i have kids. >> representative james mcgovern. here is mary from new mexico. republican line. hi. >> hi, mary. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> represent mcgovern, i have a question about going back to war in iran. >> iran. >> i mean iraq. not iran, iraq. and maybe you can explain it to me. because when i was in civics if we went to war that was the decision of the president. he would come to the house of representatives with a proposal and they would debate it. so it's not going to be up to speaker boehner whether you debate going back to war in iraq or not, that would have to come from a proposal from the president first, wouldn't it? >> yeah. and the president has sent proposals to the house of representatives. every time he increases troop deployments he sends up a little message and it says consistent with the war powers resolution. the president has done what he is supposed to do. congress has not done what it is supposed to do. article i section 8 of the constitution gives us some authority here. and we're not -- we're not doing what we're supposed to do constitution

took place on the 6th of may, 1954, flying that day was a legendary cat pilot by the name of james mcgovern. his copilot was wallace buford. the french kicker was seated right behind the pilot when the plane was hit. he ran to the back of the open cargo bay to check the dam to the stablizer, noted that the port engine had been knocked out and was streaming oil. this aircraft does not like to fly on one engine, but they kept it in the air for 45 minutes until it finally crashed inside laos, where the wreckage remained unrecovered until 2002. finally a team was allowed to go in there and recover the remains. he was buried at arlington. we received a few pieces of the aircraft. you could imagine after that many years there wasn't much left. these two combat casualties were the first american deaths in the conflict we call the vietnam war. this is a story of two young men. drew dix is just 23, a young special forces staff sergeant on his way to vietnam in 1967 when his assignment changed and instead he's sent to work under the auspices of the lone cia paramilitary officer. jim is 27. jim is in

host: are you hearing from representative james mcgovern. democrats line, high. caller: hello.'t think obama should get sucked into iraq or send more troops in. made congress vote on sending any troops back into their. they could have their vote be a yes or a no. do it or not. since the republicans don't want to extend unemployment insurance, people should band together and sue the republicans. the republicans don't want to do anything at all. to help the american people, nothing. they always talk about executive if thethat the president republicans are not going to do anything, that's fine. won two elections and that frustrates the republicans but it's the fact. we have a divided congress and a democratically controlled senate housepublican control which means that have to be compromises. unfortunately, the house has a leadership that is not uncompromising -- that is uncompromising. we will get sucked into taking sides in iraq in a religious and sectarian war which there is no way to win we end up getting deeper and deeper. it is more and more costly. we should have that debat

that's george washington in 1796 in latter to james monroe, mr. mcgovern -- in a letter to james monroe, mr. mcgovern. and i think that i, along with other members of congress, gave away my constitutional right to declare war when we gave to president bush the authority to use military force. that in itself is something, again, as i will be repetitive for a moment, i'll always, always regret. another quote very quickly. james madison, this is mr. mcgovern's point, the power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature. we are the legislature. it is our responsibility to meet our constitutional duties. mr. mcgovern, i have signed over 11,000 letters to families in this country since we went into iraq because i have asked god to forgive me for listening to the misinformation and the distortions by the previous administration to go into iraq. that is my pain and i will live with that pain. i am on the floor with you today and ms. lee, who's already spoken, to say thank you for taking the l

jim mcgovern, barbara lee, and myself and staff. as james madison said, the power to declare war, including the power to judge the causes of war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature. unfortunately, we in congress have for too long abdicated our constitutional responsibility to authorize the use of military force. this began for me personally with my vote for the 2002 authorization for the use of military force against iraq, which is one of the biggest regrets during my tenure of congress in voting for that. with that vote, we gave up our constitutional authority on one of the most important decisions a member of congress can make, the decision to send american men and women into war to possibly die. mr. speaker, it is my hope that we in congress will repeal the 2001 and

jim mcgovern, barbara lee, and myself, and our staffs to get this language so that we could debate it today. as james madison said, the power to declare war, including the power to judge the cause of the war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature. unfortunately, we in congress have for too long abdicated our constitutional responsibility to authorize the use of military force. this began for me personally with my vote for the 2002 authorization for the use of military force against iraq, which is one of the biggest regrets during my tenure of congress in voting for that. with that vote, we gave up our constitutional authority on one of the most important decisions a member of congress can make. the decision to send american men and women into war to possibly die. mr. speaker, it is -- madam speaker, it is my hope that one day we ask congress -- in congress will repeal the 2001 and the 2002 aumf. until that time comes, i believe that today represents a strong step toward reclaiming the constitutional power that we each have and are entrusted with to make decisions about going to war or de