Remarks delivered by Eric Patterson at Catholic University of America on Sept. 13th, 2022 on HR 1009.

We can be grateful for Congressman McNerney reminding us that force serves politics and not the other way around.

Though soldiers and military leaders are bound by Just War Tradition (JWT), members of Congress and civilian leaders are not. The passage of HR 1009, is one step toward bridging this gap. 

American thinking has often been shaped by Just War Theory, if implicitly. Last year, Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA) introduced HR 1009 that clarifies and makes explicit the American commitment to the just war tradition. 

In March of 2022, I introduced H.Res. 1009 to propose implementing structured deliberation on the most serious and grave responsibility…