Austin Scott: “I want to build on the point that my good friend from New York (Mr. Israel) talked about. It was very important when…”

“I want to build on the point that my good friend from New York (Mr. Israel) talked about. It was very important when James Madison wrote into the Constitution the words, ``Raise and support the Army is the exclusive domain of the Members of Congress.'' There was a reason for that. The reason was because Members of Congress, unlike the President, unlike the Senate, my good friends in the Senate, it is the Members of Congress that are closest to the people. Every other year we must run, and that is why they put it in there that if we are going to war, yes, we will spread this authority, some of that as Commander in Chief to the executive branch, but we must have a check and a balance. They put that in the bosom of the Congress, which has to go back before the people every other year and be accountable. I am here to tell you the people of the United States are looking to this Congress. They are looking for us to bring some accountability to it. They are looking for us to be fair and understand what is at the core of this. You know what is at the core of this is the soldier.”