran. If Trump is serious about ending this war,
then we must prevent Israeli escalation in Lebanon. Ending our
participation in that escalation is a necessary place to start.
As recently as this week's floor votes, Republicans are still out
here inventing reasons why we can't help families here in America get
food, support students trying to afford college, or fund childcare for
working parents here. Meanwhile, they are trying to give $1.5 trillion
to the Pentagon, some of which will fund the kinds of U.S. weapons and
systems for Israel that are being used to undermine a peace deal with
Iran.
My constituents have been clear about this. I suspect many of all of
ours have been, as well. They want lower gas prices, better schools,
reliable healthcare, dignified work, and affordable homes. They do not
want the U.S. and their taxpayer dollars to be complicit in morally
abhorrent, wasteful, and counterproductive foreign invasions.
Today, we have an opportunity to weigh in directly and say whether we
want to end U.S. participation in an invasion. I urge my colleagues to
vote ``yes'' on this important resolution.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Crank). The gentlewoman from Michigan
has 12\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, we have had another speaker on the left and
still no mention of Hezbollah.
I have a very serious question. This is serious. I understand my
colleagues oppose Israel killing Hezbollah terrorists. Do they also
oppose the Lebanese Armed Forces killing Hezbollah terrorists? I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New
Mexico (Ms. Stansbury).
Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to
support this War Powers Resolution to stop the U.S. Government from
being complicit in a war in Lebanon that is devastating the Lebanese
people. Millions of innocent civilians in Lebanon and across the region
have been trapped by brutal violence and displacement.
With fighting that just began only a mere 3 months ago, more than
3,500 people have been killed, nearly 11,000 injured, and more than a
million displaced in Lebanon alone.
We cannot look at Lebanon in a vacuum. We have to recognize the
dangerous parallels to Netanyahu's illegal incursions in Gaza and the
West Bank that have also caused mass suffering.
It was reported that, even this week, Donald Trump himself called
Netanyahu crazy and claimed that he would be in prison if it was not
for him.
What we have witnessed is a devastating pattern: Military force that
kills and displaces countless civilians, destroys vital civilian
infrastructure and sacred sites, and deepens an endless cycle of
violence and trauma.
Mr. Speaker, no one on this side of the aisle supports terrorism or
terrorist organizations. For our colleagues to claim so is just wrong.
Just as operations in the West Bank and Gaza have destabilized
prospects for lasting peace, pushing a front into Lebanon will not
achieve long-term security for the region. As we saw just this week,
further acts of violence in Lebanon certainly won't end the President's
illegal war.
Families in both Lebanon and Palestine have lost their homes.
Children are growing up in fear, and generations have yet to experience
a moment of peace. Violent attacks, restrictions on movement,
indignities to everyday life, and unfathomable cruelty, these impacts
are not just felt in these communities but in our own communities here
in the United States, as well.
[[Page H3820]]
As family and friends are watching in horror and grief, my own office
has received countless heartbreaking stories from family members and
colleagues living in Palestine and Lebanon: displacement, loss of
homes, livelihoods, and entire communities; children living in fear;
and people attacked, beaten, or arrested for merely attempting to live
their lives and to pray.
Congress cannot stand silent for a moment longer. Congress has not
authorized any war in the Middle East. Just a few hours ago, this body
in this House voted to end the illegal war in Iran. We cannot be
complicit in these crimes. It is time to end this war. It is time to
reclaim our constitutional power.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. STANSBURY. It is time to restore the dignity of the United
States, and it is time to restore human rights and the standing of the
United States here in this country.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has again
expired.
Ms. STANSBURY. Our responsibility is to end this illegal war now.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is no longer recognized.
{time} 1930
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, my colleague may want to stick around. I am
going to reference her words.
Parliamentary Inquiry
Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry. I had to
listen to this nonsense for a while now. Are you allowed to curse on
the floor of the House?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman have an inquiry?
Mr. FINE. I do, Mr. Speaker. Are you allowed to curse on the floor of
the House?
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, the Democratic staffer who was interjecting
themselves into the debate here was confusing Representative Fine with
Representative Miller.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) was
under recognition.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I am a Republican. I am not offended by them
swearing. It is okay. I can handle it. I can handle nasty looks, too.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am going to reference the words of my
colleague just now. She said that no one on our side supports terrorist
organizations; for us to say so is just wrong. Mr. Speaker, to have an
entire debate about Lebanon and removing U.S. Forces from Lebanon that
aren't there without a single mention of the word Hezbollah, who is
actively trying to kill anybody that they can, that is a support for a
terrorist organization.
For our colleagues, I will bring Iran into this more specifically
beyond just Hezbollah being a proxy of Iran, for our colleagues to go
out there and say day after day that there is no imminent threat from
Iran when Iran is absolutely--and acknowledged by everybody
bipartisanly--the largest state sponsor of terror, that is a support
for the largest state sponsor of terror.
For our colleagues to go out there and pretend as though we haven't
been attacked 350 times in the 30 months prior to Epic Fury even
beginning, for them to pretend that we were not being attacked, not
being struck by Iran, that is a support for terrorists.
Every single time that my colleagues on the other side deny, turn
their backs to the United States of America getting hit by the
terrorists of Iran or their proxies like Hezbollah or others, they are
supporting a terrorist organization.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I think it is really important--you know, I said earlier about
Defense Minister Katz not once does he mention Hezbollah. He said
literally that we are going to destroy Lebanese homes and villages in
accordance with Beit Hanoun and Rafah models in Gaza. I am not joking.
This is Finance Minister Smotrich. He literally threatened the major
neighborhoods of Beirut will soon resemble Khan Yunis, a city in Gaza
that was destroyed by the Israeli military.
Not one of them mentioned Hezbollah. They talk about greater Israel.
They talk about a campaign to spread boundaries, again, with no regard
of international law.
I want to put up the photo of Theodossia because she wasn't
Hezbollah. She is not a terrorist. She was a young student that just
finished her exams. It is disrespectful. If you really care about the
Lebanese people, then you would understand the importance of not
continuing, again, the indiscriminate bombings that are continuing
throughout Lebanon. She should be alive today.
I think it is important, Mr. Speaker, to understand what is happening
on the ground if you really care about the Lebanese people like you
claim you care about the Iranian people. Everybody claims they care
about everybody on the ground and that this is about security. It is
not. I think it is important.
I include in the Record a March 25 article from the Guardian titled:
``Israel used white phosphorus to scorch earth in south Lebanon,
researcher says.'' That is the title.
[From The Guardian, Mar. 25, 2026]
Israel used white phosphorus to scorch earth in south Lebanon,
researcher says
(By Damien Gayle)
When the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile bursts,
expelling its felt wedges containing white phosphorus, it
leaves a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. That is how Human
Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said they were able to verify
that Israel was again using the notorious weapon over south
Lebanon, reigniting accusations that it is breaking the laws
of war.
The New York-based rights group said it had verified and
geolocated eight images showing airburst white phosphorus
munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern
Lebanese town of Yohmor in the opening days of Israel's
assault during the war on Gaza.
Since then, more videos have emerged purporting to show
white phosphorus munitions exploding over south Lebanon, and
researchers say that with 800,000 Lebanese people displaced
from the region after Israeli forces ordered them to leave,
many more uses may have gone undocumented.
In the last week, Israeli soldiers have been facing fierce
resistance from Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon, despite
an intense bombing campaign. In recent days, Israeli forces
have bombed roads, petrol stations, bridges and medical
centres in an effort to cut south Lebanon off from the rest
of the country.
White phosphorus is a chemical substance dispersed in
artillery shells, bombs and rockets that ignites when exposed
to oxygen, burning at up to 800C and emitting large
quantities of smoke.
Military forces use it as a smokescreen to mask troop
movements, mark targets or illuminate terrain at night, and
military lawyers argue such uses are entirely legitimate. But
its use over civilian areas is controversial--and some claim
illegal--because it ignites fires, causes serious burns and
emits toxic fumes.
Ahmad Beydoun, an architect and PhD researcher at Delft
University of Technology in the Netherlands, documented and
mapped nearly 250 uses of white phosphorus by Israeli forces
between October 2023 and November 2024, the last time they
launched a full-scale attack on southern Lebanon.
Beydoun, who said his count was a conservative estimate,
found that 39% of uses were in residential areas, 17% in
agricultural lands and 44% in forested or open terrain. ``I
think the Israeli army's thinking is that they use it to burn
down fields for visibility, so that people or Hezbollah
militants don't hide under the trees,'' he said.
According to a report by the Lebanese non-profit Public
Works Studio, white phosphorus was used to burn more than
2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of southern Lebanese
countryside, ''including 873 hectares of dense forest with
gum trees and vast areas covered with oak and pine trees''.
White phosphorus can also lie hidden in the soil and
spontaneously combust when uncovered by farmers, posing a
continuing threat if the people of south Lebanon are able to
return to their homes.
And the effects can also be systemic, the report warned, as
repeated white phosphorus strikes saturate the soil with
phosphonc acid along with toxic heavy metals such as cadmium,
lead and zinc. Together, the report said, this accumulation
``can reduce microbial diversity, deplete soil fertility
[and] decrease agricultural productivity''.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it could
not comment on HRW's claim that it used white phosphorus
illegally over Yohmor. ``There may be visual similarities
between smoke shells containing white phosphorus and smoke
shells that do not, and caution is advised before making
factual determinations regarding use of smoke shells with
white phosphorus in individual cases based on visuals
alone,'' the spokesperson said.
Last week Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon,
reportedly avoided responding directly to HRW's allegations.
``We do everything we can to minimise civilian casualties,''
he said at a media briefing at the UN headquarters in New
York, according to Anadolu Agency. ``That's why we actually
[[Page H3821]]
asked the people from southern Lebanon, south of the Litani,
to move to the north, to avoid civilian casualties.''
Beydoun said his findings suggested Israel's military may
be using white phosphorus ``as a way to maybe start pushing
people out'' to create a ``buffer zone'' on the Lebanese side
of the border.
It's just a practical tool to use to burn fields, I think
it's mostly that,'' he said. ``It's mostly for scorching the
earth.''
Ms. TLAIB. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch have documented
Israel's illegal use of white phosphorus multiple times in Lebanon,
which is a war crime. They launched it in residential neighborhoods and
Lebanese farmland.
Is this what our country is supporting?
White phosphorus is a chemical agent that ignites when exposed to
oxygen and burns at up to 800 degrees Celsius, melting human flesh to
the bone and poisoning the soil with toxic heavy metals. White
phosphorus kills. It leaves survivors with cruel injuries, and burn
results cause lifelong suffering.
The only place in the entire northern hemisphere right now that
literally fills white phosphorus munitions is right here in the United
States in Arkansas. We are supplying these horrific chemical bombs to
the Israeli military, and our military is providing operational
support, as we speak, for these scorched-earth campaigns that are
destroying the very conditions of life in Lebanon.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the human life in Lebanon more
because I think it is important to understand. This is Hussein Wehbe.
At least 128 medics--he was a medic, 17 years old--128 medics and other
health workers have been targeted and killed by the Israeli Government
since March, just as they have done in Gaza. They are often killed in
what they call double-tap strikes.
American people don't understand this. Double-tap strikes are war
crimes where following an initial strike, the Israeli Government comes
in, waits for the emergency rescue workers to show up with the
ambulances at the scene, and then strikes again.
In Lebanon, we have seen the Israeli Government commit triple-tap,
quadruple-tap strikes, an atrocity previously unheard of where team
after team of rescuers are completely slaughtered.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an April 16 Guardian article
titled: ``Israel escalates attacks on medics in Lebanon with deadly
`quadruple tap.' ''
[From the Guardian, Apr. 16, 2026]
Israel Escalates Attacks on Medics in Lebanon With Deadly `Quadruple
Tap'
(By William Christou)
When they received the call to respond to an Israeli
airstrike in the city of Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon, most
of the paramedics held back, having previously seen
colleagues killed by double-tap attacks targeting rescuers.
But the medics from the Islamic Health Association (IHA)
rushed to the scene.
By the time the other emergency workers arrived at the
site, they found the IHA medics had indeed been caught in a
second strike. They started evacuating their wounded
colleagues, only for their ambulances to be hit in two
further attacks.
In total, the attacks killed four medics and wounded six
more, from three different ambulance corps, according to
medical sources. Three of the medics were from the Hezbollah-
affiliated IHA and Amal-affiliated medical corps, while one
was from the Nabatieh emergency services organisation. Under
international law, all medics are protected and are
considered noncombatants, regardless of political
affiliation.
Rescuers in Lebanon have long been wary of the double-tap
attack, when Israeli forces target a location, wait until
people gather to help survivors, and then strike again.
Wednesday's three-wave attack after the initial one prompted
the coining of a fearsome new term: the quadruple tap.
In a video taken by one of the paramedics at the site,
rescuers are seen loading two wounded people into their
ambulances when a bomb lands next to their vehicle.
Paramedics rush to extract the driver, who is motionless and
limp as they pull him from the ambulance, which is splashed
with blood. ``Oh God, oh God,'' the man filming can be heard
saying. They carry two more blood-covered medics out of their
vehicle and on to stretchers.
Among the paramedics killed was Fadel Sarhan, 43, who is
survived by his eight-year-old daughter.
``Fadel was a very loved person. He had a bold personality,
but at the same time, he was emotional. He was well liked and
responsible,'' said Ali Nasr al-Deen, the head of the
Mayfadoun civil defence centre who grew up with Sarhan.
``He used to feed the cats and dogs. He would bring pet
food from Beirut so they wouldn't go hungry. He was that kind
of person, caring and attentive. It's a huge loss for us,''
said Nasr al-Deen.
Medics mourned their colleagues on Thursday at funerals in
Nabatieh, a city near Mayfadoun. Such events have become
increasingly common, with healthcare workers killed by
Israeli bombings on a near daily basis.
Mohammed Suleiman, whose 16-year-old son, Joud, was killed
while on duty as a paramedic by an Israeli strike weeks
earlier, joined his peers in burying another of his friends
on Thursday. A few hours after the funerals, Israel carried
out another wave of airstrikes on Nabatieh.
Israel has so far killed 91 healthcare workers and wounded
214 more in Lebanon since the Israel-Hezbollah war started on
2 March. It has given little justification for its repeated
attacks on medical infrastructure and workers, apart from
accusing Hezbollah of using ambulances and hospitals to
transport fighters and weapons, without providing evidence
for the claim.
The Lebanese ministry of health accused Israel of
deliberately targeting ambulance crews. ``Paramedics have
become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant
violation that confirms a total disregard for all norms and
principles established by international humanitarian law,''
the ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
A video of Tebnine hospital from 14 April showed workers
trying to clear shattered concrete and debris from the
emergency department after a strike blew in the windows.
Commenting on the strike in Tebnine, the head of the WHO,
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: ``I reiterate the call for
the immediate protection of healthcare facilities, health
workers, ambulances and patients. There must be safe,
sustained and unhindered humanitarian access across
Lebanon.''
An ambulance in Tebnine was also struck on Thursday,
leading to the critical injury of two medics, according to
the Lebanese ministry of health. As healthcare workers
watched their colleagues and friends being killed by Israel,
the mental toll was becoming almost too much to bear.
``We have to go to places to rescue people, but then we get
double tapped,'' said Abbas Atwi, the head of the IHA's
emergency department in Nabatieh, shortly after a medical
centre was targeted in March, killing his friends and
colleagues. ``But we will stay and keep going, we will not
leave.''
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, this is Hussein Wehbe again. He was a 17-
year-old. He was a volunteer. He was a first responder with the
Lebanese Civil Defense. He was also a Boy Scout. He was killed while
trying to save lives.
The next person is Ahmed Hariri. He was also a paramedic and a
photojournalist who was killed in a double-tap strike while trying to
rescue injured survivors of an Israeli drone strike. He was killed
alongside two fellow paramedics less than 2 days after the World Health
Assembly passed a resolution calling for the protection of medical
personnel in Lebanon.
This is what our country is supporting, Mr. Speaker. This is the
military we are coordinating strikes with and providing targeting
intelligence with, a military that systematically is targeting and
killing civilians.
We must end the U.S. support of these war crimes.
Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McGuire). The gentlewoman from Michigan
has 4\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, again I will just reference the remarks of my
colleague, examine what was said.
She said that Israel is going scorched earth. I would just tell my
colleague that if Israel--and by the way, this is after a little while
ago she was saying they are needing the United States of America's
intelligence. The context of this is important. If Israel was going
scorched earth on them, they wouldn't need American intelligence for
targeting.
Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The sheer number of human lives that have been lost already in
Lebanon is close to 4,000. We are talking about over 1.2, 1.3 million
people forcibly displaced. If you even just look at the map, if we put
up the map right now, you can see that bombings are happening outside
of where they are claiming that there are security issues.
It is important to know and please understand the impact of us
allowing U.S., again, intelligence sharing, coordination, and support
of this. I know some of my colleagues claim themselves that the U.S. is
not militarily involved. I hear it all the time.
[[Page H3822]]
But the facts paint a very different picture that the Trump
administration is engaged in unauthorized hostilities and violations of
the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973.
{time} 3050
It is important to understand that the Trump administration's actions
of overt command and coordination over Israeli offensive military
decisions in Lebanon arguably represent the most well-documented direct
U.S. participation in a foreign military's engagement in hostilities in
recent decades.
This U.S. role, Mr. Speaker, in the invasion of Lebanon includes
``green-lighting'' specific Israeli military operations in Lebanon,
providing them with what is called approval and disapproval over
whether they may proceed, a defining function of military command.
Mr. Speaker, on March 12, Israeli media reported that President Trump
``approved the ground incursion'' by Israel into Lebanon ``also
authorized expanding it if necessary.''
Also, on April 8, Axios reporters said live on mainstream media:
``Without the green light from Donald Trump, you wouldn't have seen
Israel go ahead with these very massive strikes in Lebanon,'' literally
strikes that killed 250 people that day.
On May 6, Israel sought, and was granted, Trump's ``green light'' for
its May 6 strike on Beirut, Mr. Speaker, and coordinated with the
United States in advance, according to Israeli officials. Not us, but
the Israeli officials are telling us that the Trump administration is
helping them.
As recently as this week, Israeli officials told the press that the
Israeli military's forced displacement order and threats to bomb
Beirut's southern neighborhoods were coordinated with the United
States.
These are elected officials by the Israeli Government making these
claims. These are the sources.
This unprecedented public record of direct and overt U.S. command and
coordination over Israeli hostilities in Lebanon goes alongside deep
U.S.-Israeli operational integration, which the American people don't
want.
Meanwhile, the White House continues to ignore congressional
oversight efforts regarding the U.S. participation in these
hostilities. We still haven't gotten responses to questions that we
have. It is important to understand that the violations of the War
Powers Act are very clear, as they were clear during the U.S. support
of the Saudi-led war on Yemen.
Do you remember that, Mr. Speaker, the Saudi-led war on Yemen?
Both the House and the Senate passed War Powers Resolutions
bipartisanly affirming that refueling Saudi aircraft and providing
targeted intelligence to Saudi forces constituted U.S. participation in
hostilities.
This case is no different. Congress must reassert its authority and
cut off U.S. support for this cruelty and this destruction.
Mr. Speaker, when I see that child, I think of my son. Everyone wants
to label people of my faith or people who look like me as terrorists.
These are human beings. We cannot make them out to be disposable. We
must save lives, no matter faith or ethnicity. We must stand against
war crimes no matter who is committing it, no matter who it is.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to understand this is about our
shared humanity. This is about ending, again, the mass destruction of
Lebanon. We should not be playing any role.
Again, I think it is important to understand when we do that and
label people a certain way that makes them to be disposable, it will
lead to more international law violations of peoples' human rights.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida has 12\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self)
such time as he may consume.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't planning on speaking on this issue,
but as I have listened to this anti-Israel screed, I have to ask why my
colleagues across the aisle don't pay nearly as much attention to the
ongoing slaughter in South Sudan?
There are a couple of reasons. One, it is Africa. It is not adjacent
to Israel. Two, it is not Israel.
The change in the Democratic Party over the last few years has been
extraordinary, in their change of their attitude toward Israel. I think
it is fair to say in words that cannot be taken down that Hamas
terrorists cut the wire several years ago and then live streamed their
atrocities. They live streamed their atrocities.
I won't describe them because everybody remembers, but I would
recommend that when terrorists, bona fide terrorists, commit atrocities
such as we saw on October the 7th several years ago, I would recommend
they don't live stream them because if anybody has watched the films
that were taken that were live streamed by the perpetrators, they would
question this very discussion about Lebanon and about Israel's defense
of itself.
Frankly, we could talk about the UNIFIL, the U.N. organization that
refused to do their job. Israel is doing the U.N. job that UNIFIL was
put there to do, to keep Hezbollah north of the Litani River, and the
U.N. force refused to do their job.
We have Israeli families who can't live in their homes in northern
Israel, so Israel is doing the U.N.'s job, as well.
I think, as I have listened to this anti-Israel screed, we need a
little historical balance in this discussion.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution, again, is beyond reckless and beyond
untruthful. The entire arguments that we were listening to of accusing
America of participating in a genocide that is not existing, it is
Israel going into Lebanon killing Hezbollah terrorists.
I wish they had kept their map up because they showed a large map of
all this territory where Israel had gone on the offensive, and they
said that they had killed 4,000 people.
Again, Mr. Speaker, if Israel had gone scorched-earth on them, you
would have way more than 4,000 dead in all that territory, but what was
done was precise strikes against terrorists targeting Israel,
Americans, and anybody else whom they could reach out and touch, and
they are being killed for that.
This resolution impugns our military. This resolution impugns the
patriotism of the U.S. military by saying that they are participating
in a war that they are not and by saying that they are participating in
a genocide where they are not.
This resolution is certainly shameful in that way, but, again, it is
very reckless because it would demand that we remove forces from places
like our embassy in Lebanon, remove all forces from Lebanon that would
mean removing our Marines from the embassy in Lebanon which, again,
just shows how reckless and shameful and how ill thought-out this
resolution is.
Mr. Speaker, while it has been an exciting evening with all of these
words being taken down and everything else going on, I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the previous question is
ordered on the concurrent resolution.
The question is on adoption of the concurrent resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________