Directing the Removal of United States Armed Forces From Hostilities Against the Islamic Republic of Iran That Have Not Been Authorized By Congress

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the motion to commit.

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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I doubt that there is a person on this floor who disagrees with the premises that Mr. McCaul just stated. Soleimani was a bad person. I said during the course of debate on the Slotkin amendment, which referenced exactly that premise, that no one lamented the loss of Mr. Soleimani--no one. That is not what this bill is about, nor is that what this amendment is about.

This bill, which is called a partisan bill by Mr. McCaul, had 15 percent of the Republicans in the United States Senate vote for it.

This bill, called a partisan bill, says the bill we are voting on, the bill we are going to pass, says that Members of the United States Armed Forces and intelligence community and all those involved in the planning of the January 2, 2020, strike on Qasem Soleimani, including President Donald J. Trump, should be commended for their efforts in a successful mission. That is what the bill that we are asking this body to vote for says.

Madam Speaker, does that sound to you like a partisan document?

Now, Madam Speaker, the purpose of this motion is to kill this bill. This is a Senate bill. It will send it back to committee. It will not allow it to pass with an amendment, and it will preclude it from going to the President of the United States.

Now, what this issue is about is our Constitution, about the power of this body, about the responsibility of this body, and about the authority of this body to declare or not declare war. That is what this bill is about.

There may be some in this body who want to shrink from that responsibility and send it to the President of the United States, but our Founders believed that was not what our democracy ought to be. It ought to be the Representatives of the people who take them to war, not a President--any President, Democratic or Republican--to take us to war.

This is about our responsibility. It commends President Trump, and it commends our Armed Forces, and it allows them to defend themselves if attacked. But it stands for the proposition that I hope all Members are for, that we, the Representatives of the American people, ought to decide on their behalf whether they or their sons and daughters go to the point of the spear at war--not just one person.

There are a lot of countries in this world where one person makes the decision. They are called dictators. Our Founding Fathers did not want dictators running America.

And I say to my colleagues, of course, our Republican friends who are offered this amendment never vote for an MTR, because--and I will not read the litany of quotes from so many of you--an MTR is simply to delay and defeat. Your quotes, not mine.

So I ask all of us, without exception, vote against this MTR, vote to send this bill to the President of the United States, supported by 15 percent of the Republicans in the United States Senate. It is not a partisan bill. It doesn't attack President Trump. In fact, it says, ``our troops,'' and ``President Trump ought to be commended.'' It is in the bill.

Don't tell me this is a partisan act. It is not. It is an act of responsibility, and to our oath of office, and to the Constitution of the United States. Vote ``no.''

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Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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