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H78 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 9, 2020 demonstrated by a series of recent Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, for more U.S. troops have been deployed to major disasters—which the Democrats the purpose of debate only, I yield the the region; operations against ISIS are working hard to support. customary 30 minutes to the gen- have been suspended; the Iraqi Par- We must remain committed to re- tleman from Texas (Mr. BURGESS), liament has voted to kick American building disaster-stricken commu- pending which I yield myself such time troops out of Iraq—all because of the nities, replacing crumbling infrastruc- as I may consume. During consider- brash decision of one man: the Presi- ture, and developing and deploying the ation of this resolution, all time yield- dent of the United States. infrastructure needed to connect us ed is for the purpose of debate only. Madam Speaker, there was no ques- like never before, including through GENERAL LEAVE tion that Soleimani was a ruthless 5G. Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I military commander. He had Amer- We cannot allow the Senate and this ask unanimous consent that all Mem- ican, Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi, and Yem- administration to impede our efforts to bers be given 5 legislative days to re- eni blood on his hands. But that is not make American infrastructure better, vise and extend their remarks. up for debate today, nor is the question safer, and more resilient. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there of whether or not killing him was a f objection to the request of the gen- good or bad idea. tleman from Massachusetts? The President of the United States COMMUNICATION FROM THE assassinated a high-level foreign mili- CLERK OF THE HOUSE There was no objection. Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, tary commander without asking or The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- yesterday, the Rules Committee met even notifying Congress beforehand. fore the House the following commu- and reported a rule, House Resolution Madam Speaker, with little evidence, nication from the Clerk of the House of 781, providing for consideration of H. the President claims his actions pre- Representatives: Con. Res. 83 under a closed rule. The vented an imminent threat, but the OFFICE OF THE CLERK, resolution also provides 1 hour of gen- American people have heard that one HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, eral debate, controlled by the chair and before. We remember the stories about Washington, DC, January 9, 2020. weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. ranking minority member of the com- Hon. NANCY PELOSI, We remember the tens of thousands of The Speaker, House of Representatives, mittee on Foreign Affairs. Madam Speaker, the question before American soldiers who paid the price Washington, DC. for that deception. DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to the us today is very simple: Should Presi- Madam Speaker, is this Congress permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II dent Trump be allowed to send the going to sit by and allow that to hap- of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representa- United States hurtling toward war pen in Iran, or are we going to ensure tives, the Clerk received the following mes- with Iran without prior congressional sage from the Secretary of the Senate on that this body acts before a war begins January 9, 2020, at 9:28 a.m.: approval? that could continue long after Presi- It is a question we must wrestle with That the Senate passed S. 1228. dent Trump leaves office? That the Senate passed S. 1611. following the President’s actions last That the Senate passed without amend- Now, the Constitution is clear; it is Thursday. That is when he ordered the crystal clear. Article I, Section 8 gives ment H.R. 583. lethal drone attack on Iraqi soil that With best wishes, I am Congress the power to declare war, but Sincerely, killed Iranian General Soleimani. The President Trump treated Congress as if CHERYL L. JOHNSON. outgoing Prime Minister has said the it were an afterthought in a decision f strike was carried out without Iraqi that has destabilized the region and permission or knowledge. It was done PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION shaken the world. without any plan for the consequences More than 4,000 of our brave men and OF H. CON. RES. 83, IRAN WAR in the region or the world. And, more women are now being sent to the Per- POWERS RESOLUTION troubling still, it was carried out with- sian Gulf, all without any input from Mr. MCGOVERN. Madam Speaker, by out any input from the people’s Rep- the people’s Chamber. direction of the Committee on Rules, I resentatives here in Congress. We represent the brave young men call up House Resolution 781 and ask Think about that. and women who are deploying to Ku- for its immediate consideration. Madam Speaker, just a month ago, wait; we represent those deploying to The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- Iran was staring down some of the Iraq; and we represent those deploying lows: most intense antigovernment protests elsewhere across the Middle East. Each H. RES. 781 in a decade. Thousands took to the of us speaks for them, and we speak for Resolved, That upon adoption of this reso- streets of Tehran to express growing their families, who are scared sick as lution it shall be in order to consider in the frustration and anger with their lead- their loved ones receive orders to de- House the concurrent resolution (H. Con. ers. ploy. Res. 83) directing the President pursuant to But what a difference a month Madam Speaker, we must summon section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to makes. Protestors—men, women, and terminate the use of United States Armed the courage to be their voice. Forces to engage in hostilities in or against children—have again taken to the Now, I am glad that the United Iran. All points of order against consider- streets of Tehran. Only this time, their States and Iran have taken a step back ation of the concurrent resolution are anger wasn’t directed at their own from the brink of war, but what we waived. The amendment printed in the re- leaders; it was directed at the United heard from the President yesterday port of the Committee on Rules accom- States of America—all because of the was more of the same bluster. It is panying this resolution shall be considered President’s unilateral decision. clear, even after the briefing by the ad- as adopted. The concurrent resolution, as Madam Speaker, that is what hap- ministration yesterday that many of amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the con- pens when monumental decisions of us attended, that he has no clue at current resolution, as amended, are waived. war and peace are made in a vacuum all—none—about what could come The previous question shall be considered as with no regard for the consequences. next. ordered on the concurrent resolution, as Things usually don’t go very well. Now, make no mistake: The world is amended, to adoption without intervening Rather than protect our national se- less safe because of Trump’s chaotic motion or demand for division of the ques- curity and stabilize the region, Presi- foreign policy. The impacts of his tion except two hours of debate equally di- dent Trump’s reckless decision to strikes are still reverberating in the re- vided and controlled by the chair and rank- strike Soleimani united Iran. It has led gion and across the world, and we can- ing minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. to retaliatory strikes on two bases not sit silently by. SEC. 2. Section 7 of the War Powers Resolu- used by U.S. and coalition forces in The Constitution makes the Presi- tion (50 U.S.C. 1546) shall not apply during Iraq, and it has put our troops and dip- dent Commander in Chief, but it gives the remainder of the One Hundred Sixteenth lomats serving overseas in greater dan- only Congress the power to declare Congress to a measure respecting Iran. ger. war. The Founders knew that decisions The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen- Now, make no mistake: This decision of this magnitude required consulta- tleman from Massachusetts is recog- has endangered all Americans every- tion between the branches of govern- nized for 1 hour. where. Hardliners are emboldened; 4,000 ment, no matter who is in the White VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Jan 09, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K09JA7.022 H09JAPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with HOUSE January 9, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H79 House, no matter who controls the ma- mined gaps between them that would On January 2, 2020, acting on intel- jority on Capitol Hill. either deny power to a President or to ligence of imminent threat to Amer- Our Democrats don’t want war with the Congress, one at the expense of the ican interests, and in response to the Iran; most Republicans don’t want war other. persistent attack by Iranian-backed with Iran; and the American people In Federalist Number 69, Alexander entities, the United States military certainly don’t want a war with Iran. I Hamilton argued the President’s power killed General Qasem Soleimani. think that would be catastrophic. We resides only in the direction of the Soleimani was the long-time leader of should be stopping costly, endless wars, military as placed by law at his com- the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps not creating new ones.