Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00REQUIRING THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEFINE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND THE MEANS OF
00:00:02ACHIEVING IT. IT REQUIRES REPORTING TO CONGRESS, AND IT
00:00:06BRINGS TRANSPARENCY. WHERE
00:00:08LITTLE HAS EXISTED OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT,
00:00:12I'M NOT INTRODUCING AN AUMF
00:00:16TODAY, BUT IF WE PASS THIS 60
00:00:17DAY MARK FROM THE START OF
00:00:21HOSTILITIES, WITH STILL A LACK OF A CREDIBLE PLAN AND INFORMATION FROM THE
00:00:24ADMINISTRATION, IT IS ONE IT IS
00:00:26SOMETHING THAT I INTEND TO
00:00:29INTRODUCE ONCE THE SENATE RECONVENES HERE. SO I WANT TO
00:00:33CLOSE BY SAYING AS PLAINLY AS I
00:00:34CAN, I STAND FIRMLY BEHIND OUR
00:00:38TROOPS. AND AS PART OF THAT, I DO NOT TAKE THEIR DEPLOYMENT
00:00:41LIGHTLY, AND I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT WE SHOULD ENGAGE IN OPEN
00:00:44ENDED MILITARY ACTION WITHOUT
00:00:47CLEAR DIRECTION OR ACCOUNTABILITY. CONGRESS HAS A
00:00:50ROLE. CONGRESS HAS TO STEP UP
00:00:53AND FULFILL THAT ROLE, THAT OBLIGATION THAT THE CONSTITUTION
00:00:56ASSIGNS TO US. WE OWE IT TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE SERVING
00:01:00OUR GREAT NATION. AND WITH THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE
00:01:03FLOOR. >> MR. PRESIDENT, TODAY THE SENATE WILL VOTE ON A SIMPLE
00:01:07QUESTION. WILL CONGRESS EMBRACE
00:01:10AN EXERCISE ITS CONSTITUTIONAL
00:01:13RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE THE
00:01:15QUESTION OF WAR? AS MADISON
00:01:22SUMMARIZED, I QUOTE THE CONSTITUTION SUPPOSES WHAT THE
00:01:24HISTORY OF ALL GOVERNMENTS
00:01:27DEMONSTRATES THAT THE EXECUTIVE IS THE BRANCH OF POWER MOST
00:01:31INTERESTED IN WAR AND MOST PRONE
00:01:33TO IT. THE CONSTITUTION HAS.
00:01:37ACCORDINGLY, WITH STUDIED CARE,
00:01:42VESTED. THE QUESTION OF WAR AND
00:01:45THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, WITH
00:01:48STUDIED CARE. THE FOUNDERS SAID
00:01:54THAT NO ONE PERSON, NOT EVEN A PRESIDENT, SHOULD BE ABLE TO
00:01:57TAKE THIS NATION TO WAR. THEY
00:02:00HAD OBSERVED THAT THROUGHOUT HISTORY, EXECUTIVES WERE
00:02:04INCLINED TO COMMIT TROOPS AND
00:02:06TREASURE TO BATTLES THAT MADE NO
00:02:10SENSE IN A GOVERNMENT BY AND FOR
00:02:13THE PEOPLE IN A DEMOCRATIC
00:02:17REPUBLIC. AND SO THEY STIPULATED
00:02:19THERE HAD TO BE A DEBATE AND A
00:02:23VOTE HERE IN THE LEGISLATIVE
00:02:26BRANCH, AN ACT OF CONGRESS, A
00:02:29DECLARATION OF WAR, OR AN
00:02:34AUTHORIZATION BY LEGISLATION FOR
00:02:34WAR AND YET, WE'VE HAD NEITHER.
00:02:42WE'VE HAD NEITHER. IN THE 1973
00:02:44WAR POWERS ACT, THERE IS A THIRD
00:02:47OPTION IT IS A CONDITION IN
00:02:51WHICH THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN
00:02:53ATTACKED, OR IS UNDER IMMINENT
00:02:56THREAT OF AN ATTACK AND SOME
00:02:59COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID THAT
00:03:01IMMINENT THREAT WAS REAL, AND
00:03:04THEREFORE, THE PRESIDENT HAS 60
00:03:07DAYS TO CONDUCT A WAR BEFORE HE IS IN VIOLATION OF THE
00:03:11CONSTITUTION. NOW, I DISAGREE.
00:03:15MANY OF US AND MANY EXPERTS
00:03:19BELIEVE NOTHING CLOSE TO AN
00:03:21IMMINENT THREAT EXISTED THAT
00:03:24JUSTIFIED THAT THIRD OPTION. THE
00:03:27PRESIDENT, HAVING 60 DAYS TO
00:03:29RESPOND WITHOUT ACTION BY
00:03:32CONGRESS. BUT COLLEAGUES ACROSS
00:03:35THE AISLE HAVE SAID WE WILL GIVE
00:03:37THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO THE PRESIDENT'S CONTENTION THAT
00:03:41THERE WAS AN IMMINENT THREAT. BUT WE WILL RECONSIDER OUR
00:03:44POSITION WHEN THE 60 DAYS HAVE
00:03:48EXPIRED. WHILE MY FRIENDS, THE
00:03:5160 DAYS EXPIRED ON MAY 1st, WE
00:03:53ARE WAY PAST THAT DEADLINE NOW.
00:03:59THE PRESIDENT HAS A NEW EXCUSE.
00:04:01HE SAYS, WELL, WE ARE NO LONGER
00:04:06CONDUCTING ACTS OF WAR. WE'RE IN
00:04:09A CEASE FIRE. BUT WHAT MATTERS
00:04:14IS THE FACTS ON THE GROUND. ARE
00:04:15WE, IN FACT, HAVE WE, IN FACT,
00:04:19SUSPENDED ALL THE ACTS OF WAR?
00:04:21NO, WE HAVE NOT. WE ARE STILL
00:04:24ENGAGED IN A DAILY BASIS. THE UNITED STATES IS STILL BLOCKADING IRANIAN PORTS. THAT
00:04:28IS AN ACT OF WAR. WE ARE STILL
00:04:30FIRING ON IRANIAN WARSHIPS AS AN ACT OF WAR. WE ARE STILL FIRING
00:04:34ON IRANIAN VESSELS. IT'S ACT OF
00:04:37WAR. IRAN IS STILL BLOCKADING THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ. IT'S ACT
00:04:41OF WAR. THEY'RE STILL FIRING ON U.S. NAVAL VESSELS. THAT IS AN
00:04:45ACT OF WAR. THEY'RE STILL ATTACKING U.S. FLAGGED TANKERS.
00:04:48IT IS AN ACT OF WAR. BOTH SIDES
00:04:50ARE ENGAGED IN A DAILY WAR, AS
00:04:54DEFINED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW. IS IT AT A SOMEWHAT LOWER LEVEL
00:04:57THAN THE BOMBING CAMPAIGN? YES.
00:04:59I WILL GRANT YOU THAT. BUT IT IS
00:05:02A WAR BY EVERY DEFINITION. IT IS
00:05:05NOT ENDED. OUR TROOPS HAVE NOT
00:05:08BEEN WITHDRAWN. SO HERE WE ARE.
00:05:10ARE WE GOING TO HONOR THAT OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION? EACH AND
00:05:13EVERY ONE OF YOU TOOK THAT OATH.
00:05:18THE CONSTITUTION IS VERY CLEAR
00:05:20WAR CAN BE CONDUCTED IN BY THE
00:05:23UNITED STATES ONLY WITH
00:05:26CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION. AND WE ARE NOW PAST THAT 60 DAYS. SO
00:05:29THAT EXCUSE, THAT REASON IS
00:05:37GONE. HOW SERIOUSLY DO YOU TAKE THE CONSTITUTION IF YOU DON'T
00:05:40TAKE IT SERIOUSLY? MAYBE YOU
00:05:43SHOULDN'T BE SERVING IN
00:05:52THIS CHAMBER. IT IS CLEAR HOW IMPORTANT THAT DEBATE IS IN THIS
00:05:56CHAMBER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
00:05:59CATASTROPHE THAT HAS UNFOLDED
00:06:02WITH THIS WAR OF CHOICE,
00:06:05CATASTROPHE UNDERMINED THE
00:06:08REFORMERS MASSIVELY STRENGTHEN
00:06:15THE HARD LINE MASSIVELY ENRICHED
00:06:21RUSSIA EXTENSIVELY. WE LIFTED THE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA. THEY
00:06:24ARE ABLE TO SELL THEIR OIL AT A WORLD PRICE, A WORLD PRICE THAT
00:06:27IS DOUBLE WHAT IT WAS BEFORE. WE
00:06:33HAVE LOST MEN AND WOMEN IN
00:06:36UNIFORM. WE HAVE HUNDRET
00:06:39ARE INJURED. WE ARE SPENDING 1
00:06:47TO $2 BILLION A DAY. AND HERE AT
00:06:49HOME, MASSIVE INCREASED COSTS
00:06:51FOR THE AMERICAN FAMILY. PEOPLE
00:06:55KEEP SAYING IT'S $4 FOR GAS,
00:06:57NOW, $1.50 HIGHER THAN IT WAS.
00:07:00WELL, IN OREGON, IT'S OVER $5.
00:07:05DIESEL IS OVER $6. THE COST TO A
00:07:08FAMILY IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR.
00:07:11AT THIS POINT IS ABOUT 2700
00:07:14ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. CASH OUT OF
00:07:16HAND, POST-TAX DOLLARS GONE. AND
00:07:22WHEN ENERGY GOES UP, EVERYTHING GOES UP. OUR AGRICULTURAL
00:07:24COMMUNITY IS LOOKING AT THE
00:07:26INCREASED COST FOR FERTILIZER ON
00:07:29TOP OF THE CHAOS OF THE TARIFFS
00:07:32AFFECTING THEIR INPUTS AND THEIR
00:07:33OUTPUTS AND THE INFLATION INDEX
00:07:39WAY UP 3.8% LAST MONTH, THE
00:07:43HIGHEST YEAR OVER YEAR IN THREE
00:07:46YEARS. AND MORE IS COMING. AND
00:07:53WE'VE UNDERMINED OUR ALLIANCES. WE SAID TO THE EUROPEANS, WE DON'T NEED YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP
00:07:56SAID. WE DO NOT NEED YOU. AND
00:07:58THEN HE SAID, PLEASE, PLEASE
00:08:02COME AND HELP. WELL, THEY SAID,
00:08:04THIS WAR YOU'VE EMBARKED ON,
00:08:09IT'S UNWISE. YOU DID NOT ASK US
00:08:12FOR HELP. YOU DID NOT CONSULT
00:08:14WITH US BEFOREHAND. THIS IS YOUR
00:08:18CHOICE. IT'S A BIG MISTAKE.
00:08:19AND, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
00:08:23PARTNER IN THIS MASSIVE
00:08:23CATASTROPHE THE URANIUM ENRICHED
00:08:29URANIUM BURIED STILL DEEP
00:08:33UNDERGROUND. THERE IS A PATH ON
00:08:35THE URANIUM QUESTION. THE PATH
00:08:37WILL LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
00:08:42IRAN WILL AGREE NOT TO ENRICH FOR FIVE YEARS OR SO. THAT WILL
00:08:44BE FACE SAVING FOR THE UNITED
00:08:47STATES OF AMERICA. BUT THEN THERE WILL BE FREE TO ENRICH TO
00:08:50A LOW LEVEL PROTECTING AND
00:08:52DEFENDING THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.
00:08:55WITH INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS AND THE ENRICHED URANIUM AT 60%,
00:08:58THERE'LL BE AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL BE MOVED TO RUSSIA OR
00:09:02SOMEWHERE ELSE THOSE THREE
00:09:07FEATURES, ALL PART OF THE JCPOA. THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS REACHED
00:09:11THROUGH DIPLOMACY RATHER THAN
00:09:17WAR, THE AGREEMENT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP TORE UP IN HIS FIRST ADMINISTRATION AND CREATED
00:09:20AN EXPANDED PATHWAY TO MORE
00:09:23ENRICHED URANIUM IN IRAN,
00:09:25BECAUSE HE TORE UP THE
00:09:28AGREEMENT. SO COSTS AT HOME
00:09:30DEATHS OF SERVICE MEMBERS COST
00:09:32THE TREASURY, UNDERMINING
00:09:37ALLIANCES, ENRICHING RUSSIA, FAILING TO RETRIEVE URANIUM.
00:09:39MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE AFTER
00:09:43MISTAKE. THAT'S WHY THE
00:09:47FOUNDERS SAID A PRESIDENT BY HIMSELF SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GO
00:09:51TO WAR, AND WROTE A
00:09:56CONSTITUTION, A CONSTITUTION THAT WE EACH HAVE PLEDGED
00:09:58OURSELVES TO. WE ARE A
00:10:01DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, NOT AN
00:10:05AUTHORITARIAN POWER. AUTHORITARIAN POWER. THE PRESIDENT OR THE CHIEF
00:10:09EXECUTIVE, THE DICTATOR, WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM, GO TO
00:10:12WAR. BUT WE HAVE A
00:10:15RESPONSIBILITY. AND TODAY WE
00:10:18WILL TEST WHETHER OR NOT WE
00:10:24HONOR THAT OATH TO THE
00:10:24CONSTITUTION. WILL WE? OPTION
00:10:29ONE HAVE WE DONE A DECLARATION
00:10:29OF WAR? WE HAVE NOT. OPTION
00:10:34>> [APPLAUSE] >> TWO, HAVE WE PASSED AN AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE? WE HAVE NOT.
00:10:37OPTION THREE. THE PRESIDENT HAS
00:10:4060 DAYS WHEN THERE'S AN
00:10:43IMMINENT THREAT. SO COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ASSERTED THAT THAT IS A LEGITIMATE OPTION, I DISAGREE,
00:10:47BUT THOSE WHO HAVE ASSERTED IT,
00:10:5060 DAYS IS UP. SO WILL YOU OR
00:10:53WILL YOU NOT HONOR YOUR
00:10:57CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY? THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT WILL BE IN THE VOTE TODAY.
00:11:01>> MR. PRESIDENT. >> I COME TO THE FLOOR HAVING
00:11:03JUST HEARD, SENATOR FROM OREGON
00:11:05WHO'S PROPOSING A RESOLUTION OF
00:11:09WAR POWERS ACT TODAY I HEARD HIM
00:11:15SAY THIS WAS ABOUT PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION. MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THE
00:11:18DEMOCRATS ARE DOING IS NOT ABOUT
00:11:20PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION. IT IS ABOUT OBSTRUCTING THE
00:11:22PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
00:11:26THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE TODAY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT
00:11:29DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO DO. MR.
00:11:32PRESIDENT, GOING BACK TO 1973,
00:11:35THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF 17
00:11:37WAR POWERS VOTES IN CONGRESS
00:11:40WHEN THE WAR POWERS BECAME LAW
00:11:43IN 1973. THERE HAVE BEEN 17
00:11:47VOTES IN 53 YEARS, 14 OF THE 17
00:11:52VOTES WERE FROM DEMOCRATS, AIMED
00:11:55SPECIFICALLY AT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
00:11:5953 YEARS, 1714 OF 17 BY THE
00:12:02DEMOCRATS, ACTIVELY GOING AFTER
00:12:08PRESIDENT TRUMP. DEMOCRATS. HERE, THEY ARE SAYING THEY'RE PROTECTING THE CONSTITUTION.
00:12:11THEY INTRODUCED ABSOLUTELY ZERO
00:12:14WAR POWERS, RESOLUTIONS UNDER
00:12:17PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND THAT WAS
00:12:19DESPITE HIS STRIKES IN LIBYA DEMOCRATS INTRODUCED ABSOLUTELY
00:12:23ZERO WAR POWERS, RESOLUTIONS
00:12:25UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN, DESPITE
00:12:27HIS ACTIONS IN SYRIA. SO WE HAVE
00:12:32LIBYA, SYRIA, THEY SAY NOTHING.
00:12:34THIS IS THE EIGHTH VOTE ON IRAN.
00:12:38THIS VERY CONGRESS. WE'VE ALSO
00:12:40HAD WAR POWERS, RESOLUTIONS, AND VOTES REGARDING CUBA AND
00:12:44VENEZUELA LET'S TALK ABOUT IRAN.
00:12:49FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, IRAN HAS
00:12:50WAGED WAR AGAINST OUR NATION.
00:12:53IRAN IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST
00:12:55LEADING SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.
00:12:58THEY REGULARLY CHANT, DEATH TO
00:13:02AMERICA. IRAN HAS MURDERED
00:13:04THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS, TENS OF
00:13:07THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS, AND HAS
00:13:09TRIED TO BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR DECADES. AMERICAN PRESIDENTS
00:13:13HAVE PLEDGED THAT IRAN WOULD NOT
00:13:14GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON. ONLY
00:13:17PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD THE COURAGE AND THE STRENGTH TO KEEP HIS
00:13:20WORD. EARLIER THIS YEAR,
00:13:23PRESIDENT TRUMP RESPONDED WITH
00:13:28MILITARY PRECISION. NOW WE'RE DEPLOYING ECONOMIC PRESSURE AS
00:13:31WELL, AND DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE
00:13:33UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP, AMERICA
00:13:36CONTINUES TO RESTORE PEACE
00:13:39THROUGH STRENGTH AROUND THE
00:13:41WORLD. TODAY, IRAN IS LOSING
00:13:43$500 MILLION A DAY IN REVENUE.
00:13:47THIS LOSS IS THE THIS IS THE.
00:13:49THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE THAT MUCH TODAY. YESTERDAY. AND THEY WILL
00:13:53AGAIN TOMORROW THAT'S THE IMPACT
00:13:56OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS DOING
00:13:59TO IRAN RIGHT NOW. IRAN'S CASH
00:14:02COW OF OIL EXPORTS HAS
00:14:05COLLAPSED. BY CONTRAST, AMERICA IS PUMPING OUT RECORD AMOUNTS OF
00:14:08OIL AND NATURAL GAS. IRAN'S
00:14:10ECONOMY IS ON LIFE SUPPORT. ITS
00:14:13LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.
00:14:1613 DAYS AGO, PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT A LETTER TO CONGRESS ABOUT
00:14:19THE CONFLICT IN IRAN. PRESIDENT
00:14:22MADE IT VERY CLEAR. CLEAR THAT
00:14:27THE MAJOR FIGHTING IS HALTED. CLEAR THAT THE AMERICAN CEASE FIRE HAS HELD FOR MORE THAN A
00:14:30MONTH, AND OUR NAVAL BLOCKADE IS
00:14:33WORKING. THIS WEEK, PRESIDENT
00:14:34TRUMP IS MEETING WITH CHINA
00:14:38OVERSEAS DEMOCRATS RIGHT HERE IN THE SENATE. WANT TO PULL THE RUG
00:14:41OUT FROM UNDER HIM. LET'S BE
00:14:46CLEAR. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
00:14:48COMPLIED WITH THE LAW. ENFORCING
00:14:50A BLOCKADE IS NOT THE SAME AS
00:14:53ACTIVE HOSTILITIES UNDER THE WAR
00:14:56POWERS ACT. THAT IS, THE ESTABLISHED AND BINDING
00:14:58PRECEDENT THAT GOVERNS THE UNITED STATES SENATE. DEMOCRATS
00:15:02DON'T SEEM TO CARE. SENATOR TIM
00:15:05KAINE OF VIRGINIA SAID IN
00:15:07JANUARY THAT THEIR GOAL. THE DEMOCRAT GOAL, HE SAID, IS TO
00:15:11FLOOD THE SENATE CALENDAR. SO
00:15:13THEY WANT TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK
00:15:17ON THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY. THE SENATE HAS NOW REJECTED EACH AND
00:15:20EVERY ONE OF THESE DEMOCRAT
00:15:23DELAYS. WE NEED TO REJECT THIS
00:15:24ONE AS WELL. WE SHOULD REJECT
00:15:28IT, BECAUSE IT'S PARTIZAN. WE SHOULD REJECT IT BECAUSE IT IS
00:15:32WRITTEN BY DEMOCRATS TO WEAKEN
00:15:34OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF, AND WE SHOULD REJECT IT BECAUSE IT
00:15:37ENCOURAGES IRAN TO DOUBT THE RESOLVE OF OUR NATION. IRAN IS
00:15:41GOING TO BE WATCHING THIS VOTE TODAY. CHINA WILL BE WATCHING
00:15:45THIS VOTE. AMERICA MUST CONTINUE
00:15:47TO SHOW STRENGTH AND RESOLVE.
00:15:51THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I YIELD THE FLOOR.
00:15:55>> I THANK THE GENTLEMAN, THE
00:15:57DISTINGUISHED CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN RELATIONS
00:15:59COMMITTEE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, FOR THE TIME I
00:16:03APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN HIGHLIGHTING THE ERROR OF REMOVING THE UNITED STATES ARMED
00:16:06FORCES FROM AN ACTION THAT WILL
00:16:09BRING AN END TO A 47 YEAR CONFLICT. MR. SPEAKER, INTRODUCING THIS PROVISION AT
00:16:13THIS POINT IN TIME REEKS OF POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP. WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS
00:16:16ADMINISTRATION ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN NEGOTIATIONS TO BRING
00:16:19THE TYRANNICAL REIGN OF IRAN, THE LARGEST STATE SPONSOR OF
00:16:23TERRORISM, WHICH THE TEXT
00:16:25INDICATES IS THE CASE TO AN END. PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON THE
00:16:28PRESIDENT BOTH UNDERCUTS THE ONGOING U.S. NEGOTIATIONS AND
00:16:32SUPPORTS THE IRANIAN REGIME. IN THEIR 47 YEAR JOURNEY. JOURNEY
00:16:36TO HOLD THE WORLD HOSTAGE WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON, AND APPROVES OF
00:16:39THE REPREHENSIBLE SLAUGHTER OF REPORTEDLY MORE THAN 30,000
00:16:43IRANIANS. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, IRAN IS ATTEMPTING TO USE THEIR
00:16:45ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO CLOSE AN INTERNATIONAL STRAIT AS LEVERAGE
00:16:48IN NEGOTIATIONS. I'M NOT SURE IF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE MISSED THE MEDIA
00:16:52REPORTING, BUT THE UNITED STATES IS NOT ENGAGED IN MILITARY
00:16:56OPERATIONS IN IRAN RIGHT NOW. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S POSITION IS
00:16:59CONSISTENT WITH PAST PRACTICES OF BOTH REPUBLICAN AND
00:17:02DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS. IN
00:17:051993, A DEMOCRAT ADMINISTRATION'S POSITION WAS
00:17:07THAT THE WAR POWERS ACT CLOCK
00:17:09ACTUALLY STOPS WHEN HOSTILITIES CEASED DUE TO THE GREAT SUCCESS
00:17:13OF OPERATION EPIC FURY. THE U.S. IS CURRENTLY POSITIONED WITH THE
00:17:16UPPER HAND, AND THIS RESOLUTION WOULD COMPLETELY TURN THE POWER
00:17:20OVER TO THE TYRANNICAL IRANIAN REGIME. THE IRANIAN REGIME IS
00:17:23THE MOST WEAKENED. IT HAS BEEN
00:17:25IN THE PAST HALF DECADE. THIS IS AN HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY. THEIR
00:17:29AIR FORCE HAS BEEN DISMANTLED. THEIR NAVY IS CURRENTLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN. THEIR
00:17:33COMMAND AND CONTROL STRUCTURES NO LONGER EXIST, AND THEIR
00:17:36WEAPONS SUPPLY ARE DEPLETED. THEY'RE OUT OF OPTIONS. THEY'VE COME TO THE END OF THEIR ROPE.
00:17:40THIS IS EVIDENT BY IRAN'S CONTINUED POSTURING. CONGRESS SHOULD BE ON THE SIDE OF THE
00:17:44UNITED STATES IN A CONFLICT WITH THE WORLD'S LARGEST STATE
00:17:47SPONSOR OF TERRORISM. IT BAFFLES ME WHY OUR DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES
00:17:50WOULD BE SO DETERMINED TO WEAKEN THE UNITED STATES NEGOTIATION
00:17:54POSITION. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR ON THE GOALS OF
00:17:56THIS MISSION TO ENSURE IRAN
00:17:59CANNOT OBTAIN A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I, FOR ONE, AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S COURAGE
00:18:03AND WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT NUMEROUS LEADERS BEFORE HIM WERE
00:18:06UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH FOR 47 YEARS. THIS RESOLUTION WILL HINDER EFFORTS TO BRING THE
00:18:10THREAT OF A POSSIBLE IRANIAN NUCLEAR WEAPON TO AN END, AND SUPPORT THE ILLEGAL IRANIAN
00:18:14CLAIM OVER THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ.
00:18:18THIS POLITICALLY CHARGED RESOLUTION DIVIDES THE U.S. IN A WAY THAT WILL HAVE IRANIAN
00:18:22LEADERSHIP CHEERING IN FAVOR OF ITS PASSAGE, BRINGING THE RESOLUTION TO THE FLOOR
00:18:25UNDERCUTS THE PRIMARY AMERICAN OBJECTIVE TO ELIMINATE THE THREAT OF A NUCLEAR ARMED IRAN
00:18:29AND SUPPORTS IRAN'S ILLEGAL
00:18:30CLAIMS ON AN INTERNATIONAL
00:18:33STRAIT THAT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTING AMERICA'S DAILY LIVES. IS THIS
00:18:37WHAT'S INTENDED BY THE SPONSORS? I HOPE NOT, IT SEEMS THAT OUR DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES ONLY EVER
00:18:40COME TO THE TABLE TO PUSH A POLITICAL POINT, VERSUS BRINGING
00:18:43REAL SOLUTIONS THAT ADVANCE AMERICAN INTERESTS. DIPLOMACY
00:18:46MUST BE BACKED BY STRENGTH. IN CONSIDERING. THIS, RESOLUTION
00:18:50SIGNALS THAT SOME CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS LACK THE POLITICAL RESOLVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. WE SHOULD SUPPORT MEASURES THAT
00:18:54ENSURE THAT ALL TOOLS OF NATIONAL POWER ARE AVAILABLE TO
00:18:57BE USED TO END THE IRANIAN
00:18:59TERROR REGIME. DEMOCRATS HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY AGREED IRAN IS AN
00:19:03EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES, SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT AT THIS
00:19:06POINT IN TIME WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE AMERICA'S STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ENSURE THE U.S.
00:19:10AND OUR ALLIES ARE OPERATING. WITH THE FULL SUPPORT OF THIS
00:19:13BODY. I THANK CHAIRMAN MASSIE FOR HIS PARTNERSHIP AND HIS LEADERSHIP, AND I YIELD THE
00:19:16BALANCE OF MY TIME RESERVE
00:19:21>> FLORIDA RESERVES. GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:19:23>> THANK YOU. I. ANOTHER
00:19:26GENTLEMAN, BUT ALLOWS HIM TO READ
00:19:29>> RESOLUTION AGAIN BECAUSE THE WORD. IMMINENT THREAT TO THE
00:19:32UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT
00:19:34IN BUT. AND LET ME ALSO SAY
00:19:41THAT, UH, I'M GOING TO YIELD
00:19:43THREE MINUTES TO THE
00:19:47DISTINGUISHED GENTLEWOMAN FROM
00:19:50MASSACHUSETTS, WHO'S ALSO THE
00:19:51DEMOCRATIC WHIP. THE
00:19:56REPRESENTATIVE, KATHERINE CLARK,
00:20:03>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. AND I THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR
00:20:06YIELDING. WE HAVE BEEN AT WAR WITH IRAN FOR TWO AND A HALF
00:20:09MONTHS. AND WHAT DO WE HAVE TO
00:20:13SHOW FOR IT? THERE'S NO VICTORY. THERE'S NO STRATEGY.
00:20:16WE STILL DON'T HAVE AN OBJECTIVE. IN FACT, THE
00:20:20PRESIDENT KEEPS SAYING THIS WAR
00:20:22IS OVER. BUT WE HAVE 50,000
00:20:27TROOPS DEPLOYED TO THE REGION.
00:20:27THE STREET IS STILL CLOSED.
00:20:31SHIPPING IS STILL BLOCKADED, AND
00:20:34NEGOTIATIONS THAT SHOULD BE
00:20:37ABOUT MAKING SURE IRAN NEVER
00:20:39GETS A NUCLEAR WEAPON ARE
00:20:42COMPLETELY STALLED OUT. AND
00:20:45MEANWHILE, EVERY SINGLE DAY,
00:20:47WORKING AMERICANS ARE PAYING THE
00:20:49PRICE. GAS PRICES HAVE SPIKED,
00:20:53HAVE SKYROCKETED THROUGH THE ROOF. UTILITY BILLS ARE GOING UP
00:20:57BECAUSE OF INCREASED SHIPPING
00:20:59COSTS. WE ARE SEEING FURTHER
00:21:01INCREASES IN THE PRICE OF FOOD,
00:21:04CLOTHES, TOYS, CAR PARTS,
00:21:07EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE
00:21:09A FAMILY NEEDS. AND THERE IS
00:21:12STILL NO END IN SIGHT. AND THERE
00:21:14WON'T BE AN END IN SIGHT UNLESS
00:21:17REPUBLICANS DECIDE TO WORK FOR
00:21:20THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND DO THEIR
00:21:22JOB. THE SINGLE FASTEST WAY TO
00:21:26BRING DOWN COSTS IS TO END THIS
00:21:28WAR. AND ONCE AGAIN, REPUBLICANS
00:21:31ARE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
00:21:33TO DO JUST THAT. ONCE AGAIN,
00:21:36THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BRING OUR SERVICE MEMBERS HOME AND END
00:21:40THIS CHAOS ONCE AGAIN. THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO SIDE WITH WORKING
00:21:44FAMILIES AND OUR TROOPS. THE
00:21:48AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER THAN THEY ARE GETTING FROM THE
00:21:51GOP. VOTE YES. SHOW THE AMERICAN
00:21:56PEOPLE YOU ARE ON THEIR SIDE. I
00:21:57YIELD BACK >> GENTLEMAN RESERVES. THE
00:22:01GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS
00:22:02RECOGNIZED RESERVE THE GENTLEMAN
00:22:06RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:22:08>> I NOW YIELD FOUR MINUTES TO MY FRIEND, THE GENTLEMAN FROM
00:22:12NEW JERSEY, THE SPONSOR OF THIS
00:22:13IMPORTANT RESOLUTION.
00:22:17REPRESENTATIVE JOSH GOTTHEIMER >> THANK YOU.
00:22:20>> MR. CHAIRMAN. MR. CHAIRMAN, I
00:22:21DON'T WANT TO BE STANDING HERE
00:22:25TODAY INTRODUCING THIS RESOLUTION, BUT I FEEL, MR. PRESIDENT, YOU'VE LEFT ME NO
00:22:29CHOICE. IT'S BEEN 74 DAYS SINCE
00:22:32THE START OF THE CONFLICT IN IRAN, AND CONGRESS STILL HASN'T
00:22:35BEEN FORMALLY BRIEFED ON THE OBJECTIVES, OUR PROGRESS, OR
00:22:38WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE. OUR NATION'S FOUNDERS WERE VERY
00:22:41CLEAR ABOUT THIS. CONGRESS HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
00:22:45UNDER ARTICLE ONE TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT. ARTICLE ONE, SECTION
00:22:48EIGHT OF THE US CONSTITUTION GRANTS CONGRESS EXCLUSIVE POWER TO DECLARE WAR, RAISE AND
00:22:52SUPPORT ARMIES, MAINTAIN A NAVY, AND MAKE RULES FOR THE MILITARY.
00:22:55WE MAY HAVE ONE COMMANDER IN CHIEF AT A TIME, WHICH I AGREE
00:22:58WITH, BUT THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS HAS A SPECIFIC
00:23:02CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SENT US TO
00:23:05WASHINGTON TO BE THEIR VOICE, THEIR EYES, AND TO HOLD THE
00:23:09GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE. THAT'S NOT A PARTISAN POSITION. THAT'S
00:23:12OUR JOB. OUR JOB AS DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. THE WAR POWER
00:23:16ACT OF 1973 ONLY AFFIRMS THAT RESPONSIBILITY, CLEARLY LAYING
00:23:19OUT IN FURTHERANCE OF CONSTITUTION, THAT THE PRESIDENT
00:23:22HAS. 60 DAYS AFTER FORMALLY INFORMING THE CONGRESS TO EITHER
00:23:25COME TO CONGRESS FOR DECLARATION OF WAR, OR AN AUTHORIZATION OF
00:23:28THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRESIDENT HAS
00:23:32DONE NEITHER. THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION MEANS TO ME. IT'S A
00:23:35CALL TO ACTION TO THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES TO DO WHAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES, AND TO
00:23:40BRIEF THE CONGRESS AND THE COUNTRY ON THE STATE OF THE
00:23:43CONFLICT, THE OBJECTIVES, THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE, AND WHAT
00:23:45LIES AHEAD. BUT LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THIS RESOLUTION
00:23:49DOESN'T MEAN TO ME. I BELIEVE THE IRANIAN REGIME MUST BE
00:23:52CRUSHED. THEY ARE THE WORLD'S
00:23:54LEADING STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR, A TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT THAT
00:23:57CHANTS THE GREAT SATAN AND DEATH
00:24:01TO AMERICA, BANKROLLS HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS, PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC
00:24:03JIHAD, AND THE HOUTHIS WHO HAVE ATTACKED OUR BASES AND HAVE
00:24:07KILLED SCORES OF AMERICANS. THE
00:24:09AYATOLLAH HAS KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEIR OWN CITIZENS
00:24:12IN IRAN, BRUTALLY. SO, JUST FOR SEEKING FREEDOM. THEY ARE AN
00:24:15ENEMY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WORK CLOSELY WITH
00:24:18OUR OTHER ADVERSARIES, INCLUDING
00:24:22RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA AND CHINA. UNLIKE SOME OF MY
00:24:24COLLEAGUES WHO OPPOSE TAKING ON
00:24:27THIS REGIME, I BELIEVE. KNOW I ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS
00:24:30A SAFER, MORE SECURE PLACE. IF
00:24:33THE IRANIAN REGIME WERE DESTROYED, THEY'VE ATTACKED
00:24:37AMERICANS AND DONE EVERYTHING TO UNDERMINE OUR FREEDOM AND OUR
00:24:39DEMOCRACY. SINCE THE 1970s. SO I
00:24:46SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION CRUSHING THE IRANIAN REGIME. I WANT TO ENSURE WE DESTROY THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAMS, THEIR
00:24:49BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM, THEIR DRONE PROGRAMS, AND THEIR
00:24:52TERRORIST PROXY PROGRAMS. BUT THAT SAID, YOU CANNOT LEAVE THE
00:24:55UNITED STATES CONGRESS IN THE DARK ANY LONGER. YOU CAN'T LEAVE
00:24:58THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE DARK. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION
00:25:03MEANS TO ME. OVERSIGHT IS A KEY CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF
00:25:06CONGRESS, AND MOMENTS LIKE THIS ARE EXACTLY WHY THE FOUNDERS
00:25:09CRAFTED A GOVERNMENT WITH SEPARATION OF POWERS. IN OTHER
00:25:12WORDS, IT WASN'T BY ACCIDENT. AND THE FEDERALIST PAPERS,
00:25:15HAMILTON AND MADISON MADE THE FOUNDERS INTENTIONS
00:25:17UNMISTAKABLE. PAPERS 23, 41, 69,
00:25:21AND 74 DELIBERATELY ENTRUST CONGRESS THE POWER TO PROVIDE
00:25:24FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE. HAMILTON SAID THAT THE DECLARING OF WAR
00:25:27WOULD BE APPERTAINED TO THE LEGISLATURE. AND YET HERE WE
00:25:30ARE, WITH NO FORMAL BRIEFINGS,
00:25:36NO FORMAL HEARINGS, NO PLANS PRESENTED ON THE CONFLICT. THE FOUNDERS WEREN'T NAIVE. THEY
00:25:39ANTICIPATED THIS VERY MOMENT. THAT'S WHY WE ULTIMATELY HAD
00:25:41THE WAR POWERS ACT OF 73. SO THE
00:25:44PRESIDENT COULDN'T GO IT ALONE. ARTICLE ONE SAYS HE MUST COME
00:25:47HERE TO AUTHORIZE OR DECLARE WAR. UNDER THE WAR POWERS ACT,
00:25:51HE'S PROHIBITED FROM KEEPING ARMED FORCES ENGAGED IN A CONFLICT FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS
00:25:55WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. BUT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT
00:25:57GIVEN REAL BRIEFINGS ON THE IRAN CONFLICT TO THE INTELLIGENCE
00:26:00COMMITTEE OR THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, OR THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES. FORMAL BRIEFINGS
00:26:04RELATED TO THIS CONFLICT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S OFTEN THAT
00:26:07I'VE GOTTEN MORE INFORMATION, LIKE A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, FROM PAPERS LIKE THE NEW
00:26:10YORK TIMES. THAT'S ABSURD.
00:26:13YESTERDAY ALONE, I LEARNED FROM THE TIMES THAT THE IRAN
00:26:17MAINTAINED 70% OF ITS PRE-WAR MISSILE STOCKPILE. DESPITE OUR
00:26:21MILITARY ACTIONS. I LEARNED, I READ AT LEAST, THAT THE TIMES THAT IRAN HAS, AND THE TIMES
00:26:24THAT IRAN HAS RESTORED OPERATIONAL ACCESS TO 30 OF 33
00:26:27MISSILE SITES, IT MAINTAINS ALONG THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ,
00:26:30WOULD YOU YIELD ANOTHER >> [APPLAUSE] >> MINUTE?
00:26:33>> ANOTHER MINUTE? >> THANK YOU. RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.
00:26:37>> BY THE WAY, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY IF THAT'S TRUE OR FALSE, BUT CONGRESS IS GETTING BRIEFED,
00:26:40SO I WOULDN'T KNOW IF THAT'S
00:26:44TRUE OR FALSE. THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME. THAT'S NOT HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. IT
00:26:48STANDS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATIONS AND
00:26:51TO THE PRECEDENT FOR HOW OTHER ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE TREATED
00:26:55CONGRESS DURING A MILITARY CAMPAIGN OF THIS SIZE AND DURATION. AND IF SOME HAVEN'T,
00:26:57THEN, BY THE WAY, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ACCEPTED THAT EITHER. PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. SOME
00:27:00HAVE COME TO CONGRESS WITHIN 60 DAYS TO MAKE THE CASE FOR THEIR
00:27:04ACTIONS. AFTER STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN BACKED MILITIA GROUPS IN
00:27:07IRAQ AND SYRIA IN 2021, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED CONGRESS AND SENT A FORMAL
00:27:10LETTER EXPLAINING THEIR LEGAL
00:27:12JUSTIFICATIONS UNDER AN EXISTING CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY. IN
00:27:162003, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE BRIEFINGS TO
00:27:18CONGRESS AND WAS GRANTED CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION
00:27:22MONTHS BEFORE THE INVASION AND AFTER IRAQ INVADED KUWAIT IN
00:27:241990, GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S
00:27:27ADMINISTRATION REGULARLY BRIEFED THE CONGRESS BEFORE U.S. COMBAT BEGAN, THE ADMINISTRATION
00:27:30>> CONSULTED CONGRESS EXTENSIVELY AND SOUGHT
00:27:33AUTHORIZATION TO USE MILITARY FORCE. AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO BRING THIS RESOLUTION TO
00:27:37THE FLOOR. I HAD HOPED THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD HAVE CHANGED THEIR COURSE AFTER I
00:27:40INTRODUCED IT, AND PROPERLY BRIEFED THE CONGRESS AND THE
00:27:43COUNTRY. I YIELD 30 MORE SECONDS.
00:27:46>> 30s >> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR 30s. >> PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF. ABOUT
00:27:50THE GOALS, ABOUT THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ. ABOUT $5 GAS, ABOUT WHAT A WIN LOOKS LIKE FOR AMERICA.
00:27:54MAKE NO MISTAKE, MY RESOLUTION EXPLICITLY GRANTS US THE ABILITY
00:27:57TO MAINTAIN A PRESENCE IN THE REGION TO RESPOND TO ANY IRANIAN
00:27:59AGGRESSION THAT PLACES AMERICANS OR ALLIES IN DANGER, AND TO
00:28:02SAFELY REMOVE OUR TROOPS. AND IF THE PRESIDENT COMES TO SEEK AUTHORIZATION WITH A PROPER
00:28:06BRIEFING, I WOULD DO MY JOB AND CONSIDER IT LIKE WE ALL SHOULD.
00:28:10SO THIS VOTE ISN'T WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD CRUSH THE IRANIAN REGIME. IT'S A MESSAGE TO THE
00:28:13PRESIDENT AND HIS ADMINISTRATION TO BRIEF THE CONGRESS AND THE
00:28:16COUNTRY. THE PEOPLE ELECTED US TO DO THIS JOB. MR. PRESIDENT,
00:28:19COME TO US. MAKE YOUR CASE. LAY OUT YOUR PLAN. LET US DO OUR
00:28:23JOB. AS A GENTLEMAN'S. >> TIME HAS. >> EXPIRED OF GOVERNMENT. THIS
00:28:27IS. >> 30s. >> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED FOR
00:28:3130 MORE SECONDS. >> MAY I ASK, MR. PRESIDENT, IS BRIEF. THE APPROPRIATE
00:28:33COMMITTEES AND DO SO REGULARLY. LAY OUT THE PLAN. LET US DO OUR
00:28:36JOB AS A CO-EQUAL BRANCH OF THE
00:28:39GOVERNMENT. THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO. AGAIN, AS I
00:28:42SAID, I BELIEVE THE IRANIAN REGIME SHOULD BE CRUSHED. IT'S
00:28:45NOT A QUESTION OF THAT. IT'S A QUESTION ABOUT MAKING SURE WE
00:28:48CAN DO WHAT WE MUST DO AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THIS BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU SO
00:28:52MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN. I YIELD. >> GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK
00:28:56RESERVES. GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED. >> I'M PLEASED TO YIELD 30 MORE
00:28:59SECONDS TO REPRESENTATIVE GOTTHEIMER. TELL US IF IRAN IS
00:29:01AN IMMINENT THREAT.
00:29:05>> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED. >> I BELIEVE. MR.. MR.. MASSIE
00:29:08THAT IF THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE
00:29:11THE. ABLE TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO AND
00:29:14CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM AND THEIR DRONE
00:29:17PROGRAM, THAT I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE THREAT THEY
00:29:19PRESENT TO THE UNITED STATES AND
00:29:24TO OUR ALLIES IN THE REGION. >> I'M HAPPY TO YIELD YOU MORE TIME. IS THAT AN IMMINENT THREAT?
00:29:27>> THANK YOU. I MEAN, IT DEPENDS HOW YOU DEFINE THAT. I THINK DEPENDING ON WHERE.
00:29:30>> HAVE A COLLOQUY, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO NOT SAY YIELD ANY TIME. >> I'M JUST SAYING SORRY. I
00:29:34YIELD. NO, I'M JUST SAYING
00:29:36THAT, THAT IF UM, IF THEY RIGHT
00:29:39NOW ARE ABLE TO. AND THESE ARE, THESE ARE KIND OF QUESTIONS I HAVE THAT I'M NOT GETTING
00:29:43BRIEFED ON, THAT THESE ARE THE
00:29:44QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY ARE AND SOME OF
00:29:48THEIR PROGRAM CAPABILITIES. UM, TO BE ABLE TO RIGHT NOW THREATEN OUR COUNTRY. THAT'S, THAT'S KIND
00:29:52OF, THAT'S PART OF THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, BUT I, BUT I THINK
00:29:55YOU AND I ARE IN AGREEMENT, SIR. UM, THAT THEY ARE CLEARLY A
00:29:58THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. >> ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M HAPPY TO
00:30:02LET YOU CONTINUE THE DIALOG IF YOU WANT. I'M NOT GOING TO CUT YOU OFF IF YOU WANT.
00:30:06>> THANK YOU. I YIELD, AND THANK YOU, SIR. >> I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY
00:30:09THAT. THANK YOU. BECAUSE IRAN IS AN IMMINENT THREAT AGAINST US.
00:30:12UH, I APPRECIATE THE REPRESENTATIVE GOTTHEIMER
00:30:16DIALOGING WITH ME FOR A MOMENT. I WILL GIVE ANOTHER QUOTE THAT
00:30:19YOU'VE OFFERED ON IRAN'S SOLE
00:30:22OBJECTIVE IS TO WREAK HAVOC,
00:30:26CREATE VIOLENCE, CAUSE
00:30:29INSTABILITY, AND COWARDLY
00:30:32MURDER. U.S. SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN PROTECTING OUR WAY OF
00:30:36LIFE. THAT'S A QUOTE FROM MY COLLEAGUE OVER THERE. THAT'S AN
00:30:40OUTLINE. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING
00:30:43THAT HE SAID. THAT'S AN OUTLINE
00:30:46OF AN IMMINENT THREAT, AS WELL AS THE, THE WHEREAS THINGS THAT
00:30:49WERE ADDED INTO THIS BILL, IT IS AN OUTLINE, AN INDICTMENT OF AN
00:30:53IMMINENT THREAT. IRAN IS AN IMMINENT THREAT AGAINST US. IT
00:30:57LOOKS LIKE YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONTINUE TO DIALOG.
00:30:58>> I'M SORRY. AFTER YOU'RE DONE, SIR.
00:31:02>> IRAN IS AN IMMINENT THREAT.
00:31:04THE IMMINENT THREAT THAT'S BEEN
00:31:06GOING ON AGAINST US. I'LL
00:31:09OUTLINE SOME MORE OF IT AND THIS RELATES TO THE STRAITS OF
00:31:13HORMUZ, NOT BECAUSE OF THE
00:31:17COMBAT ACTIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, BUT JUST BECAUSE IRAN IS
00:31:20AN IMMINENT THREAT AND WHAT
00:31:22THEY'VE BEEN DOING CAPTURED
00:31:27SAILORS AND TWO BOATS, IRGC,
00:31:29FOUR PATROL BOATS FROM IRAN'S
00:31:33IRGC ATTACKING USS NIETZSCHE
00:31:40INVINCIBLE FORCED TO CHANGE
00:31:43COURSE BECAUSE IRGC FAST ATTACK
00:31:46CRAFTS TRY TO RUN INTO IT. THESE
00:31:48ARE ALL SEPARATE INCIDENTS. IRGC
00:31:51VESSEL ATTACKS, USS THUNDERBOLT
00:31:53IN PERSIAN GULF. UNARMED IRANIAN
00:32:00DRONE FLIES TO USS NIMITZ AS FIGHTER JETS LANDING AT NIGHT.
00:32:03IRGC NAVAL PERSONNEL PLACE AND
00:32:05DETONATE LIMPET MINES ON TWO
00:32:09SAUDI ONE. UAE ONE NORWEGIAN
00:32:11REGISTERED SHIP, ALL HARBORED IN
00:32:15UAE. THESE ARE GOING BACK YEARS.
00:32:17IRGC NAVAL PERSONNEL PLACE AND
00:32:20DETONATE LIMPET MINES ON JAPANESE SHIP AND NORWEGIAN
00:32:24OWNED SHIPS TRANSITING THE GULF OF OMAN. THIS IS, AGAIN, JUST
00:32:27GOING BACK IN HISTORY. IRGC
00:32:29PERSONNEL DEPLOY SURFACE TO AIR
00:32:32MISSILES TO SHOOT DOWN U.S. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OPERATING OVER
00:32:35INTERNATIONAL WATERS. IRGC,
00:32:37NAVY, SEALS, NAVY SEALS, BRITISH
00:32:40FLAGS, AND SWEDISH OWNED STENA
00:32:43IMPERO TANKER. WHILE IT WAS TRANSITIONING THE STRAITS OF
00:32:46HORMUZ. IRAN ATTEMPTS TO STOP
00:32:49BRITISH TANKER BRITISH HERITAGE
00:32:51AND SIX U.S. NAVY SHIPS ATTACKED
00:32:55BY IRANIAN SHIPS. IRGC NAVY
00:32:59FORCIBLY BOARD AND DETAINED HONG KONG FLAGGED SC TAIPEI, AN OIL
00:33:03TANKER IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS.
00:33:0611 IRGC NAVY SMALL BOATS DISRUPT FIVE ATTACK. FIVE U.S. NAVY
00:33:09VESSELS CONDUCTING ROUTINE
00:33:12EXERCISES. I PAGES OF THESE. I
00:33:14CAN GO ON YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER
00:33:17YEAR. I HAVE AT LEAST ONE
00:33:18COLLEAGUE OVER HERE THAT'S WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
00:33:22IMMINENT THREAT THAT THEY ARE,
00:33:23WHAT IT IS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
00:33:27DOING FOR LONG STANDING WITH THE
00:33:29STRAITS OF HORMUZ DID YOU WANT
00:33:35TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION?
00:33:37>> SURE. I DON'T, YEAH, IF YOU YIELD.
00:33:40>> I'M HAPPY TO. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I
00:33:42DON'T BY THE WAY, I COMPLETELY
00:33:46AGREE WITH YOUR OUTLINE OF, OF THE THREATS THAT IRAN POSES. AND I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT
00:33:49THAT. I THINK THEY PRESENT A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO OUR
00:33:52COUNTRY. THE REGIME THERE, WHICH IS WHY THEY NEED TO BE CRUSHED.
00:33:56UM, MY BROADER POINT AND I QUESTION, I GUESS I WOULD HAVE
00:33:59FOR YOU, UM, IS DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE ARE BEING THAT THE
00:34:03CONGRESS IS BEING APPROPRIATELY
00:34:06BRIEFED AND KEPT UP TO UP TO SPEED WITH, YOU KNOW, AND
00:34:09BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY FUNDAMENTALLY MY, MY CHALLENGE
00:34:13RIGHT NOW IS I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION. AND I'M ON THE INTELLIGENCE
00:34:16COMMITTEE, DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION
00:34:19THAT WE SHOULD BE GETTING AS A CO-EQUAL BRANCH TO MAKE SURE
00:34:21THAT WE, WE CAN DO OUR JOBS. >> I'M GLAD YOU ASKED. >> THANKS.
00:34:25>> MY OPINION IS, YES, BOTH BY
00:34:29THE CONTENT OF WHAT IT IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TOLD ME
00:34:32IN WHETHER IT'S FULL HOUSE, CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS WITH THE
00:34:35SECRETARY OF WAR, THE SECRETARY OF STATE, GENERAL KAINE,
00:34:39DIRECTOR OF THE CIA, JOHN
00:34:40RATCLIFFE. WHETHER IT'S IN, YOU
00:34:46KNOW, EXPANDED GANG OF EIGHT MEETINGS THAT THE THAT THE RANKING MEMBER, MEEKS AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN A PART OF NUMEROUS OF
00:34:50THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER BRIEFINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, I HAVE NOT HAD, I DON'T KNOW HOW
00:34:54MANY BRIEFINGS IT IS THAT YOU HAVE HAD AS A PART OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, BUT I'M
00:34:57TRACKING IT, AT LEAST 30
00:35:02SEPARATE BRIEFINGS. AND. ABSOLUTELY, I AM SATISFIED WITH THE CONTENT OF WHICH I'M GIVEN
00:35:05ON ANY GIVEN DAY. WOULD I LOVE
00:35:10TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN A TACTICAL OPERATION CENTER, A TALK, YOU
00:35:13KNOW, AS WE CALL IT, IN THE MILITARY, OF WHAT'S GOING ON? I
00:35:15WOULD LOVE TO STILL BE AN
00:35:19OPERATOR INSIDE OF A TALK, YOU KNOW, WATCHING ISR FOOTAGE OF EXACTLY EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING
00:35:22ON. BUT THAT'S NOT THE LATITUDE THAT WE HAVE TO SIT INSIDE OF
00:35:25THOSE TALKS AND OBSERVE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. BUT I AM SATISFIED.
00:35:29>> NO, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE BRIEFED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HAVE, UH, WE
00:35:33ALL ARE. 30, AT LEAST 30. I'M
00:35:37SORRY. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU HAVE. THANK YOU FOR YIELDING. I THINK YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW,
00:35:40INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. UM, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE
00:35:44GETTING THOSE BRIEFINGS. THE CHALLENGE IS, AT LEAST FROM MY
00:35:48COLLEAGUES PERSPECTIVE, AND ME SITS ON THE COMMITTEE, WE'VE NOT
00:35:51BEEN GETTING THOSE BRIEFINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE
00:35:55RAISING A FLAG ABOUT. AND, I MEAN, I WOULD ASK, UH, CHAIRMAN
00:35:58MEEKS THE SAME QUESTION, BUT. BUT THAT'S BEEN JUST SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE REAL FRUSTRATION,
00:36:02BECAUSE I'M WITH YOU, THAT WE SHOULD CRUSH IRAN. RIGHT? I HEARD YOU SAY IT. I'M WITH YOU.
00:36:05AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE
00:36:08IN THAT PROCESS. AND, AND, YOU
00:36:11KNOW, TO ACTUALLY GET THE APPROPRIATE UPDATES ON WHAT'S
00:36:13GOING ON SO THAT I CAN DO MY JOB. AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY
00:36:17WHAT THIS IS ABOUT FOR ME. AND I YIELD. >> I APPRECIATE THE COLLOQUY. I'M GOING TO RESERVE.
00:36:20>> THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN. >> THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO RESERVE UNTIL THE RANKING MEMBER
00:36:24IS READY TO CLOSE. >> GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA
00:36:28RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:36:31>> I WILL YIELD TWO MINUTES TO
00:36:33THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS. REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTIAN
00:36:37MENEFEE. >> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MY
00:36:40COLLEAGUE FROM NEW YORK. MR. SPEAKER, I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT
00:36:43OF THIS RESOLUTION TO BRING AN END TO THE PRESIDENT'S WAR IN
00:36:46IRAN. THIS ADMINISTRATION STARTED A WAR THAT THE AMERICAN
00:36:49PEOPLE NEVER ASKED FOR. A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OPPOSE IT
00:36:53IN EVERY SINGLE DAY. AMERICANS ARE PAYING FOR IT. BEFORE THIS
00:36:57WAR STARTED, GAS IN HOUSTON COST
00:36:58ABOUT $3 A GALLON. TODAY, IT
00:37:02COSTS OVER $4 A GALLON. THAT IS
00:37:03THE LARGEST TWO MONTH GAS PRICE
00:37:06SPIKE IN THE RECORDED HISTORY OF
00:37:08HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. THE
00:37:12AVERAGE HOUSTON FAMILY IS PAYING
00:37:13$100 MORE EVERY SINGLE MONTH
00:37:18JUST TO FILL THEIR TANKS. THIS ADMINISTRATION TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD PUT AMERICA FIRST.
00:37:21INSTEAD, THEY HAVE PUT AMERICANS. OUR SERVICE PERSONS,
00:37:25AND OUR WALLETS. LAST, THIS
00:37:29ADMINISTRATION HAS BLOWN UP THE GLOBAL MARKETS. PEOPLE ARE
00:37:33PAYING MORE FOR GROCERIES. BUSINESSES ARE PAYING MORE FOR
00:37:36SUPPLIES, AND PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO GET BY. THAT MUCH
00:37:40MORE BECAUSE OF THIS PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS. AND THE
00:37:42EXPERTS SAY PRICES WILL FALL
00:37:44SLOWER THAN THEY ROSE. EVEN IF
00:37:47THIS WAR ENDS TODAY. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DID NOT ASK FOR THIS WAR. IT WAS FORCED UPON
00:37:51THEM. AND CONGRESS MUST FORCE IT
00:37:55TO END. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS WAR. POWERS
00:37:58RESOLUTION. WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF
00:38:01CONVERSATION ABOUT IMMINENCE HERE TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION BEFORE US. THE QUESTION
00:38:04BEFORE US IS, WHO HAS THE POWER
00:38:06TO DECLARE WAR? AND THAT IS THE
00:38:08UNITED STATES CONGRESS. WE'VE SEEN THIS PRESIDENT HAPHAZARDLY
00:38:12BRING US INTO A DISPUTE OVERSEAS, RESULTING IN THE
00:38:15DEATHS OF 13 U.S. SERVICE
00:38:17PERSONS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
00:38:20CONDUCTING FOREIGN POLICY OVER TRUTH SOCIAL, SAYING THAT HE'S
00:38:24GOING TO ANNIHILATE AN ENTIRE CIVILIZATION. I DON'T CARE WHAT
00:38:27YOUR FEELINGS ARE ABOUT ANY
00:38:30NATION. THIS COUNTRY OPERATES BY CONSTITUTION, AND THE PRESIDENT
00:38:33MUST FOLLOW IT THE SAME WAY AS ANYBODY ELSE. I URGE MY
00:38:35COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS WAR
00:38:37POWERS RESOLUTION, AND I YIELD BACK. >> GENTLEMAN RESERVES, DOES THE
00:38:40GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA STILL RESERVE? RESERVE. GENTLEMAN FROM
00:38:44FLORIDA STILL RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:38:47>> PREPARED TO CLOSE.
00:38:51>> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED. >> BASED UPON THE ARGUMENT, I.
00:38:53YOU KNOW, HEARD THE PRESIDENT
00:38:56SAY JUST A FEW MONTHS PRIOR.
00:39:01THAT HE OBLITERATED ALL OF
00:39:07IRAN'S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES AND
00:39:12SO THE QUESTION IS, WELL, COME BACK TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND TELL US YOU DID
00:39:15NOT. AND HERE'S THE REASONS >> [APPLAUSE]
00:39:18>> WHY THEY'RE STILL HAVE WHAT
00:39:21THEY HAVE. AND IT IS IMMINENT.
00:39:25FROM MY DEFINITION OF IMMINENT,
00:39:26THAT THEY WILL UTILIZE IT
00:39:29AGAINST US SOON. BUT FROM ALL OF
00:39:34THE EVIDENCE THAT I HAVE SEEN.
00:39:41NOT DONE SO. AND I DON'T KNOW
00:39:45WHAT 30 MEETINGS OR CLASSIFIED HEARINGS THAT HE'S HAD. THE
00:39:48CHAIRMAN.
00:39:58CONGRESS AND ONE WITH THE GANG
00:39:59OF 16 OR 18 OR WHATEVER WE CALL.
00:40:02SO WHAT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S
00:40:07CLEAR BY TODAY'S DEBATE THAT MY
00:40:11REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES SIMPLY CANNOT DEFEND THIS COSTLY AND
00:40:15MASSIVELY UNPOPULAR WAR. I'VE
00:40:18NOT HEARD ONE TIME ANYONE TALK
00:40:22ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS WAR HOW MUCH
00:40:24IT'S COSTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
00:40:27WHAT I HAVE HEARD, AND WE DO
00:40:29KNOW WHAT THE PRESIDENT THINKS,
00:40:34HIM. THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE
00:40:37DOESN'T CARE. HE DOESN'T EVEN
00:40:41THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT COST AMERICANS. HE SAYS, I
00:40:44DON'T THINK ABOUT AMERICAN
00:40:46FINANCIAL SITUATION, AND I
00:40:50DON'T THINK ABOUT ANYBODY PROBABLY INCLUDING THE CONGRESS.
00:40:52WILL SOMEBODY TO. HE DOESN'T
00:40:57THINK ABOUT US. MY COLLEAGUES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A
00:41:00CASE THAT AMERICANS ARE BETTER
00:41:02OFF NOW THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
00:41:08THIS RECKLESS WAR. WE'RE WORSE OFF NOW. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS
00:41:11CLOSED. WE'RE LOSING ALLIES MY
00:41:16COLLEAGUES, THEY CANNOT
00:41:20DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS WAR HAS NEUTRALIZED IRAN'S MOST
00:41:23SIGNIFICANT THREATS. THEY'RE
00:41:28SAYING. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING. NOR HAVE THEY PUT US IN
00:41:32A POSITION TO GUARANTEE A BETTER
00:41:37NUCLEAR DEAL THAN WE HAD BEFORE,
00:41:38OF WHICH DONALD J. TRUMP RIPPED
00:41:43OFF. BECAUSE THIS IS AN
00:41:47UNAUTHORIZED WAR. AND THIS WAR
00:41:50HAS INSTEAD USHERED IN A NEW, A
00:41:52YOUNGER AND MORE EXTREME
00:41:56AYATOLLAH. THAT'S A FACT. IT HAS
00:42:02WEAPONIZED THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
00:42:05SEVERELY DAMAGING THE GLOBAL
00:42:07ECONOMY AS WELL AS EVERY DAY.
00:42:11AMERICAN CHECKBOOKS. THAT IS A
00:42:13FACT. IF YOU DENY THAT, SAY THAT
00:42:16TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. ASK THEM
00:42:19WHEN YOU GO HOME. AS THIS WAR
00:42:24GRINDS ON, THE COST AT THE COST
00:42:27OF $1 BILLION A DAY. THE UNITED
00:42:34STATES MUST GLOBAL CHALLENGES,
00:42:37WITH SIGNIFICANTLY DEPLETED
00:42:41MUNITION STOCKPILES AND SETS
00:42:45BACK SETBACKS TO OUR MILITARY
00:42:47READINESS THE FACT IS, THIS WAR
00:42:55HAS BEEN A MISTAKE FROM THE
00:42:59START. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ENDED
00:43:04ONE FOREVER. WAR IN THE MIDDLE
00:43:08EAST. THEY DON'T WANT ANOTHER.
00:43:10IN FACT, MANY OF PRESIDENT
00:43:13TRUMP'S MAGA FRIENDS. WHY THEY VOTED FOR HIM? BECAUSE HE SAID
00:43:17HE WOULD NOT GET INTO ANOTHER
00:43:19ONE. AND THAT'S WHY YOU HEAR
00:43:23SOME OF HIS FRIENDS AND MANY
00:43:27REPUBLICANS NOW ANGRY WITH HIM.
00:43:31WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANT. THEY
00:43:35WANT AFFORDABILITY, CRISES
00:43:38ADDRESS. THEY WANT GOOD JOBS.
00:43:42THEY WANT GOOD HEALTH CARE
00:43:47INSTEAD, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS
00:43:50STARTED A WAR THAT HAS THAT HAS
00:43:52SKYROCKETED EVERYTHING FROM
00:43:56GASOLINE TO GROCERIES, MY
00:44:01COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE, IT
00:44:05IS PAST TIME THAT WE DO OUR JOB.
00:44:08THAT'S ALL. MR.. GOTTHEIMER WAS
00:44:09SAYING, DO OUR JOB. WE DECLARE
00:44:17NOT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. IT IS
00:44:20TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT TO COME
00:44:22TO US, AND IT'S TIME FOR US I
00:44:32BELIEVE, TO END THIS WAR
00:44:40EVERYONE IS ASKING ME, HOW IS IT
00:44:40GOING TO END WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
00:44:44TO NEGOTIATE OUR WAY OUT OF
00:44:47THIS, BECAUSE CLEARLY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BOMB OUR WAY
00:44:51OUT OF THIS. IT'S NOT GOING TO
00:44:54MAKE US SAFE. AS WE SEE WHAT'S
00:44:57TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW IT'S TIME
00:45:00FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,
00:45:05REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, AND
00:45:06THOSE WHO ARE INDEPENDENT TO
00:45:10SAY, OKAY, MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU
00:45:12HAVE PROOF OF SOMETHING, COME ,
00:45:20AND WE WILL THEN DECIDE. THAT'S
00:45:25WHAT THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS. >> WELL, EARLIER TODAY, TRUMP
00:45:28SAID THAT HE WAS JUST AN HOUR
00:45:31AWAY FROM LAUNCHING ANOTHER WAVE OF ATTACKS ON IRAN BEFORE HE
00:45:34CHANGED HIS MIND. TRUMP SAYS WE
00:45:38MAY HAVE TO GIVE IRAN ANOTHER
00:45:41BIG HIT. THAT WE'RE ALL SET TO
00:45:44START BOMBING AT A MOMENT'S
00:45:46NOTICE. THIS PRESIDENT IS LIKE A
00:45:49TODDLER PLAYING WITH A LOADED
00:45:51GUN. IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME TO
00:45:54SUPPORT OUR WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TO WITHDRAW TROOPS
00:45:56FROM HOSTILITIES WITH IRAN,
00:45:59IT'S NOW. WE HAVE LONG SINCE
00:46:02PASSED THE WAR POWERS ACT 60 DAY
00:46:04THRESHOLD TO END HOSTILITIES THAT MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES
00:46:08CITED AS THE TIME. THEIR POSITION ON THIS WAR WOULD
00:46:12FINALLY CHANGE EVERY SECOND WE
00:46:15WAIT TO END THIS WAR IS ANOTHER
00:46:19SECOND. DONALD TRUMP PUTS OUR
00:46:22SERVICE MEMBERS AT RISK. IF REPUBLICANS TRULY BELIEVE THAT
00:46:25THIS WAR IS GOING WELL, THAT
00:46:28TRUMP IS SOME STRATEGIC GENIUS,
00:46:30THEN WHY ARE THEY HIDING BEHIND
00:46:32SHIFTING DEADLINES AND FAKE
00:46:35NOTIFICATIONS OF THE END OF
00:46:38HOSTILITIES? WHY DO REPUBLICANS PRETEND TRUMP'S WAR ENDED AFTER
00:46:4160 DAYS, WHEN IT CLEARLY HAS
00:46:44CONTINUED WITH U.S. AND IRANIAN FORCES EXCHANGING FIRE IN THE
00:46:47STRAITS OF HORMUZ AND THE LACK
00:46:50OF PLANNING IN THIS WHOLE WAR IS
00:46:55JUST APPALLING. IT IS OBVIOUS, EVEN TO A LAYMAN, THAT THE
00:46:58GREATEST VULNERABILITY WE FACED IF WE CHALLENGED IRAN, WAS THE
00:47:02STRAIT OF HORMUZ. AND YET,
00:47:05DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY SAID,
00:47:07SECURE THE STRAIT BEFORE YOU DO
00:47:09ANYTHING ELSE, TRUMP IGNORED IT. AND LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
00:47:13GASOLINE IS $4.50 AND GOING UP.
00:47:17HOW CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THIS?
00:47:19PRESIDENT HAS A STRATEGY, HAS A
00:47:22PLAN, KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING.
00:47:25SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE ARE
00:47:28SILENT ON TRUMP'S WAR BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S A MASSIVE
00:47:31BLUNDER. BUT THEY ARE FOOLISH TO
00:47:35THINK THAT SILENCE WILL SPARE
00:47:37THEM. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S
00:47:41OUTRAGE OVER SKYROCKETING COSTS
00:47:44IS RIGHT AT THEIR DOORSTEP AMERICANS TOOK NOTE ALL SEVEN
00:47:48TIMES THIS REPUBLICAN MAJORITY PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO
00:47:51SUPPORT OUR WAR POWERS
00:47:53RESOLUTION TO END THIS DISASTER.
00:47:56AND THEIR WILL TAKE NOTE OF
00:47:58THOSE REPUBLICANS WHO PASS UP
00:48:00THE EIGHTH TIME, THE EIGHTH OPPORTUNITY TO STOP THIS WAR,
00:48:04WHICH WILL OCCUR SHORTLY WHEN WE
00:48:05VOTE. I THANK SENATOR KAINE FOR
00:48:10HIS LEADERSHIP ON TODAY'S RESOLUTION. EVERY WEEK, THIS WAR
00:48:13CONTINUES, AND REPUBLICANS
00:48:15CONTINUE TO SIT IN SILENCE. DEMOCRATS WILL FORCE A VOTE ON A
00:48:18WAR POWERS RESOLUTION AND MAKE
00:48:21REPUBLICANS GO ON RECORD WITH
00:48:23THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS WAR. LET
00:48:25ME BE CLEAR. REASSERTING
00:48:30CONGRESS'S AUTHORITY ON MATTERS OF WAR AND PEACE ISN'T A
00:48:33PARTISAN ISSUE. NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE. IT'S A
00:48:36CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE. IT'S BEEN
00:48:38WHAT THIS COUNTRY HAS STOOD FOR
00:48:42FOR CENTURIES. THIS VOTE IS
00:48:43ABOUT FULFILLING OUR MOST BASIC
00:48:46RESPONSIBILITY AS MEMBERS OF THE
00:48:48SENATE. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO
00:48:51VOTE YES AND YIELD THE FLOOR.
00:48:55>> MR. SPEAKER, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE MILLIONS OF
00:48:59WORKING CLASS AMERICANS WHO HAVE
00:49:02HAD IT, ARE FED UP WITH AN
00:49:04ENDLESS CYCLE OF UNACCOUNTABLE
00:49:08CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. I STARTED MY SERVICE TO THIS
00:49:12NATION IN UNIFORM, LIKE THE LIKE
00:49:14THE CHAIRMAN. I HONOR HIS SERVICE. LIKE ALL OF OUR
00:49:17BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND I'M
00:49:19PROUD OF THAT SERVICE. AS SHOULD
00:49:23ALL OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
00:49:25WHO TOOK THE OATH I TOOK, STOOD UP WHEN OUR COUNTRY CALLED AND
00:49:28DID OUR DUTY HONORABLY. BUT WHAT
00:49:32IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IS THAT OUR
00:49:37SYSTEM IS BROKEN WORKING CLASS
00:49:42AMERICANS, LIKE THE KIDS THAT I
00:49:43GREW UP WITH, THE KIDS THAT I
00:49:46DEPLOYED WITH, FOUGHT WITH,
00:49:50SUFFERED WITH THEY'RE THE ONES
00:49:54THAT HAVE TO DO THE FIGHTING AND
00:49:56THE DYING AND THE PAIN. FOR OF
00:49:59THESE CONFLICTS, THEY SEE THAT
00:50:02THE BURDEN OF THESE WARS FALL ON
00:50:04THEM, WHILE THE ELITES AND THE
00:50:06RICH AND THE POWERFUL IN THIS
00:50:08COUNTRY GET RICHER AND MORE
00:50:11POWERFUL AND MORE COMFORTABLE.
00:50:15THE BURDEN IS NOT EQUAL IN THIS
00:50:17NATION IT'S BECAUSE THE SYSTEM
00:50:20IS BROKEN. I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
00:50:24THIS ISN'T ABOUT PROCESS TO ME.
00:50:26YES, THERE ARE IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL CHECKS AND
00:50:30SAFEGUARDS AT PLAY. BUT THIS
00:50:31ISN'T ABOUT INSIDE BASEBALL
00:50:34NOTIFICATION PROCESS. YOU KNOW, AMERICAN'S EYES GLAZE OVER WHEN
00:50:38PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THAT UNDER
00:50:40THIS DOME. WHAT IT'S ABOUT TO
00:50:43ME IS ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN I DID
00:50:46MY COMBAT TOURS IN IRAQ AND
00:50:48AFGHANISTAN, MY COMBAT MISSION AFTER COMBAT MISSION AFTER
00:50:52COMBAT MISSION, WHAT I HAD TO
00:50:54KNOW IS THAT IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
00:50:58WERE BEING ASKED. PEOPLE WERE
00:51:01BEING HELD TO ACCOUNT AND ASKING
00:51:06TOUGH QUESTIONS SO THAT I COULD FOCUS ON MY MISSION IN BRINGING
00:51:08MY MEN HOME. BUT THAT HAS
00:51:14STOPPED. THE DEBATE ISN'T HAPPENING. WE'RE PAYING FOR
00:51:17THESE WARS WITH DEBT. 5 TO $8
00:51:21TRILLION. 7000 AMERICAN LIVES.
00:51:25AND ON AND ON IT GOES. IT'S NOT
00:51:28JUST OUR RIGHT. IT'S OUR DUTY.
00:51:31IT'S OUR JOB UNDER THIS DOME TO
00:51:38TAKE VOTES, TO APPROPRIATE MONEY, TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS,
00:51:42TO HOLD PEOPLE TO ACCOUNT, AND THEN GO HOME AND STAND IN FRONT
00:51:46OF HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUMS, STAND IN FRONT OF OUR OUR
00:51:49CONSTITUENTS, GO TO ROTARY CLUBS AND EXPLAIN THOSE VOTES, WHY WE
00:51:53SHOULD SEND OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND OUR MONEY TO THE
00:51:55MIDDLE EAST AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
00:51:58AGAIN. THAT IS WHAT OUR SYSTEM
00:52:02REQUIRES. THAT IS WHAT AMERICANS DESERVE.
00:52:04>> I YIELD THE GENTLEMAN >> GENTLEMAN.
00:52:07>> ONE MINUTE.
00:52:09>> THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. THE
00:52:13FRAMERS DEDICATED THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO US BECAUSE
00:52:17THEY KNEW SONS AND DAUGHTERS
00:52:20INTO WAR, AND TO SPEND OUR
00:52:22TAXPAYER MONEY, WAS OUR MOST
00:52:25SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY. AND NOT ONE PERSON SHOULD MAKE THAT
00:52:29DECISION. THIS SYSTEM IS BROKEN. IT'S OUR DUTY TO TAKE IT BACK.
00:52:32THAT'S WHAT THIS VOTE IS FOR. MAYBE WE SHOULD GO TO WAR IN ONE
00:52:36INSTANCE. BUT THE DEBATE MUST HAPPEN. THE VOTE MUST HAPPEN. I
00:52:40ENCOURAGE I DEMAND THAT MY
00:52:44COLLEAGUES STEP UP AND TAKE THIS VOTE AND RETAKE OUR
00:52:48CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY. AND TO GET
00:52:50THIS DONE. IT'S WHAT OUR
00:52:53SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN DESERVE. I YIELD BACK.
00:52:57>> GENTLEMAN. RESERVES. GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED. >> IT'S STILL AN ARGUMENT FROM
00:53:01MY COLLEAGUES OVER THERE ABOUT IMMINENT THREAT, IMMINENT
00:53:04THREAT, WHETHER IT'S AN IMMINENT THREAT. I'LL JUST GIVE
00:53:08THEM ONE OTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION THEY MIGHT WANT
00:53:10FOR THE DEBATE. THAT WAS JUST SO
00:53:12PASSIONATELY SPOKEN ABOUT BEFORE
00:53:16EPIC FURY BEGAN 30 MONTHS, THE 30 MONTHS WITHIN NOT 30 MONTHS,
00:53:20JUST BEYOND THAT, 30 MONTHS
00:53:22WITHIN EPIC FURY. THAT TIME
00:53:27BEFORE IT, 350 ATTACKS AGAINST
00:53:29THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
00:53:32THAT'S NOT JUST IMMINENT,
00:53:35THAT'S CONTINUOUS. SO, MR.
00:53:36SPEAKER, I WOULD ASK, HOW MY MY
00:53:40COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE DO
00:53:42NOT EQUATE CONTINUOUS WITH
00:53:45IMMINENCE. I RESERVE.
00:53:47>> GENTLEMAN. RESERVE. GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:53:50>> I'M PREPARED TO CLOSE. IF
00:53:51THE CHAIRMAN IS. >> PREPARED.
00:53:55>> GENTLEMAN IS PREPARED TO
00:53:58CLOSE. GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK
00:54:01IS RECOGNIZED.
00:54:07>> PRESIDENT TRUMP STARTED A
00:54:12WAR. CONGRESS NEVER AUTHORIZED IT. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN
00:54:15DISPUTE THAT. STARTED A WAR.
00:54:21CONGRESS NEVER AUTHORIZED IT. 60
00:54:26DAYS HAS GONE BY HE STILL HAS
00:54:28NOT COME BACK TO CONGRESS.
00:54:31THAT'S THE BASIC
00:54:33RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
00:54:39OTHER THAN THAT, WE SHOULD MAKE A MOTION. AND I WOULD JOIN TO
00:54:43LOVE TO HAVE A DEBATE ON THE
00:54:44FLOOR, ON AN AUMF. AGAIN, OUR
00:54:50CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. AGAIN,
00:54:51THE PRESIDENT HAS TO COME TO US
00:54:57WHY DON'T WE DO OUR
00:55:00CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES?
00:55:03WHY DO WE WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY?
00:55:09WELL, ACTUALLY, WE'RE NOT EVEN
00:55:12GIVING IT AWAY. WE'RE NOT DOING
00:55:13WHAT THE LAW SAYS FOR US TO DO
00:55:19WHAT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS FOR
00:55:19US TO DO WHAT WE TOOK AND SWORE
00:55:23AN OATH OFFICE TO DO AND THE
00:55:33PRESIDENT DID THIS IF HE HAD A
00:55:36CLEAR OBJECTIVE, HE DIDN'T BRING
00:55:40IT TO CONGRESS IF HE HAD A
00:55:44CREDIBLE END GAME, HE DIDN'T
00:55:47BRING IT TO CONGRESS. BUT MOST
00:55:51IMPORTANTLY, HE DIDN'T BRING IT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, EITHER.
00:55:54AND THE WAY OUR SYSTEM WORKS, WE
00:55:56ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE.
00:56:00SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IT TO THE PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO BRING
00:56:04IT THROUGH THIS HOUSE, OR HE SHOULD BE MAKING SOME PUBLIC STATEMENTS OF THAT NATURE. BUT
00:56:08HE HAS YET TO GIVE US A CLEAR
00:56:11OBJECTIVE. HE HAS YET TO GIVE US
00:56:15A CREDIBLE END GAME, AND HE HAS
00:56:19YET TO GIVE US AN HONEST
00:56:22ACCOUNTING TO HOW MUCH THIS IS
00:56:27COSTING THE AMERICAN >> [APPLAUSE]
00:56:28>> PEOPLE AND DOLLARS AND CENTS.
00:56:35AND WE CAN SEE WITH OUR OWN
00:56:39EYES. I MEAN, I KNOW I DO. I KNOW WHEN I GO BACK HOME AND I
00:56:42TALK TO MY CONSTITUENCIES, THEY
00:56:51MAKE SURE THEY BRING ONE WOULD SHOW ME THE GAS STATION. AND
00:56:53THEN HE SHOWS ME THE PRICE OF
00:56:59GAS. AND HE KNOWS THAT THE PRICE
00:57:00OF GAS WAS NOT THAT. PRIOR TO
00:57:05THIS WAR OF CHOICE. TO A GROCERY
00:57:10STORE TO BUY FOOD YOU SEE THE
00:57:15INCREASE IN COST. WHO WERE
00:57:20PLANNING VACATIONS FOR THE
00:57:24SUMMER NOW CAN'T AFFORD TO FLY
00:57:29OR DRIVE. WHY? BECAUSE OF THE
00:57:36RISING COST. THE DANGER IS
00:57:41SPREADING. THE PRESIDENT HAS, IN
00:57:42FACT, MADE AMERICA LESS SAFE,
00:57:49NOT MORE. MY COLLEAGUE KEEPS
00:57:52TALKING ABOUT IMMINENT HERE'S
00:57:55WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
00:57:57STATES SAID SAID ALL THREE
00:58:03NUCLEAR, NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN
00:58:06HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED
00:58:10OR OBLITERATED HE SAYS HE SAID
00:58:17IT WOULD TAKE YEARS TO BRING
00:58:22THEM BACK INTO SERVICE. AND IF
00:58:23IRAN WANTED TO, THEY WOULD BE
00:58:26BETTER OFF STARTING ANEW. AND
00:58:30THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS PRIOR
00:58:35TO THOSE SITES BEING OBLITERATED, SHOULD THEY DECIDE
00:58:37TO DO SO. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE
00:58:40THE PRESIDENT FEELS THAT
00:58:41THERE'S AN IMMINENT THREAT
00:58:45RIGHT NOW FROM IRAN? NUCLEAR
00:58:49FACILITIES HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT.
00:58:55HE DOESN'T HAVE NOT HEARD THE
00:58:59PRESIDENT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE UNITED
00:59:01STATES HE TALKED HE OBLITERATED
00:59:07THEIR NUCLEAR WEAPONS SO IT JUST
00:59:16SEEMS TO ME. AND THE BOTTOM LINE
00:59:17HERE IS THAT CONGRESS HAS A
00:59:25CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY. IT HAS A
00:59:28DUTY TO ACT. NOT TO CHEERLEAD.
00:59:37ESPECIALLY NOT TO CHEERLEAD AND
00:59:40OPEN ENDED WAR OF CHOICE NOW, TO
00:59:45OUTSOURCE OUR JUDGMENT TO ONE
00:59:52MAN'S EGO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, IN THE
00:59:55CONSTITUTION. WE ARE A SEPARATE
00:59:58BUT EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
01:00:03WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A CHECK
01:00:07AND BALANCE AND OVERSIGHT OF THE
01:00:12EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
01:00:16NOT JUST DO WHATEVER THE
01:00:18PRESIDENT SAYS, NOT QUESTIONING, NOT HAVING HEARINGS, NOT GOING
01:00:22BACK AND FORTH. AND
01:00:25UNFORTUNATELY WHAT'S HAPPENING
01:00:30HERE. WE HAD A VOTE LAST WEEK,
01:00:31AND IT WAS 212 TO 212. WE'RE
01:00:41GIVING, AND I THINK MY
01:00:44REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES DESERVE TO
01:00:47HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO
01:00:51SPEAK TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE THEY STAND,
01:00:54WHETHER OR NOT THEY CARE ABOUT
01:01:01THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION, >> [APPLAUSE]
01:01:02>> WHETHER OR NOT THEY CARE
01:01:06ABOUT ANYBODY, ABOUT THE
01:01:10AMERICAN PEOPLE THIS TO GIVE
01:01:16THEM THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. WE KNOW
01:01:19WHAT WE SEE AND HEAR. WHEN WE GO
01:01:25BACK HOME AND WE SEE THIS
01:01:30CONVERSATION IS TAKING PLACE,
01:01:34NOT IN BLUE STATES, ONLY, NOT
01:01:35ONLY IN PURPLE STATES. IN RED
01:01:41STATES, BECAUSE THE TRUTH OF THE
01:01:42MATTER AND THE BOTTOM LINE, THIS
01:01:45IS AN AMERICAN ISSUE. IT'S
01:01:51ABOUT ITS INSTITUTION CALLED THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
01:01:54REPRESENTATIVES. AND WHETHER OR
01:01:56NOT WE ARE TRULY THAT BRANCH OF
01:02:01GOVERNMENT EXERCISE ITS
01:02:06CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
01:02:08AND BE A CHECK AND A BALANCE ON
01:02:13A PRESIDENT, NOT WHETHER OR NOT AS THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE
01:02:16INTEL, NOT WHETHER IT MIGHT BE
01:02:21JUST >> [APPLAUSE]
01:02:22>> AFRAID OF HOW TO VOTE. AS
01:02:26HAPPENS IN OTHER AREAS IN OTHER
01:02:28COUNTRIES, MANY PEOPLE ARE
01:02:30AFRAID TO VOTE DIFFERENTLY SO
01:02:36THEY DO WHATEVER VLADIMIR PUTIN
01:02:39SAYS. IN NORTH KOREA, IN IRAN.
01:02:43THEY'RE AFRAID THAT SHOULD NOT
01:02:49BE US. WE SHOULD STAND FOR WHAT
01:02:55OATH OF OFFICE THAT WE'VE
01:02:57TAKEN, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE
01:03:00AMERICAN PEOPLE, THAT WE
01:03:05REPRESENT
01:03:13RECORD. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT
01:03:18AND WITH THAT, I YIELD THE
01:03:20BALANCE OF MY TIME. >> GENTLEMAN YIELDS. THE
01:03:24GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED TO CLOSE. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. MR.
01:03:27SPEAKER, I THINK WE PROBABLY GOT, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE 100
01:03:30PEOPLE UP IN THE GALLERY BEHIND US. I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE TO
01:03:33THE PEOPLE BEHIND US. THEY CAME HERE TO THE CAPITAL OF THE
01:03:36UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO HEAR
01:03:39DEBATE, BUT THEY WITNESS MY COLLEAGUES OVER HERE DON'T
01:03:43REALLY WANT TO DEBATE. I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO GIVE THEM TIME
01:03:46IF THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO HAVE A
01:03:47DEBATE, ARGUE FACTS, TALK ABOUT
01:03:52THINGS. BUT THEY RARELY, AS YOU ALL WITNESS, THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE MY TIME AND ANSWER
01:03:55QUESTIONS. RANKING MEMBER OF INTELLIGENCE. HE HAD A LITTLE BACK AND FORTH WITH ME FOR A
01:03:59LITTLE WHILE. I APPRECIATED IT. I ASKED SOME VERY DIRECT
01:04:02QUESTIONS. DOES CONTINUOUS,
01:04:05CONTINUOUS ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? DOES
01:04:09THAT EQUAL AN IMMINENT THREAT? THEY JUST GLOSS BY THAT, AS
01:04:13THOUGH THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF
01:04:15THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
01:04:19YOU'RE OWED MORE THAN THAT. THIS IS WHAT DEBATE IS.
01:04:23CONSTANTLY OFFER THEM THE TIME. THEY DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THE
01:04:27QUESTIONS. IT'S BECAUSE THIS IS
01:04:29ALL POLITICAL FOR THEM. THIS IS POLITICAL. THAT'S WHY THEY
01:04:32DON'T WANT TO ANSWER. WHY DID THEY VOTE NOT TOO LONG AGO TO
01:04:35SAY, USE ANY AND ALL MEANS
01:04:39NECESSARY TO PREVENT IRAN FROM OBTAINING A NUCLEAR WEAPON. THEY ALL OVER THERE VOTED FOR THAT.
01:04:42NONE OF THEM CAN EXPLAIN TODAY
01:04:45WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO USE ANY AND ALL MEANS NECESSARY. BUT
01:04:49BEFORE THAT WAS THE CASE, IT'S NOT CONVENIENT. IT'S NOT POLITICALLY CONVENIENT FOR THEM
01:04:52TO DO THAT. MY COLLEAGUES OVER
01:04:54HERE, THEY SAID IT'S A WAR OF
01:04:59CHOICE. YEAH, IT IS A CHOICE
01:05:03AMERICANS, WE MAKE A CHOICE. IF
01:05:04SOMEBODY HITS US DAY AFTER DAY,
01:05:08WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER
01:05:09MONTH, DO WE JUST GET HIT BACK,
01:05:13KEEP GETTING HIT, OR DO WE HIT
01:05:15BACK? THAT'S A CHOICE. I CAN TELL YOU, AS AN AMERICAN SERVICE
01:05:19MEMBER, AMERICAN FIGHTER, SOMEBODY HITS ME, KILLS MY
01:05:22PEOPLE. I'M GOING TO HIT HIM
01:05:25BACK. YEAH, I HATE HIGH ENERGY
01:05:27PRICES. NOT AS MUCH AS I HATE PEOPLE THAT KILL AMERICANS. I
01:05:31HATE THEM, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I
01:05:32HATE THOSE THAT KILL MY PEOPLE
01:05:35IRAN KILLS OUR PEOPLE,
01:05:38CONSISTENTLY, ATTACKS OUR PEOPLE
01:05:41CONSISTENTLY, AND WANTS TO SEEK THE MEANS TO DO THAT WITH A
01:05:44NUCLEAR WEAPON. THEY ALL AGREED
01:05:47ON IT. PRIOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP
01:05:50DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE A DEBATE ABOUT THAT, NO MATTER HOW IT
01:05:54COMES DOWN. IN THE END, THEY DON'T WANT TO ACTUALLY TALK
01:05:57ABOUT THE REAL THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. THEY DON'T WANT TO
01:06:01TALK ABOUT THAT. THE TROOP LEVELS OVER THERE ARE BASICALLY
01:06:03THE SAME THING THAT THEY WERE
01:06:06BEFORE THIS CONFLICT EVEN BEGAN. THESE ARE THINGS THEY DON'T LIKE
01:06:09TO DISCUSS. IT'D BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WILLING TO SAY,
01:06:12AGAIN, SOME OF YOU WEREN'T ALL HERE IN THE AUDIENCE A WEEK AGO
01:06:15WHEN WE WERE DEBATING THIS BEFORE. BUT AS I MENTIONED
01:06:18EARLIER, THEY ALL VOTED TO SAY THE WAYS THAT IRAN IS A NUCLEAR
01:06:21THREAT. YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO ATTACK THE UNITED STATES OF
01:06:24AMERICA. THEY WANT TO ATTACK US WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES, WITH TERRORIST PROXIES. THEY WANT TO
01:06:28OBTAIN A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND USE THAT AGAINST US. THEY ALL VOTED
01:06:31TO SAY THAT A WEEK AGO. >> GENTLEMAN WILL SUSPEND. THE
01:06:35GENTLEMAN IS REMINDED TO DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE SPEAKER. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I'LL
01:06:38KEEP THAT IN MIND THEY ALL VOTED
01:06:45THAT THIS IS THE WAYS THAT IRAN'S A NUCLEAR THAT'S THERE,
01:06:48AN IMMINENT THREAT. THEY WON'T USE THE WORD IMMINENT THREAT,
01:06:51THOUGH, BECAUSE TO USE THAT
01:06:53WORD, IMMINENT THREAT HAS SOME SPECIFIC LEGAL CONNOTATION TO
01:06:57IT. THEY KNOW IT'S BAD FOR THEM. THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT. IT'S POLITICAL. IT'S TOO POLITICAL.
01:07:01YOU KNOW, IT'D BE LIKE, I HAVE
01:07:03A COUGH, I HAVE A FEVER. I HAVE COLD SWEATS. I'M UNWILLING TO
01:07:06SAY THAT I HAVE THE FLU. THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO SAY IT. THEY'RE
01:07:10NOT WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS. PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE,
01:07:13PEOPLE WATCHING. YOU'RE OWED MORE THAN THAT. OUT OF THOSE
01:07:15THAT ARE DEBATING NATIONAL
01:07:21SECURITY. I MENTIONED ALREADY
01:07:24THAT BEFORE EPIC FURY BEGAN IN THE 30 MONTHS PRIOR TO IT,
01:07:27BEGINNING 350 ATTACKS IN 30
01:07:32MONTHS. THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO SAY THAT THAT'S IMMINENT. U.S.
01:07:35TAGGED FLANK, U.S. FLAGGED
01:07:41TANKERS. IRANIAN FORCES SEIZE
01:07:43GREEK FLAG TANKER, TANKER, PACIFIC ZIRKA OFF THE COAST OF
01:07:47OMAN. IRANIAN NAVY CAPTURE,
01:07:49MARSHALL ISLANDS FLAG TANKER ADVANTAGE. SWEET. THAT'S THE
01:07:52NAME OF IT. IRANIAN IRGC SEIZE
01:07:55PANAMANIAN TANKER. UH, IRGC
01:08:00SEIZE IRANIAN, UH, MARSHALL ISLANDS FLAG TANKER. AND THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON, WEEK
01:08:04IN, WEEK OUT. AND AMERICAN
01:08:06TANKER, A TANKER FROM ANOTHER
01:08:10COUNTRY. UH, ATTACKING, PUTTING U.S. SAILORS ON THEIR KNEES ON THE ON A U.S. VESSEL. IF
01:08:14EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THAT. I'M AN
01:08:20AMERICAN. I DON'T BELIEVE IN
01:08:22GETTING HIT AND WALKING AWAY AND
01:08:25PRETENDING AS THOUGH IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK
01:08:28THAT ALL AMERICANS WERE THE SAME
01:08:30WAY. BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE
01:08:35CASE. THERE ARE VERY FEW THAT SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES
01:08:38MILITARY, AND PROBABLY EVEN LESS
01:08:40THAT ARE CAPABLE OF IT, BECAUSE
01:08:43NOT EVERYBODY REACTS TO CONFLICT IN THE SAME WAY, OR HAS THE SAME
01:08:45DESIRE TO DEAL WITH IT. MY
01:08:48COLLEAGUES OVER HERE THAT ARE VOTING FOR THIS, THEY'RE THE
01:08:52KIND OF AMERICANS THAT GET HIT
01:08:55AND PRETEND AS THOUGH IT NEVER
01:08:57HAPPENED. IF YOU WANT AMERICA TO GET HIT AND PRETENDED THAT IT
01:09:01NEVER HAPPENED, THEN VOTE WITH
01:09:04MY COLLEAGUES OVER THERE. IF YOU
01:09:06WANT US TO KEEP DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, PROTECTING OUR SERVICE
01:09:10MEMBERS IN THE REGION, OUR ASSETS IN THE REGION, THEN VOTE
01:09:14NO. ISN'T THAT, MR. SPEAKER, I
01:09:16YIELD THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.
01:09:19>> MADAM PRESIDENT.
01:09:21>> THE SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA.
01:09:23>> MADAM PRESIDENT, I RISE TO SPEAK ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES
01:09:27ON THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION FILED BY SENATOR WARNOCK. THAT
01:09:29WILL BE CALLED UP SOON. MAY I
01:09:32INQUIRE IF WE'RE IN A QUORUM CALL? THANK YOU. I'VE SPOKEN ON
01:09:36THIS TOPIC OFTEN ABOUT ONCE A
01:09:38WEEK SINCE THE WAR AGAINST IRAN
01:09:42BEGAN AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
01:09:44SOMETIMES, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY OWN RESOLUTIONS AND SOMETIMES
01:09:48SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE RESOLUTIONS OF COLLEAGUES, I'M
01:09:51VERY HAPPY THAT SENATOR WARNOCK RESOLUTION WILL BE CALLED UP
01:09:54TODAY. I BELIEVE HE WILL BE THE LAST SPEAKER BEFORE WE BEGIN
01:09:57VOTING. AND YOU'VE HEARD FROM OTHER COLLEAGUES, I WON'T
01:10:00BELABOR A POINT THAT I'VE MADE OFTEN ON THE FLOOR, BUT I DO
01:10:03WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME. I DO
01:10:07BELIEVE THIS WAR IS ILLEGAL, BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN
01:10:11AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. I
01:10:14BELIEVE THE WAR IS UNWISE
01:10:16BECAUSE WE HAD A DIPLOMATIC DEAL
01:10:18THAT WAS CONTROLLING IRAN'S
01:10:20NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP TORE UP, AND THUS, THIS IS
01:10:24A WAR THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY. IF
01:10:26THE UNITED STATES HAD DONE WHAT WE NORMALLY DO AND PREFERRED
01:10:30DIPLOMACY TO WAR, I BELIEVE THESE 14 TROOPS WOULD NOT HAVE
01:10:34BEEN KILLED. I BELIEVE WE WOULD NOT HAVE SPENT TENS OF BILLIONS
01:10:37OF DOLLARS PURSUING AN
01:10:40UNNECESSARY WAR, WITH AN ADDITIONAL PRICE TAG OF PROBABLY
01:10:43HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO REPLENISH OUR MUNITIONS STOCK
01:10:46AND REPAIR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN DAMAGED. AND I ALSO
01:10:50BELIEVE THAT AMERICANS WOULD NOT
01:10:51HAVE HAD TO PAY MORE THAN $50
01:10:54BILLION EXTRA AT THE GAS PUMP
01:10:56SINCE THE WAR BEGAN ON FEBRUARY
01:10:5928th. THOSE ARE ARGUMENTS I'VE MADE OFTEN ON THE FLOOR, THAT I
01:11:03DON'T INTEND TO REPEAT TODAY. BUT THE ARGUMENT THAT I WANT TO
01:11:06MAKE TODAY IS ABOUT WHY THIS
01:11:09TIMING FOR THE WAR POWERS
01:11:12RESOLUTION IS SORT OF PROPITIOUS WHY THIS TIMING MAKES THIS VOTE
01:11:16DIFFERENT THAN THE VOTE THAT WE HAD TWO WEEKS AGO, OR FOUR WEEKS
01:11:18AGO, OR EIGHT WEEKS AGO. WE'RE
01:11:22IN DAY 100 PLUS OF THIS WAR. BUT
01:11:25I AM HAPPY THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
01:11:28HAS ANNOUNCED A CEASE AND A
01:11:32POTENTIAL DEAL TO BE SIGNED AND
01:11:35REVEALED ON FRIDAY. NOW, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
01:11:38WHAT'S IN THE DEAL, BUT I BELIEVE AN OFF RAMP TO A WAR
01:11:42THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN
01:11:43STARTED IS A GOOD THING. AND WE'LL WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
01:11:47TO DEBATE THE DEAL ONCE WE KNOW
01:11:50MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT. BUT TAKING AN OFF RAMP TO A WAR THAT
01:11:53SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN STARTED
01:11:55IS A POSITIVE. WHAT THIS OFF
01:11:59RAMP MEANS IS, I WOULD SAY WE'RE IN AN INTERMISSION. WE DON'T
01:12:02EXACTLY KNOW WHAT THE SECOND ACT WILL BE. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE
01:12:06INTERMISSION WILL HOLD. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE PARTIES WILL
01:12:10COMPLY WITH THEIR OBLIGATIONS. WE'RE HEARING THAT THE DEAL MAY
01:12:13WELL BE A PARTIAL DEAL. THAT
01:12:16WOULD, FOR EXAMPLE, REOPEN THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ AND END THE
01:12:19BLOCKADE ON IRANIAN PORTS AND
01:12:22STOP THE BACK AND FORTH BOMBARDMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED
01:12:25STATES AND IRAN AND OTHER ACTORS IN THE REGION. BUT WE'RE ALSO
01:12:28BEING TOLD THAT THERE WILL BE
01:12:30SOME COMPONENTS TO THE DEAL THAT
01:12:33WILL NOT BE DONE, AND THAT WILL ENTER INTO A LONGER TERM
01:12:36DISCUSSION, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT
01:12:38ALL OF THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
01:12:40REGARDING IRAN'S NUCLEAR
01:12:43PROGRAM. SO LET'S JUST SAY WE'RE IN AN INTERMISSION, AND
01:12:46WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE INTERMISSION WILL BE. I THINK
01:12:50THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN AN INTERMISSION IS THE PERFECT TIME
01:12:53TO VOTE FOR A WAR POWERS
01:12:56RESOLUTION, SPECIFYING WE SHOULD
01:12:58NOT RESTART A WAR AGAINST IRAN WITHOUT THE CONSULTATION WITH
01:13:02CONGRESS. THAT SHOULD HAVE
01:13:03STARTED BEFORE THE WAR WAS
01:13:06BEGUN. WHY RESTART A WAR AND
01:13:08RISK MORE LIVES OF OUR KIDS? WHY
01:13:12RESTART A WAR AND RISK MORE
01:13:14DAMAGE TO AMERICAN FAMILIES AND THEIR POCKETBOOKS? WHY RESTART A
01:13:17WAR AND RISK MORE DAMAGE TO THE
01:13:20GLOBAL ECONOMY? WHY RESTART A
01:13:24WAR AND RISK MORE DOLLARS COMING OUT OF THE U.S. TREASURY? THAT
01:13:26WILL HAVE TO BE PAID BY U.S.
01:13:29TAXPAYERS? AN INTERMISSION IS A GREAT TIME TO DO WHAT WE SHOULD
01:13:32HAVE DONE BEFORE THIS WAR, WHICH
01:13:35IS HAVE THE CONSULTATION WITH
01:13:40CONGRESS THAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES. WHY RESTART A WAR IF
01:13:42WE HAVEN'T DONE OUR JOB?
01:13:44THERE'S ALSO A SECOND REASON THAT'S REALLY RELATED TO THE
01:13:48FIRST REASON THAT MAKES THIS A
01:13:50PARTICULARLY PROPITIOUS TIME TO
01:13:53VOTE YES ON SENATOR WARNOCK'S RESOLUTION. WE KNOW THAT THE
01:13:56UNITED STATES AND IRAN ARE ENGAGED IN A NEGOTIATION, AND
01:14:00THEY'RE TRADING PROPOSALS BACK
01:14:02AND FORTH. I WOULD THINK THAT MY
01:14:05COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE WOULD WANT TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE
01:14:09DETAILS OF THOSE PROPOSALS AND REACH THEIR OWN CONCLUSION ABOUT
01:14:13WHETHER A DEAL IS A GOOD DEAL AND A BAD DEAL, OR A BAD DEAL.
01:14:17IF IF PRESIDENT TRUMP REACHES AN
01:14:21AGREEMENT WITH IRAN THAT TOUCHES
01:14:23UPON ANY ASPECT OF THE IRANIAN
01:14:25NUCLEAR PROGRAM, THE PRESIDENT
01:14:28IS OBLIGATED TO SUBMIT THAT TO CONGRESS UNDER A BILL THAT I
01:14:31AUTHORED MANY YEARS AGO, THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT REVIEW
01:14:35ACT, AND CONGRESS WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT ANY DEAL
01:14:39DEALING WITH IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND DECIDE WHETHER IT
01:14:41WAS A GOOD DEAL OR BAD DEAL. BUT
01:14:45WHAT IF PRESIDENT TRUMP DECIDES I'M NOT ENTERING INTO A DEAL BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A BAD
01:14:49DEAL, AND WE NEED TO GO BACK TO
01:14:50WAR? SHOULD WE ALLOW PRESIDENT
01:14:53TRUMP THE UNILATERAL ABILITY TO MAKE A DECISION THAT A DEAL IS A
01:14:56BAD DEAL, AND WE NEED TO GO BACK
01:14:58TO WAR UNDER THE N.R.A. ACT, THE
01:15:02PRESIDENT HAS TO SUBMIT ANY PROPOSED DEAL TO CONGRESS, BUT
01:15:05HE DOESN'T HAVE TO SUBMIT HIS
01:15:07REFUSAL TO ENTER INTO A DEAL TO
01:15:11CONGRESS. UM, WE MIGHT HAVE OUR OWN JUDGMENT ABOUT WHETHER A
01:15:14DEAL WAS GOOD ENOUGH OR
01:15:16INSUFFICIENT. I MEAN, I COULD FORESEE A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE
01:15:20PRESIDENT TRUMP MIGHT SAY, WE'VE HAD THIS NEGOTIATION. IRAN HAS
01:15:24NOT MADE ENOUGH COMMITMENTS. SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO AGREE. AND WE'RE GOING TO END THE
01:15:27INTERMISSION AND GO BACK TO WAR. BUT THE SENATE MIGHT HAVE A
01:15:31DIFFERENT OPINION. WE MIGHT LOOK AT A DEAL THAT THE PRESIDENT
01:15:35DOESN'T FIND SUFFICIENT AND SAY, IT'S NOT PERFECT. WE WISH
01:15:38IT WERE BETTER, BUT IT'S FAR SUPERIOR TO GOING BACK TO WAR
01:15:42AND RISKING THE LIVES OF MORE OF
01:15:45OUR TROOPS, OR SPENDING TENS OF
01:15:47BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND THE
01:15:49ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN GUARANTEE
01:15:52THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON
01:15:56WHETHER A DEAL, HEY, IT ACTUALLY, THOUGH NOT PERFECT, IS
01:15:59BETTER THAN GOING BACK TO WAR,
01:16:01IS IF WE PASS A RESOLUTION
01:16:03SAYING, YOU CANNOT RESTART THIS WAR WITHOUT GETTING
01:16:07CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. AND SO
01:16:09IN AND I'VE LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY TO MY COLLEAGUES
01:16:12WHO'VE BEEN VOTING AGAINST THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTIONS. AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF
01:16:16REASONS. AND I DON'T QUESTION THEIR REASONS. SOME BELIEVED,
01:16:19FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE PRESIDENT
01:16:21HAS UNILATERAL ABILITY TO WAGE
01:16:23MILITARY ACTION FOR ABOUT 60 DAYS PURSUANT TO THE WAR POWERS
01:16:27ACT. AND SO SOME WERE VOTING
01:16:32AGAINST WAR POWERS RESOLUTIONS DURING THE FIRST 60 DAYS. BUT I
01:16:33THINK, AT LEAST FOUR HAVE JOINED
01:16:36AND NOW DECIDED TO VOTE FOR WAR
01:16:40POWERS RESOLUTION SINCE DAY 60
01:16:42PASSED. BUT I'VE ALSO HEARD SOME COLLEAGUES SAY SINCERELY, I
01:16:46DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR A WAR POWERS RESOLUTION. WHILE THE
01:16:50UNITED STATES IS ENGAGED IN MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN,
01:16:53BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE SENDING A MESSAGE TO TROOPS THAT THEY'RE
01:16:57NOT BEING SUPPORTED. AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE TROUBLED BY THE
01:17:01WAR, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE TROUBLED ABOUT BEING AFTER DAY
01:17:0360, THEY DON'T WANT TO SEND A
01:17:06MESSAGE THAT WOULD UNDERCUT U.S. TROOPS THAT ARE ENGAGED IN
01:17:09MILITARY ACTION AT THE VERY MOMENT. OKAY. IF THAT IS THE
01:17:13CASE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT
01:17:14ARGUMENT, UNDERSTAND IT, THEN
01:17:17THIS WOULD BE A TIME WHEN WE'RE
01:17:20IN THE INTERMISSION WHERE YOU
01:17:21COULD VOTE FOR A WAR POWERS RESOLUTION WITHOUT UNDERCUTTING
01:17:25ANY ACTION THAT IS CURRENTLY
01:17:27UNDERWAY INVOLVING U.S. TROOPS.
01:17:30SO MY HOPE IS THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT
01:17:34THAT WE ARE IN THIS
01:17:36INTERMISSION, AN INTERMISSION OF
01:17:38UNDETERMINED LENGTH, TO DO WHAT THE CONSTITUTION DEMANDS THAT WE
01:17:42DO, AND INSIST THAT WE NOT
01:17:46RESTART A DAMAGING WAR AGAINST
01:17:49IRAN WITHOUT CONGRESS WEIGHING IN AND VOTING ON IT. AND FOR
01:17:52THAT REASON, I'LL SUPPORT SENATOR WARNOCK'S RESOLUTION AND
01:17:56ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU, AND I YIELD BACK. MADAM PRESIDENT.
01:18:00>> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF ON THIS.
01:18:04>> SINCE I'VE GIVEN THIS SPEECH, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW
01:18:07MANY TIMES BEFORE. AS THE OTHER
01:18:09SIDE HAS ATTEMPTED TO HELP IRAN
01:18:11AND BRING THESE RESOLUTIONS. UH,
01:18:14FORTH, THAT WOULD, UH, STOP THE
01:18:17PRESIDENT FROM PUSHING BACK AGAINST IRAN ON THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE, UH,
01:18:21AND SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ONE,
01:18:22LIKE THE, LIKE THE OTHERS. THIS
01:18:25IS WHAT THEY'RE ASKING, UH, CONGRESS TO VOTE FOR THE
01:18:29OPERATIVE LANGUAGE, SAYS CONGRESS HEREBY DIRECTS THE
01:18:32PRESIDENT TO REMOVE THE UNITED
01:18:35STATES ARMED FORCES FROM
01:18:37HOSTILITIES WITHIN OR AGAINST IRAN. WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER OF
01:18:40PROBLEMS WITH THIS. FIRST OF ALL, THE UNITED STATES ARMED
01:18:42FORCES ARE NOT ENGAGED IN
01:18:46HOSTILITIES WITHIN OR AGAINST IRAN. THEY HAVE BEEN. BUT IT'S
01:18:50BEEN OVER FOR SOME TIME. UH, AND
01:18:53SO THERE'S, THERE'S, IT DIRECTS
01:18:55THE, THE PRESIDENT TO DO NOTHING
01:18:59IN THAT RESPECT, BECAUSE IT
01:19:01CAN'T, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING ON,
01:19:04STOP SOMETHING THAT ISN'T GOING
01:19:06ON. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I
01:19:09THINK AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS, IT'S WIDELY REPORTED THAT
01:19:13AN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED BETWEEN IRAN AND THE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS GOING
01:19:16TO BE SIGNED HERE IN THE NEXT
01:19:18FEW DAYS. IF YOU IF A MIRACLE
01:19:21HAPPENED, A MIRACLE HAPPENED. AND THIS PASSED, GOT THROUGH THE
01:19:24SENATE, GOT THROUGH THE HOUSE, AND THE PRESIDENT SIGNED IT. UH,
01:19:28IF THAT MIRACLE HAPPENED, DO YOU
01:19:33THINK IRAN WOULD SIGN THE DEAL THAT THAT HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED?
01:19:36OF COURSE NOT. SO ONCE AGAIN,
01:19:38WHAT DO WE HAVE? NOBODY IN THIS
01:19:42PLANET WANTING TO HELP IRAN, EXCEPT FOR THE 47 PEOPLE ON THIS
01:19:46SIDE OF THE AISLE. CHINA'S NOT
01:19:50HELPING. RUSSIA'S NOT HELPING. NORTH KOREA IS NOT HELPING. CUBA
01:19:54IS NOT HELPING. VENEZUELA IS NOT
01:19:57HELPING. OF THE AUTOCRACIES BAD
01:20:02COUNTRIES ON THIS PLANET ARE
01:20:04HELPING. BUT YOU HAVE 47 PEOPLE
01:20:07HERE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP, UH,
01:20:11THE IRANIANS. SO I WAS MISTAKEN. WHEN THE WAR STARTED. I CAME OUT
01:20:15ON THIS FLOOR AND I SAID, IN
01:20:19CLOSING IRAN, NOBODY IS COMING
01:20:22TO HELP YOU. I WAS WRONG. ONE
01:20:26ENTITY IS COMING TO HELP, AND
01:20:27IT'S THESE 47 PEOPLE OVER HERE.
01:20:30BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS IS NOT
01:20:31GOING TO PASS. IT IS NOT WELL
01:20:35TAKEN. IT IS SOMETHING THAT
01:20:37CAN'T POSSIBLY HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING ON. UH, IF IT
01:20:40DID HAPPEN, IT WOULD GIVE A
01:20:44TREMENDOUS AID AND COMFORT TO
01:20:46OUR ENEMY. I WOULD SINCERELY URGE ALL MEMBERS OF THIS BODY TO
01:20:50VOTE. NO. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
01:20:54>> TODAY, I RISE IN OPPOSITION
01:20:56TO DONALD TRUMP'S ILLEGAL WAR IN
01:21:00IRAN. I COME TO ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION. WHAT HAS THIS WAR
01:21:04GOTTEN US? HERE'S WHAT WE DO
01:21:09KNOW. IT HAS TRAGICALLY COST THE
01:21:12LIVES OF 13 SERVICE MEMBERS. IT
01:21:14HAS CAUSED HUNDREDS OF OTHERS TO
01:21:17BE INJURED. IT HAS COST
01:21:21TAXPAYERS TENS UPON TENS OF
01:21:24BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT HAS COST
01:21:28THE AVERAGE AMERICAN MORE THAN
01:21:30$250 MORE AT THE PUMP. ON
01:21:36AVERAGE, IT HAS COST FARMERS
01:21:39NEARLY 50% MORE ON FERTILIZERS.
01:21:43THIS WAR HAS BEEN A DISASTER,
01:21:46AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGREE. WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, IT WAS THE
01:21:49MOST UNPOPULAR WAR IN U.S.
01:21:54HISTORY AND HAS ONLY GOTTEN MORE
01:21:57UNPOPULAR AS IT HAS GONE ON. THE
01:22:01PRESIDENT CLEARLY GETS THAT. SO
01:22:03HE HAS RELEASED A TWO AND A HALF
01:22:07PAGE BULLET POINT MEMORANDUM OF
01:22:10UNDERSTANDING THAT HE CLAIMS
01:22:13WILL BE THE PANACEA TO END THE
01:22:15WAR ENDING THE WAR IS ABSOLUTELY
01:22:18A GOOD THING. BUT WITH THIS
01:22:24ALLEGED DEAL, THERE ARE A FEW
01:22:26MAJOR CATCHES. FOR STARTERS,
01:22:29THIS FLIMSY MEMORANDUM OF
01:22:32UNDERSTANDING AGREEMENT HAS NOT
01:22:35AND WILL NOT ACTUALLY END THE
01:22:38WAR. THIS IS A PLAN TO MAKE A
01:22:43PLAN LATER, AND WHAT THE TRUMP
01:22:46ADMINISTRATION IS LEARNING IN
01:22:47REAL TIME. IS THAT A FINAL DEAL
01:22:50LIKE THE OBAMA ERA DEAL ON IRAN,
01:22:56TAKES HARD WORK SECONDLY, THIS
01:23:00SHORT TERM DEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN
01:23:02ALREADY LASTLY, IF IT WERE TO BE
01:23:08FOLLOWED TO A TEE, IT WOULD BE
01:23:10AN EMBARRASSING FOLD TO THE
01:23:14IRANIANS AND LOSER FOR THE
01:23:16AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE WOULD GREEN
01:23:21LIGHT $300 BILLION TO GO TO THIS
01:23:22HARD LINE IRANIAN REGIME. WE
01:23:27WOULD LIFT SANCTIONS ON THIS
01:23:29REGIME AND LET IT FREELY SELL
01:23:32OIL, ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE
01:23:35BILLIONS MORE. WE WOULD SHOW
01:23:37THAT IRAN CAN CONTROL THE STRAIT
01:23:40OF HORMUZ AND OUR GLOBAL ECONOMY
01:23:42WHENEVER IT WANTS. AND WHAT DO
01:23:47WE GET? NOT MUCH. NO FREEDOM FOR
01:23:51THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WHO WERE
01:23:54PROTESTING A BRUTAL REGIME MERE
01:23:56MONTHS AGO. NO END TO IRAN'S
01:24:00NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES. SO I AGAIN
01:24:05ASK, WHAT HAS THIS WAR OF CHOICE
01:24:10GOTTEN US? THIS WAR HAS BEEN BAD
01:24:11FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND NOW
01:24:14THIS OFF RAMP IS BAD FOR THE
01:24:21AMERICAN PEOPLE. CONGRESS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO END THIS WAR
01:24:24MONTHS AGO, AND WE SHOULD HAVE
01:24:26DONE JUST THAT. TO AVOID THIS
01:24:32EXACT SCENARIO, MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES REFUSED. BUT THAT
01:24:36DOES NOT MEAN IT'S TOO LATE.
01:24:39IT'S CLEAR AS DAY THAT WE
01:24:43CANNOT TRUST THIS PRESIDENT TO
01:24:45BE LEFT TO HIS OWN DEVICES. WE
01:24:49NEED TO USE THE POWER WE HAVE TO
01:24:52END THIS WAR AND HEAD DOWN THE
01:24:55PATH OF REAL DIPLOMACY. LET'S
01:24:57TAKE IT. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO
01:25:02VOTE YES ON THIS CONCURRENT
01:25:04RESOLUTION, AND I YIELD. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, FOR YEARS,
01:25:08TRUMP PROMISED TO PUT MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON IRAN, BUT HE ENDED
01:25:12UP DELIVERING MAXIMUM CONFUSION,
01:25:15MAXIMUM CHAOS, MAXIMUM COST TO
01:25:20THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WITH HIS
01:25:22DISASTROUS WAR. EVERY SECOND THIS WAR CONTINUES, THE COST TO
01:25:26THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GO UP. AND THIS IS THE 10th TIME DEMOCRATS
01:25:30HAVE FORCED REPUBLICANS TO VOTE
01:25:32ON A WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TO
01:25:34END THE WAR. TIME AFTER TIME,
01:25:37THE VAST MAJORITY OF SENATE
01:25:39REPUBLICANS SIDED WITH TRUMP AND
01:25:41HIS WAR. INSTEAD OF THE AMERICAN
01:25:43PEOPLE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE
01:25:45PAID THE PRICE FOR TRUMP'S
01:25:49HISTORIC BLUNDER IN IRAN. IT'LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY BOOKS AS ONE
01:25:52OF THE WORST FOREIGN POLICY
01:25:54FORAYS AMERICA HAS EVER MADE, OR ANY COUNTRY HAS EVER MADE. IT IS
01:25:58SO, SO REED, RIDICULOUS, COSTLY,
01:26:04WITH NO GOALS, ACHIEVING, NO GOALS THAT TRUMP SET FORWARD, OR
01:26:07VIRTUALLY NONE THE AMERICAN
01:26:12PEOPLE HAVE SEEN SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES, SOARING COSTS, AND,
01:26:15TRAGICALLY, THE LOSS OF 13 SERVICE MEMBERS AND THE WOUNDING
01:26:18OF HUNDREDS MORE. AND MEANWHILE,
01:26:22IRAN TOOK TRUMP TO THE CLEANERS.
01:26:24TRUMP GAVE IRAN EVERYTHING THEIR TERRORIST PROXIES, THEIR CONTROL
01:26:28OVER THE STRAIT, THEIR OIL REVENUE, THEIR HUNDREDS OF
01:26:31BILLIONS, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
01:26:33RECONSTRUCTION AID. AND IT'S
01:26:36STILL UNCLEAR WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN
01:26:37IN RETURN. TRUMP/VANCE RUBIO
01:26:42REFUSED TO COME BEFORE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND ANSWER
01:26:44QUESTIONS. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT
01:26:46SIDE DEALS. THERE ARE. NO ONE
01:26:49KNOWS WHAT ACTUALLY WAS SAID. NO
01:26:52ONE KNOWS THE DETAILS OF THIS
01:26:55SO-CALLED UNDERSTANDING. AND THE REASON IS, THEY'RE PROBABLY
01:26:58AFRAID TO SHOW IT BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW BADLY THEY HAVE DONE.
01:27:02TRUMP WON'T BRIEF CONGRESS. TRUMP WON'T DEFEND HIS DEAL.
01:27:05TRUMP WON'T END HIS WAR, BUT DEMOCRATS WILL KEEP FORCING THIS
01:27:09VOTE. AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP DOING IT BECAUSE ONLY CONGRESS
01:27:13HAS THE POWER TO TAKE THIS NATION TO WAR. AND THIS ONE MUST
01:27:16END. IN FACT, TRUMP NEVER, EVER
01:27:21SHOULD HAVE STARTED IT I YIELD
01:27:25BACK THE REMAINDER OF OUR TIME, RIGHT? I YIELD BACK ALL TIME. AS
01:27:29FOR THE YEAS AND NAYS.
01:27:33>> MR. SPEAKER, PART OF OUR JOB
01:27:36IN CONGRESS IS TO ANSWER TOUGH
01:27:38QUESTIONS. WHEN THE PEOPLE HAVE
01:27:40TOUGH QUESTIONS, THEY DESERVE
01:27:44HONEST ANSWERS. BUT THE TOUGHEST
01:27:46QUESTION I'VE EVER RECEIVED IN
01:27:49MY LIFE IS NOT HERE IN CONGRESS.
01:27:51BUT IN IRAQ. FROM AN 18 YEAR OLD
01:27:57LANCE CORPORAL WHO SIMPLY ASKED,
01:27:59SIR, WHY AM I RISKING MY LIFE
01:28:06FOR THIS? THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG AMERICANS, THE BEST OF THE
01:28:10BEST. THOSE FEW BRAVE ENOUGH TO
01:28:13PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR COUNTRY AND FOR ALL OF US
01:28:17HERE. WHO ARE ASKING THAT
01:28:20QUESTION TODAY. WHY AM I RISKING
01:28:26MY LIFE FOR THIS? ASKING THAT
01:28:30QUESTION TODAY, AS THEY FIGHT
01:28:32AND DIE IN A WAR, TRUMP DID NOT
01:28:35NEED TO START A WAR THAT HE IS
01:28:39NOT WINNING. A WAR THAT HAS MADE
01:28:42IRAN MORE DANGEROUS, NOT LESS.
01:28:45AND A WAR THAT IS COSTING EVERY
01:28:50AMERICAN BACK HOME, THOUGH NONE
01:28:53MORE SO THAN THE AMERICAN HEROES
01:28:55AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHO HAVE
01:28:58ALREADY MADE THE ULTIMATE
01:29:00SACRIFICE FOR THIS FOLLY. AS OF
01:29:04THIS PAST WEEKEND, THE CASUALTY
01:29:06TOLL FROM THE WAR HAS RISEN TO
01:29:101818 AMERICANS DEAD IN A WAR
01:29:14THAT CONGRESS NEVER VOTED TO AUTHORIZE. IN ADDITION TO THE
01:29:17HEROES, WE HAVE ALREADY LOST IN
01:29:18THIS WAR. PRIOR TO THIS WEEKEND,
01:29:22WE NOW MOURN THE LIVES OF
01:29:24PRIVATE ISABELLA GONZALES, FIRST
01:29:29LIEUTENANT JAMES FEEHAN,
01:29:30SERGEANT ANGEL RAMPERSAD, AND
01:29:34SERGEANT MICHAEL EMMANUEL SWINTON WHEN THE MILITARY
01:29:37COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF THIS OPERATION CAME BEFORE THE HOUSE
01:29:41ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE A FEW
01:29:42WEEKS AGO, I ASKED HIM HOW MANY
01:29:47MORE AMERICANS HAVE TO DIE FOR
01:29:49THIS MISTAKE. HE REFUSED TO
01:29:54ANSWER, JUST AS TRUMP AND HIS HENCHMEN, HEGSETH, HAVE REFUSED
01:29:57TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY, ANY
01:30:01ACCOUNTABILITY, FOR THIS MASSIVE FAILURE OF A WAR, FOR LOSING
01:30:05THIS WAR TO IRAN. YES, PART OF
01:30:09OUR JOB IN CONGRESS IS TO ANSWER
01:30:12TOUGH QUESTIONS, THOUGH IT'S
01:30:14EASIER HERE THAN OUT THERE IN
01:30:17THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT PART OF OUR
01:30:19JOB IS ALSO TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS, TOUGH QUESTIONS OF
01:30:23THIS ADMINISTRATION, BEFORE IT
01:30:25KILLS MORE AMERICANS. IN THIS
01:30:28MISTAKE, TOO MANY OF OUR
01:30:30COLLEAGUES REFUSE TO DO SO.
01:30:34THANKFULLY, A LARGE NUMBER OF
01:30:37DEMOCRATIC VETERANS DO NOT. WE
01:30:39ARE ASKING THESE TOUGH QUESTIONS
01:30:42OF THE ADMINISTRATION ON BEHALF
01:30:43OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND ON
01:30:46BEHALF OF OUR TROOPS, AND THEY
01:30:49ALL DEMAND ANSWERS. THAT IS WHY
01:30:54WE HAVE DEMANDED THIS VOTE.
01:30:57IT'S LONG PAST TIME FOR A PLAN.
01:30:59WE'RE LONG OVERDUE FOR
01:31:02ACCOUNTABILITY, AND WE'RE TIRED.
01:31:04MR. PRESIDENT, OF LOSING THIS
01:31:07WAR AND MAKING IT WORSE FOR OUR
01:31:10TROOPS AND FOR EVERYONE HERE AT
01:31:12HOME. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, MR.
01:31:16PRESIDENT. ENOUGH OF YOUR WAR IN
01:31:19IRAN. THAT HAS BEEN AN UTTER
01:31:23DISASTER FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT
01:31:25IRAN. AND MAYBE CHINA ENOUGH IS
01:31:28ENOUGH, MR. PRESIDENT. ENOUGH IS
01:31:34ENOUGH. MR. SPEAKER, I YIELD
01:31:35BACK
01:31:39>> GENTLEMEN, RESERVES BALANCE OF TIME. GENTLEWOMAN FROM WASHINGTON.
01:31:43>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I NOW
01:31:45YIELD THREE MINUTES TO THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM
01:31:48COLORADO, CONGRESSMAN >> JASON CROW.
01:31:50>> GENTLEMAN IS
01:31:57>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I
01:32:00JOIN ALL AMERICANS. MY
01:32:03COLLEAGUES, CHAIRMAN, MAST AND
01:32:05MOURNING THOSE LOST WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR
01:32:09OUR NATION. ONCE AGAIN AND I
01:32:13HONOR GREATLY THE SERVICE OF THE
01:32:14CHAIRMAN. WE SERVED IN THESE WARS TOGETHER. HE KNOWS
01:32:18SACRIFICE. HE, IN FACT, SACRIFICED AND GAVE MORE THAN I
01:32:22DID. AND HE ALSO DEEPLY
01:32:25UNDERSTANDS THE THREATS AND HE
01:32:28WAS RIGHT WHEN HE OUTLINED THOSE
01:32:30THREATS IRAN IS A MALIGNANT
01:32:36REGIME. ALAN IRAN DOES AND HAS
01:32:39POSED A THREAT TO AMERICANS, AS
01:32:44HAS NORTH KOREA AND RUSSIA, AND
01:32:46MANY OTHER REGIMES AND
01:32:49COUNTRIES, AND TERRORISTS AROUND
01:32:53THE WORLD. BECAUSE, YOU SEE, THE
01:32:55IMPORTANT THING IS NOT JUST TO
01:32:59RECOGNIZE THE THREAT AND SAY, IF THERE'S A THREAT, THAT WE
01:33:02AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO GO TO WAR,
01:33:05BECAUSE THAT IS THE START OF THE
01:33:07ANALYSIS, NOT THE END OF IT. THE
01:33:12NEXT QUESTIONS AND THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ARE, WHAT DO WE DO
01:33:15ABOUT IT? DO WE GO TO WAR? DO WE
01:33:17ASSEMBLE A COALITION? DO WE USE
01:33:22SANCTIONS? DO WE USE SOFT POWER?
01:33:25HOW DO WE MEET THAT THREAT? AND IT'S THE FACT THAT IN THE 20
01:33:29YEARS OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN,
01:33:32WE STOPPED ASKING THAT ESSENTIAL
01:33:34QUESTION. AND JUST ASSUMED THAT
01:33:39WAR WAS THE ANSWER AND WOULD
01:33:40SOLVE IT. THAT IS WHAT LED US
01:33:43THE 20 PLUS YEARS, TRILLIONS OF
01:33:45DOLLARS, AND THOUSANDS OF
01:33:47AMERICAN LIVES LOST FOR WARS
01:33:49THAT ENDED POORLY. I AM
01:33:53UNWILLING TO NOT LEARN THAT
01:33:55LESSON I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR
01:34:00ABOUT IRAN IN PARTICULAR. THERE
01:34:02WAS NO INTELLIGENCE SHOWING THAT
01:34:07IRAN WAS PROCEEDING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
01:34:10IF THERE WAS INTELLIGENCE, WE
01:34:12WOULD BE HAVING A DIFFERENT
01:34:14DISCUSSION HERE. THERE WASN'T IN
01:34:17THAT FACT MATTERS. SO THEN THAT
01:34:20LEADS US TO THE SECOND PART OF
01:34:22IT. WHAT DO WE WE MEET THIS
01:34:25THREAT THAT HAS BEEN POSED FOR
01:34:2940 PLUS YEARS? WHAT IS CLEAR IS
01:34:32THAT AMERICANS ARE DONE WITH AN
01:34:37ENDLESS CYCLE OF CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WHEN I WAS IN
01:34:41AFGHANISTAN, OUR ADVERSARIES,
01:34:44THE ENEMIES THAT WE FOUGHT,
01:34:45WOULD OFTEN SAY, AMERICANS HAVE
01:34:50ALL THE CLOCKS, BUT WE HAVE ALL THE TIME. THEY SIMPLY WANT TO
01:34:53WAIT US OUT, KNOWING THAT WE'LL
01:34:55JUST SPEND MORE MONEY, HAVE MORE
01:35:00COMBAT DEPLOYMENTS THAT WILL JUST CONTINUE TO DO IT YEAR
01:35:03AFTER YEAR UNTIL WE WEAR OUT.
01:35:06WELL, WHEN I'M SITTING HERE AND
01:35:12HAVE TO FACE MY CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE LOSING HOMES, LOSING THEIR
01:35:15FARMS, LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE,
01:35:19WHO CAN'T ANSWER THE SIMPLE QUESTION, HOW IS THIS MAKING ME
01:35:23SAFER? HOW IS THIS IMPROVING MY
01:35:25LIFE? AND I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
01:35:27I'M UNWILLING TO PERPETUATE YET
01:35:30ANOTHER QUAGMIRE, AN ENDLESS
01:35:31CYCLE OF CONFLICT. IT IS TIME
01:35:36FOR US TO RESTART THE ACCOUNTABILITY LOOP HERE IN CONGRESS. ALL THESE RULES, ALL
01:35:40THE AUTHORIZATIONS THAT WE
01:35:41DEBATE, WHY IT MATTERS, IS
01:35:45BECAUSE THIS CONGRESS, THIS
01:35:47BODY, HAS THE DUTY TO TAKE A
01:35:50VOTE, TO HAVE THIS DEBATE AND
01:35:52THEN GO HOME AND STAND IN FRONT OF THOSE CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE
01:35:55LOSING THEIR HOMES, LOSING THEIR FARMS, LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE,
01:35:59AND SAY, WHY WE SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T DO IT. THAT'S WHAT
01:36:02THIS IS ABOUT. I IMPLORE MY
01:36:04COLLEAGUES TO LEARN THIS LESSON
01:36:06FROM THE LAST 20 PLUS YEARS, END
01:36:09THIS ENDLESS CYCLE OF CONFLICT.
01:36:11LET'S BRING OUR FOLKS HOME.
01:36:14LET'S FOCUS ON HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, AND MEETING THE NEEDS
01:36:17OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND SERVING OUR MILITARY FAMILIES IN THE WAY
01:36:20THAT THEY NEED TO BE SERVED. I YIELD BACK. >> GENTLEMAN RESERVES THE
01:36:24BALANCE OF HER TIME. GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA. >> MR. SPEAKER, I WOULD SAY TO
01:36:28MY COLLEAGUE, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION OF MY SERVICE, AND I
01:36:31RECOGNIZE HIM FOR HIS SERVICE AS WELL. UH, PROUD TO HAVE BROTHERS
01:36:34IN ARMS, BUT I CANNOT LET WHAT
01:36:39WAS SAID. THAT IS UNEQUIVOCALLY
01:36:42FALSE. STAND NUMBER ONE. NORTH
01:36:44KOREA AND RUSSIA HAVE NOT KILLED
01:36:51FOUR AMERICANS, WOUNDED 200, AND
01:36:55ATTACKED OVER 350 TIMES IN THE
01:36:5730 MONTHS JUST PRIOR TO EPIC
01:37:00FURY BEGINNING. THERE IS NO COMPARISON. THAT IS WHAT IRAN
01:37:03HAS DONE, AND UNEQUIVOCALLY,
01:37:08IRAN WAS WORKING TO DEVELOP A
01:37:12NUCLEAR WEAPON IN THEIR RESEARCH FACILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
01:37:15FACILITIES OF NATANZ, ISFAHAN.
01:37:18FORDO. AND YOU NEED ONLY LISTEN
01:37:23TO THE WORDS OF IRANIAN
01:37:25GENERALS. THE AYATOLLAH, IN THE
01:37:28LAST COUPLE WEEKS AND MONTHS, SAYING THEY WILL NOT CEASE THEIR
01:37:32PURSUIT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
01:37:33DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. JUST
01:37:37LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF THE IRANIAN LEADERSHIP. I RESERVE.
01:37:41>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK. >> I RESERVE.
01:37:45>> GENTLEMAN. RESERVES. GENTLEWOMAN FROM WASHINGTON.
01:37:49>> MR. SPEAKER, I'M PREPARED TO
01:37:53CLOSE.
01:37:53>> GENTLELADY
01:38:00>> MR. SPEAKER, THIS VOTE IS A VOTE OF CONSCIENCE, AND WE ARE
01:38:03BEGGING OUR COLLEAGUES HERE IN
01:38:06CONGRESS TO STAND UP FOR OUR
01:38:08FELLOW AMERICANS, FOR THE CONSTITUTION, FOR OUR ARTICLE
01:38:12ONE. POWERS THAT OUR FOUNDERS
01:38:13THOUGHT SO CAREFULLY ABOUT WHEN
01:38:18THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION THIS
01:38:21WAR IS REMARKABLY UNPOPULAR. IT
01:38:24IS SO UNPOPULAR THAT IT IS
01:38:29AMERICA'S LEAST POPULAR WAR.
01:38:30SINCE POLLS BEGAN. AND THAT'S
01:38:34BEEN TRUE SINCE THE FIRST BOMBS
01:38:37WERE DROPPED. THIS WAR IS
01:38:40UNPOPULAR, EVEN AMONGST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S OWN
01:38:44SUPPORTERS. BACK IN MAY, ONLY
01:38:48HALF OF SELF-PROCLAIMED MAGA REPUBLICANS THOUGHT THAT THE WAR
01:38:51WAS WORTH THE COST. NOW, TWO
01:38:54MONTHS LATER, ONLY ABOUT A THIRD
01:38:56DO. THAT IS A 13 POINT DROP IN
01:39:01JUST TWO MONTHS, AND AMONGST ALL
01:39:07AMERICANS, A STAGGERING 70%
01:39:09DISAPPROVE OF THIS PRESIDENT'S
01:39:12HANDLING OF THE WAR. AND ALMOST
01:39:15TWO THIRDS OF ALL AMERICANS,
01:39:18INCLUDING OVER HALF OF MAGA
01:39:21SUPPORTERS, BLAME TRUMP'S WAR
01:39:23ON IRAN FOR THEIR RISING PRICES.
01:39:27I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US
01:39:31TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MOMENTS
01:39:33OF CONSCIENCE IN OUR COUNTRY REQUIRE STRENGTH OF CONVICTION
01:39:36AND COURAGE. THAT OUR
01:39:40CONSTITUENTS EXPECT US TO HAVE
01:39:42WHEN THEY ELECT US. THEY EXPECT
01:39:45US TO HONOR THE OATH OF OFFICE
01:39:51THAT WE TOOK. THEY EXPECT US TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF
01:39:53THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE
01:39:56CONFERRED ON US BY THAT UNITED
01:39:58STATES CONSTITUTION. THEY EXPECT
01:40:01US TO VOTE REGARDLESS OF PARTY,
01:40:04FOR THE THING THAT WILL KEEP
01:40:07AMERICANS SAFE. AND THEY EXPECT US TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS
01:40:11THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT HERE AT
01:40:13HOME. AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER
01:40:17AND OVER AGAIN IS A REFUSAL OF
01:40:20THIS ADMINISTRATION TO DO THAT.
01:40:27THE LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT THE REASONS FOR THIS WAR ARE QUITE
01:40:30REMARKABLE. THE ADMINISTRATION
01:40:32HAS CONTINUED TO FLIP FLOP BETWEEN CLAIMING THAT WE'VE WON
01:40:35THE WAR, AND THEN LATER THAT
01:40:37MORE BOMBS ARE NEEDED. AFTER OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER IN
01:40:41JUNE OF 2025, THE TRUMP
01:40:43ADMINISTRATION TOLD US THAT U.S.
01:40:46STRIKES ON IRAN HAD DESTROYED
01:40:48THEIR MILITARY AND OBLITERATED
01:40:51NUCLEAR PROGRAMS. AFTER THE
01:40:53INITIAL STRIKES ON IRAN, SECRETARY HEGSETH SAID THAT THE
01:40:56IRANIAN MILITARY WAS, QUOTE,
01:40:59DESTROYED AND, QUOTE, MADE
01:41:02COMBAT INEFFECTIVE IN APRIL, HE
01:41:06DECLARED OPERATION EPIC FURY WAS
01:41:08A, QUOTE, HISTORIC AND
01:41:11OVERWHELMING VICTORY, END QUOTE. AND THAT THE UNITED STATES
01:41:14ACHIEVED, QUOTE, EVERY SINGLE
01:41:18OBJECTIVE, END QUOTE. BUT THIS
01:41:21IS PLAINLY FALSE. AND THE
01:41:23AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW IT. MONTHS
01:41:26AFTER HEGSETH CLAIMED VICTORY,
01:41:29IRAN CONTINUED TO STRIKE AMERICAN ASSETS IN THE MIDDLE
01:41:32EAST, KILL AMERICAN SERVICE
01:41:35MEMBERS, AND CLOSE THE STRAITS
01:41:37OF HORMUZ. THE ADMINISTRATION
01:41:39HAS CLEARLY GOTTEN US INTO A WAR
01:41:42THAT. THEY HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO
01:41:43GET US OUT OF. AMERICANS DESERVE
01:41:49A CLEAR STRATEGY, NOT SHIFTING EXPLANATIONS THAT CHANGE BY THE
01:41:52DAY. THEY DESERVE THOUGHTFUL
01:41:55DIPLOMACY, NOT TWEETS LIKE THE
01:41:57ONE THAT THE PRESIDENT JUST
01:41:59RELEASED TODAY, QUOTING FROM
01:42:02THIS POINT FORWARD, ANY TIME THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN SHOOTS
01:42:05AT A SHIP IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHETHER IT BE BY
01:42:08MISSILE, ROCKET, DRONE, OR ANY OTHER DEVICE OR WEAPON, THE
01:42:12UNITED STATES WILL BOMB AND
01:42:15DESTROY CAPITAL LETTERS, ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, INCLUDING
01:42:18THOSE LOCATED NEXT TO OR IN THE
01:42:20CAPITAL CITY OF TEHRAN. THANK
01:42:23YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. PRESIDENT DONALD J.
01:42:26TRUMP. THIS IS IRRESPONSIBLE
01:42:29BEHAVIOR FROM THE PRESIDENT OF
01:42:31THE UNITED STATES. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR ON THE
01:42:35BACKS OF WAR POWERS, RESOLUTIONS
01:42:37THAT PASSED IN A BIPARTISAN WAY
01:42:40IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE
01:42:42SENATE, TELLING THE PRESIDENT TO
01:42:47END THIS ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL WAR. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR THAT IS
01:42:49GOING TO LEAD TO THE MORE TO
01:42:52MORE DEATHS OF UNITED STATES
01:42:54SERVICE MEMBERS AND CIVILIANS AROUND THE WORLD. IT DOES NOT
01:42:58DE-ESCALATE. IT DOES NOT CREATE
01:43:01COALITIONS OF ALLIES. IT DOES
01:43:05NOT DO ANYTHING TO ADDRESS THE
01:43:09ISSUES THAT AMERICANS ARE FACING
01:43:11RIGHT HERE AT HOME. SO I CLOSE
01:43:13WHERE I STARTED. THIS IS A VOTE
01:43:17OF CONSCIENCE. THIS IS A VOTE
01:43:20THAT REQUIRES US TO FIND THE
01:43:23STRENGTH TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR
01:43:25THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND TO SEND
01:43:30THE CLEAREST, EVEN STRONGER MESSAGE TO THIS PRESIDENT OF THE
01:43:34UNITED STATES THAT THE UNITED
01:43:35STATES CONGRESS, THE HOUSE OF
01:43:39REPRESENTATIVES, IS REASSERTING
01:43:40OUR AUTHORITY OVER WAR. THIS WAR
01:43:44MUST END. VOTE YES ON THIS WAR.
01:43:47POWERS RESOLUTION. I YIELD BACK.
01:43:50>> FROM NEW YORK YIELDS.
01:43:53GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA. GENTLEWOMAN FROM WASHINGTON. YIELDS. THE GENTLEMAN FROM
01:43:56FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED. >> I RESERVE.
01:43:58>> THE GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED.
01:44:00>> READY TO I SAY TO MY
01:44:08COLLEAGUES. IT'S BEEN 144 DAYS
01:44:16A SENSELESS AND A POINTLESS WAR.
01:44:19THE PRESIDENT SAYS. HE'S THERE
01:44:26TO PREVENT IRAN FROM HAVING A
01:44:28NUCLEAR WEAPON WELL, THE FIRST
01:44:31TERM THE PRESIDENT RIPPED UP THE
01:44:37JCPOA AS A GENTLE LADY FROM
01:44:42WASHINGTON HAS INDICATED. I WAS
01:44:44IN CONGRESS AT THAT TIME WHEN
01:44:47THE JCPOA WAS IMPLEMENTED THE
01:44:51UNITED STATES WAS NOT BY ITSELF.
01:44:52IT WAS A WELL THOUGHT OUT
01:44:57DIPLOMATIC DOCUMENT THAT WAS
01:44:59PRODUCED. THAT WAS CLEAR. IT
01:45:05WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE
01:45:07BY INDIVIDUALS WHO HERETOFORE
01:45:09ONLY WAS INVOLVED IN REAL
01:45:12ESTATE. IT WAS DONE WITH DIPLOMATS AROUND THE WORLD, AND
01:45:15EVEN SOME OF OUR ADVERSARIES IN
01:45:20RUSSIA AND CHINA. THE P5 PLUS
01:45:22ONE. I TRAVELED SEVERAL TO HAVE
01:45:34DIALOG AND CONVERSATION WITH THE
01:45:36HEAD OF THE IAEA ALONG WITH SOME
01:45:42OTHER COLLEAGUES, WAS TOLD THAT AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, FOR THE
01:45:46FIRST TIME, THEY HAD THEIR EYES.
01:45:55ON IRAN ITS NUCLEAR
01:45:58CAPABILITIES. THEY HAD CAMERAS.
01:46:05WATCHING EVERYTHING AND ALL OF
01:46:07THE INDIVIDUALS SAID THAT IRAN
01:46:10WAS AT THE CLOSEST A YEAR TO A
01:46:13YEAR AND COULD NOT PROGRESS
01:46:16BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING IN
01:46:21A COLLECTIVE MANNER, TO PREVENT
01:46:23THEM FROM HAVING WEAPON. THE
01:46:31IAEA WAS THERE UNTIL THE
01:46:37PRESIDENT RIPPED IT UP. AND
01:46:43THAT'S WHEN. CAMERAS AND THE
01:46:47WATCHING OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE, THE AGREEMENT THAT HAD
01:46:50BEEN MADE THROUGH A DIPLOMATIC
01:46:52CHANNEL ENDED IN IRAN, PUSHED US
01:46:56OUT. AND THAT'S WHEN WE NO
01:47:01LONGER COULD SEE WHAT WAS TAKING
01:47:04PLACE. DIPLOMACY WAS PREVENTING
01:47:10IRAN FROM HAVING A NUCLEAR
01:47:14WEAPON. WITHOUT THE STRAIT OF
01:47:18HORMUZ BEING CLOSED, WITHOUT THE
01:47:24DEATH MEN AND WOMEN, OF OUR
01:47:28MILITARY, WITHOUT THE COST OF
01:47:31RISING PRICES OF FOOD, BECAUSE
01:47:37FERTILIZER COULDN'T GET THROUGH
01:47:39THE STRAIT OR THE COST OF GAS.
01:47:42WE HAD ALLIES WITH US. WE BETTER
01:47:50OFF NOW WHEN WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS, BASICALLY BY OURSELVES?
01:47:53BECAUSE EVERYONE ADVISED THIS
01:47:55PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
01:47:59NOT TO DO IT. 18 LIVES. SERVICE
01:48:14MEMBERS. TOO MANY IRANIAN
01:48:17CIVILIANS, INCLUDING MORE THAN
01:48:18100 SCHOOLGIRLS. INJURED.
01:48:25COUNTLESS MORE TENS OF BILLIONS
01:48:29OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS SPENT. AND
01:48:34THE ADMINISTRATION STILL REFUSES
01:48:35TO GIVE US A FULL ACCOUNTING OF
01:48:38WHERE THAT MONEY WENT. EVEN AS
01:48:44THEY REFUSE TO EXPLAIN THE COST,
01:48:51THEY'RE ASKING FOR BILLIONS
01:48:54MORE FOR A THEY NEVER ASKED. THE
01:49:01UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO
01:49:03AUTHORIZE A THAT THE PEOPLE OF
01:49:08THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
01:49:11NEVER ASKED FOR, AS INDICATED BY
01:49:17THE GENTLELADY FROM WASHINGTON,
01:49:1870% OF AMERICANS
01:49:30AND THE SENATE HAVE SPOKEN. THEY
01:49:33HAVE ALREADY VOTED IN A
01:49:35BIPARTISAN WAY TO END THIS WAR.
01:49:39TODAY. LET'S VOTE AGAIN. AND I
01:49:43BELIEVE WE WILL GET EVEN A
01:49:46GREATER MARGIN IN THIS HOUSE.
01:49:49LET'S NOT GIVE THIS PRESIDENT
01:49:53ANOTHER BLANK CHECK TO WAGE AN
01:49:57ILLEGAL WAR. THIS IS NOT WHAT
01:50:01THE CONSTITUTION'S DEMAND OF
01:50:03US. THIS IS NOT WHAT OUR
01:50:05CONSTITUENTS EXPECT TO DO OUR
01:50:11JOBS. THEY EXPECT US TO ABIDE BY
01:50:15THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THEY EXPECT
01:50:19US TO STAND UP AND TELL THIS
01:50:22PRESIDENT THAT THIS ILLEGAL WAR
01:50:26MUST COME TO AN END ONCE AND FOR
01:50:36YES ON THIS WAR. POWERS
01:50:38RESOLUTION AND LET THE AMERICAN
01:50:42PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE
01:50:46ALTERED FROM DOING OUR JOB. AND
01:50:49I YIELD BACK.
01:50:50>> GENTLEMAN GENTLEMAN FROM NEW
01:50:53YORK YIELDS. GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED.
01:50:55>> MR. SPEAKER, CAN WE GET THE
01:50:58HOUSE IN ORDER? THANK . MR.
01:51:02SPEAKER. I'M GOING TO BEGIN BY AGREEING WITH SOMETHING THAT MY
01:51:05COLLEAGUE SAID. WE DIDN'T ASK
01:51:07FOR THIS WE DIDN'T ASK FOR
01:51:12IRAN. AGAIN, AS I'VE SAID
01:51:13ALREADY, TO ATTACK US, OVER 350
01:51:18TIMES IN JUST THE 30 MONTHS
01:51:21PRIOR TO OPERATION EPIC FURY. WE
01:51:23DID NOT ASK FOR THAT. I WANT TO
01:51:26READ FROM THE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OFFERED BY MY
01:51:29COLLEAGUE FROM WASHINGTON.
01:51:31REMOVE UNITED STATES ARMED
01:51:33FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST
01:51:36IRAN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
01:51:38FORCES THAT WOULD PREVENT THE
01:51:41UNITED STATES FROM DEFENDING
01:51:43ITSELF, ITS ARMED FORCES,
01:51:46DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES, OR ALLIED
01:51:49STATES FROM IMMINENT ATTACK. MR. SPEAKER, I'D LIKE TO YIELD 10
01:51:52SECONDS TO THE GENTLELADY FROM WASHINGTON TO TELL US WHICH
01:51:56UNITS, WHICH SHIPS SHE WOULD
01:52:02LIKE REMOVED. >> GENTLELADY FROM THE GENTLELADY FROM WASHINGTON IS
01:52:04RECOGNIZED FOR 10 SECONDS. >> MR. SPEAKER, WHAT I WOULD
01:52:07LIKE TO RESPOND TO THE GENTLEMAN
01:52:10IS. WE ACTUALLY NEED A STRATEGY.
01:52:13HAVE YOU SEEN A STRATEGY OF WHICH SHIPS ARE WHERE. WHAT
01:52:16WE'RE PLANNING TO DO, WHAT OUR END GOAL IS, HOW WE INTEND TO
01:52:20ACHIEVE. >> GENTLEWOMAN'S TIME HAS EXPIRED. THE GENTLEMAN. >> IS CLASSIFIED.
01:52:24>> GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS NOW RECOGNIZED.
01:52:25>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I'M GLAD TO BE RECOGNIZED AGAIN.
01:52:29>> MR.. GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS NOW RECOGNIZED.
01:52:32>> MR. SPEAKER, I WOULD READ
01:52:34FROM THE RESOLUTION AGAIN,
01:52:37REMOVE UNITED STATES FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST IRAN, EXCEPT FOR THOSE THAT ARE TASKED WITH DEFENDING IT, ITS ARMED FORCES,
01:52:41ITS DIPLOMATIC FACILITIES, FROM
01:52:44IMMINENT ATTACK. I WOULD AGAIN
01:52:48YIELD 10 SECONDS TO THE GENTLELADY FROM WASHINGTON
01:52:50ASKING WHAT FORCES YOU WOULD LIKE REMOVED.,
01:52:54>> AND I WOULD AGAIN RESPOND TO THE CHAIRMAN BY ASKING WHEN WE
01:52:57WILL HAVE A SINGLE CLASSIFIED BRIEFING. A SINGLE HEARING IN
01:53:01THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON THIS WAR. IS THE
01:53:05CHAIRMAN PREPARED TO SAY THAT WE
01:53:07WILL HAVE THAT HEARING ON THIS
01:53:10WAR? WHY ARE WE SO AFRAID OF HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING? ON THE
01:53:14ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE
01:53:15SHOULD BE AT WAR IN IRAN? WHERE IS THE CHAIRMAN'S COMMITMENT TO
01:53:19THE. >> AMERICAN PEOPLE? THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS NOW RECOGNIZED.
01:53:22>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. AGAIN, WE HAVE AN AUTHOR OF THIS
01:53:25BILL THAT'S DEMANDING U.S.
01:53:28FORCES BE REMOVED. AND THE
01:53:30AUTHOR OF THIS BILL HAS
01:53:32ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHAT FORCES
01:53:38SHE WANTS TO REMOVE THAT IS
01:53:40BEYOND IRRESPONSIBLE, TO SAY THE
01:53:43LEAST. WRITE A RESOLUTION, BRING
01:53:46IT TO THE FLOOR, DEMAND SOMETHING WITH THE WEIGHT OF
01:53:50THIS ISSUE. NUCLEAR ARMED IRAN, IRAN THAT HAS BEEN ATTACKING US,
01:53:53KILLING OUR PEOPLE FOR YEARS,
01:53:56350 ATTACKS, FOUR DEAD, 200
01:54:00WOUNDED JUST BEFORE THE 30 MONTHS BEFORE EPIC FURY BEGAN,
01:54:03SHE SAYS, REMOVE ALL FORCES.
01:54:05THAT'S THE LEGISLATION BEFORE
01:54:09US AND HAS NO CLUE WHAT FORCES
01:54:14SHE WANTS TO REMOVE. THERE'S A LOT OF ADJECTIVES I COULD USE, BUT MY WORDS WILL BE TAKEN DOWN
01:54:17IF I START TO USE THEM. SO I AM
01:54:20GOING TO CLOSE. MY COLLEAGUES
01:54:23KEEP SAYING THAT THIS IS A WAR
01:54:25OF CHOICE. THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC
01:54:28HAS MADE THEIR CHOICE. THEY
01:54:31CHOSE TO ATTACK AMERICANS EVERY
01:54:34DAY. I READ IT OFF FOR 15
01:54:38MINUTES. THE ATTACKS THAT HAVE
01:54:41BEEN COMING AGAINST US, THEY CHOSE TO SUPPORT TERRORIST
01:54:44PROXIES, KILLING OF AMERICANS
01:54:46AND OUR ALLIES TO DEVELOP WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND
01:54:50MISSILES, TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH
01:54:52OUR HOMELAND AND OUR ALLIES.
01:54:55THEY ALSO CHOSE TO SCRAP THE MOU
01:55:00THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP PUT IN PLACE WHEN HE ENDED EPIC FURY,
01:55:03AND TO AGAIN ENGAGE IN
01:55:06HOSTILITIES AND ATTEMPT TO EXTORT THE WORLD FOR SHIPPING
01:55:09THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WE
01:55:11DO HAVE A CHOICE, MR. SPEAKER
01:55:16AND SOMETIMES THE ONLY CHOICE IS
01:55:19WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO HIT
01:55:21BACK WHEN YOU YOURSELF ARE
01:55:25GETTING HIT. WE HAVE BEEN HIT
01:55:27DAY IN, DAY OUT. I READ IT OFF,
01:55:32AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ARE
01:55:34FINALLY RESPONDING. MR. SPEAKER,
01:55:36I YIELD BACK.
01:55:39>> MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE IN
01:55:41SUPPORT OF MY LEGISLATION TO END
01:55:44PRESIDENT TRUMP'S UNAUTHORIZED
01:55:46ILLEGAL WAR WITH IRAN. THIS WAR
01:55:49WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE
01:55:52OF THE GREATEST STRATEGIC
01:55:54FAILURES IN MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY. IT WAS LAUNCHED WITHOUT
01:55:58A CLEAR PLAN, EXECUTED WITHOUT A
01:56:01COHERENT STRATEGY, AND HAS
01:56:03BECOME A COSTLY, SELF-INFLICTED
01:56:06DISASTER FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. EVERY JUSTIFICATION THAT
01:56:10WE WERE GIVEN FOR THIS CONFLICT,
01:56:12CONFLICT HAS PROVEN HOLLOW. WE
01:56:15WERE TOLD THAT THE IRAN'S
01:56:18NUCLEAR PROGRAM WOULD BE ELIMINATED. INSTEAD, IRAN STILL
01:56:22HOLDS NUCLEAR MATERIAL, AND ITS
01:56:24LEADERS MAY BE MORE DETERMINED
01:56:26THAN EVER TO BUILD A WEAPON. WE
01:56:29WERE TOLD THAT THE IRANIAN
01:56:31REGIME WOULD CRUMBLE. INSTEAD,
01:56:35IT NOW HOLDS NEW LEVERAGE OVER THE WORLD'S ENERGY SUPPLY IN
01:56:38THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. WE WERE
01:56:41TOLD THIS PRESIDENT WOULD BRING
01:56:43PEACE AND LOWER PRICES. INSTEAD,
01:56:46HE HAS GIVEN US WAR, PAIN, AND
01:56:51HIGHER PRICES. NEW YORK FAMILIES
01:56:53ARE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD GROCERIES AND KEEP UP WITH THE
01:56:56RENT. AND WHAT IS PRESIDENT TRUMP DOING? POURING BILLIONS OF
01:57:00TAX DOLLARS INTO AN OPEN ENDED
01:57:02WAR IN IRAN? THIS RECKLESS WAR
01:57:05IS DRIVING UP MONTHLY BILLS AND
01:57:09MAKING EVERYDAY LIFE HARDER FOR WORKING FAMILIES. THIS
01:57:12ADMINISTRATION DEMANDS BILLIONS
01:57:14FOR WARS ABROAD. THEN THEN
01:57:17CLAIMS WE CAN'T AFFORD TO IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS OR REPAIR
01:57:20OUR ROADS, OR LOWER THE COST OF
01:57:23HEALTH CARE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
01:57:26MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE DOESN'T
01:57:29FACTOR IN HOW AMERICANS ARE
01:57:32DOING FINANCIALLY, BUT THE FAMILIES I REPRESENT FEEL IT
01:57:35EVERY SINGLE DAY. EVERY TIME THEY FILL THE GAS TANK AND WATCH
01:57:39THE NUMBERS CLIMB. NEW YORKERS ARE BEING FORCED TO PAY A
01:57:43PREMIUM FOR THIS PRESIDENT'S
01:57:48INSTABILITY. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM THE JOINT ECONOMIC
01:57:52COMMITTEE, THE AVERAGE FAMILY HAS TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $432 ON
01:57:56GAS ALONE. SINCE THIS WAR BEGAN.
01:57:58STATEWIDE, THAT'S AN EXTRA $2 BILLION AT THE PUMP. LET ME
01:58:02REPEAT THAT. AN EXTRA $2 BILLION
01:58:05AT THE PUMP NATIONWIDE.
01:58:08AMERICANS HAVE PAID $60 BILLION
01:58:10MORE ON GAS. EVERY TIME I GO
01:58:13HOME, I HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS
01:58:15ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS, THE COST
01:58:17OF HEALTH CARE, THE COST OF GAS, THE COST TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
01:58:20AND PUT FOOD AT THE TABLE. THOSE
01:58:23ARE THE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING IN KITCHENS ACROSS AMERICA. THAT
01:58:26IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON HERE IN WASHINGTON, NOT DROPPING
01:58:30BOMBS AROUND THE WORLD. AND LET
01:58:32US NOT FORGET, THERE IS A HUMAN
01:58:35COST TO THIS WAR THAT NO DOLLAR FIGURE CAN EVER CAPTURE. OUR
01:58:39SERVICE MEMBERS DID NOT VOLUNTEER TO BE PAWNS IN A
01:58:42CHAOTIC, UNAUTHORIZED WAR, WITH
01:58:43NO PLAN AND NO END IN SIGHT. 18
01:58:48AMERICAN HEROES HAVE ALREADY
01:58:50PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE 18
01:58:54FAMILIES HAVE BEEN SHATTERED JUST LAST WEEK, NEW YORK LOST
01:58:58ONE OF OUR OWN. SERGEANT ANGEL
01:59:01RAMPERSAD OF QUEENS. SERGEANT
01:59:07RAMPERSAD WAS A TRUE PATRIOT WHO BEGGED HER MOTHER TO LET HER
01:59:10ENLIST. THE MOMENT SHE WAS OLD
01:59:12ENOUGH. SHE SERVED THIS COUNTRY COURAGEOUSLY AND HONORABLY FOR
01:59:16MORE THAN SIX YEARS BEFORE SHE
01:59:18WAS KILLED IN AN IRANIAN ATTACK
01:59:23IN JORDAN. OUR SERVICE MEMBERS TAKE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS
01:59:26JOBS THERE IS. IN RETURN, WE OWE
01:59:32THEM A SACRED OBLIGATION. WE DO NOT SEND THEM INTO HARM'S WAY
01:59:35WITHOUT A CLEAR MISSION DEFINED
01:59:37OBJECTIVES. AND THE SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE
01:59:41PRESIDENT'S WAR WITH IRAN IS A
01:59:44BETRAYAL OF THAT OBLIGATION. NEW
01:59:46YORKERS AND ALL AMERICANS
01:59:50DESERVE MORE. THEY DESERVE
01:59:53BETTER. SO I ASK MY COLLEAGUES,
01:59:57HOW MANY MORE SERVICE MEMBERS
01:59:59WILL WE LOSE? HOW MANY MORE
02:00:02BILLIONS OF DOLLARS MUST FAMILIES PAY AT THE PUMP? HOW
02:00:05MANY MORE EMPTY PROMISES MUST BE
02:00:07MADE FROM AN OUT OF CONTROL
02:00:10ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THIS BODY FINALLY ACTS UNDER THE
02:00:14CONSTITUTION, WE HAVE THE POWER
02:00:15TO END THIS WAR TODAY. LET'S USE
02:00:19IT. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE
02:00:22YES ON THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AND I
02:00:25YIELD BACK. >> NEARLY A HALF A YEAR INTO THE
02:00:29TRUMP'S RUINOUS WAR WITH IRAN.
02:00:31THE CONFLICTS WIDENING. INSTEAD OF WINDING DOWN, WE HAVE A
02:00:36LITTLE ORDER, MR. PRESIDENT.
02:00:37>> ORDER, PLEASE.
02:00:42>> MORE COUNTRIES GET DRAGGED INTO THE MIX. MORE FRONTS OPEN
02:00:46UP. MORE AMERICANS GET KILLED AND INJURED. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
02:00:50HAVE MADE IT CLEAR. NO ONE WANTS
02:00:52THIS WAR TO GO ON. A NEW POLL
02:00:56THIS MORNING FOUND ONLY A FIFTH. A FIFTH OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
02:00:59INCLUDING LESS THAN HALF THE
02:01:02REPUBLICANS, WANT THE WAR TO CONTINUE. OUR SENATE
02:01:05REPUBLICANS, LISTENING. THE COUNTRY IS CLAMORING FOR YOU TO
02:01:09END THIS WAR. BRING OUR TROOPS
02:01:12HOME. SOMETHING YOU CAN DO RIGHT
02:01:14NOW BY VOTING FOR SENATOR GILLIBRAND'S WAR POWER
02:01:18RESOLUTION IS TRUMP SO INTIMIDATING, SO UNTOUCHABLE,
02:01:21THAT REPUBLICANS WILL KEEP
02:01:22SLIDING, SIDING WITH HIM INSTEAD
02:01:25OF THE 80% OF AMERICANS CALLING FOR THE FIGHTING TO END. THE
02:01:29BIGGEST THING STANDING BETWEEN OUR TROOPS AND HOME IS A
02:01:33REPUBLICAN PARTY TOO AFRAID TO
02:01:36CROSS THE PRESIDENT. CONGRESS
02:01:37CAN BREAK THIS VICIOUS CYCLE OF
02:01:41ESCALATION. TRUMP STARTED IN IRAN, AND THIS WAR POWERS
02:01:45RESOLUTION IS HOW WE DO IT. I
02:01:46URGE. I PLEAD WITH MY REPUBLICAN
02:01:50COLLEAGUES, LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VOTE TO END THIS WAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP
02:01:54FORCING REPUBLICANS TO VOTE.
02:01:56UNTIL YOU DO YIELD THE FLOOR.
02:02:02>> C-SPAN'S WASHINGTON JOURNAL, OUR LIVE FORUM >> [MUSIC] >> INVITING YOU TO DISCUSS THE
02:02:05LATEST ISSUES IN GOVERNMENT,
02:02:07POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY FROM WASHINGTON AND ACROSS THE
02:02:10COUNTRY. COMING UP SATURDAY MORNING, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE
02:02:13ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TARIFF POLICIES UPON
02:02:16INVESTORS AND CONSUMERS. WITH POLITICO'S VICTORIA GUIDA,
02:02:20THEN, THE HECHINGER REPORTS, JON MARCUS, ON THE QUALITY OF HIGHER
02:02:23EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S. AND THE QUINCY INSTITUTE'S
02:02:27HAITI. KAYA EL-SAYED DISCUSSES NOT ONLY IRAN'S ABILITY TO HOLD
02:02:30OFF ATTACKS BY THE U.S., BUT ALSO THE OPTIONS LEFT FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO CONTAIN
02:02:34THE COUNTRY AND GAIN CONTROL OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. C-SPAN'S
02:02:38WASHINGTON JOURNAL. JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION. LIVE AT SEVEN
02:02:40EASTERN SATURDAY MORNING ON C-SPAN C-SPAN NOW. OUR FREE
02:02:44MOBILE APP OR ONLINE AT
02:02:49C-SPAN.ORG. >> [MUSIC]
02:02:53>> JOIN BOOKTV ON C-SPAN 2 FOR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2026
02:02:57LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL, BEGINNING SATURDAY AT 10 A.M. EASTERN.
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02:03:04SOME OF TODAY'S MOST COMPELLING AUTHORS, HISTORIANS,
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02:03:11WASHINGTON CONVENTION CENTER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.. HEAR FROM ACTING LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS
02:03:15ROBERT NEWLAND, ACADEMY AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR MARTIN
02:03:17SCORSESE, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN LINDSAY CHERVINSKY, PULITZER
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02:03:25BENNETT, CHILDREN'S AUTHOR MAC BARNETT, AND MANY MORE. PLUS,
02:03:28EXPLORE FASCINATING DISCUSSIONS ON THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
02:03:31LEWIS AND CLARK, ENVIRONMENTALISM, AND MORE.
02:03:35DON'T MISS THE 2026 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
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02:03:422. FOR THE COMPLETE FESTIVAL
02:03:43SCHEDULE, VISIT BOOKTV.ORG.
02:03:50>> ON SATURDAY, OUR CAMPAIGN 2026 COVERAGE INCLUDES THE FINAL
02:03:53DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DEBATE FOR
02:03:55U.S. SENATE IN MASSACHUSETTS
02:03:58BETWEEN INCUMBENT SENATOR ED MARKEY AND REPRESENTATIVE SETH
02:04:01MOULTON. WE'LL HAVE THE ENTIRE DEBATE FOR YOU TO WATCH AT 8
02:04:04P.M. EASTERN ON C-SPAN. THE U.S.
02:04:10WAR WITH IRAN HAS BEEN ONGOING
02:04:11FOR JUST UNDER SIX MONTHS. AS OF
02:04:14AUGUST THIS YEAR. SINCE THE
02:04:15ONSET OF THE WAR, CONGRESS HAS
02:04:18REPEATEDLY DEBATED RESOLUTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PRESIDENT
02:04:21TRUMP COULD CONTINUE MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAN WITHOUT
02:04:24AUTHORIZATION. EARLY WAR POWERS
02:04:27MEASURES FAILED, BUT SUPPORT
02:04:29GREW AS THE CONFLICT CONTINUED.
02:04:31NEXT, IN OUR 2026 IN REVIEW PROGRAMING, WE REVISIT KEY HOUSE
02:04:35AND SENATE DEBATES ON
02:04:37RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED FROM MARCH
02:04:39THROUGH JULY, AS CONGRESS ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE REACH
02:04:42OF THE MILITARY POWERS OF THE
02:04:45EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
02:04:50>> SENATOR FROM IDAHO. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR.
02:04:52PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO
02:04:55OPPOSE THE RESOLUTION THAT MY DEMOCRAT FRIENDS HAVE BROUGHT
02:04:58HERE TO