Brian Jones: “I thank Mr. McGovern for the time. Mr. Speaker, as many people have said today, even those who are for the resolution…”

“I thank Mr. McGovern for the time. Mr. Speaker, as many people have said today, even those who are for the resolution and against the resolution, we have a constitutional duty. That duty is to debate. I want to quote James Madison, to put the context on what we are trying to say today: ``The power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature.'' Not the executive branch, but the legislature. The frustration that we have felt goes back to August of 2014, when Jim McGovern and Barbara Lee and Walter Jones wrote asking the Speaker of the House to allow us to have a debate. That is why Mr. McGovern, Barbara Lee, and I have put this resolution in today, to force a debate. We wouldn't be talking about the Middle East if it weren't for this resolution. In September, I sent my own letter to Speaker Boehner and asked for a full debate on an Authorization for Use of Military Force in the region. None of these letters have been answered. None of them. Last September, Speaker Boehner told The New York Times that he wanted to wait until 2015 to bring an AUMF to the floor of the House for a debate and a vote to avoid bringing it up during a lame duck session. Okay, I can accept that, that makes good sense. It does. In December, Speaker Boehner said the House Republicans would work with the President to get an AUMF request approved if the President sent one to Congress. As Mr.…”