House Special Rules Committee, March 16, 2026

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1. 0:16:05

   Okay, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Committee on Special Rules. Uh, we're calling up first House Resolution 1655. Uh, that is Chairman Hawkins' resolution, but Dr. Au, Representative Au, would be presenting the bill, or resolution for us. So go ahead, Dr. Au.

2. 0:16:25

   Thank you so much. This is House Resolution 1655. LC number is 461499, and I am presenting, um, for Dr. Hawkins, who has a conflict right now. So just pretend I'm Lee Hawkins, since we look identical. This is a real easy resolution. The purpose is to create a house study committee on diabetes-related amputations. Uh, I think we talked a little bit earlier in session, in fact, we passed a bill, uh, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan way, to look at the causes of limb amputation as related to diabetes.

3. 0:16:58

   We know that chronic, uh, diabetes and poor glycemic control can lead to peripheral vascular disease, and then it leads to, obviously, a huge health burden on the state, lost productivity, increased healthcare costs. So I think this is a, a worthy study committee to look at this issue given that diabetes is, um, a chronic disease that affects a lot of people in Georgia.

4. 0:17:23

   Okay, any questions from the committee members?

5. 0:17:30

   Seeing none, uh, what is the will of the committee?

6. 0:17:32

   Motion to pass.

7. 0:17:34

   Have a motion to do pass. Do I hear a second? I have a second. Any other discussion? Seeing none.

8. 0:17:43

   All in favor of House Resolution 1655, LC 461499, say aye.

9. 0:17:50

   Aye.

10. 0:17:51

    All opposed. On to Rules, Dr. Hawkins.

11. 0:17:54

    Great. Tell Dr. Haw- Dr. Hawkins, thank you.

12. 0:17:57

    Thank you very much.

13. 0:18:14

    Okay, uh, Representative Ridley, come on over to the podium. And this would be, um,

14. 0:18:23

    H.R. 1657.

15. 0:18:26

    Yes, sir.

16. 0:18:26

    Um, I know you're not Chairman Powell, but we're, you're the next thing to it, so we'll let you go ahead.

17. 0:18:32

    I got recruited last minute to be Chairman Powell. Jim?

18. 0:18:34

    Yes, sir.

19. 0:18:36

    Uh, I make a motion that we adjourn.

20. 0:18:38

    Second.

21. 0:18:42

    Make a motion to adjourn.

22. 0:18:43

    Yes, sir.

23. 0:18:45

    All right.

24. 0:18:50

    One, two, three.

25. 0:18:50

    May I ask for a roll call?

26. 0:18:52

    Okay. Hold on one second.

27. 0:19:06

    Okay, I'm not gonna recognize your motion, and we're gonna proceed on with the committee meeting.

28. 0:19:14

    Can we do that?

29. 0:19:15

    Uh.

30. 0:19:15

    We can recognize the motion.

31. 0:19:15

    Chairman don't have to recognize a motion. Okay. H.R. 1657, uh, Representative Ridley.

32. 0:19:24

    All right. Thank you, Chair. I know I'm not Chairman Powell. Recruited into this last minute. But it's just creating a study committee on the Medicaid waiver population and long-term financial administrative sus- uh, sustainability of the Medicare waiver program.

33. 0:19:40

    Okay. Any questions for Representative Ridley for s- House Resolution 1657? Okay. Number one, uh, Representative Taylor.

34. 0:19:54

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can you, um, explain the purpose of this particular resolution when we've got ... We, we, we already got the data.

35. 0:20:05

    This is-

36. 0:20:06

    We, we have the data. We know what populations and what areas are, where Medicaid is most needed and those who need to be most served. And you wanna do a, a Medicaid waiver for populations and long-term financial and administrative sustainability.

37. 0:20:19

    Yeah. Uh, to work with our state partners to see where they think Medicaid waivers and the future of the programs look in Georgia and the administrative burdens on them. We may have data on need, but we also need to look at the administrative burdens that are currently going on in the state and how to address those.

38. 0:20:32

    It's ... There's something that prompted this? Because d- is there something that el- indicates that there's financial administrative burdens?

39. 0:20:39

    I got recruited last minute to present this, so I'm not a 100% expert on Medicaid waivers. But I know Chairman Powell's been a big advocate on reducing administrative burdens across the state.

40. 0:20:48

    Uh-huh.

41. 0:20:48

    Just like we had the, uh, bill a couple weeks ago on, uh, ex- executive, uh, executive rules. He's trying to look at everything we can across the state on how to make sure the house is doing everything they can to make sure the executive agencies are acting in our best interest.

42. 0:21:03

    Yeah. Mr. Chairman, are we voting on this today or just a hearing?

43. 0:21:07

    This is a hearing only.

44. 0:21:08

    Thank you.

45. 0:21:09

    Thank you.

46. 0:21:18

    Move forward.

47. 0:21:18

    Anything else, Representative Taylor? Did you have another question? Okay.

48. 0:21:20

    No, I'm sorry. Thank you.

49. 0:21:21

    All right. Uh, Representative Campbell. Uh, I make a motion to- This is gonna be a hearing only today. Hearing only. Okay.

50. 0:21:34

    Okay, any other questions from the committee?

51. 0:21:39

    Seeing none, uh, we'll get you back the first part of the week.

52. 0:21:41

    Thank you.

53. 0:21:42

    All right.

54. 0:22:09

    Okay, uh, Representative Gullett, do you wanna come on around?

55. 0:22:25

    I have HR1583, is that correct?

56. 0:22:29

    That's correct, LC65-0048. Um, if you're ready.

57. 0:22:35

    I'm ready. Yes, sir.

58. 0:22:36

    All right. Yep. So this creates a, uh, house study committee on small business technology adoption. Uh, Georgia Chamber, um, states that 99.7% of total businesses in Georgia, um, are small businesses, and, uh, makes it a vital and necessary backbone in the Georgia economy. Um, access to new tech and innovation has been difficult for small businesses due to cash flow issues and inflation. Um, and so according to a study from the US Chamber of Commerce, eight in 10 small business owners credit technology with helping them cope with inflation and supply chain disruption.

59. 0:23:11

    Uh, and so think we're doing a great job of lever- re- leveraging our relationships with big tech, um, companies around the globe. Uh, and we should continue to look at opportunities to make our small businesses more innovative, tech driven. Um, I think that is what makes sense here today. This is what this does. It'll create a study committee to study how technology can help small businesses here in Georgia.

60. 0:23:36

    Okay. Any questions? Uh, Chairman Cheokas.

61. 0:23:40

    Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think this is an excellent example of some of the study committees that need to be formed so we can look at methods to help small business. And at the appropriate time, I would be honored to make the motion to due pass.

62. 0:23:57

    Okay. Okay, we got a couple more questions. Okay, Representative Aid- uh, is that Baker?

63. 0:24:05

    Mm-hmm.

64. 0:24:05

    Is that Representative Bake- oh, Beckles. Okay.

65. 0:24:08

    Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um.

66. 0:24:09

    Does the gentleman yield for a question?

67. 0:24:11

    Sure.

68. 0:24:13

    With this, um, technology adoption, um, committee, are you also gonna include any points around cybersecurity? With these small businesses, they don't really know much about technology and the security part of it.

69. 0:24:26

    Sure.

70. 0:24:26

    Would you also include security awareness, cybersecurity?

71. 0:24:33

    So, um, I believe there's, it's a pretty, pretty wide open. It's, it's not narrowly tailored as much how can technology help small businesses. Cyber and protecting your security assets, uh, both online and physical, um, are important to that. I don't see why that, um, couldn't be address... You know, couldn't have a meeting dis- discussing that.

72. 0:24:51

    It should be, yeah. Please, um, if you could include that part of, um, for small businesses especially. Um, I do know that, um, there are grants available for small business when it comes to technology.

73. 0:25:03

    Right.

74. 0:25:03

    So that'll be a great thing for them to be aware of as well.

75. 0:25:05

    Yeah, no, I appreciate that. Appreciate your, appreciate your expertise, uh, in the cyber space.

76. 0:25:10

    Pleasure.

77. 0:25:18

    Okay. Chairman Cheokas, uh, we'll go back to you now.

78. 0:25:21

    All right. Thank you. I move that, uh, House Resolution 1583, LC65-0048, receive the due pass designation.

79. 0:25:31

    Do I hear a second?

80. 0:25:33

    Second.

81. 0:25:33

    Second.

82. 0:25:34

    Okay. Any other discussion on behalf of the committee? Seeing none, all in favor of House Resolution 1583, LC65-0048 say, "Aye."

83. 0:25:47

    Aye.

84. 0:25:48

    Aye.

85. 0:25:48

    All opposed. On the rule.

86. 0:25:50

    Thank you so much.

87. 0:25:51

    Mm-hmm. Representative Mathiak, if you'll come on up.

88. 0:26:13

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, committee. Um, I am working off of, um, resolu- House Resolution 1474, LC52-1039.

89. 0:26:25

    Okay.

90. 0:26:27

    And what this does is, um, encourage a creation of a caucus to represent life sciences. And what they will study, or what they will, um, uh, represent, is a critical component of our state's economic growth. It's life sciences, which encompasses the studying of living organisms within our world. Um, it's a diverse field, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, um, industrial biotech, agricultural biotech.

91. 0:27:06

    Um, Georgia is the hom- home to world-class universities, so we have a lot of innovation here, global manufacturing here. And, um, this will also, um, have an advancement with therapeutics and agricultural innovation, as, and food security. So you can see that it, it is, um, widespread in life sciences on pla- Planet Earth. Um, life sciences provides high income for employment.

92. 0:27:38

    It's a diverse skill set. It's a big investment. And it w- it does have some policy making skills within it, within this caucus.

93. 0:27:51

    Okay. Seeing no questions, any questions on behalf of the committee? Oh, I'm sorry.

94. 0:27:59

    Just-

95. 0:27:59

    Uh, Representative McQueen.

96. 0:28:00

    Thank you, Chair. Just thank you for bringing this resolution. I think, um, having, always having some type of, like, science-based, evidence-based, uh- ... caucus in this space would be really good for decision-making and policy-making.

97. 0:28:15

    So thank you so much and for bringing up evidence-based science. That's so important.

98. 0:28:19

    Absolutely.

99. 0:28:20

    Thank you.

100. 0:28:20

     At the appropriate time.

101. 0:28:26

     Okay. There's a bid to appropriate time.

102. 0:28:27

     I'd like to make a motion to pass. Thank you.

103. 0:28:30

     Second.

104. 0:28:30

     I have a se- motion and a second. Any other discussion from the committee? Seeing none, uh, all in favor of House Resolution 1474, say, "I."

105. 0:28:41

     I.

106. 0:28:42

     All opposed? None. On the roll. Thank you very much.

107. 0:28:46

     Thank you, sir. Thank you, committee.

108. 0:28:52

     Okay, I'll do mine now. You want me to go here or stop there?

109. 0:28:57

     Do you want it?

110. 0:28:58

     What do you think about this chair? Can we move this one?

111. 0:29:00

     I hope we can.

112. 0:29:04

     Come on back, chair.

113. 0:29:05

     Bring the whole ballot, chair.

114. 0:29:07

     Do whatever you want.

115. 0:29:11

     Okay, Mr. Chairman, whenever you're ready, if you'll read us your LC number.

116. 0:29:14

     Okay. I have House Resolution 1608, LC56-0643. Uh, this is a resolution that would create a study committee about municipal court franchi- uh, m- n- not municipal court, municipal franchise fees for all, uh, electrical providers across the state that do charge a franchise fee. I don't know if y'all s- look at your power bill, but majority of them has a franchise fee on there, and we're looking to try to change the way the, the franchise fee is divided up between the city and the county.

117. 0:29:50

     Okay? Any, any questions?

118. 0:29:53

     I, I see one. Uh, Representative Griffin.

119. 0:29:56

     Uh, at the appropriate time, I would like to make a motion to do pass.

120. 0:30:00

     Okay.

121. 0:30:04

     Okay. Um, we have, um, someone to speak, uh, to the bill. Um, Keenan Rogers, if you'll come up. Thank you.

122. 0:30:23

     Madam Chair, member of the- members of the committee, my name's Keenan Rogers with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. Just wanna thank the chairman for bringing this, uh, resolution forward. Franchise fees is one of our members' top three legislative priorities this year, so we are in full support of this resolution, and we appreciate your favorable consideration.

123. 0:30:43

     Thank you. Um, uh, let's see. Number one-

124. 0:30:48

     Is that for me or Nick?

125. 0:30:53

     Okay. Okay. Yeah.

126. 0:30:54

     Just interested to know if any of the utility companies have pushed back. You have one here speaking in favor of the, the resolution. Have you heard anything from the utility companies?

127. 0:31:02

     We've talked to the utility companies, and they charge the franchise fee, so they don't really have a, a, I guess, a dog in the fight, so to speak. They charge a fee and, and this resolution would just determine how the s- the pie is divided up, I guess you might say. How-

128. 0:31:18

     So we're not-

129. 0:31:19

     ... between the cities and the counties.

130. 0:31:20

     Okay. If I may. We're not, we're not eliminating the fee. We're just determining how best-

131. 0:31:24

     I mean, I would be for eliminating it if we could.

132. 0:31:26

     Exactly. I mean-

133. 0:31:27

     Yes, but-

134. 0:31:27

     Yeah. Yeah, yeah

135. 0:31:28

     ... but this is gonna change the way that the pie is divided up, so to speak.

136. 0:31:31

     And how they're d- between the city and the county.

137. 0:31:33

     Yes.

138. 0:31:34

     And so I guess I'm lacking the full understanding as to what power we have to do that.

139. 0:31:41

     What power?

140. 0:31:41

     If we were, what power the legislature has to do that should this resolution come back and prove that something needs to be done differently than what's done, been happening now, what's being done now.

141. 0:31:50

     The way, the way it is now, they, they can charge up to 4% of your usage of your, uh, power at your home. Um, if you're in the city, they get charged 3%. If you're in the county, they get charged 1%, but all of the money goes to the cities. None goes to the county. Zero. The county gets none of the franchise fee. That's what we're trying to straighten out, is the, is the fact that the m- the municipalities get money from the county, and the county people get in, don't get any benefits from it.

142. 0:32:23

     Thank you. I needed that.

143. 0:32:27

     Okay.

144. 0:32:28

     Okay. Uh, Representative Griffin, back to you.

145. 0:32:31

     Um, Madam Chair, I move do pass.

146. 0:32:34

     Okay. We have a motion. Do we have a second?

147. 0:32:36

     Second.

148. 0:32:36

     Okay. All in favor, uh, say, "I."

149. 0:32:39

     I.

150. 0:32:39

     Opposed? Okay. You, it, you have passed. Thank you.

151. 0:32:44

     Congratulations. All right. Thank you. Okay. Chairman Monahan, if you'll come around to the podium. Uh, I have House Resolution 1662, is that correct?

152. 0:33:04

     That's correct.

153. 0:33:14

     And give us your LC number, please.

154. 0:33:15

     Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have House Resolution 1662, LC1123800.

155. 0:33:25

     Okay. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, this resolution does three things. First, it recognizes the leadership of President, uh, Donald J. Trump, required to confront a regime for decades that has destabilized the Middle East and committed widespread human rights abuses against its own people. Second, it commends the courage and professionalism of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who carried out extraordinarily complex missions to defend our country and to protect our allies.

156. 0:33:59

     And third, and, and perhaps most importantly, Mr. Chairman, it draws a very clear distinction between the Iranian regime and the people of Iran. For more than 40 years, the Iranian people have lived under a theocratic dictatorship That has ruled the repression and violence under the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thousands of protesters, students, ordinary citizens, have been imprisoned, tortured, or killed for demanding basic freedoms.

157. 0:34:31

     Women have been beaten or imprisoned just for showing their hair. Religious minorities, Christians, Jews, and others, have faced persecution simply for practicing their faith. These are not abstract human rights issues. These are the lived experiences of millions of people. But the Iranian people themselves are not our enemy. Iran has one of the most educated populations in the Middle East.

158. 0:35:03

     Its people have produced generations of engineers, doctors, scientists, and innovators who have contributed around the world. Many of them have long desired the same basic freedoms that we enjoy in the United States, the ability to speak freely, practice their faith, educate their children, and determine their own future. Mr. Chairman, this resolution simply acknowledges those realities. It recognizes American leadership, honors our military, condemns the brutal repression carried out by the Iranian regime, and expresses hope that the Iranian people may one day live under a government that respects human rights, liberty, and the rule of law.

159. 0:35:46

     Mr. Chairman, I respectfully ask for the committee's favorable consideration of, uh, H.R. 1662.

160. 0:35:53

     Okay. We have about three questions. Uh-

161. 0:35:56

     Absolutely

162. 0:35:56

     ... okay. Representative Mc- uh, Au, you're first, I think.

163. 0:36:03

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

164. 0:36:04

     Thank you.

165. 0:36:06

     Nice to see you.

166. 0:36:07

     Pleasure.

167. 0:36:08

     Thank you so much for your presentation. Uh, first I wanna re-extend our invitation, which is longstanding, to join our Asian-American Pacific Islander caucus, which is bipartisan. We would love to have you on board.

168. 0:36:20

     Thank you.

169. 0:36:20

     So I have a couple questions and one motion. Um, the first question is,

170. 0:36:27

     of the three branches of government, which branch is constitutionally enabled to declare war?

171. 0:36:36

     To declare war?

172. 0:36:37

     Yes.

173. 0:36:38

     Well, um, I don't think we've declared war here. I know where your question's going, uh, but I do commend them for taking action to protect our bases and our troops in, in the region.

174. 0:36:49

     As a follow-up, do you think it honors our troops in order to bypass a congressional input into this action while we obviously cherish and respect our troops and all that they are doing for us?

175. 0:37:01

     Yeah. Thank you. Look, I would say in r- just replying to you that our bases are under attack. They've been under constant attack, uh, for quite some time now in this region. So I'm thankful for President Trump's action that he took, uh, to make sure that American lives were saved, uh, that our troops were safe in those bases, uh, and that we could, uh, make sure that the, uh, spread of, you know, this, the Iranic regime through terrorist organizations around the world, uh, can be stopped.

176. 0:37:33

     I think it's important that we stop that. We got millions of people that have been impacted, uh, and just countless American lives that have been lost by-

177. 0:37:43

     ... this brutal regime, and it's time for it to end. Do you think it honors our troops to post pictures of return of troops that we've lost in this conflict in fundraising emails-

178. 0:37:59

     Well, I-

179. 0:37:59

     ... like President Trump has done?

180. 0:38:00

     I'm not sure what you're speaking about. You'd have to show that to me. But I will tell you this, I think it honors our troops to make sure that they're safe. We have a, we have a country, uh, we have a government in Iran, not a people. We have a government that is hell-bent- ... on killing Americans and destroying their own people's freedom, and I think it honors our troops. We, we've had so many die, even recently, on US military bases by either Iran themselves or their backed, uh, terrorist groups.

181. 0:38:37

     And so thank you for your questions.

182. 0:38:39

     Thanks. I just have one motion to amend, if I can go through that, since we're talking about it.

183. 0:38:43

     That's not, that's not me. That's the chairman.

184. 0:38:46

     It's not the proper time to amend. We'll get to that shortly.

185. 0:38:49

     Okay.

186. 0:38:49

     All right.

187. 0:38:49

     I will save my...

188. 0:38:51

     Okay. Uh, uh, Representative McQueen.

189. 0:38:56

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, just thinking about the scope of what's happening right now, right? So by all means, the two of the three things that you attempted to do with this, uh, resolution, I'm 100% behind, specifically commending the m- women and men in our armed forces and specifically making the distinguish between the Iranian regime and Iranian people. I think that's supremely important.

190. 0:39:23

     Thank you.

191. 0:39:23

     Howdy ever.

192. 0:39:25

     Sure.

193. 0:39:26

     Is this military... When I'm thinking about those very troops, right, and thinking about whether they're, they know what they're doing, the, the, what the, the scope of the mission, I have a question. Is this military action intended to be limited in scope, or could it expand into a broader conflict?

194. 0:39:41

     What line are you talking about in this?

195. 0:39:43

     So just in general, when we're talking about just the commending of the person at the top, right, who's actually sending the armed forces into, into, uh, conflict, w- w- i- if the s- if the, if, if we don't have a proper scope of the conflict, d- I'm, I'm concerned about actually commending, um, the person at top for sending our armed forces into this conflict without a clear scope. So do we know anything about the scope?

196. 0:40:15

     Is it limited? Could it expand into a broader conflict? What do we know?

197. 0:40:18

     Here's what we know about the scope The scope is to kill leaders of a country who have brutally murdered women, families, children, students, protesters in the streets. Now, if you have a specific line that you wanna talk about in the bill, I'm happy to discuss that with you, but I understand the scope to be this: We cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons. That's been clearly stated by the Trump administration. We cannot allow them to continue to bombard our military bases overseas, to kill American troops at random and ad nauseam.

198. 0:40:54

     And something has to give. Now, as far as I understand, there's no boots on the ground in Iran.

199. 0:41:02

     There's planes in the air.

200. 0:41:05

     I, I don't know if that's true.

201. 0:41:07

     Well, I'm commending our president, my president, who has taken the action that countless other presidents didn't do to restabilize the Middle East to, to free a people who were being oppressed.

202. 0:41:29

     Thank you for your question.

203. 0:41:32

     Oh, my mic is on.

204. 0:41:37

     Okay, Representative Baker.

205. 0:41:39

     Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. How much information did you personally review, uh, while you're praising this? Were you briefed on the threat?

206. 0:41:50

     Was I briefed? N- no, ma'am.

207. 0:41:52

     Mr. Chairman.

208. 0:41:52

     I'm, I'm, I'm of the Georgia State, uh, Legislature. I was not in the, uh-

209. 0:41:56

     Yes, sir

210. 0:41:56

     ... situation room at the time, but I-

211. 0:41:58

     Exactly

212. 0:41:58

     ... but I appreciate your confidence in me.

213. 0:42:02

     Really? Should Congress first understand that the mission and strategy before passing the resolution was effectively endorsed by the policy behind it?

214. 0:42:15

     I'm sorry. Repeat the question.

215. 0:42:17

     Did Congress have any say in this matter?

216. 0:42:20

     Yeah. As far as I understand, the Gang of Eight was, was, uh, was, they were let known. That's, that was the report, what the report came out. Uh-

217. 0:42:29

     No

218. 0:42:29

     ... you can say no. Uh, it, at this point, here's what, here's what matters, and I think this is becoming a partisan thing, and it's sad.

219. 0:42:36

     No.

220. 0:42:36

     Because for the first time, for the first time, the people of Iran are-

221. 0:42:42

     H- hold on just a minute, R- Representative Momtahan.

222. 0:42:44

     Thank you.

223. 0:42:44

     Uh, you'll get a chance to speak, but we're not gonna sit here and do, "Uh, uh, uh, I know," and all this during, while somebody else is speaking. So actually, if you wanna, if you wanna ask a question, we'll allow you to ask a question, but we're not gonna take, sit here and go, "Uh-huh, no, uh," through the whole committee meeting.

224. 0:42:59

     I did tell you your mic was to be a little bit more closer.

225. 0:43:01

     Okay, go ahead, Representative Momtahan.

226. 0:43:03

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is about human rights. This is about the freedom of a people. This is about, uh, repression and oppression by a government who's killing their women for simply letting their hair out. Let me, let me just say this. My father left Iran in 1976. Many of my family members had to flee this country. When I say many, I don't mean the, I just mean the ones who weren't killed and buried below the square in Tehran, okay?

227. 0:43:39

     That's what I mean. These people are ruthless killers. The Ayatollah is a shameless, ruthless killer who's buried many of his countrymen just for the sole purpose of maybe they showed a little too much arm, a little too much ankle, maybe let their hair out. So I find this to be a very personal issue for me, and I think we've done the right thing by taking people like them out of this world.

228. 0:44:13

     Yeah, I think it's the right thing. I think when they bomb our troops overseas, when they kill sleeping soldiers in their barracks at night with drones, yeah, I think this was the right thing to do. If it means saving soldiers' lives, then by God, I agree with it 100%, Mr. Chairman.

229. 0:44:38

     Thank you. Uh, Whip Burchett?

230. 0:44:41

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can you hear me?

231. 0:44:43

     Yes, sir.

232. 0:44:44

     All right. Uh, thank you for bringing the bill, Representative. Um, are you familiar with Osama bin Laden?

233. 0:44:50

     I am.

234. 0:44:51

     All right. Um, are you familiar with his death?

235. 0:44:55

     Yes, sir.

236. 0:44:56

     All right. Um, do you remember who the president was at the time of the strike on Osama bin Laden-

237. 0:45:02

     That would be-

238. 0:45:02

     ... in Pakistan?

239. 0:45:03

     Yes, sir. Barack Obama.

240. 0:45:04

     Barack Obama. Very good. All right. So is there anywhere in this bill that you're declaring, or this resolution, that you're declaring war?

241. 0:45:12

     No, sir.

242. 0:45:13

     All right. Is there anywhere in this bill that you're commending President Donald Trump? Because what I see about, uh, President Donald Trump is that you're recognizing the leadership of President Donald Trump, but you're commending the bravery and professionalism of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Is that correct?

243. 0:45:29

     That's correct, Mr. Whip.

244. 0:45:30

     All right. Also, um, you mentioned Ayatollah in the present tense. It should've been a was, isn't that correct?

245. 0:45:38

     You, you, you're right about that, Mr. Whip.

246. 0:45:40

     Thank you, Representative.

247. 0:45:41

     Thank you. Very good question.

248. 0:45:45

     Uh, Chairman Cheokas.

249. 0:45:46

     I, uh... Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, does the gentleman yield?

250. 0:45:52

     I yield, my friend.

251. 0:45:53

     Thank you. Thank you. I, I appreciate you bringing this resolution. And, uh, uh, such as your family represents, there are many good people of Iranian descent living in this country, and they are looking forward to being able to return safely to their family members that may still be alive. And one of them, Dr. Coody, who taught at Georgia Southwestern, was a professor and a mentor of my wife. And further, I appreciate the fact that you're d- demonstrating That we are going after terrorists.

252. 0:46:32

     That's correct.

253. 0:46:33

     And that needs to be the underlying factor. We're trying to make the world safe. So with that being said, at the appropriate time, Mr. Chairman, I would be honored to move to pass.

254. 0:46:49

     Okay, thank you, uh, Chairman Cheokas. It'll be a couple minutes. We've got two more questions. Okay, Representative Taylor.

255. 0:46:57

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Much of what you use as your justification is invalidated. That's my personal opinion.

256. 0:47:05

     Sure.

257. 0:47:06

     And much of what you described is happening right here in the United States. Can you help me understand why the focus would be so much on a foreign country and not here in America?

258. 0:47:17

     I'm not sure I follow-

259. 0:47:18

     We, we're having, we're having ICE killing people. We're having people being taken and, and just disappeared. But you're telling me that it's more important to focus and to commend a war, my terminology, my opinion, in a foreign country, rather than focus on the issues that rest right here, rest and reside, which is what I believe that Donald Trump ran on in his campaign. Can you just make me, help me understand why we're going over there and we're not staying focused here?

260. 0:47:47

     Thank you for that. So any duly elected member of the Georgia House of Representatives can bring a resolution. Is that true?

261. 0:47:54

     Yes.

262. 0:47:54

     It is.

263. 0:47:54

     Mm.

264. 0:47:55

     So I look forward to seeing your resolution.

265. 0:47:56

     But for me to support it, help me understand it for me to support it.

266. 0:48:00

     For this bill?

267. 0:48:00

     Mm-hmm.

268. 0:48:01

     This has to do with a brutal regime that has killed hundreds of Americans. It's got nothing to do with the issue that you're talking about. If you have a bill, please drop it, Representative.

269. 0:48:10

     Well, I-

270. 0:48:10

     I think that'd be fine. You can have your own bill. I won't even have to sign on to it.

271. 0:48:13

     We, there was a bill to, to also recognize and, uh, commend Barack Obama when he was the president, and it didn't go. So I'm just trying to let you help me convince me to vote to support you in this effort, in your resolution.

272. 0:48:26

     If the words on this page, and who we're commending, who we're recognizing-

273. 0:48:31

     Mm

274. 0:48:31

     ... doesn't convince you enough-

275. 0:48:34

     Mm

276. 0:48:34

     ... Representative, there ain't no chance.

277. 0:48:36

     Well-

278. 0:48:37

     Thank you

279. 0:48:37

     ... we agree to disagree.

280. 0:48:38

     Thank you.

281. 0:48:38

     Thank you, Mr. Chair.

282. 0:48:41

     Okay, Representative Baker.

283. 0:48:46

     Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sir, is it possible to support the courage and professionalism of our troops while still asking legitimate questions about the strategy and objectives of this operation?

284. 0:49:01

     Yeah. All we're doing in this resolution is commending, uh, the, or recognizing the leadership of President Donald Trump. We're commending the courage and professionalism of the United States Armed Forces, and acknowledging the killing and elimination of the authorita- the authoritarian dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. That's what we're doing. Thank you.

285. 0:49:21

     Thank you. Uh, l- Leader Efstration, is that you, or Representative Beckles?

286. 0:49:25

     It is me, yeah.

287. 0:49:25

     Okay. Representative Beckles.

288. 0:49:26

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, should we commend the courage of a person who sends our troop into conflict? You just said the goal was to kill the leader, so shouldn't we leave now?

289. 0:49:40

     I have, and I'm sorry, I, I don't follow the question.

290. 0:49:44

     You just said the goal of this was to kill the leader. We killed the leader. Will our troops leave now?

291. 0:49:51

     On line two, you'll see it says, "Acknowledging the killing and elimination of the autho- a- authoritarian dictator, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."

292. 0:49:59

     Right.

293. 0:49:59

     What's your question?

294. 0:50:01

     Can our troops leave now?

295. 0:50:04

     So I don't know that you know much about the government there.

296. 0:50:06

     You said, you said that I don't know much.

297. 0:50:11

     I don't know that you may not know much, is what I believe I said.

298. 0:50:14

     Okay.

299. 0:50:15

     So I don't know that you know very much, but I'll kind of give you some, some information. I think that's helpful. The Ayatollahs work as a nation state government. So Ayatollahs start at the very top, and they go all the way to the very bottom. There's about 1,000 Ayatollahs, uh, in Iran. And so when you say we've killed one, is that enough? No. The, the, you've got a lot of people that are supporting terrorists around this co- around this world, around this globe, and they are the number one state-sponsored terrorism worldwide.

300. 0:50:47

     And I, I am happy to know that we have taken out, uh, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thank you.

301. 0:50:56

     Okay. Uh, Rep- Representative Ballard.

302. 0:50:59

     Um, thank you, uh, Chairman Momtahan. Are you familiar with the 2001 authori- authorization for use of military force?

303. 0:51:09

     The lady knows of which she speaks.

304. 0:51:11

     Um, is it not true that, uh, President Obama and President Biden used this, uh, 2001 authoriz- authorization for use of military force in the Middle East to take out, uh, Bin Laden in the airstrikes, um, and in the Biden presidency we used that justification for bombing Syria and Yemen?

305. 0:51:35

     The lady knows of which she speaks.

306. 0:51:36

     Thank you.

307. 0:51:38

     Okay, we have, uh, three people that have signed up to speak to the bill. Uh, Representative Griffin.

308. 0:51:59

     We're gonna give, uh, everyone that signed up to speak to the bill at least three minutes, so you have three minutes, sir.

309. 0:52:10

     Well, thank you very much, uh, Mr. Chair, and I'm gonna try to run through this five-minute PC in three minutes, but I want everybody to understand something in who I am. My name is Floyd Griffin. I spent 23 years in the Army, retired as a colonel, fought in Vietnam, have served in the Pentagon, and attended the National War College, where we st- studied grand strategy. So my comments is gonna be not something I heard, but something that I have experienced But before this committee acts, we have a responsibility to understand and accept reality.

310. 0:53:00

     And the reality is this: seven, uh, well really, I think it's 13 American soldiers as of last night have lost their lives in the Middle East. More than 150 service members have been seriously injured, and tonight, today, Am- uh, American men and women continue to serve in harm's way. This is not theoretical. This is real. Across this country, some families have already received the knock on the door that every military family fears, the knock that tell them their loved ones will not be coming home.

311. 0:53:42

     I know, I, I know what that mo- moment means because during my military service as an officer, I have delivered that knock on the door. I have stood with families and told them that their son or daughter's daughter had given their life in service to this country. That is the reality of war, and I tell you, that is the hardest and the toughest thing that I had to do, to stand in front of a family.

312. 0:54:19

     When I walked up in my uniform, they knew what I was coming there for, and that was tough. And as a combat veteran and former senior officer, I have seen the consequences of decision made from the battlefield, and to today, this issue is personal to me. My grandson is serving in the Middle East right now, and I can't tell you where he's serving because it's classified, but he's there.

313. 0:54:50

     And he has, he, he represent the fourth generation of army service from my family, and all four of those generations has served in war. And whoever says that there's no war going on now, you don't know what you're talking about. And behind every deployment, there are families waiting at home, children who go to bed at night holding their mother, uh, hoping their mother or father will come home safely.

314. 0:55:24

     This is the human side of every military decision. Now, this resolution ask us to commend the courage and professionalism of the United States arm- armed forces, forces. Let me be clear. The courage and professionalism of our troops is not in question. But honoring our troops should never replace the responsibility of explaining the mission we are asking them to risk their lives to carry out.

315. 0:55:57

     The real issue before us is whether we should pass a resolution that effectively endorses military action before Congress has fully understood the mission, the, uh, uh, the objectives, and the s- and the strategy behind it. Under our Constitution, decisions that pla- uh, decisions that place American troops in harmon's way, harm's way are not meant to rest with one person alone.

316. 0:56:30

     The president serves as the commander-in-chief, but Congress also has a responsibility to be informed and engaged when military forces are used. Before military action expand, the president should fully inform Congress so that the representation of the American people understand the mission, the risk, and the objectives. Members of Congress represent families of those who serve, the parents who worry, the s- the s- the spouse who waits, and the family who pray they will never receive that knock on the door.

317. 0:57:11

     After listening to the discussion today, there are still several question this committee should consider. What is the mission? What are the objectives? What does success look like? What is the end state? Those are question every military commander must answer before committing forces into harm's way. They are also, they are also questions Congress should understand before committing the politic- the policy behind a military operation.

318. 0:57:47

     Given the seriousness of these issues and the l- lives already lost, it would be reasonable for this committee to vote no on this resolution, because those who serve in unis- uniform deserve more than our praise. They deserve the certainty that when we commit them to danger, we have fully understood the mission and the consequences of that decision. And the cost of getting it wrong is not measured in speeches or resolutions.

319. 0:58:24

     It is measured in the lives of the young Americans we send into harm's way. I ask you to vote no on this resolution.

320. 0:58:39

     That was pretty good timing. Okay, uh, Representative Wilkerson, you asked to speak to the bill also?

321. 0:58:52

     Do you want me to take it?

322. 0:58:56

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

323. 0:58:57

     Sure.

324. 0:58:57

     Um, I don't have prepared remarks, but I wanted to address the committee, and, and I want to thank each of you for, um, taking the time to look at this resolution. Uh, grew up back up in New Jersey, right outside of Fort Dix Army Base. My dad was in military, so thank you for your service. And, uh, and I tell you, being a military family, um, at the age of 40, you thought everybody walked with a limp. They all served in Vietnam. This was not about a show. This is about how do you honor those troops.

325. 0:59:33

     What we're doing today does not honor my father, does not honor other people. We want to talk about politics. We get in that well, and we talk about politics. We want to talk about democracy, and the first thing we do is ignore the rules, and then vote and bring in our hawks or whatever you want to call them. That is not democracy. My dad did not go to Vietnam. My friends did not go to Vietnam. We did not have people dying of cancer every day that I grew up with for democracy to have people come in here and preach to us about what it looks like.

326. 1:00:08

     You want to be persecuted? Think about what it was like when you go to a war and you come back and you're treated a certain way, but we still fought for our country. Think about what it was to be a father, and then you get treated a certain way when you see your son handled a certain way by someone that you were protecting. Am I emotional? Yes. But because we can have an opportunity to send a clear message, 180 votes or however many people we got in that chamber now, we can send a message to the world that we are above this. We will stand together like we did after 9/11.

327. 1:00:40

     We can do that, but we can't do it with this resolution. But if we want to play political games, go for it. But please, if you're gonna get in that well and preach about politics, and you're gonna run up in a meeting, be ready to handle that not just here, but throughout the session. Because I love all y'all, but this does not honor anybody, and if you ever had to look at somebody to watch your parent was going to die one day because of that, you have family members who have died 15 years later because of what they saw in that war. This is not a game.

328. 1:01:10

     This is not politics. This is about how do we truly honor somebody, not somebody sitting in Mar-a-Lago pushing a button and telling somebody to go. That is not honoring the troops. Remove the Trump stuff, pass it the way it is, and everybody goes home and can celebrate the fact that they are honoring their troops for the hard work they're doing and why they're protecting our country. But if we want to do this, y'all got the power. You've already shown it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield the well.

329. 1:01:35

     All right, I yield the floor. Thank you, sir. Uh, Representative Monahan.

330. 1:01:39

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just want to follow up. I know we've had... First of all, I want to tell everybody here how much we appreciate and love our troops. But I wanna, I wanna be very clear about what we're talking about. January of 2020, 109 US troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in an Iranian ballistic attack on the Ain Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq. In September of 2020, US intelligence indicated the Iranian regime was considering a plot to assassinate the US ambassador to South Africa. July of 2021, Iranian-backed militias wounded two US service members in a series of rocket and drone attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria.

331. 1:02:18

     September of 2022, an Iranian rocket attack killed an American citizen in, uh, Iraqi Kurdistan. In November of 2022, an IRGC captain orchestrated the killing of an American citizen in Baghdad. In March of 2023, an Iranian drone attack killed an American contractor and wounded five US service members and another contractor in a strike on a coalition base in Syria. October 2023, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists killed 46 Americans and kidnapped at least 12 Americans in the October 7th massacre.

332. 1:02:49

     December of 2023, Iran-backed militias wounded three US service members in an attack on Erbil Air Base in Iraq. January 2024, Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah terrorists killed three US service members and wounded more than 40 other service members in a drone attack against the Tower 22- 22 military base in Jordan. Between October 2023 and November 2024, Iran and its proxies conducted more than 180 attacks against US forces in the Middle East, wounding more than 180 US service members and killing three service members.

333. 1:03:29

     November 2024, an Iranian national and IRGC asset was charged for plotting to assassinate President Trump. June of 2025, Iran-backed militias attacked three US bases in Syria and two US bases in Iraq. Our actions are not without precedent. I commend our troops over the last decade for being in harm's way, for having to put up with a constant barrage of attacks on our people. And, uh, with that, Mr. Chairman, I will simply, uh, at the appropriate time, like to make a motion.

334. 1:04:02

     Thank you.

335. 1:04:05

     Okay, we've got a couple more questions. One more round, and we'll be done. Uh, Whip Burchett.

336. 1:04:11

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, January 28th, 2024, um, Ira- I- Iran-backed Islamic resistance in Iraq, um, performed a drone attack on, um-

337. 1:04:25

     Please come up

338. 1:04:26

     ... Army, uh, folks in, um, in Jordan, and one of those folks was from Waycross, Georgia. Um, Specialist Kennedy Sanders graduated from Ware County High School. She was killed, uh, by, um, these Iranian, uh, terrorists. And, um, that... I just, um, I just wanna make sure we say her name, Kennedy Sanders. She's a... She was a good, a good girl and a, and a great soldier, and she was, um, you know, from my district.

339. 1:04:57

     And her family's, um, now missing her because of this, uh-

340. 1:05:02

     this regime. I, I get it. Um, and listen, I, to any, any one of these members that have served in the military, I'm, I, I, I applaud you and I commend you. Um, and my father was the same. He served in Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, Freedom. And I remember having to watch him walk away and, um, not see him six months, 10 months at a time. Um, I d- I don't get why the fact that the duly elected president's name's in this resolution is a problem. I don't get that.

341. 1:05:33

     I mean, he is the president. He orders the strike. Um, and every president in the last 40 years has ordered a similar strike. And all of a sudden, because we have a resolution that is, has his name in it, the, my friends and colleagues on the other side just don't wanna support it. It has nothing to do with anything else in this bill except for Donald Trump's name's in it, and it was just, um, testified to by a gentleman in, in, in the well. Every, every word in this document says that we're commending our military men and women, and n- not commending the president, recognizing his leadership, but commending our men and women in harm's way in our armed forces.

342. 1:06:18

     And we're, the only reason that we're arguing about this, and the only reason that we're having a contentious, uh, conversation here is because the President of the United States's name, Donald J. Trump, is in this. And I, and I, I just can't get, I, I can't, I can't understand that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

343. 1:06:37

     Okay. I'm gonna take one more question. Representative Griffin, you had your button pushed first, so.

344. 1:06:44

     Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Look, yes, Donald Trump name is in there, and it should be in there. Should. But if it was gonna be in there, it should have said that Donald Trump received, uh, he, uh, inform the Congress what he was gonna do. That is a constitutional statement in, in that document.

345. 1:07:16

     And those of you who are talking about the, the deaf side of the House, in Afghanistan, the first soldier killed in Afghanistan from Georgia was in the National Guard, and that person was from Milledgeville, Georgia. My ho- my home. And the family asked my funeral home to carry out the responsibilities of that.

346. 1:07:48

     So that is touching things. Look, I have cried over soldiers who was killed in war. In Vietnam, when I was pulling them with my helicopters out of the, we, we would call them out of the bush, and when they didn't have any heads and legs and anything else. So don't come and tell me that we should just go to war without going through the process of what is in the Constitution, and that's what we should be following.

347. 1:08:25

     Okay. Uh, we're gonna go back to Chairman Cheokas.

348. 1:08:29

     Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, I would like to, uh, move that House Resolution 1662, LC 1123800 receive the due pass designation.

349. 1:08:43

     Okay. Do I hear a second?

350. 1:08:45

     Second.

351. 1:08:45

     Okay. Um, got an amendment, is that correct?

352. 1:08:50

     Right.

353. 1:08:50

     Rep- Representative Au? Okay. I've got a motion to pass and a second. Any discussion? And this is where you tell me about your amendment, okay?

354. 1:09:00

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

355. 1:09:00

     What is your amendment, and where does it go in the resolution?

356. 1:09:02

     So I think I have a workable solution here.

357. 1:09:04

     Okay.

358. 1:09:04

     Um, it seems like we agree on quite a few things, actually, in this resolution. We agree that the troops deserve our respect and deserve to be honored. We agree that the Iranian regime was evil and needed to be removed. I think out of respect to what the sponsor said, that he is worried that this is becoming a partisan thing, I think that's a perfectly, you know, fair evaluation, so let's, let's make it not a partisan thing. So this is the nature of the amendment. Line one, strike from recognizing through Trump, the first piece.

359. 1:09:41

     Second thing is lines 11 through 14, strike in its entirety.

360. 1:09:48

     Third thing is lines 47 through 51, strike between now in line 47 through resolved in line 51.

361. 1:10:01

     Okay.

362. 1:10:01

     And I think that should take care of it.

363. 1:10:03

     Okay. So you had, your, your first change was in line one to remove recognizing, is that correct?

364. 1:10:10

     Like recognizing-

365. 1:10:12

     Okay

366. 1:10:12

     ... through Trump.

367. 1:10:14

     All right. And on the second one was on?

368. 1:10:18

     Second one is lines 11 through 14, strike in its entirety.

369. 1:10:21

     Strike in entirety.

370. 1:10:22

     Mm-hmm.

371. 1:10:23

     Okay. Okay.

372. 1:10:24

     And then finally, lines 47 through 51, strike from now, which starts line 47.

373. 1:10:31

     Okay.

374. 1:10:31

     And then this is just for syntax, up until resolved.

375. 1:10:36

     Okay.

376. 1:10:36

     Or-

377. 1:10:38

     And we're gonna call it-

378. 1:10:39

     Sorry, sorry. I, let me just, so it makes sense in the, in the sentence. Strike from where it says that after, in line 47, it says, "Now therefore let it be resolved in the House of Representatives", keep that in and strike from that up until the second be it further resolved. That should make it-

379. 1:10:55

     Okay

380. 1:10:55

     ... fluent.

381. 1:10:56

     All right. We're gonna, uh, call that the Au amendment.

382. 1:11:01

     Okay.

383. 1:11:06

     Please do, uh, do, uh, have a motion for the Au amendment.

384. 1:11:10

     I make a motion that we accept the Au amendment.

385. 1:11:12

     Okay. Second. I hear a second. Second.

386. 1:11:15

     Mr. Chairman. Is there a reason that we are voting on this today and not just having a hearing?

387. 1:11:21

     We're voting on it today because we w- wanna get the resolution out and be done with it. Okay. All right. Um, we have a motion for the Au amendment, and we have a second. All right, all in favor of the a- or any other discussion on the Au amendment before we move? None? All in favor of the Au amendment say, "Aye."

388. 1:11:44

     Aye.

389. 1:11:45

     All opposed. No. Uh, let's have a show of hands for Au in favor. One, two, three, four, five, six. All right. Okay, all in, uh, with a no vote on the Au amendment, raise your hand, please.

390. 1:12:03

     Eight to five. Okay, the, uh, Au ame- movement, uh, or excuse me, the Au amendment failed eight to five. Okay, we're back to the original motion and second for due pass on House Resolution 1662, LC 1123800. All in favor of House Resolution 1662 say, "Aye."

391. 1:12:29

     Aye.

392. 1:12:29

     All opposed. No. No. I believe the ayes have it. Uh, we want a show of hands, we can do that, but I believe the ayes have it. Okay, on the rolls. Thank you, sir.

393. 1:13:27

     Thank you.

394. 1:13:29

     Meeting adjourned.