Resolution, to Remove United States Armed Forces From Hostilities with Iran

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, here we are again, debating something that is not debatable. It is in the Constitution that every single one of us pledges to uphold. You can read it. It says that the Congress authorizes military action.

It doesn't matter how good or bad or evil or close to a nuclear weapon a foe is. What matters is that the Constitution says we debate and approve military action.

Today, of course, we are well beyond the 60 days of the start of this hostility. Not only is this action unconstitutional, completely unapproved by the Congress, but it is now illegal. The War Powers Act requires that troops be withdrawn, absent the approval of Congress, after 60 days.

The chairman says over and over and over again that the Democrats said that it is an evil regime. Yes, we can all agree that it is an evil regime, but the chairman knows that the world is full of evil regimes. It doesn't, therefore, follow that you declare war and go to war and raise Americans' gas prices by $1.50 a gallon and spit in the face of the Constitution just because we all stipulate that the Iranian regime is evil.

Let's take a quick tour backward here. We have had no explanation for this war, beyond the fact that we all understand that the regime in Iran is evil. The President himself told us that the nuclear program was obliterated 9 months ago. Iran, as awful and as dangerous as they were--which, again, isn't a license to go to war--was perhaps in the weakest position it had been in a generation due to the war of 9 months ago, so the notion of imminence is absurd. You are hearing that from the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee.

Where we find ourselves now is that gasoline prices are up $1.50; food prices are rising; the inflation print of last week was pretty terrifying; and my friends in the majority know how utterly politically toxic this war is. They will not do their constitutional duty because they saw what we all saw, which is that this President decides who amongst Republican Members of the House and the Senate get to survive.

The Senator from Louisiana crosses the President; he is gone. The gentleman from Kentucky crosses the President; he is gone. As a political matter, it is fascinating to me that any President has that kind of choke hold over his party, but that is not a reason to spit in the face of the Constitution.

Lose your job for what you pledge to uphold and defend. No career is worth abnegating a pledge you took to the Constitution of the United States, especially when it is creating massive economic hardship for the people who we represent.

Do you think this is ending quickly? It is not. The Iranians are now in the strategic position to decide when this is over because they know the pain that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing.

The only responsible action, the only legal action, and the only constitutional action is to debate this war and to stop it in the meantime.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of this resolution.

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Mr. HIMES. The chairman can say it over and over and over again that we agree that the Iranian regime is evil.

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Mr. HIMES. It therefore does not follow that we must attack them.

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Mr. HIMES. Simply because a regime is evil does not authorize a war against it. The chairman knows that.

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Mr. HIMES. If the gentleman will yield.

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Mr. HIMES. If the gentleman will yield.

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Mr. HIMES. Does the gentleman believe that the Iranian regime is the only regime on the planet that would like to attack the United States of America?

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Mr. HIMES. They are certainly not. Does the gentleman, therefore, believe that we should take military action against all the other regimes that would like to attack America?

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Mr. HIMES. Sir, the definition of ``imminent''--and you can look it up--is that they are about to attack us. I can tell you, as the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee who did not leave, that they were not about to attack us. You can make up a different definition for ``imminent,'' but that does not make it correct.

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Mr. HIMES. If I could point out to the chairman--and I respect his military service--if he were, in fact, in a foxhole facing a .50- caliber machine gun, at least for the last 100 years, he almost certainly would have been in that position pursuant to an Authorization for Use of Military Force by this body.

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Mr. HIMES. Well, I think what we should do is pause our military activities while we exercise the constitutional and just the smart act of debating a war which has now affected every single--

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Mr. HIMES. Look, if this body chooses to maintain the military action, I will respect the body.

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