We are back, obviously, from the break. We are following the news very closely. We understand the president is going to speak to the nation at 11 00 this morning about the circumstances with respect to iran. We are absolutely unified as a conference, unified behind the president , unified with respect to the importance, significance, and the righteousness of the act the president took to eliminate soleimani from the battlefield. And i think its very important that following the course of time during the Obama Administration when the policy toward the iranians was nothing short of appeasement, President Trump has turned that around. President trump has made clear that the United States will not tolerate the kind of iranians maligned activity we have seen in the past and certainly will not tolerate the kinds of attacks that soleimani was instrumental in for so many years that resulted in the death of American Service members. We also think its very important for people to recognize at this moment the impetus on the part of some of our democratic colleagues to blame the United States of america is unacceptable. We reject that as americans. We ought to be united. In particular the speakers assertion that somehow the activity thats going on in iran is a result of action that the administration took requires a willingness to completely disregard the history of the last 40 years. And the attacks that have been launched against the United States and our interests every since the iranian revolution. We look forward to the United States being unified behind the president. We look forward to the president s remarks. We will continue, certainly, here as republicans in the house to be unified as a body as well. We are joined this morning by two of our members who have direct personal experience and id like to turn things over first to dr. Brad wenstrup to talk about the impact of iranian activities throughout the region. Mr. Wenstrup thank you. Lets make no mistake about this. What occurred in the last few days. This was a defensive strike against a terrorist. A terrorist that worked against americans, that has american blood on his hands. When i served in iraq i had the unfortunate experience to zip body bags of americans that had been killed. Many at the hands of someone like soleimani. Amputated limb. We saw traumatic brain injury. I think general millie said it very well when he said that we would be culpably neglect if we did not act if we had the opportunity. Today we have some that seemingly more aligned with iranian general soleimani than with American General millie. Thats a shame. But you know this administration, this president , this secretary of state, this secretary of defense, this chairman of the joint chiefs of staff have said there will be no more benghazis. There will be no more hostage taking of our diplomats in our embassies. And there will be no more taking of american lives. And if there is, we will react. Just recently we had one of our u. A. V. s taken down by iranians. We have had the attack in kirkuk where american was killed. We had attack on our embassy. Today thrown on the ash heap of history is general soleimani, a terrorist. Along with albaghdadi, along with osama bin laden. And to those americans killed and maimed and to your families, you are not forgotten. Because some justice has been served. And to those who play politics with this, with this defensive action of americans and american interests, and to those who stay that this is an overreaction, its an insult to the american lives lost, its an insult to those that have been maimed and permanently damaged, and it trivializes the american lives that have been spared by this action to take out a terrorist that was ready and willing and prepared to act to kill more americans. Thank you very much. S. Cheney thank you, dr. Wenstrup. Now, id like to turn things over to our colleague, the gentleman from texas, mr. Crenshaw. Mr. Crenshaw thank you. Iraq twice. O went to afghanistan once. Deployed back to the middle east and bahrain. Iranian Threat Network closely. I have seen what their export of eapons does to our soldiers in iraq. Over 600 killed by i. E. D. s, i. E. D. s that were exported therefrom the iranians. Ranians are experts atsur gait warfare. Hey create sleeper cells in bahrain by our soldiers. They stoked civil war in yemen, syria. , in they are experts at creating chaos. Democrats arguments rely on two false premises. That history began with Donald Trumps strike against soleimani. True. S, of course, not history began long before that. The iranians have been escalating against the united long time. A very started in 1979. Embarrassed our u. S. Navy sailors after they vessel, they. Navy shot down drones, they attacked put oil facilities, they rocket attacks towards our bases and orchestrated an attack embassy. U. S. History began long before donald and finally took action stopped letting the iranians punch us in the face. The second false premise is that there is this false choice and en doing nothing allout war. The president is not taking us war. Lout there is a lot in between. We have to be more onnest about we have to be who are honest about that fact. We have to set a red line that says, as the United States of america, we will not be punished indefinitely. We have to take action, and we respond, and the president did just that. Its time to be unified behind president instead of casting partisan stones. You. Mr. Scalise i want to thank dan crenshaw and Brad Wenstrup for their service to our country. The things they did to help our freedoms and to all the men and women who are defending our freedoms today and those who died or were severely injured because of terrorists like soleimani. I want to thank them for their i want to commend President Trump for standing up to those terrorists likell americans. Not only killing americans in past but plotting to kill more americans. History. Knows his it was under the Obama Administration where they deemed him a terrorist. New. Isnt anything the fact that he was finally aken out is something that youve seen bipartisan support for. Not just republicans. Go look at the comments of president obamas Homeland Security secretary, jeh johnson, susan rice, or so many others who recognized what soleimani actionnted and that this was long overdue. And just like we when we were in when president obama took out osama bin laden, we supported that action. The right thing to do when president obama gave that command. Just by the same token it was the right thing to do when President Trump gave the command to take out soleimani. A are a safer world because brutal terrorist is gone from who hadnet, a terrorist killed hundreds of americans and was planning to kill even more. Become t shouldnt partisan. Its very disappointing to see some in the democrat leadership in the house trying to criticize those actions that safer. Erica using some of the same talking of ts that are coming out tehran, and now talking about changing the war powers act to ability for the any president of the United States to defend this country. Would suggest Speaker Pelosi go back and look at the legislation that thensenator biden filed in 1995 to president would have the full ability to protect america, especially against terrorists. Soleimani. Maybe hes changing his tune because hes a candidate for but he should go read the legislation he filed back in the 1990s when he was a United States senator. So hopefully during a time like his, we can all come together, not as republicans and democrats, but as americans who recognize that a brutal killed hundreds of americans and was planning to kill even more is gone from this because of the action, the bold action of President Trump. That. Ime to be united in then, of course, if you look at the other things that are going n around the world, its unfortunate that as we start this new year, Speaker Pelosi is ot using this majority to tackle the tough issues that are facing hardworking families like working with republicans to prices, to secure our border, to make sure our troops to all the tools they need do their job safely in defending our freedoms. Hear them talking about impeachment. Its still all about a personal islike of a president who was duly elected in 2016, and theyre spending all of their in this new year, talking about trying to reverse 2016 election the or trying to stop him from winning in 2020 instead of of us to tackle these serious issues that face our country. Well continue focusing on those and hopefully we can start getting sock action and some action getting and moving on. With that ill turn it over to kevin ublican leader, mccarthy. Mr. Mccarthy i want to start congressman wenstrup and congressman crenshaw, not just for their words, but for their service. For hearing the call and serving and defending our nation. Nation and of our the resilience of our men and women in uniform and the commitment to stand up for what continues to make america the greatest country on earth. Last night was no different. Troops in iraq stood their ground, bracing for the unknown. His morning we wake to the welcomed news there was no u. S. Casualties. The president will address the shortly this morning, but over the last week, we continue to see under this administration of our Foreign Policy has made us safer, stronger, and more respected world. The its very clear the president action. Ake after for more than 40 years been doing to s america but more importantly just in the short time frame. Shooting down a drone, from attacking tankers, from killing to attacking our embassy. It very dent made clear, if you kill an american, we will respond directly, and we did. Safer for it. I think all of congress should in moments ne voice like this, to send a very clear essage around the world, that we defend americans here and abroad. The actions taken by the majority this week that they move k what they want to on this floor and that we stand together in a time of need right now. Let me open it up for questions, comments. Reporter what more do you want from the president in the next hour or from members of the administration when they rief congress about the strategy for what comes next . What, in your view, is the role in overseeing or authorizing potential further maybery action in iraq or even in iran . Mr. Mccarthy if its in iraq, the president has all authority act. The president didnt need an aumf to act on this. This was an article 2. It was clear in his actions where he went. I think all of america has to understand, too, there was a moment in time when the u. S. Drone was shot down. Should us thought action be taken at that moment. I thought the president was correct when he pulled back. Pause. Ed to give the nted to deescalate situation. It was iran who chose to do different. Did they do since . They killed an american citizen embassy. Cked our the president used his right to defend it. Meeting gang of eight yesterday. I hope all members go, put their aside, and walk into that room as an american and information. I think we should put aside impeachment and have an intel works on intel instead of trying to change it to impeachment. Especially what has been for the last six months. This hasnt just taken place week. The last iran has been trying to push us for quite some time in a more manner than they have in quite a while. Yes. Will er democrats role differentiate taking out bin to this particular situation with soleimani saying was mani was, you know, he a terrorist, he was also a state head over in iran. Are your thoughts on that as far as hes different differentiating the circumstances . 600 mccarthy more than servicemen were murdered by soleimani. I dont think theres any opinion. E of i think the democrats are wrong hat we even try to raise that issue. I hope when they go into the briefing, for those who may be and be educated. Hope they listen to what was planned in the future. I hope they paid attention what happened in the last month. Focused on ere too impeachment to see what was happening, what iran was doing world. Ica throughout the maybe they should pay more attention what happened when the billions of dollars from theed a sent to nistration was them, where the money was spent. Some of that money spent and weapons to come directly back at our men and women in uniform . Question y ask that first. Reporter offered an offramp. Do you think the president should taken or are you calling for some sort of retaliation . R. Mccarthy i will allow the president to speak to the nation. Ill allow him to gather all the think the , and i president handled this correctly all the way through. I trust his judgment and i know making us safer by the taking. Hes eporter naubl naubl should [inaudible] should come testify about iran . Pompeo will be in front of congress to answer any questions that any member of has. Ess reporter publicly . Mr. Mccarthy i think at this oment in time, most important thing to do, lets deal with the situation at hand. Important ts more instead of taking pompeo away job. His reporter mr. Leader, its been three weeks from the impeachment articles. Delay . O you think of the mr. Mccarthy its another example of how weak her case is. She had to rush us, she had to get it because it was so imperative to move forward, the wouldnt move it forward shows the weakness of the case and more importantly, it. Eed for i think our focus should be other places. We have been giving that example. As she told us when she was first sworn into ffice, they would govern differently. She had to hurry through impeachment because this year is different. Its clear their only agenda is America Needs something different. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] our campaign 2020 coverage cspan2 thursday on with President Donald Trump in a keep America Great rally. Sunday, at 3 00 p. M. Eastern on senator Michael Bennet is in bedford, new hampshire. Watch live on cspan and on demand at cspan. Org, or listen on the go with the free cspan radio app. The impeachment of President Trump. Process to follow the on cspan leading to a senate trial live, unfiltered coverage cspan, on demand at cspan. Org impeachment, and free cspan radio app. The speaker the house will be in order. For 40 years, cspan has been unfiltered erica overage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and Public Policy events from washington, d. C. And around the ountry so you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspan your local o you by cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. The u. S. House is about to avel back in after a recess, allowing members to attend a classified briefing on the conflict with iran. Today, they completed debate on rules governing a bill oncerning the e. P. A. Designation of hazardous hemical known substances known as pfas. There are eight other bills to be considered this afternoon, 5g technology and providing entrepreneurship counseling and Training Services for incarcerated individuals in federal prisons. We expect a round of votes this next hour and a half or so. Well take you live to the house floor momentarily here on cspan. House members are just now leaving their classified briefing with administration fficials, including the secretary of defense. Theyre being briefed on the conflict with iran. Debate coming up shortly here in the house with eight other bills to be addition to a ill on Chemical Substances in water. Live coverage of the house next here on cspan. The u. S. House coming in next to begin legislative work this approving rules for debate on the Chemical Substances bill. Ight other bills to be considered as well, including measures dealing with 5g technology. House members had just finished their briefing with Administration Officials on the theation in iran, including secretary of state, secretary of defense. Of fox tweets those officials now heading over to the senate for a briefing for well. Rs as another closeddoor briefing. Were recovering reaction from members. Including Steve Scalise addressing reporters. Streaming over at cspan. Org. Right now in a quorum call in the senate over on cspan2. Waiting for the house to get started this afternoon. Running a few minutes late. Theyre finishing up their riefing from Administration Officials on iran and they come back in now