[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16074-16075]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     FREE DEBATE OVER WAR WITH IRAQ

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, we have returned from the 
work recess. So many of us have had the opportunity to listen to our 
constituents, and aside from the important business of the 
appropriations process, I heard a singular cry and that is whether this 
country was going to engage in war with Iraq.
  I am gratified to hear that there will be a full debate in this House 
and I hope it will not be limited by time. But I have called for 
citizen summits across the Nation, communities opening up in town hall 
meetings and PTA meetings and civic associations to discuss one of the 
most important decisions this Nation has to make. For if

[[Page 16075]]

this war is engaged and we go into war, there is no determination as to 
whether this will be a 1-year war or a 20-year war.
  The American people must be involved. And although this is the 
people's House, and I hope we will have full debate, I believe it is 
crucial to have citizens debate all over this Nation. In visiting with 
students at the University of Houston, I made this point.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that the American people will begin to debate 
this crucial issue impacting America.

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