Bill Lee: “Let me first thank Congressman McGovern for yielding and for his tireless effort and leadership. Also, I am proud to…”

“Let me first thank Congressman McGovern for yielding and for his tireless effort and leadership. Also, I am proud to join with Congressman Walter Jones and, again, Mr. McGovern on this bipartisan resolution. This resolution calls only for the withdrawal of U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq and Syria by the end of the year absent, mind you--absent-- the passage of an Authorization for Use of Military Force against ISIS. However, this resolution is also about reclaiming a fundamental constitutional responsibility: the constitutionally protected right of Congress to debate and determine whether and when this country enters into war. For the last 10 months, our Nation has been fighting yet another war in the Middle East, a war that Congress has yet to authorize or even to debate. We have been patient, and we have given the House leadership plenty of time to develop a strategy to bring up an authorization. When this war began, Congressman McGovern and I wrote to the Speaker, calling for an immediate debate and vote. Nothing happened. Then at the beginning of this Congress, the Speaker said that the President had to send to Congress an authorization. More than 4 months ago, the President did just that. Once again, nothing happened. In the 10 months since the war began, we have had no real debate and certainly no vote. This is outrageous. Now, let me be clear about what we are trying to do with this resolution. This is not about making a political point.…”