From Congresswomen Barbara Lee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2014
Contact: Carrie Adams (202) 225-2661

Congresswoman Lee Calls for Repeal of Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force

Washington, D.C. - On the 11th anniversary of the Iraq War, Congresswoman Lee released the following statement:

“Eleven years ago, President Bush led our country into an unnecessary war of choice. At the time, I proposed an amendment to avert war and work with the United Nations to pursue diplomatic tactics to ensure that there were in fact no weapons of mass destruction. Instead, Congress and the Bush Administration opted for a needless war with a price tag of more than $2 trillion. All told, more than 4,400 Americans lost their lives in the war, countless service members returned home wounded, and an untold number of Iraqi citizens died as a result of this war.  Especially as the daughter of a 25-year veteran, I firmly believe it is our responsibility to ensure that returning troops have high quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and job training to ensure that they transition to civilian life.

On this anniversary, I hope my colleagues in Congress will join me in supporting my legislation to repeal the Congressional authorization of war against Iraq (H.R. 3852), which would formally end this misguided war. It is far past time that we end the authorization for this war, as my legislation would do. We must also go further, end the war in Afghanistan, and repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force that led us into that war as well.”

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Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, as well as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus(CPC), where she serves as the Co-Chair of the CPC Peace and Security Task Force.*

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Congresswoman Lee's October 2002 floor speech opposing the U.S. invasion and her press release opposing military action in Iraq can be found below:

Ms. LEE: Madam Speaker, first, let me just thank my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), for yielding me time and for his leadership on this issue and on so many other issues of such critical importance to our world community. I also would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the ranking member, for his fairness in ensuring that democracy prevails, even during this very critical and important debate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this resolution authorizing a unilateral first strike against Iraq . Such an action could destabilize the Middle East and set an international precedent that could come back to haunt us all. President Bush's doctrine of preemption violates international law. It violates the United Nations charter and our own long-term security interests. It forecloses alternatives to war before we have even tried to pursue them. We do not need to rush to war. Furthermore, this resolution is not a declaration of war. In fact, we do not need this resolution. If the United States indeed faces an imminent attack from anywhere, the President already has all of the authority in the world for our defense.

President Bush called on the United Nations to enforce its resolutions, but here we are today voting to go to war before the United Nations has even had a chance to implement inspections. What kind of international cooperation is that? What kind of leadership is that? It does not take leadership to go drop bombs and go to war. It takes real leadership to negotiate and to develop peaceful resolutions to our security needs. The President has called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities. I call on the United States to assume our responsibilities by working with the United Nations to ensure that Iraq is not developing weapons of mass destruction.

I keep asking the question: Is our goal the elimination of weapons of mass destruction because they pose a potential danger, or is it regime change because we oppose the Iraqi government? We still do not have the answer to that question.

For all of these reasons and more, on Thursday, I will offer the Lee amendment to H.J. Res. 114, incorporating my legislation, H. Con. Res. 473, currently supported by 37 Members of the House. This amendment calls on the United States to work with allies to disarm Iraq through United Nations inspections and other diplomatic means. Those inspections succeeded in destroying thousands of tons of weapons in the 1990s, despite Iraq's attempts at destruction, and they can work again. It was a search and destroy mission.

Now, today, as we face this vote, there are many questions that remain unanswered. Where is the proof that Iraq poses an imminent, clear, and present danger to the United States? What is our objective here, regime change or the elimination of weapons of mass destruction? Where would this doctrine of preemption lead our country? How could we be the first and then claim the moral authority to tell others not to do so? Is this the precedent that we want to set for India, Pakistan, Russia, China, and others?

How does all of this make the American people safer? Are our airports safer today? Are our seaports secure? What happens to the economic security of our country and our unmet domestic needs, given the enormous amount of money, upwards of $100 to $200 billion, that this war will cost us? And how many of our brave young men and women will be put in harm's way? Going to war would result in substantial loss of life. We better be able to answer these questions before we spend $200 billion plus to create a new regime in Iraq. Now, remember, we all have to focus on the fact that it was not weapons of mass destruction used on 9/11. This blank check to authorize a first strike would not restore peace and security. I am convinced that it will inspire hatred and fear and increase instability and insecurity.

There have been those who have questioned the patriotism of opposition and have claimed that those calling for war have a monopoly on this virtue. Yet I believe, like many, that it is our patriotic duty to seek each and every nonmilitary solution to eliminating the weapons of mass destruction. Containment, deterrence and disarmament should be our goal. That has been and continues to be the American way.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this rush to war. It is morally wrong, financially irresponsible, and it is not in our national security interests. We have options, and we have an obligation to pursue them.”

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Unfortunately, the US Congress and the American people did not listen to her. She is my heroine!