Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Rhode Island an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining?

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is now my honor to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, for too many years, Congress has allowed administration after administration after administration to sideline us in critical foreign policy matters. It is time we said enough is enough, particularly when it comes to when and where the United States military is engaged around the world. As I have said before, if killing Soleimani was about retaliating for past bad acts by Iran, then that is exactly when the law requires the President to work with Congress. The President didn't work with us. Instead, he told the American people there was an imminent threat with no evidence to support that claim, once again moving ahead and making Congress irrelevant. We have seen that done with Chief Executives of both parties, and it is time we stood up and said: No, enough is enough; only Congress can declare war. I know I sound like a broken record, but I think that is the crucial spot of what we are talking about here. Congress cannot just be swept along for the ride. Congress has the power to declare war. The American people are sick of perpetual war. If we don't do everything in our power to make sure this administration cannot plunge us into another war that we don't want, then we will have let the American people down. Again, for too many years, Congress has allowed administration after administration after administration to sideline us on critical foreign policy matters; and, again, it is time to say enough is enough. That is what we are attempting to do today, and that is why I urge my colleagues to support this very important bill. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking my friend, Representative Lee from California, for her hard work on this amendment. As you know, she is the newest newlywed in the House of Representatives, so we congratulate her on a great new marriage and wish her and her husband a long life together. She is a principled, passionate leader when it comes to standing up for Congress' role and responsibility in foreign affairs, particularly war powers. I am proud to be a cosponsor of her legislation. I am glad we are able to partner on such an important issue. Madam Speaker, it has been nearly two decades since the House voted to authorize the war in Iraq. I wish we could have that vote to do over again knowing what we know now. We were led into war on phony intelligence and found our brave servicemembers bogged down there for years at such tragic costs. The war is over, and it is long past time that the authority Congress granted to fight that war should be removed from the books--because we see how it is being misused. Earlier this month we heard the argument that the Iraq war authorization would justify military action against Iran. Here is how the argument goes: The executive branch says that this authorization can be used to deal with any threat emanating--I stress the word, ``emanating''--from Iraq. Yes, you heard it right, emanating from Iraq. That is just wrong. It is not what the authorization says. It is not what Congress intended when it passed that resolution. I was here. I remember it. It dealt with threats coming from Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Saddam Hussein is dead. His government and regime are long gone. This war authorization has no relevance to present-day Iraq, and it should be repealed. It should not be used to launch more military action. Now, we will likely hear an argument that repealing the Iraq war resolution would undermine our ability to combat terrorism around the world. But let's be clear about something: the Iraq war resolution-- what we are seeking to repeal today--was never intended to authorize our fight against ISIS or other associated terrorist groups, and it is not needed as authorization for any of these operations. There is another existing authorization for the use of military force, the measure that Congress passed after 9/11 to deal with al- Qaida. I don't agree with the administration's overly expansive interpretation of the 9/11 AUMF. I think they have stretched it well beyond what Congress ever intended. But even this administration has said clearly that they can continue current counterterrorism operation using the post-9/11 authorization even if we repeal the 2002 Iraq war authorization. The only time this administration has pointed to the 2002 Iraq war authorization as its only source of congressional authority is the strike against Soleimani, something Congress never intended. We cannot allow this President or any President to claim Congress has already authorized him to attack Iranian officials. If the President wants to use military force against Iran, then he has to come to Congress, plain and simple. An administration certainly shouldn't be twisting a decades-old authorization to justify plunging us into a war the American people don't want and that Congress has not authorized. I get back to what I said before: Only Congress can declare war, not the President, and we have had violation after violation after violation about this important matter. It is time that Congress reassert its constitutional role in declaring war or not declaring war, so it is long past time that we repeal this outdated war authorization. The House has already voted to do so with bipartisan support. I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this measure and taking these important steps in reclaiming Congress' authority over war powers. I thank Ms. Lee, who has the foresight to be courageous and stand all alone because she believes something is right. That is what we are trying to do now. We are trying to do what is right, what is right for our country. Again, what is right for our country is that Congress needs to grab the bull by the horns. Congress has the authority to declare war, not the President, not any President--Congress. We are reclaiming Congress' authority over war powers the way it was intended. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the newlywed and author of this important amendment.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, let me say that no one on this side needs to be lectured to about preserving America's role in the world. I just think that we don't think there should be a blank check for war. I will mention a couple of things that are relevant here. The 2001 AUMF passed after 9/11 authorizes counterterrorism operations. The 2002 AUMF has nothing to do with counterterrorism operations, al-Qaida, or ISIS. It specifically says the threat posed by Iraq, not al-Qaida. The reference to al-Qaida is in the findings, not in the authorization. It does not need to be replaced because the 2001 AUMF is still in the books. The administration has been clear with Congress that counterterrorism operations would not stop if the 2002 AUMF is repealed. I would note that it is the President's recent actions in the Middle East that have posed challenges to our efforts to defeat ISIS. The United States has had to cease operations against ISIS because our military is needed for force protection after the Soleimani strike. So if there is anything that has posed an obstacle to our fight against terrorism, it is the recent actions of the administration. I think a little thing should be put into perspective here. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), a valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger), a valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, one of our newer members.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, let me just say I would like to briefly respond to the Republican leader's remarks about the Iranian protest movement, because I feel very strongly about the Iranian protest movement and in supporting them. The leader accused the Democrats of being shamed into passing the resolution in support of the protestors in Iran. I want to correct the record because Mr. Deutch, who is a Democrat, introduced this resolution nearly a month before Mr. McCarthy; the House Foreign Affairs Committee marked the resolution a couple of weeks later. So there was no shame, except accusing Democrats of any nefarious motives. That is shameful. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, let me quickly say that I agree with Mr. Scalise that the Foreign Affairs Committee should be having hearings on this. We have tried to get the Secretary of State to come. I am still hopeful he is coming, but it is a little hard to hold hearings if you don't get the administration witness to come to the hearings. We are trying. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Colorado an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on each side.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz), our Republican colleague.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.