On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Congressman Matt Gaetz’s (FL-01) House Concurrent Resolution 30 – a privileged War Powers Resolution that directs President Joe Biden to remove all U.S. Armed Forces, excluding our troops assigned to protect the United States Embassy, from Somalia no later than 365 days after the date of the resolution’s adoption. Because War Powers Resolutions are privileged, the House of Representatives was forced to vote on Rep. Gaetz’s resolution within 18 legislative days of its introduction. Rep. Gaetz introduced the resolution on March 28th, 2023. Ultimately, the resolution was not adopted.
On March 8th, 2023, the House of Representatives voted on a War Powers Resolution, introduced by Rep. Gaetz, to remove U.S. Armed Forces from Syria. The resolution was not adopted, failing on a 103-321 vote. Unfortunately, no longer than 15 days later, Iranian-backed militants attacked U.S. forces in Syria, resulting in the death of one U.S. military contractor and injuring 25 U.S. service members. Today’s vote was the latest effort by Rep. Gaetz to protect the lives of U.S. service members and unwind the United States’ involvement in endless wars.
“The United States has had a military presence in Somalia since 1992, but it’s been a costly and mostly fruitless endeavor. Somalia is entrenched in violence and political instability that has persisted for decades, and there seems to be no end in sight.
America has a responsibility to protect its citizens and defend its interests, but Somalia is not a vital national security concern. Instead of pouring more resources into a never-ending conflict, our country should prioritize its own needs and focus on issues that directly impact our neighbors. It is time to bring our troops home and let Somalia find its own path to stability,” said Congressman Gaetz.
This afternoon, Rep. Gaetz managed the House floor debate on his Somalia War Powers Resolution. Click HERE or below to watch Rep. Gaetz’s remarks on his resolution:
It’s time to bring our troops home. Today, the House of Representatives will vote on my War Powers Resolution to remove U.S. troops from Somalia.
The future of Somalia must be determined by its people, not the United States.
We should not be engaged in nation-building in… pic.twitter.com/Bd7Ga3zeNg
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 27, 2023
