Gregory W. Meeks

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Procedure Mr. Speaker, Reasoning · 66 wordsthe hardest part of this job for me for all the time that I have been in Congress, all the bills that we have to vote on-- when I put my hand up and swore that I would abide by and protect the Constitution of the United States of America, that Constitution also says that Congress determines when we send our women and men into war. Claims · 13 wordsI have had to vote on that several times previously in this Congress. Positioning · 21 wordsIt is a responsibility that is tough, to make that determination of when our men and women are sent to war.Positioning Reasoning · 34 wordsPresidents, based upon that Constitution, should come to this body and make their case, and then we have the awesome responsibility of making the determination of whether or not they should or should not. Positioning · 23 wordsThose have been the toughest votes for me to have and for me to make as a Member of the United States Congress.Positioning Claims · 27 wordsUnfortunately, in this instance, we didn’t have a voice. My heart goes out to the 18 members of the United States armed services who lost their lives.¹ Thanks · 41 wordsTo them, their families, they are patriots, just as Mr. Mast doing his service and Mr. Crow and Mr. Moulton. I thank them for their service because if this Congress says, Go to war, they put their lives on the line.Thanks Anecdote · 25 wordsI wish I had the opportunity to talk to all 18 families who lost loved ones in this war. Unfortunately, I can’t do all 18.Anecdote Claims · 58 wordsOne of the three that lost their life over the last weekend, Sergeant Angel Rampersad, is from my district, my constituent, in Ozone Park, New York, who was killed on July 17 in Jordan.² I am going to visit that family when I get back to New York on Friday. My office has already reached out to them. Promise · 13 wordsI am going to have a flag flown on top of the Capitol.Off point Mr. Speaker, Positioning · 40 wordsI rise today in strong support of Representative Jayapal’s Iran War Powers Resolution because I believe that the President needs to come to us so that we can make that decision and take on that responsibility, as the Constitution says.Positioning Procedure · 4 wordsLet me be clear: ProcedureClaims · 53 wordsThis body has already spoken. The War Powers Resolution passed with bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate.³ The Trump administration was required to end its hostilities against Iran. It has not.⁴ A dual-Chamber concurrent resolution has never been struck down by the courts, certainly not in the war powers context.⁵ Positioning · 6 wordsAny claim otherwise is simply wrong.Positioning Promise · 30 wordsI will also be introducing legislation that would require the Speaker to bring suit against the administration to force it to abide by Congress’ vote on the War Powers Resolution. Claims · 44 wordsWe are here today because the administration broke the law. Three more U.S. servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice for an illegal, unauthorized war that the American people don’t want. This administration has never sought an Authorization for Use of Military Force from Congress, ⁶Positioning · 10 wordsand most Republicans in this Chamber continue to enable it.Positioning Claims · 17 wordsAs I have said before on this floor, this war has achieved none of our core objectives, Logical leapPositioning · 13 wordsand more bombings will not change the reality that is on the ground.PositioningUnearned certainty Claims · 27 wordsWith respect to Iran’s nuclear program, its hard-line regime, its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, ⁷or any of its malign practices, none of that has changed. Reasoning · 50 wordsAddressing those threats requires diplomacy, not more war. Diplomacy must be led by seasoned diplomats and nonproliferation experts, not real estate developers.Off point We need our European allies, our Gulf partners, and, yes, our adversaries back at the table because just bombing without strategy, Mr. Speaker, is not a foreign policy. Positioning · 21 wordsIt is a tantrum. It is a tantrum by a President who cannot clean up the mess that he has made.PositioningOff point Procedure · 5 wordsLet us make no mistake: ProcedureUnearned certaintyPositioning · 13 wordsThe President’s tantrum is why gas prices are back over $4 a gallon, ⁸PositioningClaims · 18 wordsand they will keep climbing now that the Houthis have threatened their own blockade of the Red Sea.⁹Off point Positioning · 53 wordsThat tantrum is why American troops are under fire. It is why our munitions stockpiles are being drained, and it is why we are teetering on the edge of the forever war we warned this would be. To my Republican colleagues, this war is indefensible. Deep down, many of them really know it.PositioningOff pointUnearned certainty Procedure · 2 wordsI say: ProcedureReasoning · 70 wordsLet’s just simply uphold the oath that we took when we took this office, uphold the Constitution of the United States. Stand with us, and let’s make clear once again that this President is not a king. He is not a dictator. He is the President of the United States. But there are two bodies called the House of Representatives and the Senate that are equal to the executive branch. Claims · 20 wordsHe cannot go around this. It is in violation of the Constitution, and he cannot wage war without our consent. Reasoning · 12 wordsIf Republicans still believe this war should continue, then I say, fine. The ask · 52 wordsVote in support of this measure and demand the administration come to this Congress and demand that he tells us what his plan is, how it is going to end, and how much money it is going to cost the American people. Also he should follow the Constitution as the law requires. Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure