Resolution, to Remove United States Armed Forces From Hostilities with Presidentially Designated Terrorist Organizations in the Western Hemisphere

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution.

For decades, violent drug cartels have ravaged American communities. They have flooded our streets with deadly narcotics. They have destabilized our hemisphere, creating openings for malign influence from China, Russia, and Iran. Year after year, they have killed thousands of Americans.

We decided long ago that we would not tolerate threats to the American people from terrorists like al-Qaida and ISIS. We shouldn't tolerate them from narcoterrorists either.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives received a detailed briefing from the administration on Operation Southern Spear. We heard directly from Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and General Caine. Their message was clear: Narcoterrorists are the single greatest threat in the Western Hemisphere.

President Trump is acting decisively, lawfully, and within his authority as Commander in Chief. Our military is targeting known drug smuggling boats loaded with drugs and moving along well-established trafficking routes. Every strike is based on rigorous intelligence linking these boats with well-known narcoterrorists.

Every strike undergoes a comprehensive legal review and complies with defined rules of engagement to ensure innocent civilians are not harmed. The Armed Services Committee is notified of every strike and has been briefed on this operation several times. These strikes are lawful under U.S. law and international law, and all actions are in compliance with the law of armed conflict.

Most importantly, these strikes have dramatically reduced drug smuggling operations.

The bottom line is that Americans are safer today because of President Trump's actions. Let's not return to the old, failed playbook of treating our counterterrorist administrations solely as a law enforcement matter. We tried that for decades, and it didn't work. It cost hundreds of thousands of American lives.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in protecting Americans by opposing this resolution.

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