On the recordSeptember 17, 2014
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my good friend, and the chairman, whom I am very, very lucky and honored to serve under and serve with. Madam Speaker, I oppose this amendment. It is not an easy vote. I have been looking for reasons to support this amendment and I can't find it. This amendment does nothing to destroy the Islamic state. This amendment does not crush the Islamic state. What this amendment does is start training Islamists to fight Islamists, and we may have that Islamist army to fight Islamists in a matter of a few years. I will not vote for something that I know will not work. Arming Islamists to fight other Islamists is not a winning strategy. I don't believe the weapons and tactics that we bestow to the Islamists will only be used against America's enemies. We have been through this before in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think I am one of the only people speaking here today who has served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a confusing situation with many warring factions on all sides, the last thing that we should do is arm Islamic rebels to fight other Islamic rebels. {time} 1430 The truth is that the President invited the Islamic State into Iraq when he removed our eyes and ears on the ground and removed the U.S. military from Iraq 2 years ago. We will continue to be at war with radical Islam in this area well into the future, but that doesn't matter now.…





