Rep. Corrine Brown: “I stand before the Members today, one of three African Americans sent to the United States Congress 10 years ago, the…”

“I stand before the Members today, one of three African Americans sent to the United States Congress 10 years ago, the first time in 129 years that Florida sent an African American to Congress from the great State of Florida; the scene of the crime of the 2000 Presidential election, where thousands of African American votes were not counted, over 27,000 thrown out in my district, with the Supreme Court selecting the President in a 5-4 decision. Many of my colleagues say that the President is the only person elected by all of the people. Did I miss something? This President was selected by the Supreme Court, and that fateful decision was over 600 days ago. Now this President, who runs our country without a mandate, has pushed us to the brink of war. The President is asking Congress to give him a blank check. I say today to the President, his account has come back overdrawn. This blank check gives him too much power: a blank check that forces Congress to waive its constitutional duties to declare war, a blank check that lets the President declare war and not consult Congress until 48 hours after the attack begins. Let me repeat that, a blank check that lets the President declare war and not even consult with Congress until 48 hours after the attack has begun. Not only has the President given us an economic deficit, but there is a deficit in his argument. Why Iraq, and why today?”