On the recordJune 3, 2011
This House has just had a great constitutional debate about the meaning of article I, section 8, where the Founders made it very clear that the war power is placed in the hands of Congress. This debate that occurred today is not an end. It is a beginning. It is a beginning because we have seen one resolution which derived its presence from a resolution that I put forward on a bipartisan basis. One resolution passed which put the White House on notice that Congress is beginning to take a more appropriate role with respect to the Constitution, and that's a good thing. But make no mistake that this issue of liberty is not going to go away. With the spending soon approaching $1 billion and with NATO openly talking about the commission of ground troops, we'll be back here another day to consider further what our appropriate constitutional role is. I want to congratulate Members on both sides of the aisle no matter how you voted. This is our moment to begin to reclaim the Constitution. ____________________
