Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Removal of United States Armed Forces From Hostilities in Yemen That Have Not Been Authorized By Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions Reported From the Committee on Rules; and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

Floor Speech

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Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I want to echo Representative Cole's praise for Chairman McGovern for leading for years in this body in helping Congress reassert its role on matters of war and peace.

I want to just note the difference procedurally of what happened. Every time we introduced this in the last Congress, Speaker Ryan didn't allow a vote. He tied a vote on Yemen with a vote on endangered wolves.

In contrast, Chairman McGovern, not only is he allowing a vote on the resolution of Yemen, he is allowing a vote on an amendment that Representative Buck has offered that I oppose vehemently, that I went to him and I said, ``This is going to gut the entire resolution.''

What did Chairman McGovern do? Did he say, ``Oh, we will go behind closed doors. Don't worry. We won't allow a vote?'' No. He said, ``We are going to bring it to a vote on this floor.''

I said, ``Do we have the votes?''

He said, ``I don't know.''

Why are we bringing it to the floor? Because that is a democracy. That is what we are supposed to do in a democracy.

We will have the votes. You know how I know we are going to have the votes and it is going to be a bipartisan vote? Because when Lindsay Graham is quoted saying he may vote in support of the resolution, you know there is going to be an overwhelming vote.

I want to just address one point, because Representative Cole is one of the more thoughtful Members here and I take what he says very seriously, but on the War Powers Act, we just disagree. When you read the plain reading of the War Powers, it says that the United States Armed Forces cannot be assigned to coordinate, participate, or accompany any foreign government's military when they are in hostilities.

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Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, our forces are coordinating with the Saudi forces. I concede to Members we don't have troops there, but the War Powers Resolution was written broadly, precisely because we wanted Congress to have a say.

And, Representative Cole, I am convinced if one of our allies, like Israel or another country, were attacked; I have enough confidence in this body that we would make the right decision. This is a matter of the Congress' right to have a say on matters of war and peace, and I thank Chairman McGovern for bringing this for a vote.

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