Repeal of Joint Resolution to Promote Peace and Stability in the Middle East
Floor Speech
First of all, I thank the chairman for, again, exercising our Article I constitutional responsibilities. That is what leadership is all about, and this one is very bipartisan, and again, I think historic. Because in my memory we have never done this before successfully.
I also thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Meijer) for introducing this bill to repeal an aging AUMF that has never been used in the 64 years since it was enacted.
Now, I have to say, Mr. Speaker, I wasn't even born when this AUMF was enacted. Just barely, though. I was born not long after that. But that is amazing as I stand here at almost 60 years old. That law gave the President authority to ``use Armed Forces to assist any Middle East nation requesting assistance against armed aggression from any country controlled by international communism.''
This unused relic of the Cold War should not be left on the books or on the shelf for a creative President to dust off and put to unexpected use. So I think we all agree, if a President was to commit U.S. troops to new hostilities in the Middle East, he or she should come to the Congress for authorization.
Mr. Speaker, for that reason I support this repeal, and I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Meijer), the author of this repeal.
Mr. Speaker, while the chairman was a toddler when this was enacted, I still was not born. I want to make that point. That is how old this thing is. And it is time. It is great to exercise our constitutional responsibilities and repeal these outdated AUMFs so that they can never be manipulated or exploited by a future President.
Again, I view this as a historic moment that Congress and this committee are exercising its powers as the Founding Fathers had wanted us to.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of this, Mr. Meijer, I thank the chairman for his leadership, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source