[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5578]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 EMPOWER SYRIAN PEOPLE AND REMOVE ASSAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn 
yesterday's deadly chemical attack in Syria.
  Early yesterday morning, while most people were asleep in the rebel-
held city of Khan Shaykhun, airstrikes hit, carrying what is suspected 
to be poisonous gas. These airstrikes are believed to be the work of 
the Syrian Government or its ally, Russia.
  According to the AP, at least 72, if not up to 100 people, including 
at least 10 children, were killed and hundreds more injured. Entire 
families were found dead in their homes, and healthcare workers who 
rushed to help others were also overcome by the poison. A second 
airstrike hit near a hospital where victims were being treated.
  The Assad regime's continued use of chemical weapons on its own 
people, innocent families, and children is despicable, and this is not 
the first time. Besides these unspeakable, horrific acts against 
innocent people since the Syrian civil war began 6 years ago, more than 
11 million Syrians--half of the country's prewar population--have been 
displaced from their homes.
  The urgency of this situation cannot be denied. We can no longer 
ignore the continued abuse and killing of the Syrian people. We must 
take meaningful action to empower the Syrian people and remove Assad 
from power.

                          ____________________