Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, this War Powers Resolution would immediately end President Trump's extrajudicial boat strikes in the Western Hemisphere, which have never been approved by Congress and far exceed the President's authority. We are a country of laws. Individuals in the streets have to abide by our laws. The President of the United States should be abiding by our laws. In our laws, you convict somebody in court. You can't just go out and kill them. What I had to do was build a case in public, try that case, and convince a jury to unanimously convict someone so that they would go to jail. That was my job. I think that the President of the United States cannot summarily determine that he is going to go kill someone without coming and getting authorization from this Congress. The worst criminals have had to go to court. The fact of the matter is, we know of two such people, the worst of the worst. They sold drugs and said they were going to shove it up their noses. He wasn't killed. He shouldn't have been killed. He was tried. He was from another country. In fact, he was the President of another country. He was tried in a court of law, and he was convicted by a unanimous jury. He is on the streets today. Why? Because the President of the United States said he deserved the pardon. No matter how many people he killed, no matter how many drugs he brought in, the President of the United States said it is okay, we are going to send him back on the streets. There is another individual who sold drugs over the internet, killing Americans. He was not executed. He was tried and convicted unanimously in a court. He is back on the streets. As a prosecutor, I would have been--and the family members of the victims, of those two, in particular, and others like them, for them to be convicted and then released by the President of the United States of America, is that justice? Is that protecting us? What kind of message is that sending to just go after the little guy in a boat who was instructed by others? How many of the big kingpins have been brought to justice? Who is going after and building a case to prosecute them and have them locked up in jail? This administration wants to say these strikes are about stopping drugs from entering the country. Putting aside the fact that drug smuggling is not a crime punishable by death, or that these boats could have, per the law, been intercepted by the Coast Guard and suspected traffickers questioned and prosecuted in a U.S. court, this is not a counternarcotics operation. The administration's actions, whether the largest military deployment to the region since the Cuban Missile Crisis, the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker, ordering a blockade of Venezuela, or the many public statements issued by U.S. officials, including President Trump--

Mr. MEEKS. Let me just say, I see him putting up a picture.

Mr. MEEKS. Let me tell you about that picture. That is diplomacy before he was the President of the United States. He was a member--

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

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me just say maybe I can teach the chairman something about diplomacy. Maybe he doesn't know anything about diplomacy. First, let me talk about the picture he tried to show me. That was a bipartisan trip, Democrats and Republicans, working together. It was called the Boston Group. We were bringing the opposition and at that time the Chavistas together.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, we were diplomatically working together. We were trying to help the people of Venezuela. In fact, we can also see how long ago that was. I had all-black hair at the time. I think I looked good. I got gray. I had all-black hair because that was back in 2002. I was a new Member of Congress, trying to work together with diplomacy from the very beginning. Mr. Speaker, I didn't come here with prop photos because I am here to debate substance. I am here to find out why the President of the United States pardoned convicted drug dealers. I have not gotten an answer to that yet. If we are talking about pictures, I could have come with pictures of President Trump with his arm around Kim Jong Un. I could have come with pictures of President Trump offering the red carpet to Vladimir Putin. I could have come with a whole lot of pictures of President Trump with Epstein. I didn't come to play games. My colleague is playing a game on the House floor. I came because we have serious business here. This is not a game. This is about our responsibility as Members of Congress in addressing issues that should be before this body. It is about us having a debate in committee and holding the administration accountable, as we do any President. It is about us being the Representatives of people who elect us. Mr. Speaker, this is not a game. Diplomacy is not a game. War is not a game. There are rules in war. When people violate rules in war, they have to be held accountable. When people violate rules in our cities, they have to be held accountable. The people who are in these positions--law enforcement officers, police officers, and the President of the United States--have to be held responsible. If we close our eyes on one, our country is not the country we have said it is. I said earlier on the floor during this debate: My War Powers Resolution to end this administration's extrajudicial strikes on boats in the Western Hemisphere, those bombs are not about drugs. If the administration did want to stop drugs, Trump would not have pardoned the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, or Ross Ulbricht who operated the Silk Road drug marketplace. He wouldn't seize an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela or threaten CIA operations, blockades, and strikes on Venezuela. This is no joke. This is serious. This is not about drugs. It is about regime change. It is about being honest with the people of America. That is what the Chief of Staff of the President just did. She didn't talk about drugs. She talked about regime change. It is Trump himself saying it. He said he wanted the oil. He said it was our oil, not Venezuela's oil. He said it is our oil and our territory. We are going to take it back. That is the tweet of the President. This is no joke. This is no game. This is serious business. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am not going to get into these back-and-forths. I have been waiting for an answer because this is serious business. The American people want an answer that they can't quite get yet. I can't get anybody at a hearing from the administration to answer the question. I can't even get anybody from the administration, when I saw some yesterday, to answer the question. I have been waiting here. The American people want to know why a President of the United States would pardon two drug dealers. They are not just accused. They are convicted and in jail. They were, but not anymore. They are free men now. I have been waiting for an answer. I am not playing jokes. This is very serious. I am asking everybody, all of my Republican colleagues, anybody who speaks, anybody, just answer the question. We are on C- SPAN. Here is an opportunity to tell the American people why the President of the United States, for whom you say this is about drugs, would let go of two major convicted drug dealers, not small guys, but major. I just don't know why kingpins can get away with doing and pedaling drugs in the United States, but a peon in the operation must die. Even if you survived a strike and are holding on for dear life--you have no weapons, no phone, no anything--you are still an imminent danger, so they say, to the United States. We have pictures that will show whether or not they were a threat to the United States while holding onto that boat. The administration has decided they can show all the others, but the American people cannot see that. I have been waiting for an answer. The American people want an answer. I will wait. Nothing. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member of the Committee on Small Business.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say this real quick, because the chairman keeps going on about these pictures. I am not going to keep belaboring, but I do remember something, if you want to talk about it now. I think that we know that Kim Jong-un, who he is, et cetera. I have a quote, if you really want to talk about relationships, Mr. Chairman, that you can get directly from the President of the United States. When he was talking about Kim Jong-un, here is what he said: ``We fell in love, okay? No, really. He wrote me beautiful letters, and they're great letters.'' We are in love. That is Kim Jong-un. You can also talk about him and Xi, where fentanyl is coming into the United States. Those are real relationships. Any time you are ready to answer the question about why somebody, the President of the United States, would pardon kingpins in the drug trade, I will get an answer. I have been waiting. I have been asking everybody. Not only the chairman but any Republican that wants to make a statement, if they could just explain to the American people. They don't have to explain it to me. Explain it to the American people. Just give me some explanation of why the President of the United States would pardon convicted drug traffickers. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), who is the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I am not going to talk to my colleagues because they are not going to answer the question of why two convicted people, not just indicted, were pardoned by the United States President. Mr. Speaker, I will address my fellow Americans. Congress would need to pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force if President Trump wanted to put boots on the ground or conduct military strikes in Venezuela to abide by the law. For that, Republicans in Congress would need to cast their vote on whether to commit U.S. Armed Forces to an open-ended conflict that their constituents, the American people, certainly do not want. Trump ran on ending forever wars, but now he has forgotten what they are, what his own Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, characterized as ``interventionism, undefined wars, regime change . . . . and feckless nation building.'' Yet, with Venezuela, Trump is provoking a new war right in our backyard and threatening to destabilize the entire region. Let's be clear: Claiming a war with Venezuela will be quick and easy is a fantasy. Maduro is by no means a good guy. He lost the last election and has violently repressed the Venezuelan people to stay in power against their democratic will. To think that if the U.S. military just chases him out, then Venezuela's military and armed groups around the country will welcome democracy with open arms is naive at best. This administration has no plan for the day after. It has no strategy. If Members do not vote for Mr. McGovern's War Powers Resolution, they are signing their name to everything that comes after, a forever war in our own hemisphere, a quagmire the likes of Vietnam in a country twice the size of Iraq for a length of time that is completely unknown. How many billions of dollars of taxpayers' money would be spent so Pete Hegseth can play a wartime general? How many U.S. servicemembers would make the ultimate sacrifice so Donald Trump can do in Latin America what Vladimir Putin does in Europe? The power over matters of war and peace belongs to the United States Congress. It is our most solemn duty given in the Constitution of the United States, and votes like this are our most consequential. They are literally about life and about death. If history has taught us anything, it is that wars are easy to start, but they are incredibly difficult to end. The choice you make on this vote will carry a long, a very long, a very long part in this history. Mr. Speaker, I will end with this. Let me just tell you, the cameras of history are rolling. What will be the downstream effects of destabilizing the country, an entire region? Anyone who tells you they know, they are lying. What we do know is that the American people don't want this. That is unequivocal. Even President Trump's supporters do not understand why he would do this. I ask you, let's vote in this House for Mr. McGovern's bill. It is the right thing to do. Vote so the American people know how you stood at this point in history. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for the manner in which they worked together in a bipartisan way. It is an example of what has taken place here for almost 60 years, where we come together for this legislation. I will just add, though, that I would love the day when the State authorization bill stands on its own, so I look for and long for that day. Let me just start with what I believe is good in the bill that was negotiated. The Iraq war ended more than a decade ago, yet Presidents from both parties have cited the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, to justify military actions completely unrelated to Iraq. Leaving it on the books invites future Presidents to drag us into reckless foreign wars. The American people do not want those wars, and Congress has not yet authorized those wars, nor will it. They will have to come to Congress for that power. I am honored to take the baton from former Congresswoman Barbara Lee in carrying this legislation forward. I thank the lead across the aisle, Representative Roy, for getting this past the finish line. This bill also includes legislation like the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, which would curb the flow of illegal arms fueling Haiti's crises and hold accountable those elites enabling it. They will be put in check. It restores the State Department's Office of Haitian Affairs in a bipartisan way. The NDAA preserves bipartisan initiatives like the Payne, Pickering, and Rangel Fellowships and the Veterans Innovation Partnership Fellowship at the State Department. There are, of course, some things in here that I don't agree with and that I wish we could have gotten in. I wanted a stronger DFC, which is dealing with this core development mission and not giving those things away. All in all, I have decided to vote ``yes'' in that spirit. I know you don't get everything that you want, but as members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, where we try to do things also in a bipartisan way, I appreciate what the two gentlemen are doing in a bipartisan way.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Wagner, Chairman French Hill, Mr. Gottheimer, and to my dear friend and person that I respect and admire, the Ranking Member Maxine Waters, for their leadership. Mr. Chair, I am here today to say why I support this bill and why it was important for me to be a cosponsor. I support this bill because I believe it is a meaningful step for working families. At a time when families continue to feel the pressures of rising costs and financial uncertainty, the INVEST Act represents a meaningful, commonsense step to help Americans secure their financial futures. Mr. Chair, 62 percent of Americans are invested in the stock market and the vast majority are not day traders or wealthy investors. There are millions of everyday workers who participate through mutual funds, pensions, and retirement plans like the 401(k)'s and IRAs. I support this bill because it expands access to capital for underserved and under-networked entrepreneurs. This bill modernizes outdated rules that have made it especially hard for Black and Brown founders and minority-owned small businesses to meet investors, to participate in community investment events, and raise early capital. The INVEST Act broadens who can responsibly participate in private markets. It preserves investor protections and strengthens oversight while recognizing that these opportunities for wealth building shouldn't just be for the super rich. It makes it easier for small businesses by reducing regulatory friction and compliance burdens that disproportionately impact them. This package of 22 bills is fundamentally really a pro small business bill focused on addressing the affordability crisis and not a Wall Street deregulatory bill. Mr. Chair, 16 of these bills have passed the House nearly unanimously in this Congress, and I supported every individual bill when we considered them before the Financial Services Committee, as did many of my committee colleagues. I sponsored three of the bills in this package that I have worked on for multiple Congresses. These bills increase transparency in multiclass stock structures, protect against activist investors in closed-end funds, and encourage startups to test the waters when considering an IPO. These issues aren't just a flash in the pan. These bills have come together after long thought and deliberation with partners like the U.S. Black Chambers, like minority banks, institutional investor advocates, and nonprofits. They are about closing the wealth gap of which I have been focused on my entire career.

Mr. MEEKS. That is why I support this bill. That is one of the main reasons why I am here in the United States Congress. Strengthening our capital markets is not about helping the big guys. It is about improving the financial security of working families. Supporting the INVEST Act will give Americans more opportunities to grow their retirement savings and build long-term economic stability. Mr. Chair, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the life and legacy of David Ross Hooks, Jr., lovingly known as ``Pop Pop,'' who was not only a devoted community leader but also a dedicated former staff member in my office. Born in Jacksonville Florida on May 3, 1945, David was the oldest of three children. In his early years, his family moved to Far Rockaway in Queens, New York, where he graduated from Far Rockaway High School. David was a veteran and served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War as a sharpshooter and a tunnel rat. He served with courage and precision. Though he was honorably discharged in 1969, he remained faithful to the Marine Corps' motto Semper Fidelis--Always Faithful-- throughout his life. In recognition of his dedication and sacrifice, David was later inducted into the New York State Senate Veteran's Hall of Fame. David's life after the military was again marked for his dedication to service. After receiving a degree in Political Science from the College of New Rochelle in 1983, he devoted 20 years to the State University of New York-Queens Educational Opportunity center. David also served on the Community School Board No. 27, the Community Educational Council for Queens County as representative for Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and was a member of the Board of Directors for Blanche Daycare. David was incredibly devoted to helping the Queens community, even running for New York City Council while championing causes like affordable housing, environmental protection, and small business growth. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, David was a source of strength for his community, helping to organize religious services for displaced churches in public schools so that community members and neighbors could continue to come together in the face of adversity. David's impact extended beyond his community leadership. David was a cherished member of my staff. His intelligence and integrity were demonstrated when he interacted with the people of Queens. His charisma shaped our office and touched the lives of everyone around him. His loved ones will remember for his humor, charm and undeniable presence. His life was filled with the soulful sounds of Al Green and James Brown, an undeniable reflection of crisp, classic, and sharp style. A proud Marine, loving mentor, dedicated educator, and devoted family man. David's life was and will remain a testament to service, perseverance, and love. His legacy will continue to live on through those who knew him.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern for his continued leadership on the Rules Committee. I thank him for his leadership in the people's House and for him always putting the working American first. Mr. Speaker, I heard my colleague say he is proud of the tariffs. We need to do one thing: let's vote on it. Let's vote. That is how you will see where we are. Let's vote on it. Let it go to the floor. Let's review the tape from the past year. President Trump has declared bogus international emergencies as a pretext to tax imports from Canada, Mexico, and then the whole world, passing these costs right to the hardworking American people. He wanted to protect his friend, as Mr. McGovern said, former President Bolsonaro, so he then announced another pseudo emergency to impose yet more tariffs on Brazil. The law that Donald Trump is using for tariffs on everyday consumer goods was, in fact, meant to respond to actual global emergencies, not personal vendettas. That is why Congress reserved power under the law to author privileged resolutions to end any fake emergencies used to grab Congress' power to tax. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleague from New York: Let's vote on it. Why block a vote on the floor to see where Members of the House stand? Just as multiple courts have now found, Trump's tariffs are illegal. The House is also acting in contravention of the spirit of the law by avoiding votes instead of having votes like the vote on my privileged resolution to end these unjustified tariffs that harm Americans. We can vote on it. Speaker Johnson is doing this by literally declaring, again, that a day is not a day for the purpose of the international emergency law. A day is not a day, but he is just doing what the other Speaker--the President, but he is acting as Speaker--is doing what he is told. This gameplaying is not the norm. Actually, just across the Capitol, the Republican Senate, they are taking votes on similar resolutions that have been offered. The Senate voted in a bipartisan way to end the Canada emergency, but Speaker Johnson is refusing to allow that to happen.

Mr. MEEKS. The House should have a say. Even last Congress, the Republican majority had votes on privileged resolutions under the emergency law. I can understand why some of my colleagues across the aisle might wish to avoid such a vote. They don't want to be seen raising taxes and increasing costs on everyday families in this country, but their inaction is doing just that, by letting Donald Trump's fake emergencies and tariffs continue unchecked. Let me propose a solution: Do your job. The American people elected us to take those tough votes. It is our time. The cameras of history are rolling and what they are going to see is the Republican majority shying away from the spotlight. Vote ``no'' on this rule.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged motion.

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

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment to the NDAA, which would finally repeal both the 2002 and the 1991 Authorizations for Use of Military Force, or AUMFs. These AUMFs are long obsolete. By remaining on the books, these AUMFs only risk abuse by administrations of either party to sanction military force that Congress has not considered or approved. It is time for Congress to reclaim its constitutional authority over matters of war and peace, its Article I war powers, by removing these open-ended AUMFs once and for all. I am thankful to my colleagues who have worked to pass these repeals, having nearly passed both Chambers in the 117th and 118th Congress. I am particularly thankful to Representatives Roy and Massie, along with many cosponsors who have joined this bipartisan effort. This amendment is going to pass because a clear majority of this House agree it is time to close these chapters of endless wars. I am prepared to fight in conference to get this over the finish line. It is time to once and for all end these forever wars. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chair, in response to the chairman, I will say that we asked those questions in the 117th and the 118th Congress. We continually ask the same questions. We have gotten the answers, and I think it is time to move on and to get this done. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).