[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14315]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONSTITUTION IS NOT IRRELEVANT

  (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. Mr. Speaker, when have my colleagues heard 
of the Constitution being thrown to the side as if it is not relevant? 
Just a minute ago, I heard a headline news item that says it may not be 
important about the question of weapons of mass destruction.
  Mr. Speaker, I happen to disagree. I believe when the American people 
move toward war the truth must be told. I believe it is crucial that we 
have an independent investigation, a special prosecutor, an independent 
commission to determine the veracity of the truth of the intelligence 
community upon which this Congress relied.
  The war was declared without an actual vote of this Congress under 
the Constitution under article 1. Now they tell us when young men and 
women are on the front lines, when we have lost lives, when young men 
and women are still dying in Iraq, it is irrelevant about the weapons 
of mass destruction.
  Mr. Speaker, our Congress will be irrelevant and the American people 
will be ashamed of us if we do not find out the credibility of the 
intelligence community and demand the truth be told to the American 
people.
  I am calling for an independent commission, and I believe we need to 
stand on the truth so that as we fight wars we will fight them united 
as Americans, knowing the truth.

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