At a meeting of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Rep Brian Mast (R-FL) destroyed the committee Democrats’ political objections to President Trump’s order to take out IRGC General Soliemani (video below). He didn’t “destroy” them with a statement, but with a question: Brian Mast question
“Some people might call this rhetorical, but I’m not going to ask it as rhetorical: there’s a number of my colleagues still remaining here. I am more than willing to yield to any of my colleagues that want to answer this question: If you walk out this hallway, and you take a right, and another right, and another right, you’re going to come to several beautiful walls that have the names of our fallen service members from the war on terror. And I would ask, can any of you provide me one name on that wall that doesn’t justify killing Soleimani? I’ve got two minutes and thirty seconds. I’ll be more than happy to sit here and wait. Somebody provide me with a name on that wall that does not justify his killing”
After a few seconds of silence Chairman Elliot Engel (D-NY) said, “The gentleman may continue” And Mast answered, “I am continuing Mr. Chairman. I got 2 minutes remaining, I will sit here and wait for somebody to provide me with the name on that wall that did not justify the killing of Soleimani.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. And Engel tried to shut him down again. “Thank you, Mr. Mast, I think you’ve made your point. Mr. Phillips?”
But Mast wasn’t done and neither was his time, “Mr. Chairman, I have not yielded back my time and I still have a minute and forty-five seconds…”
Engel interrupted with, “You are disrupting these procedures. Mr. Mast”
Now Brian Mast is an American hero who served in Afghanistan and lost both his leg and a finger in an IED explosion, he is not going to be intimidated by a hack politician like Elliot Engel. Mast just continued over Engel….”of which I would like to wait for somebody to provide me with a name of somebody on our memorial wall who does not justify the killing of Soleimani.”
Engel slammed down his gavel and told Rep. Mast he was out of order. But the Florida Republican didn’t care, “I will not yield back my time. I will not yield back my time. I am not out of order. You are out of order, Mr. Chairman for reclaiming this time.”
Another Congressman who cannot be seen on the video pipes up with, “Mr. Chairman, I’ll yield a minute of my time to Mr. Mast.”
Mast thanked his colleague and sat back and waited. The CSPAN camera panned around the room and everyone looked uncomfortable, except Brian Mast. And when the time was about to run out. Mast again thanked the congressman who gave him a minute of his time and finished with, “I will note that there was no response of one time offered that did not justify the killing of Soleimani.”
Watch the video of Mast asking his question, below.–it’s a classic.
Transcript and Video from C-Span
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Brian Mast question
