David Skaggs: “I want to express my deep respect to the gentleman from California for bringing this before the House. I agree with him…”

“I want to express my deep respect to the gentleman from California for bringing this before the House. I agree with him that we ought to face up to our constitutional responsibilities, and that would incline me to support him. I agree with him that we need to challenge the constitutionality one way or another of the War Powers Resolution. That would incline me to support him. However, believing that the War Powers Resolution is a constitutional abomination, I hate to invoke it in order to challenge it, and that leads me to oppose him. If it were valid, I believe that his resolution is misplaced in relying on section (4)(a)(1); that the facts that we have before us are much more a (4)(a)(2) set of facts, that is, deployment with combat equipment, and that does not permit his resolution under 5(c), and that leads me to oppose him. Finally, I believe the administration's policy is a good policy with worthy purposes that is making a positive difference, and that also leads me to oppose him.”