Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. Charles Boustany, my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), my friend and colleague, the vice chairman of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, there are many who support this amendment. There are many who feel like it is not enough. I would like to just relay a couple of instances. I just returned from the Middle East. I met with leaders of Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco. And one of the things that I think needs to be addressed, and the people--the people--need to understand this: who ISIL is. In about 600 AD, people moved--Arab people-- moved into the area that they called Levant. They controlled that area--it took them about 50 years to conquer it--and they controlled it from about 650 AD to about 1500 AD, when they were defeated by the Ottoman Empire. That area comprised what we now know as part of Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran. It was a huge area. ISIL wants to go back to that same area. They want to control that same area. They want to set up a caliphate so that they can then export terrorism around the world, and they are going to be brutal about it. They have great designs. They are willing to do anything it takes to win. I don't know why it seems like, when the President talks, the first thing he says is, ``No boots on the ground.'' As was just mentioned by the ranking member, there are boots on the ground. We have a force of over a thousand right now in Iraq. As he explained, their army kind of wilted for the reasons that he gave. I talked to General Petraeus the other day, and he said their army will fight, but there are certain things that they need that only we can provide, and that is what we can provide without entering into the combat, without putting in divisions, without putting in what I guess is the reference to boots on the ground, which is a certain number--and I don't know what that number is--but we are not going to do that. That is not what we are talking about. Saying we are not going to have boots on the ground is just kind of not being totally truthful with the American people. There are and will continue to be boots on the ground. They will provide training. They will provide leadership. They will provide ISR. They will provide the intelligence and the things necessary for the Iraqis to be successful in pushing ISIL out of the ground that they have conquered and taken. They will be able to take it back. What we are talking about is the ability to go in and train Syrian forces so they will be able to take back territory that they have lost in Syria and, by doing so, that will deprive ISIL of having a safe haven so, as they are pushed out of Iraq, they won't be able to go into Syria. We need to envelop them and end their mission right there. Don't let them get into Lebanon and Jordan and these other countries. Don't let them squeeze out into those countries. We need to stop them now. The leaders in that area told me how big this threat was. They said, ``Don't think the oceans are going to protect you now. They will not.'' We all know that one of the big threats over there is foreign fighters entering into this fight. A lot of them have passports and will be able to enter back into Europe and come to this country and do a lot of serious things that we don't want to see happen. We would rather fight them there than here. That is the purpose of this amendment and the thing that we are talking about right now. ISIL is a dangerous threat right now, and we need to address them right now. They are going very rapidly. They are very well-funded and well-led. They are fighting as an army, not as a little ragtag terrorist group. We need to address them that way. With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks), my good friend and a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn), my friend and colleague and a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Gibson), my friend and colleague, a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Ross), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway), my friend and colleague who is a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire how much time we have remaining on both sides?

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. A lot has been said today on both sides of this issue. As I have listened carefully to all of the arguments, it seems to me that the main argument, as I have heard it, against acting on this amendment at this time is that it doesn't go far enough or we don't know for sure if it would be successful. I have been in this body now for 22 years. I wish that I had the foresight every time we come to this floor to know exactly what is going to happen after we take action, but it seems to me that none of us really has that foresight. We can think about it, we can project, but we really don't know what is going to happen if we take action. Sometimes, we know what is going to happen if we don't take action. I think that is probably what we ought to be thinking a little bit about today. There were some comments made about Iraq and Syria. One thing that I think hasn't been mentioned that I think we know is that we left Iraq precipitously. We can talk about blame. We can place it on President Obama. I could criticize him for a lot of things, but I sure wouldn't want his job, and I think, because we did leave early, we didn't leave any residual force behind. Maliki did some things that we probably all would have changed. Saddam Hussein, who was a Sunni--Sunnis are the minority in Iraq-- oppressed the Shi'a; so, when Maliki came in, a Shi'a, he oppressed the Sunnis. I think one thing that we do know is that the new Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, is really making an effort to reach out to the Sunnis, the Shi'a, and the Kurds to bring a legitimate government that will look out for all of its people. I think that has given us the opportunity to go into Iraq. The President has put over a thousand of our troops in there, bucked them up, and helped them with the things that they need to be successful in fighting off the terrorists, ISIL, and I think that there are things that they cannot do that we can help them with. They need intelligence. They need ISR. They need logistics. They need air support. If we provide those things and they see that they are getting good support from their government and that it is not a fight between different sects or different regions and yet they can actually fight together as Iraqis, they will be successful in pushing ISIL back which would be a good thing. They can retake the territory that has been lost. In the meantime, if we vote for this amendment, we give the President the authority to train Syrians that are thoroughly vetted in Saudi Arabia and then put them back into the fight. These people are fighting for their homeland. These are people that are fighting for their villages, and they are fighting for their families. Are they perfect? We don't know, but I was talking to one of our retired generals who has been in the fight, and he told me that, sometimes, you have to work with people that are willing to fight the same enemy that you are willing to fight. In this case, these people that we are looking at are willing to fight ISIL. If they have the help that we can provide, they can be successful, and then the people that we train can go back into the fight in Syria, and we can squeeze ISIL in between Syria and Iraq and keep them from entering into other nations where we do not wish to fight at this time. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my friend and colleague.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, let me just say again that most of the arguments I have heard are, ``Don't do this.'' I haven't heard an alternative. I think what we need to remember--and we hear it a lot around here-- is let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good. The President, the Commander in Chief, has asked for this authority. Saudi Arabia is willing to work with us on this. We need to develop the coalition. We are working hard to make that happen. At this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to Colonel Patrick T. ``Smack'' McKenzie, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service. I have had the pleasure of working with Smack on a number of occasions during his tenure in the Air Force House Liaison Office. I greatly appreciate and admire his professionalism, knowledge, and dedication, which has benefited me, and numerous other Members and staff. Colonel McKenzie has given a great deal to this Nation through his distinguished and selfless service. He began his Air Force career as an ROTC Cadet and a ``Jayhawk'' at the University of Kansas--an allegiance he maintains to this day, as evidenced by the Jayhawk lanyard you will always see around his neck. Upon graduating in May 1988, he was competitively selected for pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. He was the envy of Class 90-06, not only because of his perfectly restored red 1965 Pontiac GTO affectionately known as ``The Goat'', but also because as one of the top graduates, he was awarded the only F-16 training slot for the class. He was assigned to the 70th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, where he was certified as combat-ready and qualified for air-to- surface, air-to-air, and nuclear missions. He quickly caught the eye of his leadership, and was handpicked as one of only 15 squadron pilots qualified to operate the new LANTIRN system (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night). He also caught the eye of his future wife, Jennifer, and they have been married now for 21 years. Col. McKenzie's skill as a fighter pilot was quickly recognized during his first deployment, patrolling the skies over Iraq for Operation Southern Watch. His leadership ability earned him a Regular commission and selection for Squadron Officer School, where he was a Distinguished Graduate. Capt. McKenzie was then assigned to the 51st Operations Support Squadron at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea. He continued to impress as a Wing Plans Officer, maintaining critical operational plans for wartime taskings. He again rose above his peers as a pilot, winning the 51st Fighter Wing's Low Angle Strafe Top Gun award and selection as the Chief of Standardization and Evaluation for the 51st Operations Group--a position reserved for the Group's most skilled and trusted pilot. In this position, he was responsible for assessments and maintaining operational standards not only in his F-16 squadron, but also in the HH-60 rescue flight, and a C-12 flight, a job essential to deliver wartime capability. He so impressed his leadership, that even as a Captain he was identified as a ``future squadron commander'' and was selected for USAF Weapons School, the premier advanced weapons and tactics school for our Air Force Pilots. While there, he was praised for his research on F-16 Night Close Air Support and Targeting Aids, advancing our operational capabilities in this critical capacity. Captain McKenzie's training was put to immediate use with his assignment to the 510th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. He flew dozens of combat sorties during Operations Southern Watch, Decisive Edge, and Deliberate Guard, enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was also a Mission Commander for more than six large force packages in NATO's Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, for which he garnered praise for his skills, leadership, mission execution, and most importantly ensuring zero combat losses. Additionally, Smack was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement, planning the first NATO strike of Operation Allied Force to cross the Kosovo/Serbian border, defeating surface-to- air missiles, and executing the first-ever F-16 night attack utilizing Night Vision Goggles and the LANTIRN system to destroy an ammunition storage facility. As a Flight Commander, Weapons Officer, and Instructor Pilot he was recognized by his superiors as an ``exceptional leader with unlimited potential'', the ``#1 Captain in the Group'', the ``Wing's top flight commander'', and the USAFE Fighter Pilot of the Year. Smack was sent to Air Command and Staff College, where his tremendous leadership and team building skills led his peers to recognize him as the ``Outstanding Team Member'' for his class. Following school, he became the Assignments Officer for nearly 1,500 Air Force F-16 pilots, single-handedly managing the Air Force's largest group of pilots and maintaining 100 percent manning level despite historic shortages just after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Lt. Col. McKenzie then moved to Luke AFB for a short period as the 56th Operations Support Squadron Operations Officer before being entrusted with his first command--the 310th Fighter Squadron ``Top Hats''--the largest fighter squadron at Luke, responsible for the only formal Forward Air Controller-Airborne course, which has been a vital capability in the War on Terror. He was heralded as the ``top warrior and leader of 618 officers'' and led his unit to the 56th Operations Group ``Top Squadron'' award. Following this highly successful command, Lt. Col. McKenzie attended National War College at Fort McNair and received a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. He then went to U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, VA where he provided readiness analysis on current operations, and was a liaison with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Government Accountability Office, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on all readiness related issues. He provided critical data and assessments for the planning of Operation Enduring Freedom which were influential in leadership decisions. Col. McKenzie then Commanded the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. There he profoundly impacted the Global War on Terror, directing air operations and leading over 830 troops to execute over 24,000 missions, dropping 1.1 million pounds of ordnance, and delivering 37,000 tons of cargo--the busiest operation in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. Following this tremendous performance, Col. McKenzie was challenged with a new role as the SECAF's legislative liaison to Congress for all USAF air and space weapon systems, ensuring the Air Force message and priorities were consistently and convincingly articulated to directly ensure the full authorization of their $120 billion budget. Smack was then sent back to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea to command the 51st Fighter Wing ``Mustangs'' where he previously spent time as a Captain. He was the Joint installation commander for over 10,200 personnel, executing the Combat Air Force's largest and most highly-utilized A-10 and F-16 operation in a tense location, just 6 minutes flight time to North Korea. ``A+'', ``inspiring'', and ``superb'' were just a few words used to describe his tenure there. After his highly successful tour as a Wing Commander, the Air Force returned Smack to legislative liaison work by assigning him to one of the most demanding positions within the Air Force, his current job as the Chief of Air Force House Liaison. Since July 2013, Smack has advised the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Director of Legislative Liaison, and numerous other senior military and civilian leaders on issues of the greatest concern to the Air Force and Congress. He has been more than a liaison between the Pentagon and the Hill, he developed and improved key relationships to enable the Congress to make better decisions about the future of the Air Force and our national defense. He is extremely intelligent and articulate, and has helped shape my thinking and influenced many Members of Congress. Simply put, we trust him and will miss him! Col. McKenzie is a command pilot with over 3,200 flying hours and 630 combat hours in the F-16. He is the recipient of numerous major medals and decorations for his service and accomplishments. The most significant of these include the Defense Superior Service medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service medal. Throughout his distinguished career he has represented our country and the Air Force with dignity and honor, and this is why I'm so privileged to pay tribute to this fine Airman. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Congress and the United States of America, I thank Colonel Patrick McKenzie, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Ashleigh, for their service and sacrifices of the past 26 years. I wish them Godspeed, and continued happiness as they start this new chapter in their lives.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to Colonel Patrick T. ``Smack'' McKenzie, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service. I have had the pleasure of working with Smack on a number of occasions during his tenure in the Air Force House Liaison Office. I greatly appreciate and admire his professionalism, knowledge, and dedication, which has benefited me, and numerous other Members and staff. Colonel McKenzie has given a great deal to this Nation through his distinguished and selfless service. He began his Air Force career as an ROTC Cadet and a ``Jayhawk'' at the University of Kansas--an allegiance he maintains to this day, as evidenced by the Jayhawk lanyard you will always see around his neck. Upon graduating in May 1988, he was competitively selected for pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. He was the envy of Class 90-06, not only because of his perfectly restored red 1965 Pontiac GTO affectionately known as ``The Goat'', but also because as one of the top graduates, he was awarded the only F-16 training slot for the class. He was assigned to the 70th Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, where he was certified as combat-ready and qualified for air-to- surface, air-to-air, and nuclear missions. He quickly caught the eye of his leadership, and was handpicked as one of only 15 squadron pilots qualified to operate the new LANTIRN system (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night). He also caught the eye of his future wife, Jennifer, and they have been married now for 21 years. Col. McKenzie's skill as a fighter pilot was quickly recognized during his first deployment, patrolling the skies over Iraq for Operation Southern Watch. His leadership ability earned him a Regular commission and selection for Squadron Officer School, where he was a Distinguished Graduate. Capt. McKenzie was then assigned to the 51st Operations Support Squadron at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea. He continued to impress as a Wing Plans Officer, maintaining critical operational plans for wartime taskings. He again rose above his peers as a pilot, winning the 51st Fighter Wing's Low Angle Strafe Top Gun award and selection as the Chief of Standardization and Evaluation for the 51st Operations Group--a position reserved for the Group's most skilled and trusted pilot. In this position, he was responsible for assessments and maintaining operational standards not only in his F-16 squadron, but also in the HH-60 rescue flight, and a C-12 flight, a job essential to deliver wartime capability. He so impressed his leadership, that even as a Captain he was identified as a ``future squadron commander'' and was selected for USAF Weapons School, the premier advanced weapons and tactics school for our Air Force Pilots. While there, he was praised for his research on F-16 Night Close Air Support and Targeting Aids, advancing our operational capabilities in this critical capacity. Captain McKenzie's training was put to immediate use with his assignment to the 510th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. He flew dozens of combat sorties during Operations Southern Watch, Decisive Edge, and Deliberate Guard, enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was also a Mission Commander for more than six large force packages in NATO's Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, for which he garnered praise for his skills, leadership, mission execution, and most importantly ensuring zero combat losses. Additionally, Smack was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement, planning the first NATO strike of Operation Allied Force to cross the Kosovo/Serbian border, defeating surface to air missiles, and executing the first-ever F-16 night attack utilizing Night Vision Goggles and the LANTIRN system to destroy an ammunition storage facility. As a Flight Commander, Weapons Officer, and Instructor Pilot he was recognized by his superiors as an ``exceptional leader with unlimited potential'', the ``#1 Captain in the Group'', the ``Wing's top flight commander'', and the USAFE Fighter Pilot of the Year. Smack was sent to Air Command and Staff College, where his tremendous leadership and team building skills led his peers to recognize him as the ``Outstanding Team Member'' for his class. Following school, he became the Assignments Officer for nearly 1,500 Air Force F-16 pilots, single-handedly managing the Air Force's largest group of pilots and maintaining 100 percent manning level despite historic shortages just after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Lt. Col. McKenzie then moved to Luke AFB for a short period as the 56th Operations Support Squadron Operations Officer before being entrusted with his first command--the 310th Fighter Squadron ``Top Hats''--the largest fighter squadron at Luke, responsible for the only formal Forward Air Controller-Airborne course, which has been a vital capability in the War on Terror. He was heralded as the ``top warrior and leader of 618 officers'' and led his unit to the 56th Operations Group ``Top Squadron'' award. Following this highly successful command, Lt. Col. McKenzie attended National War College at Fort McNair and received a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. He then went to U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, VA where he provided readiness analysis on current operations, and was a liaison with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Government Accountability Office, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on all readiness related issues. He provided critical data and assessments for the planning of Operation Enduring Freedom which were influential in leadership decisions. Col. McKenzie then Commanded the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. There he profoundly impacted the Global War on Terror, directing air operations and leading over 830 troops to execute over 24,000 missions, dropping 1.1 million pounds of ordnance, and delivering 37,000 tons of cargo--the busiest operation in the CENTCOM area of responsibility. Following this tremendous performance, Col. McKenzie was challenged with a new role as the SECAF's legislative liaison to Congress for all USAF air and space weapon systems, ensuring the Air Force message and priorities were consistently and convincingly articulated to directly ensure the full authorization of their $120 billion budget. Smack was then sent back to Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea to command the 51st Fighter Wing ``Mustangs'' where he previously spent time as a Captain. He was the Joint installation commander for over 10,200 personnel, executing the Combat Air Force's largest and most highly-utilized A-10 and F-16 operation in a tense location, just 6 minutes flight time to North Korea. ``A+'', ``inspiring'', and ``superb'' were just a few words used to describe his tenure there. After his highly successful tour as a Wing Commander, the Air Force returned Smack to legislative liaison work by assigning him to one of the most demanding positions within the Air Force, his current job as the Chief of Air Force House Liaison. Since July 2013, Smack has advised the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Director of Legislative Liaison, and numerous other senior military and civilian leaders on issues of the greatest concern to the Air Force and Congress. He has been more than a liaison between the Pentagon and the Hill, he developed and improved key relationships to enable the Congress to make better decisions about the future of the Air Force and our national defense. He is extremely intelligent and articulate, and has helped shape my thinking and influenced many Members of Congress. Simply put, we trust him and will miss him! Col. McKenzie is a command pilot with over 3,200 flying hours and 630 combat hours in the F-16. He is the recipient of numerous major medals and decorations for his service and accomplishments. The most significant of these include the Defense Superior Service medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service medal. Throughout his distinguished career he has represented our country and the Air Force with dignity and honor, and this is why I'm so privileged to pay tribute to this fine Airman. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Congress and the United States of America, I thank Colonel Patrick T. ``Smack'' McKenzie, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Ashley, for their service and sacrifices of the past 26 years. I wish them Godspeed, and continued happiness as they start this new chapter in their lives.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 715, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 644) condemning and disapproving of the Obama administration's failure to comply with the lawful statutory requirement to notify Congress before releasing individuals detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and expressing national security concerns over the release of five Taliban leaders and the repercussions of negotiating with terrorists, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 644.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 644, a resolution offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Rigell), condemning the Obama administration's failure to comply with the requirement to notify Congress before transferring individual detainees from Guantanamo Bay. I would like to thank Mr. Rigell for his leadership on this deeply troubling issue. He worked across the aisle to author a bipartisan resolution, sponsored by 94 Members of the House, including myself, focused on the Obama administration's clear violation of statute passed by the legislative branch and enacted into law by the President. I would also like to thank Ranking Member Smith. Though he did not support this resolution in its entirety, I appreciate his candor and his commitment to fostering a thoughtful debate within our committee. The administration violated the law, and House Resolution 644 articulates this simple message. It passed out of the Armed Services Committee with a bipartisan vote. Section 1035 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 requires the Secretary of Defense to notify the appropriate committees of Congress at least 30 days before the transfer or release of any individual detained at GTMO. There are no waivers to this clause--no exceptions, period; yet, on May 31, at the request of the Taliban and in exchange for Sergeant Bergdahl, who was held by the Haqqani Network, the administration sent five senior Taliban leaders from GTMO to Qatar. The administration took this action without notifying Congress. This is an obvious violation of the law. There can be no confusion on this point. In fact, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office recently determined that the administration violated the law by failing to notify Congress, but also by expending funds to carry out the transfers without an appropriation for that purpose. The statutory provision of the NDAA was written and approved by a bipartisan majority in Congress because of genuine concerns that dangerous terrorists were leaving GTMO and returning to fight against the U.S. or its allies. By requiring the Secretary of Defense to convey detailed information to Congress, the provision is intended to allow Members to have a complete understanding of the risks of sending GTMO detainees elsewhere and how those risks might be mitigated. In transferring the Taliban Five without lawfully notifying Congress, the administration deprived Congress of the opportunity to consider the national security risks that such a transfer could pose or the repercussions of negotiating with terrorists. If Congress does not speak strongly now to condemn such blatant disregard for the law, any future administration may come to believe that obedience to statute is not a requirement for the executive branch. This is intolerable, and for this reason, I support this resolution and will ask my colleagues in the House to adopt it. Again, I thank Mr. Rigell, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Rahall, and Mr. Ribble for introducing this important bipartisan resolution, and I urge my colleagues to adopt it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I must respond to just a couple of points made by my good friend from Washington. We agree on more than we disagree on. This item we disagree on, but it seems to me that his main argument is that because other Presidents have done it, it is okay for this President to do it. In other words, two wrongs make a right. I don't think that is the point. I think at some point, you have to draw the line, and that is what we are doing right now. Secondly, he said that the President said that he really believed he wasn't breaking the law. You know, prisons are full of people that say they don't think they broke the law, but some judge thinks they did, and in this instance, until you take the matter to the court, it is the law. Even though he is the President of the United States, he did break the law. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Rigell), my friend and colleague who is a member of the Armed Services Committee, is the lead cosponsor, and is the one who has from day one provided the leadership on this issue.