[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14764-14765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 DEFEND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY FROM ISIL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about one of the 
greatest threats to the United States of America and our allies. An 
evil that is so barbaric and ruthless that it can't be ignored but only 
dismantled and destroyed. Madam Speaker, I am talking about the Islamic 
State of Iraq and Levant, also known as ISIL.
  Many of you, many of all of us, have watched in horror as two 
American journalists--James Foley and Steven Sotloff--and a British 
citizen, David Haines, were gruesomely murdered by ISIL. As a mother 
and as an American, my thoughts and prayers go out to their families 
and to all the victims of this vile terrorist group.
  Madam Speaker, ISIL is the most ruthless and well-financed terrorist 
group in the world. Their goal is simple: kill the innocent and 
ultimately terrorize the United States of America and our allies. We 
have an obligation, one that has been long overdue, to stop this 
barbaric terrorist organization before they strike us at home.
  Madam Speaker, we must not let that happen. We must stand together, 
stand together as a Nation, a people, in a unified bipartisan fashion, 
to stop ISIL once and for all. Make no mistake about it, we are at war 
with radical Islam.
  ISIL must not have a safe haven in Syria, or anywhere else, with the 
time and the space to operate and carry out attacks against our allies 
and our homeland. They must be destroyed.
  Our Commander in Chief has asked for the ``tools'' to defeat ISIL. 
Madam Speaker, I will support the President in our effort to complete 
the mission and to defeat the enemy. But I do remain concerned that the 
President does not have the long-term vision and the will to complete 
the mission.
  As Americans, we should all want the President to succeed. The cost 
of failure is far too great. However, the cost of not acting is even 
greater. The President's rhetoric must match his action and his 
resolve.
  Madam Speaker, Congress will answer the call of the American people 
and give the President the tools that he has asked for while providing 
rigorous oversight and requiring accountability for the duration of 
this military campaign. We must complete the mission.
  I, for one, stand ready to work with anyone to defend our national 
security and protect our very way of life.

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