Children's Savings Accounts

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRANK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, America often faces difficult moments and difficult choices. Presidents are no different. They oftentimes have to face difficult decisions, and I hope that Members of this body will think about their vote as they decide whether to support the President in this effort or not and apply the same standard.

I have always thought to try and apply the same standard, whether the President belongs to the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, apply the same standard.

I rise today in support of President Trump's action against Iran. The Iranian regime has been threatening America for nearly 50 years. It has killed countless American citizens, and it has brutally killed our servicemembers.

I had a gentleman in my district come up to me the other day. This was before the President took action, and he said: We must take action. He said: I have lost 20 of my friends to the Iranians, to their terror throughout the years. He had served 24 years in the United States Army.

In years prior, we have had Presidents use strikes against our enemies and have done it without congressional approval because the Constitution does a couple of things. In Article I, it gives Congress the power to declare war, but in Article II, it gives the President the power to be the Commander in Chief. Our Founders intentionally made it inherently contradict in that way.

They wanted to diffuse power. They didn't want to give all the power to Congress, and they didn't want to give all the power to the President of the United States, so they intentionally did that. Presidents throughout time have used that.

Thomas Jefferson in the First Barbary War did not come to Congress. He deployed troops in the Barbary War. The War of 1812, the same thing was done, although Congress did come back and authorize and declare war. It wasn't done at first.

We have had Presidents use these strikes against our enemies without congressional approval in modern times, like President Obama in Libya or President Clinton in Kosovo. Yet, for some reason, the other side of the aisle wants to make a political statement on this particular issue because of who the President is.

Mr. Speaker, that is not a standard any of us should apply. I would hope, as a legislator--I wasn't here when Bill Clinton was President. I wasn't here when Barack Obama was President. I can say that I had a public life then. I didn't go out and attack the President of the United States at that time.

I am here to support the men and women of the military and the Presidents who have to make tough decisions from time to time. For some reason, on the other side of the aisle, many want to make a political statement rather than just let the President use his legal authority as Commander in Chief, as stated in the Constitution.

Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have attempted to negotiate deals with this Iranian regime, only to be met with lies and deception. We have seen it time and time again.

Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear. If President Trump had not acted, every American life in the region would have been in immediate peril.

The President and his administration have set clear goals. What are they? They are to annihilate their nuclear capabilities, to annihilate their Navy, and to annihilate their missile and delivery capability. This will save the globe from Iran's regime of terror.

Time and time again, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have claimed that any military action will draw us into a long-term war. They say it is going to happen. Just a few short months ago in Venezuela, we had folks who said: Well, why didn't the President come to Congress and have us declare war?

Did we declare war on Venezuela? No. Are we at war with Venezuela? No. It was a 1-day action that the President has the authority to undertake as Commander in Chief of the United States military.

It didn't happen in Venezuela. They told us that the President will draw us into a long-term conflict. It didn't happen in Operation Midnight Hammer when the President ordered B-2 bombers to deliver strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. It is not going to happen now.

President Trump made every effort to find a peaceful and negotiated solution to this crisis. Ayatollah Khamenei only sought death to America. He had no intention of negotiating.

In fact, for 47 years, this regime has simply used deception, lies, and deals to kick the can down the road so that they could pursue their nuclear ambitions. They were never giving up on that. They didn't give up on it after Operation Midnight Hammer and not until this regime has ended.

Due to Khamenei's death, I believe the United States has avoided a prolonged conflict that would have killed many Americans. I find some of the comments by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle outlandish, and I hope that they will choose.

So many say they support the nation of Israel. So many can stand up and say they support our men and women in the military. It is time to choose. Will they choose to defend our Nation first instead of their political games directed at a President? If they choose political games directed at a President, when this President is gone, they will have damaged the institution of the Presidency. They will have damaged the honor of this House of Representatives.

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