Rep. Hill Statement Opposing Speaker Pelosi’s War Powers Resolution
Washington,
January 9, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement opposing Speaker Pelosi’s House Concurrent Resolution, H.Con.Res.83:
“There is a long-standing tradition in American politics that partisan fighting ends at the water’s edge. Instead of uniting behind the successful strike to take out the mastermind of the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror, Democrat leaders are attacking the president in their continued effort to undermine him at every turn. “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. “That’s why the Speaker introduced today’s legislation as a Concurrent Resolution, as opposed to a Joint Resolution, which is nothing more than a sense of Congress with no effect of law. Instead of pushing misguided messaging bills that embolden America’s enemies, we must stand united against terrorist leaders who are a direct threat to our national security.” Background: 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. |
