Iran and the War Powers Resolution
Guthrie Votes ‘No’ on War Powers Resolution
Source: Brett S. Guthrie (R-KY, 2nd)
January 9, 2020
“President Trump acted in America’s best interest when he ordered the strike that killed Iranian General Soleimani,” said Guthrie. “This afternoon, I voted against Speaker Pelosi’s War Powers Resolution that would undermine President Trump’s authority to protect American troops in the Middle East. This resolution fully ignores President Trump’s clear ongoing efforts to avoid war and bring Iran to the negotiating table, and it would further prevent President Trump from keeping our troops safe. I will continue to pray for our brave men and women abroad, and I stand ready to work with President Trump and my colleagues to negotiate with Iran on a deal that keeps our nation safe.”
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Congressman Guest Votes Against Resolution That Would Weaken American Strength
Source: Michael Guest (R-MS, 3rd)
January 10, 2020
Following the vote, Congressman Guest admonished the resolution for its political nature. “Democrats are so focused on continuing political battles with President Trump that they are willing to abandon their responsibility to our nation,” Guest said. “The sole reason Democrats introduced this resolution is to score points with their base by attacking President Trump. In reality, they are undermining our national security. After a major foreign policy victory that put an end to the brutal leadership of terrorist Qassem Soleimani, we should be uniting our country to capitalize on a successful military operation against an enemy of the United States.”
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Haaland Votes for the War Powers Resolution
Source: Debra Haaland (D-NM, 1st)
January 9, 2020
“The Trump Administration has shown the American people that they are willing to take us to the brink of war and put our troops, diplomats, and Americans abroad in harm’s way. This War Powers Resolution reflects the constitutional power of Congress to prevent dangerous escalations into another endless war,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland.
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Harris Statement on Iran and War Powers Resolution
Source: Andy Harris (R-MD, 1st)
January 9, 2020
“Today I voted against the Democrats’ purely political resolution seeking to tie the President’s hands as he responds to the terrorist threat posed by Iran, its proxies, and radical Islamic terrorists. I fully support the President’s targeted and proportional actions that responded to the attacks orchestrated by General Soleimani. Soleimani was intimately involved in the planning of the raid on the American Embassy in Baghdad last week, and intelligence indicated he was actively planning further attacks on Americans. As the longtime leader of the Quds Forces within the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the first state military institution to earn the “terrorist organization” designation by a presidential administration), he was directly involved in the training of terrorists and the building and deploying of improvised explosive devices, which resulted in the death or brutal maiming of thousands of American troops in the Middle East. Additionally, his organization supported and coordinated multiple Shiite terrorist militias which pose significant and ongoing threats to the U.S. and our allies. While the Iran apologists in Congress continue to attempt to politicize our national security, I support the President, and am confident that he will wisely evaluate all options in response to Iranian threats, including military action if Americans are at risk. We should not tie his hands in the fight to save Americans from radical Islamic terrorists.”
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Hern reacts to Trump announcement on Iran
Source: Kevin Hern (R-OK, 1st)
January 8, 2020
“President Trump has resurrected the credibility of the American name overseas after years of the apologetic Obama administration. There’s certainly a lot of work left to do, but I believe that through the work of our President and our foreign allies, we will continue to make progress in the region and eliminate the nasty threat of terrorism.”
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STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN BRIAN HIGGINS IN RESPONSE TO CONFLICT WITH IRAN
Source: Brian Higgins (D-NY, 26th)
January 8, 2020
“This President repeatedly says he wants to bring our troops home, but he isn’t doing it. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost nearly $5 trillion U.S. dollars and taken the lives of nearly 7,000 U.S. soldiers. America needs nation building here at home. This Congress must step up to rein in these actions to prevent another conflict that further disrupts this part of the world and forsakes American resources and lives.”
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Higgins Votes Against Democrats’ Resolution to Weaken President Trump’s Authority as Commander-in-Chief
Source: Clay Higgins (R-LA, 3rd)
January 9, 2020
“The President operated squarely within Article II enumerated powers as Commander-in-Chief, in compliance with the War Powers Act of 1973, and within the Executive Branch powers delineated in the 2002 AUMF regarding security threats and enemy combatants inside Iraq. President Trump’s decisive action eliminated two dangerous terrorists, interrupted future attacks on U.S. service members, and delivered a clear message to Iran and its proxies that we will defend our position. As the theater of engagement evolves, the President’s continued authority to protect U.S. forces and interests against all threats is critical for operational success.
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Rep. Hill Statement Opposing Speaker Pelosi’s War Powers Resolution
Source: French Hill (R-AR, 2nd)
January 9, 2020
Speaker Pelosi knows that President Trump’s strike against Iran’s architect of terror was well within his Article II authority to defend the nation as Commander-in-Chief. She supported the same legal authorization that President Obama used to conduct more than 500 drone strikes against terrorist targets in the Middle East.
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Rep. Holding's Statement on the Death of Qassem Soleimani
Source: George Holding (R-NC, 13th)
January 6, 2020
Qasem Soleimani was one of the world's most ruthless terrorists. He is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans & thousands of civilians across the globe.
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The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released two reports tallying drone strikes under the Obama Administration. The first reported that there were 473 strikes between January 20, 2009, and December 31, 2015, in “areas of active hostilities” that included Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The second reported that there were another 53 strikes in the same region for 2016, bringing the total to 526.
Under the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), the president has the authority to defend the national security of the United States against threats emanating from Iraq—where General Soleimani spent years cultivating violent Iran-backed proxy attacks against Americans. Following the January 3, 2020 drone strike against Soleimani, President Trump promptly notified Congress under the rules of the War Powers Act within the required 48 hours.
Environmental Protection Agency
Haaland, Sarbanes, Rouda Lead Effort to Prevent Trump EPA from Weakening Water Quality Standards
Source: Debra Haaland (D-NM, 1st)
January 6, 2020
“We write to express our serious concerns regarding the proposed rule … which attacks state and tribal rights under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA),” the Members wrote. “We urge EPA to withdraw this harmful proposal.”
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2020 Census
Haaland Questions Lead Expert to Express Concerns About Census Bureau Operational Decisions to Reach Indian Country During the 2020 Census
Source: Debra Haaland (D-NM, 1st)
January 9, 2020
At a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) asked questions that led experts to raise concerns about the Census Bureau’s operational decisions to reach Indian Country during the 2020 Census. During the hearing, experts explained that undercounting any community would result in more crowded classrooms, disparities in health care services, less funding for roads and infrastructure, and discrepancies in affordable housing investments in all communities.
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PFAS Act
Haaland: Bill Will Protect New Mexico’s Water From Toxic Chemicals
Source: Debra Haaland (D-NM, 1st)
January 10, 2020
“New Mexicans deserve clean water to raise their families, grow their businesses, and support agriculture, but harmful chemicals have taken a toll on our communities. I’ve seen what happens to the health of family and friends when toxic sites are not cleaned up, and it’s not something we should risk. The bill that passed today will protect our water and our families from toxic chemicals,” said Haaland.
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Rep. Hayes Votes to Implement More Stringent PFAS Standards
Source: Jahana Hayes (D-CT, 5th)
January 10, 2020
United States Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) voted to pass H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals are known to cause certain types of cancer and can adversely impact the development of babies and young children. This critical legislation requires the Environmental Protection Agency to designate all PFAS as hazardous, prohibits the development of new PFAS, and specifically establishes a new contamination safety standard. The bill passed the House of Representatives 247 to 159.
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Small Business
Rep. Hagedorn’s Small Business Legislation, H.R. 5146, Passes the U.S. House
Source: Jim Hagedorn (R-MN, 1st)
January 8, 2020
The measure works to remove barriers to entry for small businesses seeking to compete for federal prime contracts by requiring contract officers to consider the relevant past performance and subcontractor experience of these companies. H.R. 5146 will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for further consideration.
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Fishery FUNDD Act
Herrera Beutler, Kilmer Lead Legislation to Improve Federal Fishery Disaster Process, Increase Accountability
Source: Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA, 3rd)
January 8, 2020
U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) and Derek Kilmer (WA-06) led the introduction of the Fishery Failures: Urgently Needed Disaster Declarations Act (Fishery FUNDD Act), which aims to improve the federal fishery disaster process and ensure more timely disaster relief for impacted communities.
