Opposing the Decision to End Certain United States Efforts to Prevent Turkish Military Operations Against Syrian Kurdish Forces in Northeast Syria

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I love my 1 minute. I also love my glasses, so I can read what I want to say here. Thank you very much. I rushed up from my office. I was on a conference call. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for keeping it open.

I want to thank Mr. McCaul for helping to bring this to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, Americans, of course, knew when President Trump took office that he was inexperienced in foreign policy and national security. That doesn't mean he didn't have opinions, he did. But he hasn't been in the day-to-day work. That was alarming. But also from my view, alarming is his penchant for putting his own self interests ahead of America's interests and America's national security. That troubles the world.

The disastrous consequences are becoming obvious to Americans more and more each day as we watch thousands of our Kurdish allies. And this is not an issue without some complexity, I understand that, but our Kurdish allies fleeing, ISIS gathering strength, and Iran and Russia and Assad advantaged.

There has rightly been broad bipartisan shock and condemnation that President Trump would so recklessly endanger America's allies, permit the release of thousands of violent ISIS extremists and give in to Vladimir Putin's aims in Syria.

In short, he just opened the door for ISIS to reclaim some power.

Any terrorist attack they now take part in will be as a direct result of this action. President Trump has betrayed the trust, in my opinion, of the American people. He has also betrayed America's friends.

The Kurdish forces in northern Syria have been among America's most reliable and effective local allies. It was their blood and sacrifice that led, in part, to us being significantly successful against ISIS. It is their young men and women in uniform who have been guarding ISIS prisoners, who, if released, have vowed to resume attacking Americans and destabilizing the Middle East. And in that effort, we may lose further American lives precious to us, precious to their families, precious to our country.

Our Kurdish allies trusted us to have their backs. Loyalty is a two- way street. It took years to build them into an effective fighting force, now America is turning its back and undoing years of efforts and progress. How shameful. How irresponsible.

The President said he took this action because he had pledged to get American troops out of the Middle East.

Ironically, he took out about 2,000, or put them someplace else. And guess what? He sent an additional 2,000 troops to the Middle East. Now, it is Saudi Arabia, where ISIS is not, hopefully, doing much, at least where we are sending the troops. But how ironic it is to say that we are going to take troops out of the Middle East, and at the same time, we send more troops into the Middle East.

America's reputation as a world leader depends on the bond of our word. Can we be trusted, or are we simply responsive that day for that issue?

If we abandon our allies, we will have none when we need them to stand with us.

Not only has President Trump abandoned the Kurds, but he has also refused to join with world leaders in considering the Turkish attack in the United Nations.

Instead, he chose to stand with Vladimir Putin and is doing his bidding once again by handing large swaths of Syria over to his control. He is moving in as we speak.

Indeed, as the front page of The Washington Post pointed out this week, Russia is now the one country that every country in the Middle East talks to and trusts to be a mediator.

Is that an America that is great? America has abandoned that role and the power it brings.

President Trump has also chosen to stand with Bashar al-Assad, as I said, a tyrant who has gassed his own people with chemical weapons, murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, and caused the extraordinary refugee challenge that the Europeans have.

He has chosen to play into the hands of the Iranian ayatollahs. The President says Iran is not our friend. He is right. We played into their hands with this action.

In summary, Mr. Speaker, the President's actions empower ISIS, betray our Kurdish allies, embolden Russia, reward the Assad regime, benefit Iran, and endanger Israel.

These developments were sadly predictable.

Experts like Brett McGurk and Secretary Mattis said this is not the right thing to do.

This is not a partisan issue. This is about America. This is about our allies. This is about international security and stability.

From the moment the President made clear he wanted to abandon America's strategic interests in Syria, both McGurk and General Mattis, Secretary Mattis, expressed their opposition.

These developments confirm the worst fears of so many Americans from both parties who have long questioned this President's wisdom or interest to protect our country and keep it safe in a dangerous world.

It is critical, Mr. Speaker, that this House, the peoples' House, make clear to the world that President Trump's reckless actions do not carry the support of the American people. It is critical that we condemn Turkey's incursion as well, and to do so in a bipartisan way.

That is what this legislation will do.

Mr. Speaker, I commend all of those from the Foreign Affairs Committee who brought this to the floor. I know it was difficult for some, but it is the right thing to do.

The House will do everything in its power to reassure our allies and remind our adversaries that America does not cut and run, that we stand by our word, hold true to our values, and stand with our friends.

I hope they will hear us and understand that this action by this President must not mar the goodwill or erode the steadfast principles upon which our country has engaged with the world throughout our history and surely again in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

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