Deborah Koff Ross: “I thank Chairman McKeon for his leadership on this amendment. Mr. Speaker, prior to September 11, 2001, terrorist groups…”

“I thank Chairman McKeon for his leadership on this amendment. Mr. Speaker, prior to September 11, 2001, terrorist groups had a much different strategy. They remained virtually invisible, and their strategies were unpredictable. Today, the terrorist threat to America and the free world is on the rise, the enemy is expanding, and that enemy is ISIL. This is an enemy that commits human atrocities and distributes video footage showing brutal human torture. It is now very clear what threats America and all of the international community face if ISIL is not destroyed. Two Americans and one British citizen have tragically fallen victim to ISIL's radical terrorist actions. These barbarians are the face of pure evil, and they must be crushed. We have heard Secretary of State John Kerry call American military actions against ISIL ``significant counterterror'' operations. This is a pitifully weak way to motivate the men and women of our Armed Forces, Mr. Speaker. This is war, and the United States and the free world must be victorious. The House's action today calls to mind a discussion I recently had with a mother in my district of Bartow, Florida. Aileen Payne is a Gold Star Mother. She is the mother of Corporal Ronald Payne, Jr., the first marine who was killed in combat in Afghanistan. When we met last week, she exuded a passion for ensuring that Congress has a thoughtful debate on providing the President the authority required by our Constitution to take the fight to ISIL.…”