Removal of the Use of United States Forces for Hostilities Within or Against Venezuela

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, not much surprises me anymore, but to sit here and to listen to the storied House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by somebody who calls the opposition stupid, to hear our motivations as we stand up for a fundamental constitutional prerogative mocked through ad hominem attacks, shame, sir. Shame.

We are here because we are standing for our constitutional right to be consulted on the most consequential decision that the United States can make: whether we engage in hostilities and put young men and women at risk.

The chairman's summer stock theater and cringey antics notwithstanding, this has nothing to do with whether there are troops on the ground in Venezuela. We will stipulate to your argument, pathetic as it is, Mr. Speaker.

What this is about is whether what we saw happen 3 weeks ago will happen again. There were boots on the ground 3 weeks ago, and we didn't know about it. This resolution is about saying that on the most consequential thing that this Congress can do, we have a voice--the Representatives of the people, the Article I authority.

Let's set aside Venezuela. I won't use that term again. Let's stand up for our constitutional rights to be consulted for what may happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or next week. Not much surprises me anymore.

Mr. Speaker, I have watched my majority friends completely abandon their policy positions, brutally anti-immigration because of this President, obliterating free trade, completely leaving behind everything that the Republican Party used to stand for, praising Vladimir Putin, and attacking our NATO allies.

Mr. Speaker, policy flexibility is not the worst thing in the world. I wish it weren't happening because of the reason that it is happening, but policy flexibility is one thing. Yet abrogating your constitutional duty to be consulted into authorized force and then to be mocked for it, shame, sir. Shame.

We need to stand up as an institution and say that we get consulted on the most consequential things that we can do.

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