Directing the President Pursuant to Section 5(C) of the War Powers Resolution to Remove United States Armed Forces From Lebanon

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Rules Committee, what just unfolded in this House makes me sad for this institution.

It is never okay to attack the integrity or character of another Member on the floor. These are serious issues that we are debating here today, and they deserve serious debate. I understand that people have different points of view, but we need to uphold the decorum and the decency of this Chamber. We need to do better.

The fact of the matter is that many of us who are here today are here because we are deeply concerned that Lebanon is suffering a humanitarian crisis. It may seem far away. It may not be in the news every day, but it matters.

Mr. Speaker, 1.3 million human beings have been displaced across Lebanon. That is nearly double the population of my district in Massachusetts.

More than 200 Lebanese kids have been killed--children--children. There were just over 200 kids enrolled at Burncoat Street Preparatory School, where I went to school in Worcester.

I get it. The world is chaotic and a dangerous place, but if we don't stand up for the principles of basic human rights, then as a country, we stand for nothing. There just doesn't seem to be any concern about civilian casualties, wherever they occur.

I oppose violent attacks against people of Lebanon, civilians of Lebanon, against civilians in Israel, against civilians in Gaza. I mean, I detest violence. We all should. We should be leading efforts for peace, not contributing to war and civil unrest.

We ought not to be writing blank checks, one after another, to Mr. Netanyahu, and he is using these funds for these strikes in Lebanon. We bear some of the responsibility for this suffering.

Don't we owe the Lebanese people every ounce of effort we can to end the hostilities? Don't we owe the American people our commitment not to use their hard-earned money in the service of war crimes? Where is our humanity?

The United States gives Netanyahu billions of dollars in military aid every year. Our militaries share intelligence. Reports suggest President Trump has green-lit specific Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Our support empowers and prolongs the displacement, the occupation, and the bombing of civilians. We cannot look away. If we do not take a stand now, it will forever be a stain on our conscience and our country.

I am tired of all of these endless wars. I am tired of all of the money that we divert from our people here at home, sending it halfway around the world to support conflicts and to support tyrants and dictators who don't care about human rights. It undermines our stability, and it undermines our national security.

Human rights watchers called on allies of the warring parties to pressure them to abide by the laws of war and protect civilians. We must answer that call.

This is a serious matter. This is about basic, fundamental human rights.

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