Political Quotes

“I thank my dear friend from California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this amendment. The President has laid out a bold and decisive strategy to lead a multilateral operation designed to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL. This is a threat the United States, sooner or later, must address. I prefer sooner. ISIL's acts of genocide are undermining the stability of Iraq, threatening our partners in the Kurdistan region, and reversing gains made by moderate forces in Syria. I believe Congress has a constructive and collaborative role to play here in the effort to eliminate the ISIL threat. I appreciate that the measure before us takes a step in that direction while addressing many concerns that have been raised about the effort to train and equip the moderate Syrian opposition. First, the amendment provides for careful congressional oversight. The Department of Defense must report to Congress on the vetting process for trainees 15 days prior to providing any such assistance. The President must report to Congress on how this operation fits within our overall regional strategy, and the Department of Defense must submit a report every 90 days updating Congress on the status of this operation. These are prudent measures and consistent with the constitutional role of congressional oversight. Second, this amendment does not provide a blank check for military operations.…”