Providing for Consideration of H.R. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

Floor Speech

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Mr. WELCH. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, this rule makes in order an amendment that is of great consequence and urgency, and that amendment would require that before the President initiated any military action against Iran, he has to come to Congress and get approval through an Authorization for Use of Military Force.

And make no mistake about it. That amendment is essential for our security.

What the President did on May 8 was that he tore up the Iran nuclear agreement, with no alternative in place. He says now his objective is a nonnuclear Iran.

That is what we had. Our intelligence agencies confirmed that Iran was in compliance with that agreement.

Instead, he has embarked on a policy that is bellicose in rhetoric and ineffective in outcome.

He has torn up the agreement that was supported, not just by this Congress, but it was supported by our allies, including our frenemies Russia and China, and our good friends Britain, Germany, and France. Instead, he substituted it with the maximum pressure that has met maximum resistance, and what we see now is an enormous escalation in danger and in rhetoric.

Madam Speaker, the most important decision that a President can make is to recommend whether we use the awesome force of our military, and the most important decision that Congress can make is whether to authorize the use of military force.

Regrettably, we are operating on a stale authorization from 2001 that has nothing to do with present circumstances.

It is on Congress if we, as Republicans and Democrats, given that awesome power, fail to be accountable by having that vote ``yes'' or ``no'' on the authorization.

The President's policy right now is escalating the likelihood of military confrontation with Iran. We must make certain that that cannot be done without a vote of this Congress and every Member in it.

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