http://www.c-spanvideo.org/congress/?q=node/77531&id=9079193http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mafHPre-JgU"Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, yesterday I began circulating to Members of Congress a letter that would enable Members to be able to sign on to legislation that will be introduced when we return in January that would be aimed at creating a vote in this House on whether or not we keep our troops in Afghanistan and continue operations in Pakistan. This action is being done pursuant to the War Powers Act.
The War Powers Act was passed in 1973, and the intention of it was to claim Congress's constitutional authority under article I, section 8 to be able to take this Nation into war, commit our troops to war, or to continue to stay at war.
Congress cannot remain on the sidelines in this matter. We have the lives of our troops at stake. We have trillions of dollars at stake. Congress must engage in this debate over whether or not to stay at war in Afghanistan and to continue operations in Pakistan.
It's comforting to let the President do everything, but we can't do that, because whether we agree with the President or not, we have a responsibility, a constitutional responsibility, to make a decision on these wars.
Now, some will say the authorization for use of military force dispensed with that. Oh, no, it didn't. A reading of that authorization makes it very clear that it does not supersede the War Powers Act.
And so when I put this resolution to the Congress in January, it will be an automatic mandatory referral to the International Relations Committee. They will have 15 days to report it back to the House, where we can expect a debate. When the bill is introduced, it will be introduced with broad bipartisan support because this is not a Democrat or Republican issue.
We have learned recently that U.S. contractors are paying the Taliban to ensure safe shipment of U.S. goods to U.S. soldiers, who then use those supplies to strengthen their war with the Taliban. We have learned that Blackwater is involved in ``black ops'' in Pakistan working as independent contractors for the purposes of assassination. We cannot let these things happen without Congress being directly involved and taking direct responsibility.
All across this country people are worried about their jobs, their homes, their health care, their investments, their retirement security. Why is it that war becomes the centerpiece of our national experience? Some can say, well, it makes us safer. Oh, has it? Did the invasion of Iraq make us safer? Over 1 million innocent people perished in a war based on a lie; let us never forget that.
The policies of unilateralism preempted at first strike were a dead-end. And for those who say war is inevitable, I say you're dead wrong. Peace is inevitable if you tell the truth. Peace is inevitable if you're ready to confront the difficulties of diplomacy.
We have a right to defend ourselves, and I stand upon that right. I voted for this country to defend itself in those days in September of 2001. But we can never mistake defense for offense. We can never claim the right to aggress against another nation in the name of trying to make us safer because all we do is create more enemies. Occupations fuel insurgencies. If you want peace, you work for peace. If you want war, you create war, but we can never claim that war is peace. It's not. It often is a path to more war.
The Constitution, when it was written, our Founders were very clear they didn't want an imperial government, they wanted to make sure the dog of war was chained. And the way to do it, they put that decision in the hands of the Congress. This is about our Constitution, our Constitution, which I always carry a copy of. This Constitution requires us to take a stand and to have a vote. And in January, we will have a vote whether to remain in Afghanistan and continue operations in Pakistan."
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