James Traficant: “No. 1, Mr. Chairman, I do not oppose what the President has done in Iraq. I support his actions. No. 2, I think there is…”

“No. 1, Mr. Chairman, I do not oppose what the President has done in Iraq. I support his actions. No. 2, I think there is a very good shot of the Democrats reclaiming the House, and my chairman for the Committee on Armed Services will be the gentleman from California, Ron Dellums. I think he has done a great job. I want to talk a little bit about a big sinkhole for American dollars, talking about another issue. We are talking about military and humanitarian aid here. Look, we send soldiers with guns, we do not send a welcome wagon. We do not send the United Way here. Second of all, I want to talk about policy. I think we have gone too far. We have given the Presidents so much latitude they now deploy troops and engage in activities, and then, under the War Powers Act, they come back to us and give us the courtesy of a conference. Beam me up, here. I think it is time to get back to the Constitution. There is nothing wrong with Congress setting the parameters under which we engage. The Commander in Chief keeps our troops ready, but when the people tell the Commander in Chief when those troops should be deployed, then that Commander in Chief takes over, not until then, Mr. Chairman. No one person in America can set America into war. I think it is that policy. I am hoping, I am hoping leaders like the gentleman from California [Mr. Dellums] will get us back to that.”