Syria War Powers Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I acknowledge and thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida, for his service and for his insights, which are invaluable to our committee and the work that we are doing. I thank him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 21, which would remove the United States Armed Forces from Syria.

While the situation in the Middle East remains complicated and volatile, we must not forget the critical role that the United States plays in furthering peace and combating international terrorism in the region.

As the chairman just pointed out, the use of military force is authorized under the 2001 agreement. We must fulfill our obligations in rooting out al-Qaida and its direct successors in ISIS.

As a resident of New York who was in his fifth day of freshman year of high school on September 11, I will never forget the events of that day, what occurred and the aftermath of it, and our obligation to combat and confront terrorism wherever it rears its head.

ISIS may no longer hold territory, but they are still a threat. They were responsible for 72 terrorist attacks in Iraq and Syria in the last quarter of 2022 alone. Just last month, U.S. Forces killed a senior ISIS leader in Syria.

ISIS once held territory the size of Great Britain, but thanks to our ongoing efforts, it no longer does. A complete withdrawal of U.S. Forces, however, will have the same disastrous consequences as our rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan, a topic on which our committee is holding a hearing today. Without U.S. Forces in Syria, our enemies will return; they will regrow; and they will come after our allies and, potentially, the United States.

While I appreciate and support the desire to prevent any further loss of American life and limb, there is no doubt in my mind that if we let international terrorist groups run rampant in Syria and throughout the Middle East, especially in the wake of a devastating natural disaster that the country just experienced, we are abdicating our responsibility to keep the American people safe from harm.

Not only that but by maintaining our troop presence in Syria, we can continue to support our allies in the region and work toward a more stable and peaceful Middle East, including supporting and growing the Abraham Accords.

Of course, we must always prioritize the safety and well-being of our military personnel, and any decision to maintain a true presence in Syria must be carefully considered and strategically planned. The Biden administration must be cognizant of this fact and not allow our true presence in Syria to go the way of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.

I agree with my colleagues about the need to reevaluate and look at the AUMFs, reform the process, and move forward, but we need to do so in a deliberative manner. This is not the way to go about it. For those reasons, I cannot in good conscience support this.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this body will reject this resolution and allow our committee to do the work that it needs to do to reform this process.

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