Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we must end the U.S. participation in the Israeli Government's violent assault on Lebanon.

Over 3,400 people in Lebanon have been massacred since the start of the Israeli apartheid government's brutal invasion and indiscriminate bombing campaign.

Children, Mr. Speaker, medics, journalists, schools, hospitals, churches, mosques have all been targeted by the Israeli Government. Critical civilian infrastructure and entire residential neighborhoods are systematically being destroyed.

More than 1.2 million people have been forced to leave their homes or be killed with the Israeli military telling them they will not be allowed to return.

Last week, Mr. Speaker, the Israeli Government issued a forced displacement order for all the areas south of the Zahrani River, declaring the entire vast region to a combat zone.

Mr. Speaker, that is 14 percent of all of Lebanon, home to hundreds of thousands of people of all faiths as well as over 300 cities and towns, including Lebanon's fourth largest city, Tyre.

That is 14 percent of the country told to either leave or die. This is not a national security, Mr. Speaker. This is an ethnic cleansing campaign. The Israeli leaders and the Cabinet members are open about this. Finance Minister Smotrich literally called for the annexing of at least 10 percent of Lebanon saying that the new Israeli border must be up to the Litani River.

Defense Minister Katz of Israel has openly stated that the Government of Israel plans to pursue an indefinite military occupation of southern Lebanon up to the river, even after the war is over.

The National Security Minister Ben-Gvir has proposed Israel to go even further to conquer and occupy Lebanese territory all the way north of the river.

These are not fringe figures. They are the Israeli security cabinet. They are most powerful decisionmakers in the Israeli Government.

Mr. Speaker, they have made it clear that their goal is to do to Lebanon what they did in Gaza. The Israeli military officials even stated that their aim is to implement ``the Gaza model'' in Lebanon.

I can go on and on in explaining this, but I think what is important to understand is the act of the psychological terror, putting leaflets all throughout Beirut threatening Lebanon with repeat of the remarkable success in Gaza. I want my colleagues to know that over the last 3 months we have already seen these horrific threats become a reality.

This Congress did nothing to save lives in Gaza. We must act now, though, to prevent the same fate in Lebanon. I want folks to know we are here because the United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant.

The Trump administration has engaged in unlawful and unauthorized participation in hostilities as part of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in violation of the War Powers Act.

The Trump administration is providing intelligence, coordinating strikes, and demonstrating overt command over Israeli military decisions, including green-lighting specific Israeli attacks and operations throughout Lebanon, including Beirut.

The President of the United States has, in his own public statements, over a period of months, asserted authority to approve, prohibit, condition, and direct specific Israeli military operations.

In one such example, the Israeli Government sought and was granted Trump's green light for its May 6 strike, the strike on Beirut, and coordinated with the U.S. in advance to coordinate with Israeli officials. Even Israel's State officials mentioned this and said it publicly. Even Israel's own public government state broadcasting station admitted it.

Not only is the Trump administration illegally participating in this violent campaign, but it is openly ignoring congressional oversight, Mr. Speaker, of the U.S. Armed Forces' involvement in Lebanon.

On May 7, Senator Welch and a number of Senators wrote to the administration requesting specific information about U.S. coordination with the Israeli strikes, about the Israeli strikes, and other actions that would violate the War Powers Act, including refueling, intelligence-sharing, targeting, and other assistance.

We all know the Senators have not received any answers, and the executive branch has not even tried to argue that the U.S. role in the Israeli hostilities in Lebanon complies with U.S. law.

Congress must reassert its constitutional authority, Mr. Speaker, and immediately vote to end the U.S. participation in the destruction of Lebanon.

I want to make one thing clear, though, and it is super important for my colleagues to understand. Section 5(c) of the War Powers Act makes it clear that the Lebanon War Powers Resolution only applies to U.S. Armed Forces engaged in hostilities. The resolution will not affect U.S. training and support of Lebanese Armed Forces or the routine protection of U.S. diplomatic facilities, neither of which is involved in hostilities.

The War Powers Resolution exclusively ends the U.S. participation and ongoing Israeli invasion of Lebanon. That is what this vote is about, nothing less.

The American people are tired. They are exhausted, exhausted of these endless wars. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare and childcare, yet, here we are, U.S. bombs destroying hospitals and stealing the future of children abroad.

This vote on the Lebanon War Powers Resolution is a clear, moral choice. Do you stand with the Netanyahu government and Trump's endless war crimes, or do you stand with human life, peace, and justice?

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to know if Ms. Karam, a university student from the Christian village of Qlayaa in south Lebanon--she wasn't a terrorist. She was murdered on Monday. She was returning home after completing her exams at the Lebanese University in Beirut. Look it up. The Israeli bomb targeted her family's car, killing her alongside her brother, Tony, and her father, James, who is a dental surgeon in the community. He wasn't a terrorist.

Our country must stop aiding in these killings. To me, she was not a terrorist. She was a human being who should be alive today.

In the meantime, I include in the Record a May 29 article from Reuters.

[From Reuters, May 29, 2026]

Eleven Children Killed, Injured Every 24 Hours in Lebanon, UN, Says

(By Olivia Le Poidevin)

Eleven children have been killed or injured on average

every 24 hours in Lebanon over the last week, the U.N.'s

children's agency said on Friday, as Israel has expanded

strikes across the country despite a ceasefire.

Heavy Israeli strikes hit towns and villages in southern

Lebanon overnight on

Wednesday and into Thursday, after Israel declared a new

swathe of the area a combat zone. It also struck a building

in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday.

A total of 77 children have been killed or injured in the

last seven days, UNICEF said, citing figures provided by

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health. Since the ceasefire

began on April 16, 55 children have been killed and 212

injured, according to the agency.

UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires called for all parties to

fully respect the ceasefire.

``Under international humanitarian law, children and

civilian infrastructure must be protected,'' he said.

The ceasefire announced by Washington was meant to halt the

fighting that has raged between Israeli troops and Iran-

backed Hezbollah since March 2.

The U.N.'s World Health Organization also said on Friday

that the threat from the expansion of military activities

raised grave health concerns for the Lebanese population.

Since the ceasefire took effect, a total of 27 attacks on

healthcare facilities in Lebanon have been reported,

resulting in 25 deaths and 42 injuries, according to the WHO.

A total of 16 hospitals and 13 primary healthcare centres

have been damaged in attacks, it added.

``Eleven children killed, injured every 24 hours in Lebanon.''

Are those children Hezbollah? Are those children terrorists?

Right now, the War Powers Resolution that I have is if they are engaged in hostilities. If they are not engaged in hostilities--

It is very clear. This is about saving lives. They are able to stay there if they are not engaged in hostilities.

I think it is abhorrent every day that goes by where this Congress does not act, 11 more children would die or have serious injuries as a result of, again, us not pulling back any of the resources and so forth.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, section 5(c) of the War Powers Act, it is in there. You can just read it. It says if it is ``engaged in hostilities.'' If U.S. Armed Forces are there and they are not participating in this ethnic cleansing campaign, then they are fine. If they are there training the Lebanese Armed Forces, they are fine.

This is not what it is about. If you read the War Powers section 5(c), it is very clear. It is in writing in the law of the War Powers Act. It is really important that we understand and not get confusion.

I want to share a so-called, I guess, Amal Khalil. This is a photo of a very prominent Lebanese journalist. Amal Khalil, she was targeted and killed. Amal and her colleague Zeinab were reporting devastation in southern Lebanon when an Israeli drone struck her car near them, killing two civilians. Amal and Zeinab sought shelter in a nearby building, but Israel then struck the building, trapping them under the rubble. But it gets worse. It gets worse.

When rescue and medical workers finally arrived at the scene to rescue Zeinab, they came under fire before they could rescue Amal. They were prevented from returning to the site for hours, Mr. Speaker. Amal was dead by the time her body was recovered over 6 hours later. Amal is only one victim of many of the Israeli military's deliberate, indiscriminate bombings and targeting even of journalists in Lebanon.

Israel has killed 250 journalists and media workers across Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, even Iran. Our country should not be sharing intelligence and coordinating strikes with the military that hunts and kills journalists for sport.

We must end the U.S. support for this invasion.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), my good colleague and one of the cosponsors of the resolution.

Strike those words.

I am hanging out with terrorists now?

That is a problem.

Here we go. Strike the last words now. Mr. Speaker, strike the last words.

That is a direct attack on my character.

I please request to strike the words down.

It was.

Mr. Speaker, I object. I object, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, let's get back to the debate.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the ranking member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Lee).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I think it is really important--you know, I said earlier about Defense Minister Katz not once does he mention Hezbollah. He said literally that we are going to destroy Lebanese homes and villages in accordance with Beit Hanoun and Rafah models in Gaza. I am not joking.

This is Finance Minister Smotrich. He literally threatened the major neighborhoods of Beirut will soon resemble Khan Yunis, a city in Gaza that was destroyed by the Israeli military.

Not one of them mentioned Hezbollah. They talk about greater Israel. They talk about a campaign to spread boundaries, again, with no regard of international law.

I want to put up the photo of Theodossia because she wasn't Hezbollah. She is not a terrorist. She was a young student that just finished her exams. It is disrespectful. If you really care about the Lebanese people, then you would understand the importance of not continuing, again, the indiscriminate bombings that are continuing throughout Lebanon. She should be alive today.

I think it is important, Mr. Speaker, to understand what is happening on the ground if you really care about the Lebanese people like you claim you care about the Iranian people. Everybody claims they care about everybody on the ground and that this is about security. It is not. I think it is important.

I include in the Record a March 25 article from the Guardian titled: ``Israel used white phosphorus to scorch earth in south Lebanon, researcher says.'' That is the title.

[From The Guardian, Mar. 25, 2026]

Israel used white phosphorus to scorch earth in south Lebanon,

researcher says

(By Damien Gayle)

When the M825-series 155mm artillery projectile bursts,

expelling its felt wedges containing white phosphorus, it

leaves a distinctive knuckle-shaped plume. That is how Human

Rights Watch (HRW) researchers said they were able to verify

that Israel was again using the notorious weapon over south

Lebanon, reigniting accusations that it is breaking the laws

of war.

The New York-based rights group said it had verified and

geolocated eight images showing airburst white phosphorus

munitions exploding over residential areas in the southern

Lebanese town of Yohmor in the opening days of Israel's

assault during the war on Gaza.

Since then, more videos have emerged purporting to show

white phosphorus munitions exploding over south Lebanon, and

researchers say that with 800,000 Lebanese people displaced

from the region after Israeli forces ordered them to leave,

many more uses may have gone undocumented.

In the last week, Israeli soldiers have been facing fierce

resistance from Hezbollah fighters in south Lebanon, despite

an intense bombing campaign. In recent days, Israeli forces

have bombed roads, petrol stations, bridges and medical

centres in an effort to cut south Lebanon off from the rest

of the country.

White phosphorus is a chemical substance dispersed in

artillery shells, bombs and rockets that ignites when exposed

to oxygen, burning at up to 800C and emitting large

quantities of smoke.

Military forces use it as a smokescreen to mask troop

movements, mark targets or illuminate terrain at night, and

military lawyers argue such uses are entirely legitimate. But

its use over civilian areas is controversial--and some claim

illegal--because it ignites fires, causes serious burns and

emits toxic fumes.

Ahmad Beydoun, an architect and PhD researcher at Delft

University of Technology in the Netherlands, documented and

mapped nearly 250 uses of white phosphorus by Israeli forces

between October 2023 and November 2024, the last time they

launched a full-scale attack on southern Lebanon.

Beydoun, who said his count was a conservative estimate,

found that 39% of uses were in residential areas, 17% in

agricultural lands and 44% in forested or open terrain. ``I

think the Israeli army's thinking is that they use it to burn

down fields for visibility, so that people or Hezbollah

militants don't hide under the trees,'' he said.

According to a report by the Lebanese non-profit Public

Works Studio, white phosphorus was used to burn more than

2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of southern Lebanese

countryside, ''including 873 hectares of dense forest with

gum trees and vast areas covered with oak and pine trees''.

White phosphorus can also lie hidden in the soil and

spontaneously combust when uncovered by farmers, posing a

continuing threat if the people of south Lebanon are able to

return to their homes.

And the effects can also be systemic, the report warned, as

repeated white phosphorus strikes saturate the soil with

phosphonc acid along with toxic heavy metals such as cadmium,

lead and zinc. Together, the report said, this accumulation

``can reduce microbial diversity, deplete soil fertility

[and] decrease agricultural productivity''.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it could

not comment on HRW's claim that it used white phosphorus

illegally over Yohmor. ``There may be visual similarities

between smoke shells containing white phosphorus and smoke

shells that do not, and caution is advised before making

factual determinations regarding use of smoke shells with

white phosphorus in individual cases based on visuals

alone,'' the spokesperson said.

Last week Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon,

reportedly avoided responding directly to HRW's allegations.

``We do everything we can to minimise civilian casualties,''

he said at a media briefing at the UN headquarters in New

York, according to Anadolu Agency. ``That's why we actually

asked the people from southern Lebanon, south of the Litani,

to move to the north, to avoid civilian casualties.''

Beydoun said his findings suggested Israel's military may

be using white phosphorus ``as a way to maybe start pushing

people out'' to create a ``buffer zone'' on the Lebanese side

of the border.

It's just a practical tool to use to burn fields, I think

it's mostly that,'' he said. ``It's mostly for scorching the

earth.''

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch have documented Israel's illegal use of white phosphorus multiple times in Lebanon, which is a war crime. They launched it in residential neighborhoods and Lebanese farmland.

Is this what our country is supporting?

White phosphorus is a chemical agent that ignites when exposed to oxygen and burns at up to 800 degrees Celsius, melting human flesh to the bone and poisoning the soil with toxic heavy metals. White phosphorus kills. It leaves survivors with cruel injuries, and burn results cause lifelong suffering.

The only place in the entire northern hemisphere right now that literally fills white phosphorus munitions is right here in the United States in Arkansas. We are supplying these horrific chemical bombs to the Israeli military, and our military is providing operational support, as we speak, for these scorched-earth campaigns that are destroying the very conditions of life in Lebanon.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the human life in Lebanon more because I think it is important to understand. This is Hussein Wehbe. At least 128 medics--he was a medic, 17 years old--128 medics and other health workers have been targeted and killed by the Israeli Government since March, just as they have done in Gaza. They are often killed in what they call double-tap strikes.

American people don't understand this. Double-tap strikes are war crimes where following an initial strike, the Israeli Government comes in, waits for the emergency rescue workers to show up with the ambulances at the scene, and then strikes again.

In Lebanon, we have seen the Israeli Government commit triple-tap, quadruple-tap strikes, an atrocity previously unheard of where team after team of rescuers are completely slaughtered.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an April 16 Guardian article titled: ``Israel escalates attacks on medics in Lebanon with deadly `quadruple tap.' ''

[From the Guardian, Apr. 16, 2026]

Israel Escalates Attacks on Medics in Lebanon With Deadly `Quadruple

Tap'

(By William Christou)

When they received the call to respond to an Israeli

airstrike in the city of Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon, most

of the paramedics held back, having previously seen

colleagues killed by double-tap attacks targeting rescuers.

But the medics from the Islamic Health Association (IHA)

rushed to the scene.

By the time the other emergency workers arrived at the

site, they found the IHA medics had indeed been caught in a

second strike. They started evacuating their wounded

colleagues, only for their ambulances to be hit in two

further attacks.

In total, the attacks killed four medics and wounded six

more, from three different ambulance corps, according to

medical sources. Three of the medics were from the Hezbollah-

affiliated IHA and Amal-affiliated medical corps, while one

was from the Nabatieh emergency services organisation. Under

international law, all medics are protected and are

considered noncombatants, regardless of political

affiliation.

Rescuers in Lebanon have long been wary of the double-tap

attack, when Israeli forces target a location, wait until

people gather to help survivors, and then strike again.

Wednesday's three-wave attack after the initial one prompted

the coining of a fearsome new term: the quadruple tap.

In a video taken by one of the paramedics at the site,

rescuers are seen loading two wounded people into their

ambulances when a bomb lands next to their vehicle.

Paramedics rush to extract the driver, who is motionless and

limp as they pull him from the ambulance, which is splashed

with blood. ``Oh God, oh God,'' the man filming can be heard

saying. They carry two more blood-covered medics out of their

vehicle and on to stretchers.

Among the paramedics killed was Fadel Sarhan, 43, who is

survived by his eight-year-old daughter.

``Fadel was a very loved person. He had a bold personality,

but at the same time, he was emotional. He was well liked and

responsible,'' said Ali Nasr al-Deen, the head of the

Mayfadoun civil defence centre who grew up with Sarhan.

``He used to feed the cats and dogs. He would bring pet

food from Beirut so they wouldn't go hungry. He was that kind

of person, caring and attentive. It's a huge loss for us,''

said Nasr al-Deen.

Medics mourned their colleagues on Thursday at funerals in

Nabatieh, a city near Mayfadoun. Such events have become

increasingly common, with healthcare workers killed by

Israeli bombings on a near daily basis.

Mohammed Suleiman, whose 16-year-old son, Joud, was killed

while on duty as a paramedic by an Israeli strike weeks

earlier, joined his peers in burying another of his friends

on Thursday. A few hours after the funerals, Israel carried

out another wave of airstrikes on Nabatieh.

Israel has so far killed 91 healthcare workers and wounded

214 more in Lebanon since the Israel-Hezbollah war started on

2 March. It has given little justification for its repeated

attacks on medical infrastructure and workers, apart from

accusing Hezbollah of using ambulances and hospitals to

transport fighters and weapons, without providing evidence

for the claim.

The Lebanese ministry of health accused Israel of

deliberately targeting ambulance crews. ``Paramedics have

become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant

violation that confirms a total disregard for all norms and

principles established by international humanitarian law,''

the ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a

request for comment.

A video of Tebnine hospital from 14 April showed workers

trying to clear shattered concrete and debris from the

emergency department after a strike blew in the windows.

Commenting on the strike in Tebnine, the head of the WHO,

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: ``I reiterate the call for

the immediate protection of healthcare facilities, health

workers, ambulances and patients. There must be safe,

sustained and unhindered humanitarian access across

Lebanon.''

An ambulance in Tebnine was also struck on Thursday,

leading to the critical injury of two medics, according to

the Lebanese ministry of health. As healthcare workers

watched their colleagues and friends being killed by Israel,

the mental toll was becoming almost too much to bear.

``We have to go to places to rescue people, but then we get

double tapped,'' said Abbas Atwi, the head of the IHA's

emergency department in Nabatieh, shortly after a medical

centre was targeted in March, killing his friends and

colleagues. ``But we will stay and keep going, we will not

leave.''

Mr. Speaker, this is Hussein Wehbe again. He was a 17- year-old. He was a volunteer. He was a first responder with the Lebanese Civil Defense. He was also a Boy Scout. He was killed while trying to save lives.

The next person is Ahmed Hariri. He was also a paramedic and a photojournalist who was killed in a double-tap strike while trying to rescue injured survivors of an Israeli drone strike. He was killed alongside two fellow paramedics less than 2 days after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution calling for the protection of medical personnel in Lebanon.

This is what our country is supporting, Mr. Speaker. This is the military we are coordinating strikes with and providing targeting intelligence with, a military that systematically is targeting and killing civilians.

We must end the U.S. support of these war crimes.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The sheer number of human lives that have been lost already in Lebanon is close to 4,000. We are talking about over 1.2, 1.3 million people forcibly displaced. If you even just look at the map, if we put up the map right now, you can see that bombings are happening outside of where they are claiming that there are security issues.

It is important to know and please understand the impact of us allowing U.S., again, intelligence sharing, coordination, and support of this. I know some of my colleagues claim themselves that the U.S. is not militarily involved. I hear it all the time.

But the facts paint a very different picture that the Trump administration is engaged in unauthorized hostilities and violations of the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973.

It is important to understand that the Trump administration's actions of overt command and coordination over Israeli offensive military decisions in Lebanon arguably represent the most well-documented direct U.S. participation in a foreign military's engagement in hostilities in recent decades.

This U.S. role, Mr. Speaker, in the invasion of Lebanon includes ``green-lighting'' specific Israeli military operations in Lebanon, providing them with what is called approval and disapproval over whether they may proceed, a defining function of military command.

Mr. Speaker, on March 12, Israeli media reported that President Trump ``approved the ground incursion'' by Israel into Lebanon ``also authorized expanding it if necessary.''

Also, on April 8, Axios reporters said live on mainstream media: ``Without the green light from Donald Trump, you wouldn't have seen Israel go ahead with these very massive strikes in Lebanon,'' literally strikes that killed 250 people that day.

On May 6, Israel sought, and was granted, Trump's ``green light'' for its May 6 strike on Beirut, Mr. Speaker, and coordinated with the United States in advance, according to Israeli officials. Not us, but the Israeli officials are telling us that the Trump administration is helping them.

As recently as this week, Israeli officials told the press that the Israeli military's forced displacement order and threats to bomb Beirut's southern neighborhoods were coordinated with the United States.

These are elected officials by the Israeli Government making these claims. These are the sources.

This unprecedented public record of direct and overt U.S. command and coordination over Israeli hostilities in Lebanon goes alongside deep U.S.-Israeli operational integration, which the American people don't want.

Meanwhile, the White House continues to ignore congressional oversight efforts regarding the U.S. participation in these hostilities. We still haven't gotten responses to questions that we have. It is important to understand that the violations of the War Powers Act are very clear, as they were clear during the U.S. support of the Saudi-led war on Yemen.

Do you remember that, Mr. Speaker, the Saudi-led war on Yemen?

Both the House and the Senate passed War Powers Resolutions bipartisanly affirming that refueling Saudi aircraft and providing targeted intelligence to Saudi forces constituted U.S. participation in hostilities.

This case is no different. Congress must reassert its authority and cut off U.S. support for this cruelty and this destruction.

Mr. Speaker, when I see that child, I think of my son. Everyone wants to label people of my faith or people who look like me as terrorists. These are human beings. We cannot make them out to be disposable. We must save lives, no matter faith or ethnicity. We must stand against war crimes no matter who is committing it, no matter who it is.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to understand this is about our shared humanity. This is about ending, again, the mass destruction of Lebanon. We should not be playing any role.

Again, I think it is important to understand when we do that and label people a certain way that makes them to be disposable, it will lead to more international law violations of peoples' human rights.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, this week's vote is about immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli Government's violent assault against the people of Lebanon.

Over 4,200 people have been massacred since the start of the Israeli apartheid regime's brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing and territorial expansion in Lebanon, and nearly 1,000 additional people have already been killed since Congress refused to pass the Lebanon War Powers Resolution earlier this month. That is 1,000 additional people in just 25 days.

Over 4,200 beautiful souls have been taken from our Earth and from their loved ones by U.S.-funded bombs and with operational and targeting support from the U.S. military. Indiscriminate bombings continue to this day. Children, medics, journalists, parents, students--everyone wants to label them as Hezbollah, but they were civilians. They were intentionally targeted.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 17 report from UNICEF titled: ``Lebanon: 12 children killed, maimed daily, despite Hezbollah- Israel truce.''

[From UN News]

Lebanon: 12 Children Killed, Maimed Daily, Despite Hezbollah-Israel

Truce

More than 100 days of war reveals a shattering snapshot of

life for civilians in Lebanon amid Israeli strikes and forced

displacement, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on

Wednesday.

Since hostilities escalated between Israel and Hezbollah

militants in southern Lebanon on 2 March, 247 children have

been killed and 992 injured, an average of 12 children killed

or maimed every day, according to the agency.

``For more than three months, children in Lebanon have

lived through experiences no child should ever endure,''

UNICEF country representative in Lebanon, Marcoluigi Corsi,

said in a statement issued on Wednesday following the 15 June

announcement that the United States and Iran had reached

agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding.

``We hope that this ceasefire will be indeed a real

ceasefire because since the declaration of the previous one,

violence against children and the conflict hasn't really

stopped,'' he told UN News.

Dozens of violations

Despite a reduction in the intensity of hostilities, UN

peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL continue to observe

trajectories since Monday and extensive Israeli military

activity, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Their observations include Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

high-density armoured movements, sustained logistical traffic

and large-scale engineering and demolition works across the

area alongside reports of 26 violations of Lebanese airspace

by the Israeli military between midnight and 4 pm local time

and one air attack.

Key takeaways

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon remains fragile and

needs immense and severe despite the recent US-Iran agreement

and subsequent signs of regional de-escalation. Here are some

highlights from the latest flash update from the UN relief

agency, OCHA:

Returns remain limited and cautious despite reduced amount

of hostilities

Israeli airstrikes and seven renewed displacement orders

covering 37 localities across the South and Nabatieh

governorates triggered additional displacement between 12 and

14 June

3,798 deaths and 11,781 injuries since 2 March: Lebanese

Public Health Ministry

131,200 internally displaced persons remain in 644

collective shelters

Aid efforts reached over 1.1 million people through water

and sanitation services and 13.6 million meals delivered

2026 Lebanon Flash Appeal only 32.7 per cent funded, with

approximately $209.6 million received against $639.9 million

requested

UNIFIL recorded 312 trajectories between midnight and 4 pm

on Wednesday, a total of 291 attributed to the IDF and 21

attributed to Hezbollah, compared with, 174 and 189

trajectories were reported over 24 hour periods on Monday and

Tuesday, respectively.

``Outside UNIFIL's area of operations, we are aware of

reports of Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes

targeting multiple locations, including Nabatieh, Saida and

Jezzine, as well as repeated drone overflights over Beirut

and its southern suburbs,'' the UN Spokesperson said. ``At

least one strike on a vehicle in Shukin reportedly resulted

in four fatalities and several injuries.''

Seaside security

UNIFIL reported a violation of Lebanon's maritime space by

two IDF vessels conducting a patrol roughly 600 metres off

the shores of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, which is also the

home base for UN peacekeepers, the UN Spokesperson said.

UNIFIL, and its naval ``blue helmets'', announced on

Wednesday ongoing efforts to assist the Lebanese navy in

assuming greater responsibility for securing its territorial

waters throughout 2026, based on an agreement signed last

December.

``A long-term stability on land is intrinsically linked to

security at sea,'' said UNIFIL Force Commander Major General

Diodato Abagnara.

Where is humanity?

Widespread destruction has scarred large parts of the

country, affecting homes, schools and essential services,

including water, sanitation and hygiene systems, further

compounding already severe humanitarian needs and dealing a

devastating blow to children living through the bombings and

violence.

Mr. Corsi said a meeting with teenaged girl at a UNICEF-

supported hospital remains ``stuck in my mind and my heart''.

``Collateral damage'' from an attack included the deaths of

her father and three brothers, leaving her mother alive and

the girl in a coma, he said, recalling the first two

questions she asked him while she was recovering: Where is

humanity? Where is a sense of justice?

``Those are tough questions coming from a 14-year-old child

that you cannot answer,'' he said. ``No child should go

through that nightmare.''

Mass displacement, childhood disrupted

More than 770,000 children are experiencing heightened

distress from repeated exposure to violence, loss and

displacement, with many unable to return home because of

ongoing fighting and the threat of unexploded ordnance, Mr.

Corsi's statement declared.

``Behind these staggering figures are lives cut short or

forever changed, and families facing profound loss, trauma,

and uncertainty,'' he wrote. ``Many have fled their homes

multiple times, witnessed violence first-hand, lost loved

ones and seen their schools, communities and sense of safety

shattered.''

But, the numbers alone cannot convey the full scale of the

crisis, he explained.

``Beyond those killed and maimed, an entire generation of

children has seen its childhood disrupted,'' he stated.

``Their sense of safety, one that every child needs to grow

and thrive, remains profoundly undermined.''

``The scale of physical and psychological harm we are

witnessing is unacceptable, and children continue to pay a

terrible price for this conflict,'' the UNICEF representative

said, urgently calling for a sustained cessation of violence.

The true cost of this crisis will not only be measured in

lives lost today, but in the opportunities missed tomorrow.

Give children a chance

Children must be protected from further harm and schools,

hospitals, water systems and other civilian infrastructure

urgently safeguarded, Mr. Corsi implored.

Moreover, humanitarian access must be ensured and

international law must be respected.

``Most importantly, Lebanon's children must be given the

chance not only to survive this crisis, but to recover from

it and reclaim the future that conflict has placed at risk.''

Mr. Speaker, that is an innocent child being killed or maimed every 2 hours in this U.S.-assisted invasion.

The apartheid government of Israel is intentionally killing civilians, again, in Lebanon, in Palestine, and in Iran. It is the same genocidal playbook.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a link to a June 18 report from the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry titled: ``'The essence of childhood has been destroyed': Israel's deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023.'' https://www.ohchr.org/ sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/ session62/a-hrc-62-crp-2.pdf Mr. Speaker, everyone should read this horrifying report. It finds that the Israeli military deliberately targets and kills children as part of their ongoing genocide in Gaza.

When Israeli leaders talk about applying the ``Gaza model'' in Lebanon, this is what they mean. They never mention Hezbollah.

They say that we have already seen the Israeli military kill 251 Lebanese children during the U.S.-assisted invasion.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear. I include in the Record a link to a June 17 report from Amnesty International: ``Lebanon: Israel radically expands use of unlawful mass `evacuation' orders and commits war crime of unlawful transfer.'' https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ news/2026/06/lebanon-israel-radically-expands-use-of-unlawful-mass- evacuation-orders-and-commits-war-crime-of-unlawful-transfer/ Mr. Speaker, more than 1.3 million people have already been forced to leave their homes or been killed, with the Israeli military telling them that they will not be allowed to return.

Mr. Speaker, 81 Lebanese neighborhoods have been violently depopulated and demolished, erased from the map entirely.

I want to make this very clear. The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It is an active participant. The United States is currently engaged in illegal and unauthorized hostilities, supporting the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, in violation of the War Powers Act.

The Trump administration is providing intelligence, coordinating strikes, demonstrating overt command over the Israeli military decisions, including green-lighting specific Israeli attacks and operations.

The Trump administration is also providing spare parts and maintenance to keep Israeli jets in the air. Without that support, those jets cannot drop bombs to kill Lebanese children.

Congress must reassert its constitutional authority and immediately vote to end all unauthorized U.S. participation in the destruction of Lebanon.

Israeli leaders have been open about their plans. This is about seizing Lebanon's territory, expelling its people, expanding the government of Israel's borders. This is about ethnic cleansing and what they call, in their own words, their ``Greater Israel project.''

Just this past week, genocidal maniac Netanyahu has said that Israel does not plan to withdraw from the territory that they seized in Lebanon and that they will forcibly displace Lebanese and the people of Lebanon will not be able to return to their homes.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a June 24 Haaretz article: ``Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From Lebanon `As Long as I am Prime Minister'.''

[From HAARETZ, June 24, 2026]

Soldiers In, Residents Out'. Netanyahu: Israel Won't Withdraw From

Lebanon `As Long as I Am Prime Minister'

(By Noa Shpigel, Rawan Suleiman, and Yaniv Kubovich)

Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Israel will not

withdraw from the territories the IDF captured in Syria

either. `This is the security doctrine. The IDF must be on

the enemy's turf and protect the communities from within the

territory itself,' he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that

the Israeli military will not withdraw from the IDF-occupied

buffer zone in southern Lebanon as long as he is in office.

``As long as I am prime minister, we will maintain the

security zone in southern Lebanon,'' he said, speaking in

MUNIEXPO conference for municipal development. ``We will be

the first in the world to solve the explosive drones

problem,'' he added, referring to Hezbollah's primary weapon

against Israeli soldiers since fighting in Lebanon began in

March.

Meanwhile, Lebanese reports said that two people were

killed in a drone strike on a vehicle in Kfar Roummane, near

the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Earlier on

Wednesday, the IDF said its forces struck two armed Hezbollah

operatives in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area. The IDF later said

it struck a vehicle ``posing a threat to IDF soldiers'' in

the same area.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of

State Marco Rubio said Israel has consistently said it has no

territorial claims in Lebanon, saying that withdrawal depends

on the Lebanese army's ability to secure its territory.

``The Israelis have been clear they don't have any quarrels

with the Lebanese people nor do they have any claims on the

territory of Lebanon,'' Rubio said. ``One of the issues

that's been discussed in these negotiations is about the

creation of pilot zones--specific, defined areas where the

Lebanese Armed Forces can go in, take control and secure that

territory, and then move on to the next pilot zone.''

According to Rubio, ``it'll be a process. This is not going

to happen overnight.'' The secretary of state added, ``The

more of the area the Lebanese Army is able to secure, the

less in Hezbollah's control and the less Israel will be in

Lebanon.''

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed

that that Israel will not withdraw from IDF-occupied areas in

Lebanon, ``even if there is an American demand to do so,''

leaving 200,000 displaced Lebanese residents ``who will not

return.''

``There will be no civilians and no terrorists,'' Katz

said. ``Why? Because what happened in the past in security

zones where there was also a civilian population was that

there were explosives and attacks against soldiers, and

therefore, we do not allow that,'' he added.

``Soldiers in, residents out. The infrastructure is

destroyed, the houses are dangerous and ruined. We are not

withdrawing,'' Katz said.

``We have significant achievements that began with a

terrible blow on October 7,'' the defense minister continued.

``Since then, the entire people, the leadership, and the army

have acted with great determination. I am not aware of any

situation in which, without that terrible blow, someone would

have gone in to deal with the tunnels in Gaza.''

Katz also said Israel will not withdraw from the

territories the IDF captured in Syria either. ``This is the

security doctrine. The IDF must be on the enemy's turf and

protect the communities from within the territory itself.''

Earlier Wednesday, the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyar reported

that the second round of Israel-Lebanon talks is set to take

place in Washington on Wednesday under U.S. mediation,

focused on defining the south Lebanon pilot zones to be

handed to Lebanon's Armed Forces, as well as ways to

strengthen the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

According to the report, the U.S. Central Command has been

tasked with establishing a military operations room to

oversee, monitor and track the situation in southern Lebanon.

The reporting suggests that this new operations room will

work with the ``deconfliction cell'' whose creation was

announced at U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland this week, paving

the way for the dismantling of the existing mechanism that

was set up in 2024 between Israel, the United States and

Lebanon.

According to Lebanese daily Al Akhbar, Israel is demanding

that Lebanon's army be stationed in the Ali al-Taher ridge

and destroy Hezbollah's facilities under U.S. supervision.

Israel is also demanding that Lebanon disclose the fate of

the Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon in

1986, and propose an offer to return his remains before

Lebanese POWs are released, the report said.

Also according to the report, Israel is seeking to keep a

foothold in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon and is

requesting direct military coordination with Lebanon to carry

out these measures.

Israeli and Lebanese representatives are set to meet on

Wednesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington as part

of the fifth round of direct negotiations since the end of

the war with Iran.

The talks, which began Tuesday, are expected to continue

for three days under the supervision of Dan Haller, an

adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Discussions

will focus on the terms of the cease-fire between Israel and

Hezbollah and the redeployment of the Lebanese army in

southern Lebanon following the IDF's withdrawal.

The U.S.-brokered efforts to stabilize the border are

complicated by a new Iran-U.S. understanding that has shifted

the regional balance and, according to officials,

strengthened Hezbollah's position while weakening Beirut's

leverage.

Beirut is pressing ahead with direct negotiations even as

the process is overshadowed by Iran's decision to insert

Lebanon into its talks with the United States, and by

concerns in the Lebanese capital that the Iran-U.S.

understanding has weakened its bargaining position and raised

doubts over the utility of the talks.

Lebanese officials have insisted that face-to-face

negotiations with Israel are the only way to secure an end to

the war raging since March 2, when armed group Hezbollah

fired at Israel in support of Iran and triggered Israeli air

and ground attacks that have killed more than 4,000 people in

Lebanon.

Israel, meanwhile, has said Hezbollah's disarmament remains

a central condition for any long-term arrangement and views

the group as the main obstacle to a durable settlement.

Opening the talks on Tuesday, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel

Leiter described the process as a ``train wreck'' and warned

it was ``in danger of going off the rails,'' saying Hezbollah

may have been ``emboldened'' by recent developments. He added

that the original premise of the talks--that Iran would

remain outside the framework--was now in question.

He added that ``there is a danger that Hezbollah has

received a boost. There is no doubt that it feels

strengthened and emboldened.'' Leiter also questioned whether

dismantling Hezbollah still remains the foundation of the

talks.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he would

accept ``nothing short of an end to the Israeli occupation in

southern Lebanon'' and added that the current round of talks

could prove ``decisive.''

According to an Israeli source, Israel is seeking solutions

that would reduce Iranian involvement in southern Lebanon.

The source said that during the negotiations, the Israeli

team is expected to present a framework for a phased IDF

withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, to be followed by

the deployment of Lebanese army forces to those areas under

U.S. backing.

The source added that it remains unclear whether an IDF

withdrawal from the Beaufort Castle area is being considered

at this stage.

Last month, Israeli troops captured a strategic mountain

topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon. The

military said it intends to remain there until further

notice, signaling a shift from previous operations in the

area that were temporary.

The capture of Beaufort Castle near the city of Nabatieh

came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby

villages, where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in

the rugged area. The Israeli push came despite a nominal

cease-fire that has been in place since April 17. Israeli

troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it

until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

Mr. Speaker, what a great slogan for his campaign.

Israeli defense minister said that, in villages in south Lebanon: We are going to be destroying all the houses. The residents will never see them standing before their eyes again.

He never mentions Hezbollah.

The Israeli national security minister, in his own words said: All of Lebanon should burn . . . all of Lebanon should become our playground.

Since the beginning, Mr. Speaker, the Israeli political and military leaders have repeatedly stated that their aim is to implement the ``Gaza model'' in Lebanon.

Over the past 4 months, we have seen these horrific threats become a reality. This is a genocidal government that we are arming and supporting as they ethnically cleanse the Lebanese people.

Prominent figures in both Israel and the Trump administration are now openly rooting for the new Lebanese civil war to further destabilize the country and prolong this invasion. It is sickening.

Mr. Speaker, to the Lebanese Government, I say: Learn the lessons of the countries before you and the lessons of Lebanon's own history. The

Israeli Government does not abide by any agreements. They have violated every single cease-fire in all the so-called peace agreements.

Time and time again, a cease-fire with Israel means: You cease; they fire.

Wake up. The so-called agreement is not protecting Lebanese people. This is about apartheid government and structure expanding into your country. Do not abandon your land and your people and become another subcontractor for the Israeli occupation.

Shame on those who separate Beirut with south Lebanon. Lebanon is Lebanon. They are one people. Letting outsiders divide your people will only lead to greater instability and another civil war.

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, on the ground, Lebanese people continue to endure horrific violence. The Israeli Government has killed 10 more Lebanese in the past 24 hours as we speak on this floor. The destruction of Lebanon continues with U.S. military support.

We must act now to save lives, no matter faith. We must end U.S. support for these atrocities and force an end to the Israeli Government's invasion and illegal military occupation of Lebanese territory.

This vote is not only about ending the invasion of Lebanon. It is about bringing an end to the disastrous war with Iran. It is connected. Israel's ongoing military occupation and campaign to destroy Lebanon threatens to undermine any chance of success for a peace deal and bring our troops home, to end the war with Iran, a war which has killed countless civilians and has caused extreme economic suffering for ordinary Americans right here at home, who are already struggling to make ends meet.

The American people are tired of watching their tax dollars fuel death, destruction, and endless war. They are tired of hearing that we don't have money for healthcare or childcare at home--

--while watching U.S. bombs.

This vote on the Lebanon War Powers Resolution is clear.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of June 3, 2026, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 84) directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just listened to my colleague, Representative Tlaib, speak for about 6 minutes, trying to convince us that Israeli action in Lebanon is about ethnic cleansing. Not once in the 6 minutes did my colleague mention Hezbollah, the terrorist organization that Israel is going in there and killing. In 6 minutes of rambling on, not one mention of Hezbollah, not one mention of the 1,729 rockets fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel since April 7, not one mention of the 1,680 UAVs and drones sent into Israel since April 7, not one mention of the 283 Israelis injured or the 15 killed by Hezbollah since April 7. She wants you to believe that it is about ethnic cleansing and not fighting Hezbollah. Okay.

Let's talk about her actual policy. Her actual policy says this: Congress directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from Lebanon. Pretty straightforward.

Let me let my colleague know, Representative Tlaib, that the United States is not at war in Lebanon. The United States is not engaged in hostilities in Lebanon. I don't know how else I can say it. This resolution, it is reckless, and it is unserious.

You are asking to remove U.S. troops in a country where we are not in conflict. Israel is killing terrorists. I just listed off all the attacks that have gone on just since early April, but we are not in conflict there.

You are saying we can't keep any military there.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) to engage in a colloquy.

Can we leave no military there, Representative Tlaib?

Prove it.

Representative Tlaib, I am going to take back my time here, but I will give you some more time to debate. As you can see, I will definitely give you the time. It is tough to understand you when you are yelling.

To my colleague's point--please stay standing because I will yield you more time. It just has to be a back-and-forth.

Apparently, they are not terrorists. Apparently, everybody that Israel was killing in Lebanon, they weren't terrorists, according to my colleague over here. It wasn't terrorists that were firing 1,729 rockets there, 1,680 UAVs, injuring 283, killing 15. Apparently, it wasn't terrorists that were doing that.

Ms. Tlaib, I yield you time again. Will you answer my question: Can we leave no military there?

Can we leave the military there?

I would love to talk about your policies.

To get back to your policy, ``remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon,'' can we leave no U.S. forces there? Does that mean we can't leave any marines in the embassy?

It says ``remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon.'' I am just reading what you wrote.

That is not what this says.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to reclaim my time at this point.

We didn't get an answer, apparently, as to if we can--because I am reading the gentlewoman's legislation here, ``remove United States Armed Forces from Lebanon.'' That is just an example of how reckless her legislation is.

It doesn't say anything about, yeah, you can keep the marines that are in the embassy, as an example. That is a pretty big oversight. It doesn't say anything about whether we can keep United States Armed Forces that are on training missions with the LAF--again, pretty big oversight.

Of course, my colleague doesn't want to talk about the fact that the terrorists that Israel is killing there, that they do also use human shields. This is a well-known thing.

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I will say that a vote for this resolution is a vote to support Iran, which I think I have to remind some of my Democrat colleagues is a bad thing. Supporting Iran is a bad thing. I see no acknowledgment over there.

They are actually--my colleagues over here that would vote for this, they are serving as proxies for Hezbollah by bringing this resolution to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, again, we are not at war in Lebanon. There are no combat forces to remove. There is nothing further to say. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill and not be a proxy for Hezbollah.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I hope my colleague is not going to leave. I would love to speak to you as well. I have a serious question for you if you want to approach a mike.

The question is for you. I mean, if you need other people to answer for you, then that is what it is.

It is my time.

My understanding is you want to help Lebanon civilians.

I reclaim my time.

I will yield back to you in a moment. I am reclaiming.

So the United States Armed Forces that are training the LAF who are fighting Hezbollah, fighting Hezbollah who is killing children there, killing civilians, would you like to see them stay? And I yield you some time.

If you will answer my question, I will give you time.

I will reclaim my time.

So they want to go back. They don't want to talk about Hezbollah. Still yet no mention of Hezbollah from our colleagues over there. They don't want us to talk about the support the United States Armed Forces are giving to the LAF to combat Hezbollah because they are not acknowledging them, and apparently, they don't want to see Israel killing Hezbollah, even though it is Hezbollah that is killing Israeli children, Israeli adults, Israeli elders. I gave them the count of rockets, UAVs, casualties, drones; I gave them the count. No mention of it whatsoever.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

May I inquire as to how much longer this is going to take? We watched this video on C-SPAN already. Can I just inquire what is taking so long?

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Very good. I would also inquire: Can Representative Miller still speak, or not?

Very good.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to deliver a message from Representative Miller of Ohio:

``Yes, I said it. I own it, and I stand by it.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit this for the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to submit for the Record an article titled: ``Rashida Tlaib member of secret Facebook group where Hamas terrorists glorified.''

Very good.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to submit for the Record the transcript of the Congresswoman from Michigan, the transcript of H. Res. 845, which notes that she is the only one calling for genocide. She was reprimanded bipartisanly by the House of Representatives.

Censured for her comments.

I am sorry. I didn't hear you, Mr. Speaker.

The objection--

Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Can there be an objection--

Can there be an objection to the Record being stricken from the Record?

This is H. Res. 845, which was a bipartisan vote to censure the Representative for her genocidal comments, so can we--

So something in the Record already cannot be placed into the Record because this was a vote, bipartisan vote.

Interesting. I learned something new today. All right.

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to submit for the Record another article: Watchdog release--titled--something titled--an article titled: ``Watchdog releases scathing report on Tlaib's alleged ties to terrorist groups, warning of potential risks.''

Very good.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just listened to the Rules Committee ranking member speak, as he is walking away right now, and here is something that he said. I think it is important for the American people to hear: ``Hard-earned money in the service of war crimes'' were his words.

So we are debating right now whether to have our Armed Forces removed from Lebanon. The gentleman is implying that our Armed Forces who are there are engaged in war crimes.

That is impugning our Armed Forces. That is despicable, and it is despicable to say, especially in the light of the fact that, what, our marines who are in the embassy are the ones who are in the service of war crimes? I see that he walked off. He doesn't want to listen to an analysis of his own comments.

The marines in the embassy are engaged in war crimes? Is that what he is saying today?

Those training the Lebanese Armed Forces are engaged in war crimes?

I don't think he wants to defend those comments because he walked off.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine).

Mr. Speaker, I would just let everybody know, again, there has been no mention of Hezbollah, no mention at all from this side about Hezbollah, the rockets they are firing into Israel, the UAVs, the casualties, or all the Americans that Hezbollah has killed in the past--no mention of either.

I am curious, Mr. Speaker, if the next speaker over there will have any mention of Hezbollah. I will be interested to hear. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have had another speaker on the left and still no mention of Hezbollah.

I have a very serious question. This is serious. I understand my colleagues oppose Israel killing Hezbollah terrorists. Do they also oppose the Lebanese Armed Forces killing Hezbollah terrorists? I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague may want to stick around. I am going to reference her words.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. Speaker, the Democratic staffer who was interjecting themselves into the debate here was confusing Representative Fine with Representative Miller.

Mr. Speaker, I am a Republican. I am not offended by them swearing. It is okay. I can handle it. I can handle nasty looks, too.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am going to reference the words of my colleague just now. She said that no one on our side supports terrorist organizations; for us to say so is just wrong. Mr. Speaker, to have an entire debate about Lebanon and removing U.S. Forces from Lebanon that aren't there without a single mention of the word Hezbollah, who is actively trying to kill anybody that they can, that is a support for a terrorist organization.

For our colleagues, I will bring Iran into this more specifically beyond just Hezbollah being a proxy of Iran, for our colleagues to go out there and say day after day that there is no imminent threat from Iran when Iran is absolutely--and acknowledged by everybody bipartisanly--the largest state sponsor of terror, that is a support for the largest state sponsor of terror.

For our colleagues to go out there and pretend as though we haven't been attacked 350 times in the 30 months prior to Epic Fury even beginning, for them to pretend that we were not being attacked, not being struck by Iran, that is a support for terrorists.

Every single time that my colleagues on the other side deny, turn their backs to the United States of America getting hit by the terrorists of Iran or their proxies like Hezbollah or others, they are supporting a terrorist organization.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again I will just reference the remarks of my colleague, examine what was said.

She said that Israel is going scorched earth. I would just tell my colleague that if Israel--and by the way, this is after a little while ago she was saying they are needing the United States of America's intelligence. The context of this is important. If Israel was going scorched earth on them, they wouldn't need American intelligence for targeting.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self) such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution, again, is beyond reckless and beyond untruthful. The entire arguments that we were listening to of accusing America of participating in a genocide that is not existing, it is Israel going into Lebanon killing Hezbollah terrorists.

I wish they had kept their map up because they showed a large map of all this territory where Israel had gone on the offensive, and they said that they had killed 4,000 people.

Again, Mr. Speaker, if Israel had gone scorched-earth on them, you would have way more than 4,000 dead in all that territory, but what was done was precise strikes against terrorists targeting Israel, Americans, and anybody else whom they could reach out and touch, and they are being killed for that.

This resolution impugns our military. This resolution impugns the patriotism of the U.S. military by saying that they are participating in a war that they are not and by saying that they are participating in a genocide where they are not.

This resolution is certainly shameful in that way, but, again, it is very reckless because it would demand that we remove forces from places like our embassy in Lebanon, remove all forces from Lebanon that would mean removing our Marines from the embassy in Lebanon which, again, just shows how reckless and shameful and how ill thought-out this resolution is.

Mr. Speaker, while it has been an exciting evening with all of these words being taken down and everything else going on, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to order of the House of June 29, 2026, I call up the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 108) directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this resolution. However, I will say that I am very glad to hear the debate offered by my colleague, Ranking Member Meeks. He spoke about Hezbollah. We went through an entire debate several weeks ago where the opposition refused to mention that Hezbollah even existed, so I am glad to hear Ranking Member Meeks bring that up.

Hezbollah specifically targeting civilians with their every action, that is their MO. Israel specifically targeting terrorists, that is what is going on here.

Now, as it relates to this piece of legislation, we have done this exercise before, and I am glad to hear the ranking member acknowledge that the United States is not engaged in any hostilities in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The U.S. is not at war in Lebanon. The U.S. is not engaged in hostilities in Lebanon. There are not U.S. combat forces conducting operations or engaged in hostilities in Lebanon.

They are training the Lebanese Armed Forces. Why are they training them? Because there are at least 40,000, probably more, Hezbollah terrorists spread across the south of Lebanon that are actively engaged in targeting Israel and have been doing so for many years. Israel is over there doing a good job working to wipe those terrorists out right now, but this resolution is impossible to implement. Even if it passed, could the author explain to me which forces would be removed? If we don't have combat forces there, what forces are being removed? That is a very commonsense question. I don't think we will get an answer to it, Mr. Speaker.

I will say something else that I am glad about in today's debate: The really stupid mistake that was made in the last attempt to do this was removed, where the author was seeking to remove the marines from our embassies, from the gates, from the front doors. I am glad that that was removed from this one, thankfully.

This resolution still is not any less ridiculous than the last one. Again, the U.S. is not at war in Lebanon.

Since we are here, let's address something today that this resolution fails to mention and what the author of this bill I think wants to avoid.

Hezbollah is one of the world's most capable and dangerous terrorist organizations. They have killed hundreds of Americans, which makes it interesting to me that my colleague, who opened the remarks saying that it is not in our national interest to address them, they have killed hundreds of Americans. That is a pretty damn big national interest to me.

As a U.S. servicemember, as an American, as somebody with teenagers that will hopefully put on a uniform in defense of this country at some point, I would say it is in our national interest. But, again, they are one of the world's most capable, dangerous terrorist organizations who have killed hundreds of Americans and attacked U.S. diplomatic and military personnel over and over again.

I am not sure why my colleagues don't want to talk about that, and especially, again, the author of this bill last time failed to even mention the word ``Hezbollah'' or refused to mention the word ``Hezbollah'' because this resolution is a win for terrorists. That is what it is.

If you are trying to decide who should have control of Lebanon, who should it belong to, should Lebanon belong to the Lebanese or should Lebanon belong to the terrorists, this resolution is a win for Lebanon to belong to terrorists.

Let's also be clear that Hezbollah is the one holdout that is standing in the way of peace between Israel and Lebanon.

The Lebanese Government wants the fighting to stop. Israel wants the fighting to stop. Who is it that wants the fighting to continue? That would be the one entity that is supported by this resolution, and that is Hezbollah.

This is not about U.S. Forces. As was acknowledged already by my colleague, the ranking member, there are no U.S. Forces engaged in hostilities, and we all know that. Again, there are no forces fighting in Lebanon.

This resolution is to undermine our national security. It is to embolden Hezbollah, which it absolutely does. Just its presence on the floor here, just its mere being brought up here emboldens Hezbollah and other terrorists, and all for the sake of political messaging.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill. It is just as ridiculous--well, it is not quite as ridiculous this time as it was last time, given that it did finally remove that we wouldn't have to take our marines out of the embassy. It is not quite as ridiculous, but it is still significantly ridiculous.

I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as we look at the attacks that go on, where is it that all of these Hezbollah terrorists--where is it that they hide? Where is it that they choose to encamp themselves? In the middle of civilians, on purpose.

There is no desire at any point for any one civilian casualty in any circumstance. I have seen it play out on the battlefields that I was a part of. ``Regrettable'' is not a strong enough word. It is well beyond regrettable every single time that anybody trying to live their life becomes a victim of a catastrophic attack because of what they are adjacent to: the terrorists that are surrounding their community.

But that is exactly what Hezbollah does by design: embed themselves into schools, embed themselves into places of worship, embed themselves into the bedrock of any community that they can go forcefully take over.

That is the way that they operate with purpose and operate specifically to create civilian casualties everywhere--civilian casualties around them and civilian casualties around where they launch their attacks. That is their MO.

Mr. Speaker, as I look at Hezbollah, I look at, again, what are our interests? We have labeled them and have designated them a foreign terrorist organization. That has gone on since, I want to say, the mid- 1990s that they were designated a foreign terrorist organization.

More than 60 countries across the globe, including the EU, the Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have all designated Hezbollah as part of a terrorist organization. They are a scourge. They are a direct arm of Iran, directly funded by Iran, receiving targets from Iran, and receiving benefits from Iran when they hit targets that Iran tells them to hit.

Everything that can be done and the work that Israel is doing to destroy this scourge is something that we should be supporting through the training of the LAF and supporting through our intelligence resources that are being offered.

This bill is meant to drive a stake between allies. It is meant to drive a wedge between allies. It is not meant to drive a stake into the hearts of our enemies, into the hearts of terrorists. That is the unfortunate part about it. It is meant to hurt our allies. It is not meant to hurt terrorists. That is beyond regrettable on this floor.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to unpack right there. I think I would start with this: The word ``genocidal'' was used. I would remind the floor that there was only one person on this floor right now who has been reprimanded for calling for genocide. That person is walking out as we speak. That person didn't want the transcript of that allowed into the Record last time. It was the person that was just speaking.

Maybe that is not the best person--or maybe that is a good person to give us definitions on genocide, but I don't think she has read them.

What kind of ethnic cleansing takes place from a country, a leadership, or a military that warns people to get out? That doesn't sound like ethnic cleansing: Get out. Get out if you are a civilian. Get out of this area. There are attacks coming to kill terrorists.

That is not what ethnic cleansing looks like. That is not a genocidal attack, as was the accusation.

Clearly, the individual has no real interest in debate because the individual left. I think, as much as we heard conversation about civilians, there was not one mention of the actual targeted civilian population, Israelis. That is the targeted civilian population, day in, day out, by Hezbollah. There was no mention of that.

Again, the gentlewoman does not seek to have a debate about her own resolution, which is an odd thing, to not want to debate your own resolution.

I would have asked the individual over there if she supports the Lebanon-United States-Israel framework for peace that is going on right now.

As was mentioned, I believe that, in the remarks that she gave, she doesn't support the Lebanese Government. I am not trying to put words in her mouth. I am trying to recall everything that was stated.

If she is not supporting the Lebanese Government, maybe she doesn't support the framework for peace, and she wants people to fight. Maybe she wants people to fight instead of peace. I am trying to unpack a lot of what was put there.

In the end, I think the most significant reason to vote against this resolution is a couple of the following: Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. They are directly targeting civilians constantly in Israel. It is their day-to-day way of life. There are probably at least 40,000 of them, as we speak, in the south of Lebanon.

There are not U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon, but the resolution demands that we remove all U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon. It is an impossible thing to do. The ranking member has acknowledged there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon.

Again, it is important to support our ally in their combat operations against this foreign terrorist organization that was responsible for killing 63 people, 17 Americans, in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut. The Marine barracks bombing, which killed 241 U.S. servicemembers, was, again, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks against the United States of America prior to 9/11.

In the TWA Flight 847 hijacking, Hezbollah terrorists hijacked the aircraft and brutally tortured and murdered a U.S. Navy diver, Robert Stethem. In hostage campaigns, Hezbollah would continually take hostages over and over again. There are too many stories of that to list.

Repeatedly targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, diplomatic facilities, and commercial aviation, that is the M.O. of Hezbollah. Since October 2023, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets, missiles, drones, and anti-tank missiles into Israel, which is holding the largest American population anywhere in the Middle East. Those are attacks against Americans indiscriminately, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the area, and many have been killed.

Hezbollah deliberately targets not only military objectives, but civilians, diplomatic facilities, aviation, population centers, malls, cafes, buses, anyplace that they can target. Where there is an innocent civilian, that is their goal as a place to target, not military targets, but innocent civilian targets. Again, this is juxtaposed to Israel, which is conducting operations against terrorists specifically who hide among civilians, very unfortunately, but whom they give a warning to over and over again to try to get any civilians exposed to any danger out of that danger zone.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can talk more about this, but I will let the ranking member speak about what he wants. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, we have the best chance for peace between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America that has existed in decades. There is a framework in place that has been met between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America. The one holdout is Hezbollah.

This resolution does absolutely nothing to help garner that peace. This resolution only seeks to embolden Hezbollah. That is the only thing that it does because, again, as was pointed out by my colleague-- and I appreciate him saying this very firmly; he was very clear about this--there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities.

Do we train Lebanese armed forces? Yes, we do. Do we provide intelligence? Yes, we do. We don't have forces engaged there, but we are working for a peace that has evaded the world for decades, and we are closer than ever.

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage a ``no'' vote against this resolution because, again, it is simply undermining the peace process and really, actually serves no purpose because it asks that we remove forces that are not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 108. While I voted against a previous iteration of this resolution, I believe this updated version has corrected the flaws of H. Con. Res. 84.

The updated text is an important legislative assertion of Congress' constitutional authority over matters of war and peace that will not infringe upon America's national security interests in Lebanon, while ensuring we stay out of another forever war that is not in our national interest.

We consider this resolution in the wake of the recently announced trilateral framework between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States. I welcome this agreement, which represents a critical step away from continued escalation and violence.

However, what comes next is most critical: Ensuring a ceasefire is indeed observed by all, fully disarming Hezbollah, and preserving Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Since the start of Trump's illegal war of choice with Iran, civilians in both Lebanon and Israel have suffered the consequences of continued strikes by both Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

Now, I strongly condemn violence against civilians in all forms and support efforts by both the Israeli and Lebanese Governments to ensure the safety and security of their people.

Every government has a right and a responsibility to protect its citizens, and Israel has a right to defend itself. However, this does not justify disproportionate airstrikes which have killed too many civilians, including medical workers and journalists, as well as destroyed civilian infrastructure throughout Lebanon.

As I continue to condemn Hezbollah's drone and rocket fire into Israel, I note with deep concern the Israeli Defense Minister's public pronouncement to destroy all homes in southern Lebanon border villages and ``follow the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza'' where the Israeli military systematically destroyed thousands of Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure. These are not words of self-defense. They are the language of collective punishment, and that must be condemned.

As we look to efforts to deescalate and move toward peace and stability for both Israelis and the Lebanese, I will state for the record that, to my knowledge, United States Forces are not currently engaged in any active hostilities in Lebanon with the Israeli military. Nonetheless, this resolution ensures that does not change without congressional authorization. We must not enter another illegal, reckless, and counterproductive war in the Middle East.

While this resolution prohibits U.S. Forces from engaging in hostilities in Lebanon, it makes clear it shall not prevent or in any way limit the important mission that the United States Armed Forces are engaged in with Lebanon; that is, the longstanding training and support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, also known as the LAF, which are critical to Lebanon's stability and that of the region.

In my many meetings with both Lebanese and Israeli leaders over the years, I deeply understand and appreciate the importance of supporting building up Lebanon's Armed Forces--a goal which successive administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have furthered. Protecting that mission, which has enjoyed bipartisan support across administrations, is precisely why this resolution is carefully drafted to preserve it.

This resolution stands on the side of ending forever wars and ensuring U.S. forces are not drawn into hostilities in Lebanon.

Any colleague who believes Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over matters of war and peace should stand with us today.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, while I have zero confidence this administration will be transparent with Congress, let me restate clearly that I have seen no information to indicate United States Armed Forces are engaged in combat hostilities on the ground in Lebanon.

Nevertheless, this resolution is a timely and important assertion of Congress' constitutional authority, one that requires the administration to come to Congress before sending U.S. forces into another war.

Conflict in Lebanon is not new. In 1975, Lebanon's Civil War began a conflict that would kill over 150,000 people in a country with a population of just several million.

The United States sent troops to the country as part of a multinational force. On October 23, 1983, terrorists drove two truck bombs into our Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, killing 241 of our soldiers. It was the deadliest day for our Marines since World War II. President Reagan made the right call and pulled out our Marines within 4 months.

We must not, Mr. Speaker, repeat the failures of the past, be they 40 years or 40 days ago. We must not allow this administration to undermine the fragile cease-fire now in place, drag our troops into another conflict, or hand Congress' warmaking authority to a President who has shown no interest in wielding it responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution and encourage all of my colleagues to do so, as well. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.