On the recordJune 4, 2015
I want to thank my friend, Mr. McGovern, for always being out front on this issue, and I am delighted to join him. As he said in many of his comments, the House has a responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American people. I have the privilege to represent Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. I have over 70,000 retired veterans in the Third District of North Carolina. They are frustrated too. They believe sincerely that we must meet our constitutional responsibility and have this debate. And as you have said, Mr. McGovern, be for it or be against it, but have the debate. That is what is absolutely frustrating. I joined you and Barbara Lee in a letter to Mr. Boehner in September. On August 27 we wrote a letter to the Speaker of the House asking him to please allow a debate on reauthorization of our involvement in the Middle East. Then on September 25 I wrote by myself to the Speaker of the House and asked again for the debate. As you have stated, he did say publicly that because of the forthcoming election in 2014, that he thought it would be proper to have the debate in 2015, which you have already stated. {time} 1315 In 2015, the Speaker of the House said he was waiting for the President to submit the AUMF.…
