McCaul Speaks on House Floor Against War Powers Resolution
WASHINGTON – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Texas) took to the House floor to speak on the significance of Operation Epic Fury and urge his colleagues to oppose the War Powers Resolution.
Full Remarks:
In 1979, the Islamic Revolution began, and a dark veil of terror descended over the Middle East. Since then, Iran has operated as the nucleus of the world's most dangerous terror network.
When the withdrawal from Afghanistan set the world on fire, the regime grew even more emboldened, fanning the flames of chaos and violence far beyond its borders. From that moment onward, China, Russia, and Iran have been locked together in an “Unholy Alliance,” which seeks to destroy Western values and upend the global balance of power.
Iran has played a key role in these malign efforts, arming Russia with lethal drones to massacre Ukrainians and fueling China's military machine through illicit sales of oil. Its terrorist proxies — Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah — have sown terror and instability across the world.
This is a regime that values martyrdom over prosperity and chaos over peace. Their legacy of American bloodshed [stretches from] Beirut and the USS Cole, to harboring terrorists after 9/11, to backing Hamas’ unprovoked October 7 attacks that killed 46 Americans. A regime this murderous can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
Thanks to President Trump and Operation Epic Fury, the dark shroud that covered the Middle East for nearly five decades has now been lifted, and the people of Iran — who have suffered greatly at the hands of the ayatollah — finally have a chance for freedom.
This is an historic moment — one that could finally put the Middle East on the path to peace.
In my judgment, Iran's decision to hit our partners was a severe miscalculation, turning the Gulf nations against Iran. Meanwhile, the regimes of their so-called "allies" — Russia and China — have abandoned Iran.
Iran is isolated and now an island. Normalization between Israel and the Arab nations — as envisioned in the Abraham Accords — is now at hand.
Despite these truths, Congressional Democrats are seeking to force President Trump to halt Epic Fury mid-operation — risking the objectives of this critical mission, solely for political purposes.
Now is not the time to tie the hands of our commander-in-chief, and it’s also not the time to hold up DHS funding.
Even before Operation Epic Fury, the threat landscape was at an all-time high. President Biden’s open border allowed more than 700 Iranian nationals to enter our country — and more than 18,000 known or suspected terrorists.
As a former chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I know all too well sleeper cells can execute foreign-inspired or directed acts of terrorism within our borders. We have already seen that happen in my hometown of Austin, where three people were tragically killed over the weekend at the hands of the terrorist.
Operation Epic Fury confronts this threat head-on — severing the tentacles Iran has wrapped around the globe to strangle peace and spread terror.
The ayatollah's reign of terror began with weak leadership from President Carter. It will end with strong leadership from President Trump.
This war powers resolution is ill-timed and ill-advised. Congress must stand with the president and our military to finally close — once and for all — this dark chapter of history and pave the way for lasting peace.
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