On the recordJanuary 9, 2020
I thank Ranking Member McCaul for yielding. I oppose this resolution. The Speaker claims it is a necessary response to President Trump's ``disproportionate'' attack on ``high- level Iranian military officials.'' Disproportionate? Apparently, Democrats have forgotten who Qasem Soleimani was, one of the worst perpetrators of terror in recent history. He led the organization that founded Hezbollah, one of the most violent terrorist groups opposing Israel. He directed his groups to kill over 600 American servicemembers in Iraq and wounded thousands more. He led a brutal attack on peaceful protestors recently in Iran, killing over 1,000 Iranians. A bully will not stand down unless he knows you are willing to stand toe-to-toe with him, unless he knows there are consequences to his actions. President Trump acted decisively in bringing down this brutal, inhumane bully, this terrorist mastermind, to stop an imminent threat. It was necessary to show Iran we will no longer tolerate their aggression. We should be united in our support for eliminating this threat and in supporting the President's efforts to negotiate a new, more effective Iran deal. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution so that all options are on the table and so that we can negotiate from a position of strength toward achieving a peaceful solution.
