John Garamendi: “I have enormous respect for my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee. This particular piece of legislation that was…”

“I have enormous respect for my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee. This particular piece of legislation that was brought, it was amended into my bill, H.R. 550, and was debated for more than an hour and a half in the Armed Services Committee and on the floor when the National Defense Authorization Act was enacted. It has been thoroughly reviewed. And, with all due respect, it is not the end of the world. But it is the reassertion of Congress for our constitutional responsibilities. Since I first came to Congress in 2009, I have authored legislation and voted consistently to repeal the 2002 AUMF, which is really a very open-ended authorization for the President to do virtually anything he wants. Yesterday, in a hearing we heard, in an unclassified portion of that hearing, from the Pentagon's lawyers that essentially said the 2002 AUMF allows the President to do anything with any threat that emanates from Iraq. We should consider that seriously; that if, in fact, that is their justification and, in fact, that is also written into the President's, or the White House's view of this legislation; any threat emanating from Iraq, at any time, into the future. Consider that. There could be no more powerful reason for us than to terminate the 2002 AUMF with regard to Iraq and come to our senses. When there is an issue, bring it to the floor, and allow us to debate how we should deal with Iraq or Iran or any other threat in that area.…”