Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00MARKEY AND REPRESENTATIVE SETH MOULTON. WE'LL HAVE THE ENTIRE
00:00:02DEBATE FOR YOU TO WATCH AT 8
00:00:04P.M. EASTERN ON C-SPAN. THE U.S.
00:00:10WAR WITH IRAN HAS BEEN ONGOING
00:00:11FOR JUST UNDER SIX MONTHS. AS OF
00:00:14AUGUST THIS YEAR. SINCE THE
00:00:15ONSET OF THE WAR, CONGRESS HAS
00:00:18REPEATEDLY DEBATED RESOLUTIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PRESIDENT
00:00:21TRUMP COULD CONTINUE MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAN WITHOUT
00:00:24AUTHORIZATION. EARLY WAR POWERS
00:00:27MEASURES FAILED, BUT SUPPORT
00:00:29GREW AS THE CONFLICT CONTINUED.
00:00:31NEXT, IN OUR 2026 IN REVIEW PROGRAMING, WE REVISIT KEY HOUSE
00:00:35AND SENATE DEBATES ON
00:00:37RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED FROM MARCH
00:00:39THROUGH JULY, AS CONGRESS ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE REACH
00:00:42OF THE MILITARY POWERS OF THE
00:00:45EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
00:00:50>> SENATOR FROM IDAHO. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR.
00:00:52PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO
00:00:55OPPOSE THE RESOLUTION THAT MY DEMOCRAT FRIENDS HAVE BROUGHT
00:00:59HERE TO THE FLOOR. UH, IT, UH,
00:01:01IT IS VERY SHORT, ONLY A FEW
00:01:04PAGES LONG, BUT THERE'S THE
00:01:06OPERATIVE PART OF IT IS ONLY 18 WORDS. IT'S ON PAGE THREE, AND
00:01:10IT SAYS, CONGRESS HEREBY DIRECTS
00:01:12THE PRESIDENT TO REMOVE THE
00:01:14UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM
00:01:17HOSTILITIES WITHIN OR AGAINST IRAN. REAL SIMPLE. THEY'RE
00:01:20TRYING TO STOP. THEY'RE TELLING
00:01:22THE PRESIDENT HE MUST STOP AND
00:01:25REMOVE OUR TROOPS FROM THE CONFLICT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY
00:01:29INVOLVED IN. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE
00:01:33TRYING TO DO HERE. I'M GOING TO TALK IN TWO DIFFERENT PARTS. ONE
00:01:36IS THE WAR POWERS ACT AND THE
00:01:39CONSTITUTION. UH, I'VE WE'VE ALL SAID THROUGH HUNDREDS OF HOURS
00:01:42OF ARGUMENT ON THIS. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME
00:01:45WITH IT. THE THIRD PART IS HOW WE GOT HERE, WHERE WE ARE, AND
00:01:49WHERE WE'RE GOING. A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING, I THINK, UH,
00:01:52IN ANY EVENT, AS FAR AS THE WAR
00:01:55POWERS ACT, IT WAS ENACTED IN
00:01:581973 BY CONGRESS. IT WAS DESIGNED TO TRY TO CUT INTO THE
00:02:02CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT. UNDER ARTICLE TWO OF
00:02:05THE CONSTITUTION. EVERY SINGLE PRESIDENT, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
00:02:09SINCE THEN, DEMOCRAT AND
00:02:11REPUBLICAN, HAS REFUSED TO ACCEPT THIS CONSTITUTIONAL. THE
00:02:15WAR POWERS ACT. UH, UH, THEY SAY
00:02:19THEY HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT IT
00:02:20INFRINGES ON THE PRESIDENT'S
00:02:24ARTICLE TWO CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITIES TO DEFEND THE
00:02:26PRESIDENT, TO DEFEND THE
00:02:28AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND TO COMPLETE THE OATH THEY'VE TAKEN TO
00:02:31DEFEND THE COUNTRY. SO, 45 OF
00:02:35THE LAST 47 PRESIDENTS, WHICH IS
00:02:37ALL WE'VE HAD, HAVE ORDERED
00:02:40KINETIC ACTS, JUST LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE,
00:02:44WITHOUT GOING TO CONGRESS. THIS
00:02:48ISN'T NEW. THIS HAS HAPPENED 45
00:02:49IN THE LAST 47 PRESIDENCIES. THE
00:02:52CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE TWO,
00:02:54CLEARLY GIVES THE PRESIDENT NOT
00:02:56ONLY THE RIGHT, BUT INDEED THE
00:02:59DUTY, AS DOES HIS OATH TO
00:03:02PROTECT THE UNITED STATES.
00:03:04HAVING SAID ALL THIS, THE. THE CLAIM IS THAT, UH, WHAT THE
00:03:08PRESIDENT DID IS ILLEGAL. WELL,
00:03:11IF THAT'S WHAT THEY REALLY BELIEVE OVER HERE, THEN WHAT ARE
00:03:13WE DOING HERE? ALL WE'RE DOING IS YAKKING HERE. UH, WHAT THEY
00:03:17SHOULD DO IS GO ACROSS THE STREET TO THE COURT AND FILE
00:03:21SUIT. IF IT'S ILLEGAL TO STOP IT, THEY SUE HIM THREE TIMES
00:03:24EVERY DAY BEFORE BREAKFAST. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES. ONE MORE. ONE
00:03:27MORE LAWSUIT MAKE? THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. THAT'S THE
00:03:30REMEDY. IF THEY THINK IT'S ILLEGAL. NOW, MORE INTERESTING.
00:03:34THREE PARTS OF THIS. HOW DO WE
00:03:37GET HERE? UH, WHERE ARE WE IN THIS MOMENT? AND WHERE DO WE GO
00:03:40FROM HERE? WELL, 47 YEARS AGO,
00:03:43THIS STARTED, UH, WHAT YOU HAD
00:03:46WAS, UH, THE IRANIANS TAKE OVER
00:03:51OUR EMBASSY IN IRAN, AND THEY
00:03:54ILLEGALLY HELD AND KIDNAPED,
00:03:56AND, UH, RESTRAINED OUR
00:03:58DIPLOMATS THERE, A NUMBER OF
00:04:01THEM FOR 444 DAYS. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, 47 YEARS AGO, THERE
00:04:05WERE TWO SIDES. THERE WERE ON
00:04:07ONE SIDE WERE US, THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, AND ON THE
00:04:11OTHER SIDE WAS IRAN. AND ALL
00:04:15OTHER ACTORS IN THE REGION. UH, THE ARAB COUNTRIES THAT SURROUND
00:04:19THEM. THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE FROM WHERE THINGS WERE THEN AS
00:04:22TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY. UH,
00:04:25THAT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER
00:04:29THE LAST 47 YEARS IS THE ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE GOTTEN TIRED OF THIS. THEY'RE SICK AND TIRED OF
00:04:33THIS. AND SO WHERE ARE WE TODAY?
00:04:37UH, WE ARE AT THE POINT TODAY
00:04:39WHERE, UH, YOU HAVE ONLY ONE BAD
00:04:42APPLE LEFT IN THE REGION, AND THAT'S IRAN. AND, OF COURSE,
00:04:45THEIR PROXIES, THE THREE H'S,
00:04:47HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS, AND, AND THE HOUTHIS, ALL OF WHOM ARE
00:04:51ACTUALLY JUST PART OF IRAN. WHEN IRAN IS DEFEATED, AND THEY WILL
00:04:54BE HERE, THE THREE H'S ARE GONE,
00:04:56TOO. HEZBOLLAH HAS BEEN BADLY DECIMATED ALREADY. UH, THE OTHER
00:05:00TWO, HAMAS HAS BEEN ALMOST
00:05:03DECIMATED COMPLETELY. AND
00:05:05HOUTHIS ARE STILL AROUND. BUT ALL THREE OF THOSE ARE GOING TO
00:05:08BE GONE, WHEN INDEED IRAN IS
00:05:10DEFEATED, WHICH IT WILL BE HERE
00:05:12BEFORE VERY LONG. SO OVER THIS
00:05:1547 YEARS, WHAT IRAN HAS DONE, WHILE THE ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE
00:05:18MOVED AWAY, WHILE THEY HAVE MOVED TO WANTING PEACE AND
00:05:21SECURITY IN THE REGION, THEY
00:05:23HAVE CONTINUED TO MURDER THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS. THEY
00:05:27HAVE KILLED THOUSANDS OF
00:05:29AMERICANS. I WAS GOING TO I GRABBED THE LIST AND WAS GOING TO BRING IT OUT HERE. IT WOULD
00:05:33TAKE ME ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR TO
00:05:35READ ALL OF THE SINS THAT THAT
00:05:40THE IRANIANS HAVE COMMITTED OVER THESE 47 YEARS. UH, SO WE'RE
00:05:43LEFT IN A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT
00:05:46PLACE TODAY. UH, THE ARAB COUNTRIES WANT NOTHING LEFT TO
00:05:50DO WITH THIS. AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH A DIFFERENT
00:05:54MIDDLE EAST THAN WHAT WE HAVE
00:05:56TODAY. I AM MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN
00:05:59I HAVE EVER BEEN ABOUT THE
00:06:01MIDDLE EAST. I REALLY BELIEVE
00:06:03THAT WHEN WE END THIS AND THE IRANIAN REGIME IS BROUGHT DOWN,
00:06:07WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MIDDLE EAST THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY
00:06:11PEACEFUL, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT MIDDLE EAST AS WE GO
00:06:15FORWARD. UH, THE PEOPLE WILL LOOK BACK AT THIS AND SAY, WHEN
00:06:18DID THIS HAPPEN? I THINK THE TURNING POINT WAS THE ABRAHAM
00:06:22ACCORDS. BUT IN ADDITION TO
00:06:23THAT, IT HAS HAPPENED. UH, IN
00:06:26OTHER RESPECTS ALSO, YOU SAY, WELL, WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE
00:06:28OF THAT? YOU KNOW, DURING THE
00:06:31WAR, THE HAMAS WAR BETWEEN
00:06:33ISRAEL AND HAMAS? UM, THE
00:06:37IRANIANS DECIDED ONE DAY TO, UH,
00:06:39UH, TO, TO LAUNCH 300 MISSILES
00:06:42AGAINST IRAN. AND THEY DID THAT, UH, THAT, UH, NONE OF THOSE
00:06:45LANDED, NONE OF THOSE DID ANY DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE OVERHEAD
00:06:49DEFENSE THEY HAVE. BUT ALSO, YOU HAD ISRAELI PILOTS, U.S. PILOTS,
00:06:53BRITISH PILOTS, AND FRENCH
00:06:57PILOTS FLYING TO PROTECT ISRAEL AND TAKE OUT THESE MISSILES. THAT'S NOT THE BIG NEWS. ON
00:07:01THAT SAME NIGHT. THE BIG NEWS IS
00:07:04TWO ARAB COUNTRIES WERE ALSO
00:07:06FLYING. JORDAN AND THE SAUDIS
00:07:08WERE FLYING TO PROTECT ISRAEL
00:07:11FROM THE ONSLAUGHT OF MISSILES
00:07:13FROM IRAN. THAT IS CLEAR
00:07:16EVIDENCE THAT THE MIDDLE EAST HAS CHANGED. UH, IT IS A
00:07:19DIFFERENT PLACE TODAY, AND IT'S CONTINUING TO BE A BETTER PLACE,
00:07:22UH, SINCE THIS MOST RECENT WAR
00:07:26BROKE OUT, THE ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE DECIDED TO SIDE WITH US AND
00:07:30SIDE AGAINST IRAN. THEY'RE ALL BY THEMSELVES. IRAN'S DECIMATED.
00:07:34THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THIS MOMENT. THEIR NAVY IS AT THE
00:07:36BOTTOM OF THE SEA. THEIR THEIR
00:07:39AIR FORCE IS NON-EXISTENT.
00:07:42YESTERDAY, A YAK 130 TOOK OFF IN IRAN, LASTED JUST MOMENTS IN THE
00:07:45AIR BEFORE IT WAS TAKEN OUT BY
00:07:47ONE OF OUR FF35S. THEY'RE DONE
00:07:49THEIR THROUGH THEIR MISSILES AND THEIR DRONE STOCKPILES ARE
00:07:52DWINDLING AND DWINDLING BADLY. THE STRIKES ARE BECOMING LESS AND LESS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO
00:07:56PUT OUT THERE. AND, UH, THIS IS GOING TO END AND IT'S GOING TO
00:08:00END RAPIDLY. THIS IS NOT A FOREVER WAR. INDEED. NOT EVEN
00:08:03CLOSE TO IT. THIS IS GOING TO END VERY QUICKLY. THE COMMANDER
00:08:06IN CHIEF ORDERED THIS, THE
00:08:09ORDERED THIS ATTACK BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN THE
00:08:13MANUFACTURING OF LONG AND MEDIUM RANGE MISSILES. AND AFTER TRYING
00:08:17TO RESTART THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM
00:08:21THAT WAS DECIMATED IN THE IN THE 12 DAY WAR. AND ALL THIS TIME,
00:08:24THEY HAD US SITTING AT THE TABLE, DRAGGING OUT AND YAKKING
00:08:28AWAY AT, UH, NEGOTIATIONS THAT
00:08:32WERE GOING ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. FOR THAT REASON, HE DID WHAT HE
00:08:35DID. AND THAT IS, UH, ORDERED
00:08:39OUR BRAVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO
00:08:40DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING TODAY.
00:08:43UH, THE MESSAGE TO THE REGIME I
00:08:45WOULD HAVE TODAY FOR THEM IS NO
00:08:48ONE'S COMING TO HELP. I SAID THAT BEFORE, IN THE 12 YEAR WAR.
00:08:50I WAS RIGHT. TODAY. THE SAME IS
00:08:53TRUE. CHINA'S NOT COMING. RUSSIA
00:08:55IS NOT COMING. NORTH KOREA IS NOT COMING. CUBA'S NOT COMING.
00:08:58VENEZUELA IS NOT COMING. THEY
00:09:00ARE NOT COMING TO HELP YOU. IRAN. NO ONE IS COMING. BUT
00:09:04THERE IS ONE ENTITY LEFT THAT IS
00:09:06TRYING TO HELP YOU. IRAN REGIME.
00:09:08ONLY ONE ON THIS PLANET. AND THAT'S MY FRIENDS OVER HERE.
00:09:12THEY HAVE BROUGHT THIS. AND YOU HEARD THE LANGUAGE. I SAID,
00:09:15THEY'RE TRYING TO USE THE
00:09:18PROCESS. EXCUSE ME? THE PROCESS
00:09:21OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO STOP OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO
00:09:25DOING WHAT HE HAS SET OUT TO DO.
00:09:27NO OTHER ENTITY ON THE PLANET IS
00:09:30ATTEMPTING TO HELP YOU. IRAN.
00:09:33NOBODY, NOBODY EXCEPT ONE. AND THAT ONE IS RIGHT HERE. BUT
00:09:37WE'RE GOING TO END THAT NOW. IT
00:09:39ENDS NOW. IT ENDS HERE IN A FEW
00:09:42MOMENTS, WHEN WE HAVE THIS VOTE TO OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN, I
00:09:44SAY, YOU'RE FIGHTING TO
00:09:47ACCOMPLISH THE TASK AND THE OBJECTIVES THAT THE PRESIDENT,
00:09:51OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF, HAS GIVEN YOU. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU.
00:09:55WE ARE ABOUT TO HELP. YOU KNOW
00:09:57THIS. WE HAVE YOUR BACK. WE ARE
00:10:01ABOUT TO DEFEAT HERE ON THIS
00:10:03FLOOR, THE LAST ENTITY THAT IS TRYING TO STOP YOU FROM DOING
00:10:06THE JOB, THAT THE PRESIDENT OF
00:10:09THE UNITED STATES HAS GIVEN YOU. BLESS YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING,
00:10:13AND BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF
00:10:17AMERICA.
00:10:21>> MR. PRESIDENT.
00:10:26>> SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA. >> MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY. I BELIEVE, UH, AS THE
00:10:29PENULTIMATE SPEAKER, BEFORE WE HAVE A VOTE ON THE WAR POWERS
00:10:34RESOLUTION, THE BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION I HAVE FILED WITH
00:10:38SENATORS PAUL SCHIFF AND
00:10:38SCHUMER, I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT
00:10:43OF OUR TROOPS WHO DON'T DESERVE TO BE SENT INTO WAR UNLESS THIS
00:10:47CONGRESS VOTES THAT THERE SHOULD
00:10:49BE SUCH A WAR I PRAY FOR THE
00:10:52FAMILIES WHO ARE LEARNING THAT THEIR LOVED ONES WILL NOT COME
00:10:55HOME. I PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES
00:10:58WHOSE CHILDREN OR SPOUSES ARE
00:11:01DEPLOYED OVERSEAS, UNABLE TO
00:11:03SLEEP WITH WORRY ABOUT THEM. MR.
00:11:09PRESIDENT, I'VE PAID ATTENTION
00:11:11OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 13
00:11:13MONTHS, AS THIS PRESIDENT HAS,
00:11:15AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, USED
00:11:19OUR TROOPS TO CARRY OUT MILITARY
00:11:21ACTION WITHOUT COMING TO
00:11:24CONGRESS. I'VE PAID ATTENTION
00:11:28TO THE REASONS THAT MY
00:11:31COLLEAGUES ARE GIVING, WHO WANT TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT AN EASY
00:11:34PASS AROUND THE CONSTITUTION
00:11:37WHEN WE HAD A VOTE LAST SUMMER
00:11:40ABOUT THE ATTACK ON IRAN AT THE
00:11:42END OF THE ISRAELI 12 DAY WAR,
00:11:46BY THE TIME THE VOTE HAD BEEN CALLED UP, THAT BOMBING MISSION
00:11:49WAS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. AND
00:11:52SO MY COLLEAGUE FROM IDAHO SAID, THERE'S NO HOSTILITIES. THE
00:11:56HOSTILITIES ARE OVER. SO YOU
00:11:58SHOULD VOTE AGAINST THE
00:12:02RESOLUTION ON THAT GROUND. WHEN
00:12:05WE CALLED UP AN EFFORT TO
00:12:08CONSTRAIN THE PRESIDENT FROM ILLEGALLY STRIKING BOATS IN
00:12:12INTERNATIONAL WATERS, THE LEGAL
00:12:14RATIONALE ASSERTED BY MY
00:12:16COLLEAGUES AND THE WHITE HOUSE TO VOTE DOWN A WAR POWERS
00:12:20RESOLUTION AND END RUN THE CONSTITUTION WAS. THESE ARE
00:12:23PINPRICK STRIKES THAT DON'T RISE
00:12:26TO THE LEVEL OF WAR ONLY IF
00:12:29IT'S WAR MUST THE WHITE HOUSE
00:12:31COME TO CONGRESS. WHEN I BROUGHT
00:12:38FORWARD A RESOLUTION A MONTH OR
00:12:38SO AGO TO SAY, NO WAR IN
00:12:43VENEZUELA. WITHOUT A VOTE OF CONGRESS. AGAIN, MY COLLEAGUE
00:12:46FROM IDAHO SAID, THIS ISN'T WAR. IT'S OVER. IT WAS ONE AND
00:12:50DONE. THERE ARE NO TROOPS LEFT
00:12:53IN VENEZUELA. ONE REASON AFTER
00:12:55THE NEXT, TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT AN EASY PASS LAHN AROUND THE
00:12:59CONSTITUTION. WELL, TODAY WE'RE
00:13:02DEALING WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT. YOU CAN'T STAND UP
00:13:05AND SAY, THIS IS A PINPRICK THAT
00:13:08DOESN'T LEAD TO THE LEVEL THAT
00:13:11WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS WAR.
00:13:14YOU CAN'T STAND UP AND SAY,
00:13:15THIS IS ONE AND DONE, AND NO
00:13:19TROOPS ARE ENGAGED IN HOSTILITIES AGAINST IRAN.
00:13:21MEMBERS OF THE SENATE. THIS IS
00:13:24WAR. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS CALLED IT A WAR
00:13:28AGAINST IRAN. THE HEAD OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, GENERAL
00:13:32KAINE, HAS CALLED IT A WAR
00:13:34AGAINST IRAN. SECRETARY RUBIO, OUR SECRETARY OF STATE, HAS
00:13:38CALLED IT A WAR AGAINST IRAN.
00:13:42ALL OF THE EXCUSES THAT YOU'VE ADVANCED TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT
00:13:46AN EASY PASS AROUND THE CONSTITUTION AND SUGGEST HE
00:13:49NEEDN'T COME TO CONGRESS. ALL EVAPORATE, BECAUSE THIS IS A
00:13:53WAR. IT'S A WAR. MANY OF MY
00:13:59COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT DURING THE
00:14:00CLASSIFIED BRIEFING YESTERDAY, I CAN'T REVEAL INFORMATION GIVEN
00:14:03TO ME, BUT I CAN SAY WHAT I SAID
00:14:08AND I CHALLENGED THE BODY, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATION
00:14:11WITNESSES. YOU'RE ESCALATING
00:14:13PATTERN OF MILITARY ACTION WITHOUT SEEKING APPROVAL,
00:14:17CONVINCES ME THAT YOU BELIEVE
00:14:18YOU NEVER NEED TO COME TO
00:14:22CONGRESS TO WAGE WAR AGAINST
00:14:24ANYONE, ANYWHERE. I HOPED THAT SOMEONE MIGHT REFUTE MY POINT
00:14:28AND TELL ME I'M WRONG, AND THEY WOULD COME TO CONGRESS, BUT NO
00:14:32ONE DID. AND SO HERE WE ARE IN A
00:14:36WAR THAT HAS COST AMERICAN
00:14:39LIVES, THAT IS LEADING TO CHAOS
00:14:43THROUGHOUT THE REGION, THAT
00:14:44THREATENS TO GO BIGGER AND
00:14:47BIGGER AND BIGGER. AND I'M ASKING THE SENATE TO DO WHAT THE
00:14:50FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION SAID
00:14:52WE SHOULD DO, DEBATE AND VOTE
00:14:57ABOUT MATTERS OF WAR. WHAT ARE
00:14:58THE ARGUMENTS NOW THAT THE OTHER SIDE HAS MADE TO SUGGEST WE
00:15:02SHOULD VOTE DOWN THIS RESOLUTION? FIRST, THEY SAY THAT
00:15:05IRAN OR BAD ACTORS ON THAT, WE WOULD AGREE. IF YOU PUT IN A
00:15:09RESOLUTION. IRAN HAS CARRIED OUT
00:15:10A LOT OF BAD ACTIONS. YOU'D GET
00:15:13100 TO 0 VOTE IN THIS BODY ON
00:15:15THAT RESOLUTION. BUT BEING A BAD
00:15:18ACTOR IS NOT AN EASY PASS AROUND
00:15:20THE CONSTITUTION. IT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO TAKE OUR SONS AND
00:15:24DAUGHTERS INTO WAR AND RISK THEIR LIVES WITHOUT A DEBATE AND
00:15:27VOTE. THAT IS NOT A SUFFICIENT
00:15:30RATIONALE. AND THE OTHER RATIONALE, AND YOU JUST HEARD MY
00:15:34COLLEAGUE MAKE IT, WAS THAT THE
00:15:36EFFORT TO BRING A WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, A BIPARTISAN
00:15:39RESOLUTION, BEFORE THIS BODY, IS
00:15:42SOMEHOW PARTIZAN. IT'S IT'S
00:15:45THIS SIDE TRYING TO COME TO THE
00:15:47AID OF THE REGIME. THERE'S NOTHING PARTIZAN ABOUT THE
00:15:50CONSTITUTION. THERE'S NOTHING
00:15:52PARTIZAN ABOUT CARING FOR OUR KIDS AND WANTING TO HAVE A DEBATE BEFORE THEY GET SENT INTO
00:15:56HARM'S WAY TO RISK THEIR LIVES.
00:15:59THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE ON
00:16:01OUR SIDE. WE ARE BASICALLY
00:16:04ASKING A QUESTION OF THE ENTIRE SENATE. INDEED OF THE ENTIRE
00:16:07NATION. HAVE WE LEARNED NOTHING
00:16:10FROM 25 YEARS OF WAR IN THE
00:16:11MIDDLE EAST? 14,000 AMERICAN
00:16:16TROOPS AND CONTRACTORS KILLED IN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN. MORE THAN
00:16:2065,000 AMERICAN TROOPS AND
00:16:22CONTRACTORS INJURED IN THESE
00:16:25WARS. THESE NEARLY 8000 PEOPLE WERE FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE,
00:16:29EVERY STATE AND TERRITORY, EVERY RACE, EVERY AGE, EVERY RANK,
00:16:33EVERY RELIGION, EVERY GENDER.
00:16:35THEY ONLY HAD TWO THINGS IN COMMON. A, THEY HAD A PATRIOTIC
00:16:38DESIRE TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY,
00:16:41AND B, THEIR FUTURES WERE
00:16:44DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED. IN SOME INSTANCES, ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF
00:16:4825 YEARS OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE
00:16:51EAST. SOMEONE SUGGESTED YESTERDAY THAT THIS RESOLUTION
00:16:54WAS OUR EFFORT TO GUM UP THE
00:16:57WORK OF. WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE
00:17:00SENATE? WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE SENATE? IF IT'S NOT TO DISCUSS
00:17:03THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH WE SHOULD SEND OUR KIDS INTO WAR,
00:17:06IN ADDITION TO THE LIVES LOST OF
00:17:10AMERICAN TROOPS AND CONTRACTORS AND THOSE INJURED, HUNDREDS OF
00:17:13THOUSANDS OF CIVILIAN DEATHS, INNOCENT CIVILIAN DEATHS IN IRAN
00:17:17AND AFGHANISTAN, MORE THAN $8
00:17:19TRILLION SPENT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SPENT ON AMERICAN HEALTH
00:17:22CARE, ON AMERICAN HOUSING, ON AMERICAN EDUCATION, SPENT ON THE
00:17:26WAR IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. AND WHAT DID WE GET FOR IT? WHAT DID
00:17:29WE GET FOR IT? IF PEOPLE THINK
00:17:3325 YEARS OF WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST WAS A GOOD THING, OR
00:17:36PRODUCED SOMETHING, I HOPE THEY WOULD COME TO THE FLOOR AND TELL
00:17:39US WHAT WE GAINED FROM IT. THIS
00:17:42EFFORT TO FORCE A VOTE IS NOT ABOUT PARTISANSHIP, IT'S ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION. BUT EVEN MORE
00:17:46IMPORTANTLY, IT'S ABOUT THE LIVES OF OUR TROOPS. AND THE
00:17:50QUESTION OF WHAT. IN FACT, WE GOT FROM 25 CENTURY, 25 YEARS OF
00:17:53WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND
00:17:57WHETHER WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT, QUOTE, FOREVER. WAR, THE
00:18:00PRESIDENT TWEETED, TWEETED OUT THE PHRASE, FOREVER WAR. TODAY,
00:18:03WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE MUNITIONS THAT WE HAVE. WE
00:18:06DON'T NEED A LEGAL WARS. WE DON'T NEED FOREVER WARS. WE DON'T NEED MORE, MORE WARS IN
00:18:10THE MIDDLE EAST. LET ME SAY THIS
00:18:12AND CONCLUDE AND YIELD TO OUR
00:18:15DEMOCRATIC LEADER. I'VE SAID
00:18:18THIS TO MY MY COLLEAGUES BEFORE
00:18:20I CAME TO THIS BODY IN 2013 WITH
00:18:23THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A
00:18:25GOVERNOR AND WATCH MY VIRGINIANS REPEATEDLY DEPLOYED TIME AFTER
00:18:28TIME AFTER TIME, ACTIVE DUTY
00:18:31GUARD, RESERVE, DOD CIVILIANS, VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD INTO THE
00:18:34WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
00:18:36AND I WENT TO THE DEPLOYMENTS,
00:18:39AND I WENT TO THE HOMECOMINGS, AND I WENT TO THE WAKES, AND I
00:18:43WENT TO THE FUNERALS, AND I SIGNED THE CONDOLENCE LETTERS
00:18:46THAT ALL GOVERNORS SIGNED. WHEN THEY GET THE BAD NEWS THAT ONE
00:18:49OF THEIR OWN HAS LOST THEIR
00:18:51LIVES IN WAR. AND WHEN I CAME TO
00:18:54THIS BODY IN 2013, I SAID THAT I WOULD DO ANYTHING I COULD IN MY
00:18:57POWER TO STOP ANY PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, FROM
00:19:01WAGING WAR WITHOUT COMING TO CONGRESS. AND I WOULD ESPECIALLY
00:19:05DO ANYTHING I COULD TO STOP AN UNWISE, UNNECESSARY WAR THAT
00:19:09PUTS OUR TROOPS LIVES AT RISK FOR NO LEGITIMATE REASON.
00:19:13COLLEAGUES WHO'VE BEEN WITH ME SINCE 2013 KNOW THAT I'VE UPHELD
00:19:17THAT STANDARD AGAINST PRESIDENTS OF BOTH PARTIES. WHEN PRESIDENT
00:19:20OBAMA WANTED TO USE MILITARY
00:19:22ACTION IN SYRIA TO PUNISH THE
00:19:24SYRIAN REGIME FOR USING CHEMICAL
00:19:27WEAPONS AGAINST ITS OWN CITIZENS, EVEN THOUGH I WAS HIS
00:19:30FRIEND, I STOOD UP AND SAID, YOU
00:19:33CANNOT DO THAT WITHOUT A VOTE OF CONGRESS. PRESIDENTS CAN DEFEND
00:19:37AGAINST INCOMING ATTACK, PROTECTS AGAINST HOUTHIS FIRING
00:19:40AT OUR SHIPS IN THE RED SEA.
00:19:42PRESIDENTS CAN ACT WHEN THERE IS
00:19:44A PREEXISTING CONGRESSIONAL
00:19:47AUTHORIZATION TO GO AFTER TERRORISTS WHO. CONGRESS VOTED
00:19:49THAT PRESIDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACT AGAINST. BUT IN THIS
00:19:53INSTANCE, THERE IS NO CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION ON THE BOOKS THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE
00:19:56THIS MILITARY ACTION. AND AS MY
00:20:00COLLEAGUES HAVE AMPLY DEMONSTRATED THE ADMINISTRATION
00:20:03AND THEIR SHIFTING SET OF RATIONALES, AND EVEN IN A
00:20:06CLASSIFIED SETTING, COULD PRODUCE NO EVIDENCE, NONE THAT
00:20:09THE U.S. WAS UNDER AN IMMINENT
00:20:12THREAT OF ATTACK FROM IRAN.
00:20:19IT'S EASY TO TRY TO DISMISS
00:20:20THIS BY SAYING, OH, IT'S ABOUT
00:20:24PARTIZANSHIP, AND THOSE WHO WOULD SAY THAT SAY IT SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GRAPPLE, I
00:20:27BELIEVE, WITH THEIR OWN SENSE OF UNEASE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE
00:20:31STARTING ON RIGHT NOW. PERHAPS
00:20:35THIS WAR WILL BE OVER IN A FEW WEEKS OR A FEW MONTHS. WE PRAY
00:20:37THAT IT WILL BE, BUT THAT'S
00:20:41WHAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE WAR IN
00:20:45IRAQ, WHEN WE CLAIMED THAT THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED, WHEN WE CLAIMED THAT WE WERE MET AS
00:20:48LIBERATORS. AND YET, YEARS AND
00:20:50YEARS AND YEARS LATER. ALL OF
00:20:55OUR STATES WERE STILL COMING
00:20:57HOME, DEEPLY WOUNDED AND AFFECTED, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND IN
00:21:00THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, FROM THOSE WARS, FROM SEEING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AND THEIR FRIENDS. SOME
00:21:04NEVER CAME HOME. IF THERE'S ONE
00:21:10THING WE DO THAT WE HAVE TO GET
00:21:12RIGHT, IT'S THIS. IT'S THIS.
00:21:19WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HIDE UNDER A DESK AND LET ANY PRESIDENT,
00:21:23DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, SEND OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST, OUR OWN KIDS
00:21:27INTO WAR TO RISK THEIR LIVES. UNLESS WE HAVE DEBATED IT, WE HAVE DETERMINED IT'S IN THE
00:21:30NATIONAL INTEREST. WE HAVE VOTED AND THEREBY PUT OUR SIGNATURE
00:21:34AND OUR THUMBPRINT ON THE NOTION
00:21:38THAT IT'S WORTH SENDING OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO RISK THEIR
00:21:40LIVES. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES, AS
00:21:43THIS IS ESCALATING FROM PINPRICKS, PINPRICK STRIKES TO
00:21:47ONE OFF OPERATIONS, NOW INTO
00:21:48FULL WAR, EVEN CALLED WAR BY THE
00:21:52PRESIDENT AND HIS CHIEF
00:21:54ADVISERS. LET'S STAND UP AND DO WHAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES
00:21:58US TO DO. I URGE YOU, YES, VOTE ON MY RESOLUTION, AND I YIELD
00:22:01THE FLOOR
00:22:04>> MR. SPEAKER THE TRUMP
00:22:09ADMINISTRATION EXHAUSTED EVERY
00:22:12SINGLE DIPLOMATIC EFFORT THAT THEY COULD WITH IRAN AS DID
00:22:16PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS IRAN
00:22:19WOULD NOT SEE REASON. OPERATION
00:22:25EPIC FURY IS A LEGAL AND NECESSARY EXERCISE OF ARTICLE
00:22:28TWO. AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS THE
00:22:30IMMINENT THREAT POSED BY IRAN.
00:22:34AND, MR. SPEAKER, I RESERVE. >> GENTLEMAN. RESERVES.
00:22:37GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS
00:22:41RECOGNIZED.
00:22:46>> TRUMP'S OWN WORDS, AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE
00:22:48HEGSETH OWN WORDS, THE UNITED
00:22:53STATES IS AT WAR WITH IRAN. THE
00:22:59QUESTION IS, DID CONGRESS
00:23:03AUTHORIZE THE WAR AS THE
00:23:07CONSTITUTION REQUIRES DID THE
00:23:10PRESIDENT PRESENT ANYTHING
00:23:13BEFORE CONGRESS? DID THE
00:23:15CONGRESS HAVE ANY DEBATE
00:23:21ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY COME
00:23:25BEFORE THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
00:23:28COMMITTEE TO TESTIFY THE ANSWER
00:23:32TO THAT IS NO. THE QUESTION IS,
00:23:38WAS THERE ANY IMMINENT THREAT
00:23:43REQUIRING THE USE OF FORCE THE
00:23:47ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT PRESENTED
00:23:50ONE. IN FACT, THE WORD IMMINENT
00:23:53DOES NOT APPEAR EVEN ONCE, AND
00:23:59THE ADMINISTRATION'S OWN WAR
00:24:02POWERS NOTIFICATION CAN'T FIND
00:24:04THE WORD IMMINENT. DID THE TRUMP
00:24:08ADMINISTRATION EVEN BOTHER MAKING THE CASE TO THE AMERICAN
00:24:11PEOPLE OR TO CONGRESS? JUST
00:24:17EIGHT DAYS AGO, DURING THE STATE
00:24:19OF THE UNION, THE MOST VISIBLE
00:24:22PLATFORM AS A PRESIDENT HAS. HE COULD HAVE LAID OUT THE
00:24:26RATIONALE FOR MILITARY ACTION,
00:24:29AS OTHER PRESIDENTS HAVE.
00:24:33INSTEAD, IRAN WAS JUST A
00:24:36FOOTNOTE IN A RECORD LONG SPEECH
00:24:46THIS IS A WAR OF CHOICE THAT WAS
00:24:49LAUNCHED BY THIS ADMINISTRATION
00:24:52WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, WITHOUT
00:24:56CLEARLY STATING OBJECTIVES OR
00:24:59DEFINED END GAME. AND WITHOUT
00:25:02EXPLAINING HOW THEY INTEND TO
00:25:04KEEP AMERICANS SAFE. THE CHAOS
00:25:07UNLEASHED WOULD NOT BE BORN BY
00:25:10THE PRESIDENT'S FAMILY. IT
00:25:13WOULD BE BORN BY OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM, WHO WILL FACE
00:25:17RETALIATION FROM IRAN AND ITS
00:25:19PROXY NETWORKS. IT WILL BE BORNE
00:25:22BY INNOCENT CIVILIANS AT
00:25:24HEIGHTENED RISK OF ATTACKS FROM
00:25:28IRAN'S ALIGNED TERRORIST CELLS.
00:25:30IT WILL BE BORNE BY AMERICAN
00:25:35FAMILIES PAYING MORE FOR GROCERIES, FOR ELECTRICITY, FOR
00:25:38GASOLINE ALL
00:25:41>> FOR DONALD TRUMP'S WAR OF
00:25:46CHOICE. AMERICANS WOKE UP ON SATURDAY TO THE NEWS THAT THE
00:25:50UNITED STATES IS AGAIN AT WAR IN
00:25:53THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY DON'T KNOW
00:25:56FOR HOW LONG, BECAUSE THE
00:26:00PRESIDENT HAS NOT ARTICULATE A CLEARLY DEFINED ENDGAME.
00:26:03MILITARY ACTION, WITH OR WITHOUT
00:26:07A DEFINED STRATEGY, INVITES
00:26:10ESCALATION. MISSION CREEP AND FAILURE. WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNED
00:26:14THIS LESSON ALREADY. WHY? WE
00:26:17SHOULD HAVE LEARNED IT, OR WHERE
00:26:20FROM IRAQ, FROM AFGHANISTAN. AND
00:26:22VIETNAM AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
00:26:27ONCE SAID WHEN YOU FAIL TO PLAN,
00:26:34YOU PLAN TO FAIL. THIS WAR
00:26:39POWERS RESOLUTION IS SIMPLE. THIS IS NOT A VOTE ON THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF
00:26:43MILITARY FORCE. THIS SIMPLY DEMANDS THAT THE PRESIDENT OF
00:26:45THE UNITED STATES COME TO
00:26:47CONGRESS AS OUR CONSTITUTION
00:26:50DEMANDS TO SEEK AUTHORIZATION
00:26:53FOR WHAT HE HIMSELF HAS
00:26:56DESCRIBED AS A WAR. JUST ABIDE
00:27:01BY THE CONSTITUTION. WE ALL BRING OUR HANDS UP AND SWEAR
00:27:04WHEN WE'RE SWORN TO SAY. WE
00:27:10WILL ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION
00:27:14YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE
00:27:15PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
00:27:19WOULD DO JUST THAT. THIS WAR
00:27:22POWERS RESOLUTION DOES NOT
00:27:24PREVENT THE UNITED STATES FROM DEFENDING ITSELF. IT DOES NOT STOP THE PRESIDENT FROM
00:27:28RESPONDING TO AN IMMINENT
00:27:30ATTACK. IT DOES NOT LIMIT US
00:27:34FROM PROTECTING OUR TROOPS. YOU
00:27:36KNOW, I'VE SERVED IN CONGRESS
00:27:39FOR 28 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN IN
00:27:44THIS CHAMBER AS THIS BODY HAS
00:27:45DONE ITS MOST SACRED AND SERIOUS
00:27:49WORK, DELIBERATING WHETHER TO SEND OUR AMERICAN SERVICE
00:27:52MEMBERS INTO HARM'S WAY. IT'S
00:27:59A DIFFICULT VOTE. IT'S A
00:28:00SERIOUS VOTE PROBABLY NOT.
00:28:03PROBABLY, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE
00:28:06HARDEST VOTES THAT I'VE EVER HAD
00:28:08TO TAKE. BUT THAT'S MY
00:28:14RESPONSIBILITY. I TOOK A PLEDGE
00:28:19TO THE CONSTITUTION THAT I WOULD
00:28:22FOLLOW IT. HERE FOR THE VOTE
00:28:31AFTER 9/11. . A HEAVY DECISION
00:28:42THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT INFORMATION IN. WE HAD DIALOG.
00:28:44WE HAD CONVERSATION. WE HAD
00:28:47DEBATE. WE DID SOMETHING ELSE IN
00:28:50THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS
00:28:51COMMITTEE. WE HAD HEARINGS. WE
00:28:56HAD ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS COME IN I WASN'T EVEN THE
00:29:00RANKING MEMBER OR THE CHAIR OR
00:29:02ANYTHING ELSE. I WAS JUST A
00:29:04MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE. I COULD CALL THE ADMINISTRATION AND SAY,
00:29:07I NEED TO SPEAK TO A DEPUTY
00:29:15SECRETARY OR THE SECRETARY. AND THEY WOULD COME INTO MY OFFICE
00:29:18AND WE WOULD HAVE THIS DIALOG TO
00:29:20DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE
00:29:22GOING TO GO INTO THIS WAR HAS
00:29:26THAT HAPPENED NOW? FOR ALL THE
00:29:35TIMES, NOT ONCE, NOT ONCE, HAVE
00:29:38WE HAD A HEARING IN THE HOUSE
00:29:41FOREIGN ASKED TO HAVE
00:29:47INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE NEGOTIATING UNFORTUNATELY, SOME
00:29:51OF THEM ARE NOT EMPLOYED BY THE
00:29:54STATE DEPARTMENT, ET CETERA.,
00:29:56LIKE MR. KUSHNER AND MR. WITKOFF, WHO ALL ARE FRIENDS OF
00:30:00THE PRESIDENT'S. BASICALLY REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATORS, WHO THEY
00:30:04WERE JUST HALF AN HOUR IN GENEVA, FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH
00:30:07FROM TWO MAJOR NEGOTIATIONS. AND
00:30:10IF IT WAS SERIOUS, I WOULDN'T
00:30:14HAVE BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN THE PRESIDENT WAS SUPPOSED
00:30:17TO HAVE BEEN HONORING
00:30:22INDIVIDUALS AFTER WE HAD LOST THE LIVES OF SIX SERVICE MEMBERS
00:30:26TALKING ABOUT CURTAINS AND HOW I
00:30:32REDECORATED THE WHITE HOUSE.
00:30:36THIS IS TOO SERIOUS A DECISION FOR ME. I WOULD HOPE FOR THE
00:30:39PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
00:30:43ALSO GETTING THE FACTS IN IRAQ
00:30:56THE SECRETARY OF STATE CAME
00:30:58BEFORE AND TESTIFIED, WENT BEFORE THE UN, TALKED TO THE
00:31:01AMERICAN PEOPLE. NOW, I
00:31:04DISAGREED BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE
00:31:07THE CONNECTIONS AFTER I GOT THE
00:31:09GET THE INFORMATION ON IRAQ. SO
00:31:12I VOTED NO. I AGREED ON
00:31:15AFGHANISTAN. BUT THE POINT HERE
00:31:17IS THE PRESIDENT OBEYED THE CONSTITUTION BECAUSE HE CAME TO
00:31:21CONGRESS FIRST. AND ALLOWED THE
00:31:25MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO MAKE A
00:31:26DETERMINATION WHAT HAS TO STOP?
00:31:34BECAUSE WHAT HAS HAPPENED YEAR
00:31:36AFTER YEAR, AND MY TIME HERE,
00:31:39I'VE WATCHED CONGRESS GRADUALLY
00:31:43RELINQUISH ITS AUTHORITY ON
00:31:45MATTERS OF WAR TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. WE'VE ALLOWED OVERLY
00:31:49BROAD AUTHORIZATIONS FOR THE USE
00:31:51OF MILITARY FORCE TO REMAIN ON
00:31:54THE BOOKS. WE PERMITTED
00:31:57PRESIDENTS OF BOTH PARTIES TO
00:32:00COMMIT FORCES WITHOUT A VOTE.
00:32:02THIS WAR WITH IRAN IS THE MOST
00:32:05EXTREME EXAMPLE OF THAT
00:32:09ABDICATION. THE FRAMERS REJECTED
00:32:13THE IDEA , MEANING ONE PERSON
00:32:19MAKING A DECISION WITHOUT
00:32:23CONSULTATION, WITHOUT GIVING ANY
00:32:28REASON TO THIS BODY ABSOLUTELY
00:32:36REJECTED. WE'RE NOT UNDER AN
00:32:39AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT
00:32:47DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE
00:32:50DUMA A BODY THAT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE IN
00:32:53THIS CONGRESS. SO HE CAN AND
00:33:01FIGHT A WAR THAT HE CREATED
00:33:04WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT BEING OR
00:33:05HAVING TO TALK AND BEING ANYONE.
00:33:10OUR FOUNDING FATHERS DID NOT WANT THAT. THEY DIDN'T WANT A
00:33:13KING THAT'S WHY WE WERE CREATED
00:33:19AS A BODY. AND AS LONG PAST FOR
00:33:25US TO RECLAIM AND STAND UP YOU,
00:33:33EVEN THOUGH HE MAY WANT US TO
00:33:35THINK HE IS, DONALD TRUMP IS NOT
00:33:38A KING. AND IF HE BELIEVES THE
00:33:40WAR WITH IRAN IS IN OUR NATIONAL
00:33:45INTEREST, THEN HE MUST COME TO
00:33:48CONGRESS AND MAKE THE CASE THE
00:33:55FACTS, SHOW WHAT THE
00:33:56INTELLIGENCE SAYS, COME TO
00:34:00CONGRESS, AND ALLOW US TO ASK
00:34:02THE QUESTIONS WE'VE HAD THREE
00:34:07SCENARIOS. THE SO-CALLED GANG OF
00:34:09EIGHT MET ONCE. THEN THEY GOT
00:34:14ANOTHER PHONE CALL RIGHT BEFOREHAND. THEN THE SO-CALLED
00:34:18GANG OF 20 MET. ONCE. THAT'S ALL
00:34:21WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT
00:34:27I OPPOSE THIS WAR OF CHOICE. BUT
00:34:35GUESS WHAT, MR. SPEAKER? EACH
00:34:38MEMBER HERE MUST MAKE CLEAR WITH THEIR OWN VOTE WHERE THEY STAND
00:34:42ON THAT DECISION. THE PRESIDENT
00:34:47HAS INITIATED HOSTILITIES WITHOUT A CLEAR MISSION AND
00:34:50WITHOUT A COHERENT STRATEGY, AND
00:34:52WITHOUT A DEFINED ENDGAME. AND SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS MAY
00:34:56DECIDE THEY, AFTER THEY SEE EVERYTHING, WE MAY NOT SEE IT
00:34:59TOGETHER IN THE SAME WAY. BUT
00:35:05THE EVIDENCE AND THE CASE COMES
00:35:07HERE. AND THEN WE TAKE A VOTE.
00:35:11AND AS WAS THE OCCASION FOR ME
00:35:14BACK IN 2003, I VOTED ONE WAY.
00:35:16THE MAJORITY VOTED ANOTHER WAY.
00:35:20PRESIDENT HAD THE AUTHORITY,
00:35:23ANOTHER TIME, I VOTED THE WAY
00:35:25THE MAJORITY VOTED. BUT EACH
00:35:29TIME THEY CAME TO US AND THAT'S
00:35:32WHAT THIS DEBATE IS ABOUT. AND
00:35:35THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW.
00:35:38MY, AS I SEE THIS, THE PRESIDENT
00:35:41HAS INITIATED HOSTILITIES WITHOUT A CLEAR MISSION, WITHOUT
00:35:45A COHERENT STRATEGY, AND WITHOUT
00:35:48A DEFINED ENDGAME. SO THIS IS AN
00:35:50OPEN ENDED, UNDEFINED MILITARY
00:35:55ENGAGEMENT IS PRECISELY WHAT THE
00:35:57WAR POWERS RESOLUTION WAS DESIGNED TO RESTRAIN. WE ARE NOT
00:36:01THE IRANIAN PARLIAMENT. WE ARE
00:36:03NOT A RUBBER STAMP CONGRESS, OR
00:36:07AT LEAST WE SHOULDN'T BE A
00:36:12RUBBER STAMP CONGRESS. STAMP CONGRESS. BUT IN THIS SCENARIO,
00:36:15WE SEE WHATEVER THIS PRESIDENT
00:36:18WANTS. MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE WILL JUST RUBBER
00:36:21STAMP IT. WE SHOULD BE BRANCH OF
00:36:26GOVERNMENT, AND OUR DUTY IS NOT OPTIONAL. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE
00:36:30CONSTITUTION. THE FRAMERS GAVE CONGRESS THIS AUTHORITY BECAUSE
00:36:33THEY BELIEVED NO SINGLE PERSON SHOULD HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE
00:36:36THIS NATION TO WAR ALONE. SO
00:36:41TODAY, WE EITHER DEFEND THE
00:36:46PRINCIPLE, OR WE SURRENDER IT.
00:36:50DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, AND
00:36:54DEFEND THE PRINCIPLE AND DO THAT
00:36:58I PUT MY HAND UP AND SWORE I
00:37:01WOULD HARD I'LL TAKE THEM ALL,
00:37:06BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I SWORE AN
00:37:10OATH TO DO. AND WITH THAT, I RESERVE THE BALANCE OF MY TIME. >> THE GENTLEMAN RESERVES. THE
00:37:13GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I
00:37:18YIELD MYSELF AS MUCH TIME AS I MAY CONSUME. >> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED.
00:37:22>> MY COLLEAGUE TALKED ABOUT
00:37:26CHOICES. DEFENDING YOURSELF IS A CHOICE. IT'S A CHOICE THAT NOT
00:37:29EVERYBODY MAKES. SOME PEOPLE,
00:37:32INSTEAD OF DEFENDING THEMSELVES, CURL UP INTO A CORNER AND CRY
00:37:35AND TURN THEIR EYES. SOME PEOPLE
00:37:39STAND UP AND THEY STEP INTO THE FIGHT, AND THEY MAKE THE TOUGH
00:37:43CHOICE OF GOING THROUGH THE BATTLES THAT IT TAKES TO DEFEND
00:37:47YOURSELF. I WILL THANK AGAIN,
00:37:49PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR DEFENDING
00:37:53AMERICA FROM AN IMMINENT THREAT,
00:37:55AN IMMINENT THREAT THAT NO OTHER
00:37:58PRESIDENT HAS HAD THE GUTS TO
00:38:01STAND UP TO. WHAT IS THAT
00:38:04IMMINENT THREAT? WHAT WAS THAT
00:38:06IMMINENT THREAT THAT PRESIDENT
00:38:08TRUMP IS DOING HIS DUTY, HIS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY, HIS ARTICLE
00:38:12TWO, AUTHORITY TO DEFEND AMERICA
00:38:14AGAINST. I WILL TELL YOU, IT IS
00:38:18SOMETHING THAT ALMOST EVERY
00:38:19SINGLE MEMBER OF CONGRESS HAS
00:38:22LITERALLY AGREED UPON, UP UNTIL
00:38:25PRESIDENT TRUMP DECIDED TO
00:38:28DEFEND AMERICA. PREVIOUSLY
00:38:30ALMOST EVERY MEMBER OF CONGRESS
00:38:32VOTED TO CALL IRAN THE LARGEST
00:38:35STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR. AND
00:38:37TOMORROW, WE WILL CAST A VOTE ON
00:38:40WHAT WAS JUST DEBATED ABOUT REAFFIRMING THAT THEY ARE THE
00:38:44LARGEST STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR,
00:38:47NEARLY ALL MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO CONDEMN THEIR
00:38:50CONTINUOUS FUNDING OF TERRORIST PROXIES LIKE HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
00:38:54IT MEANS THEY GIVE THEM MONEY.
00:38:58THEY GIVE THEM WEAPONS. THEY GIVE THEM TRAINING. THEY GIVE THEM DIRECTION ON WHERE TO FIND
00:39:01AND HOW TO KILL AMERICANS. AND
00:39:04THEN THEY REWARD THEM FOR DOING THAT. ALMOST EVERY MEMBER OF
00:39:07CONGRESS HAS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY
00:39:10TO CONDEMN THAT. IT WAS ALMOST A
00:39:13UNANIMOUS VOTE, CALLING THEIR
00:39:15NUCLEAR PROGRAM A MASSIVE THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
00:39:19MY COLLEAGUE OVER THERE VOTED IN
00:39:22THE AFFIRMATIVE ON THAT. ALMOST EVERY ONE OF US VOTED TO
00:39:25DESIGNATE THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS AS A
00:39:29TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. THOSE
00:39:31VOTES, THEY DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN
00:39:36FOR NO REASON. WE HAVE SEEN IRAN AS AN IMMINENT THREAT AGAINST
00:39:39AMERICA, NOT JUST FOR THE LAST
00:39:42FOUR DAYS, NOT JUST FOR THE LAST
00:39:44FOUR MONTHS OR FOUR YEARS, BUT FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. WHY DO
00:39:48THEY CONTINUE TO BE AN IMMINENT
00:39:52THREAT? BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER
00:39:56FACED AN IMMINENT RESPONSE UNTIL PRESIDENT TRUMP. INSTEAD, WE
00:40:00TOLD THEM, WHEN I SAY WE, I COULD SAY AMERICA, BUT REALLY,
00:40:03IT WAS MY DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES
00:40:05THAT TOLD THEM THIS, TOLD THEM
00:40:08HOW MUCH URANIUM THEY COULD ENRICH INSTEAD OF THEY CAN'T DO
00:40:12IT, PERIOD WE TOLD THEM WHEN
00:40:15THEY COULD HAVE A NUCLEAR
00:40:16WEAPON. INSTEAD OF. NO. AND ON
00:40:22TOP OF THAT, AGAIN, I SAY WE.
00:40:25BECAUSE IT'S THE AMERICA. BUT
00:40:28IT WAS REALLY MY DEMOCRAT
00:40:31COLLEAGUES GAVE THEM PALLETS OF
00:40:34CASH. THAT'S A FACT. ME,
00:40:41ESPECIALLY MANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES. I WOULDN'T TAKE THIS
00:40:43AWAY FROM ANYBODY HERE. NO ONE
00:40:47WANTS TO SEE OUR MILITARY GO
00:40:49INTO COMBAT OR WAR, OR CONDUCT
00:40:51COMBAT OPERATIONS OR BATTLE OR
00:40:54WHATEVER WORD SOMEBODY WANTS TO
00:40:56USE TO DESCRIBE IT. I DO NOT
00:41:00WANT TO SEE CONFLICTS END IN
00:41:03CASUALTIES. I WEAR MANY NAMES ON MY WRIST OF FRIENDS THAT I HAVE
00:41:06LOST BUT IRAN'S TERROR, WHICH
00:41:10HAS CAUSED THE DEATH OF
00:41:13THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS, IT HAS
00:41:17TO STOP. THEY DON'T WARN US WHEN
00:41:19THEY'RE GOING TO KILL OUR AMERICANS. THEY ARE AN IMMINENT
00:41:23THREAT. THEY LOOK FOR A SURPRISE. THEY LOOK FOR AN
00:41:27OPPORTUNITY. ANY WEAKNESS, ANY MOMENT THAT THEY CAN GO OUT
00:41:31THERE AND ATTACK US, THEY ARE AN
00:41:34IMMINENT THREAT. THERE HAS
00:41:35PROVEN NO OTHER WAY TO STOP THIS
00:41:40IMMINENT THREAT. NOT BY
00:41:44NEGOTIATION BY ACCORD, NOT BY
00:41:48SUMMIT ABOUT THIS IMMINENT
00:41:54THREAT. THREE U.S. SOLDIERS
00:41:57KILLED AT TOWER 22 A YEAR AND A
00:42:01HALF AGO. SERGEANT SANDERS,
00:42:03SERGEANT MOFFIT, SERGEANT
00:42:06RIVERS, IMMINENT THREAT.
00:42:09COUNTLESS CIVILIAN VESSELS.
00:42:14TARGETED BY IRANIAN DRONES. THAT
00:42:20IS WHAT AN IMMINENT THREAT LOOKS
00:42:21LIKE
00:42:31THIS ONE JUST ME OFF BEYOND
00:42:34BELIEF. TEN U.S. NAVY SAILORS
00:42:37CAPTURED AND HELD ON THEIR KNEES
00:42:40AT GUNPOINT BY THE IRANIAN NAVY.
00:42:44IMMINENT THREAT THE OCTOBER 7th
00:42:51ATTACK. KILLING 1200 CIVILIANS,
00:42:55INCLUDING 46 AMERICANS,
00:42:57SUPPORTED BY IRAN. AGAIN. THAT
00:42:59IS AN IMMINENT THREAT VERY
00:43:06PERSONAL TO ME. IRAN'S KILLING
00:43:10OF AN ESTIMATED 1 IN 6 AMERICAN
00:43:13SERVICE MEMBERS IN IRAQ BETWEEN
00:43:162003 AND 2011. IMMINENT THREAT
00:43:20BEYOND THAT, U.S. FIGHTER JETS
00:43:26LOST, SUNK OFF ONE OF OUR
00:43:29CARRIERS IN THE RED SEA BECAUSE OF HOUTHI ATTACKS. THAT IS AN
00:43:32IMMINENT THREAT. IF YOU ASK AN
00:43:36AMERICAN WHETHER THEY WANT WAR
00:43:39OR COMBAT, YOU CAN ASK ME THAT
00:43:41QUESTION. I WOULD SAY, NO, I DON'T WANT IT. I'VE BEEN IN
00:43:45IT. I DON'T WANT IT FOR MY
00:43:49CHILDREN. BUT WE DO WANT PRESIDENT TO STOP IRAN'S
00:43:52IMMINENT THREATS. IF I SAID, DO
00:43:55YOU WANT COMBAT, ANYBODY WITH SENSE WOULD SAY, NO. WHAT DO YOU
00:43:59WANT US TO DO? IF THERE'S TEN
00:44:02AMERICAN NAVY MEN AND WOMEN PUT ON THEIR KNEES AT GUNPOINT BY
00:44:06IRAN, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. DO YOU WANT US TO GO
00:44:09INTO COMBAT? NO. WHAT DO YOU
00:44:10WANT US TO DO? IF THERE'S THREE
00:44:13AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED AT TOWER 22 BY THAT IMMINENT
00:44:16THREAT. WE WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE
00:44:19OF THAT. THIS IS WHAT TAKING
00:44:21CARE OF THAT LOOKS LIKE. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN CLEAR,
00:44:25CONSISTENT, AND TRANSPARENT.
00:44:27IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR
00:44:30WEAPON, AND HE MADE EVERY EFFORT
00:44:33TO ADDRESS THIS THROUGH
00:44:35DIPLOMATIC MEANS. LET ME QUOTE
00:44:37DIRECTLY FROM A RESOLUTION THAT
00:44:42DEMOCRATS OVERWHELMINGLY
00:44:42SUPPORTED INCLUDING MY
00:44:47COLLEAGUES. THE HOUSE OF
00:44:50REPRESENTATIVES DECLARES IT IS THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES
00:44:53TO USE ALL MEANS NECESSARY TO
00:44:57PREVENT IRAN FROM OBTAINING A
00:44:59NUCLEAR WEAPON. LEADER JEFFRIES
00:45:05VOTED ON IT. RANKING MEMBER
00:45:07MEEKS VOTED ON IT. SPEAKER
00:45:10EMERITUS PELOSI VOTED ON IT. DID THEY NOT BELIEVE IT WHEN THEY
00:45:14VOTED ON IT? DID THEY NOT READ
00:45:15IT? DID THEY NOT UNDERSTAND? USE
00:45:21ALL MEANS NECESSARY TO PREVENT IRAN FROM OBTAINING A NUCLEAR
00:45:24WEAPON WE ALL KNOW IRAN POSES AN
00:45:28IMMINENT THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE NOW
00:45:31IS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
00:45:33SITTING IN OFFICE RIGHT NOW. OUR MILITARY IS SHOOTING DOWN
00:45:36IRANIAN MISSILES AND DRONES THAT ARE TARGETING AMERICANS IN THE
00:45:39REGION. IF DEMOCRATS HAD THEIR
00:45:43WAY, AND THIS RESOLUTION PASSED,
00:45:45THEY WOULD FORCE UNITED STATES
00:45:48MILITARY TO PACK UP, STOP
00:45:50SHOOTING DOWN MISSILES, TELL EVERY AMERICAN SHELTERING IN
00:45:53PLACE, EVERY ALLY FIGHTING
00:45:56AGAINST THIS REGIME, THAT
00:45:59AMERICA IS NO LONGER THERE TO HELP. AND WHILE THIS DOES NOT
00:46:02FIT THE NARRATIVE OF MY DEMOCRAT
00:46:05COLLEAGUES, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD
00:46:07THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO UNDER ARTICLE TWO OF THE CONSTITUTION
00:46:10AND THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION
00:46:12ACT TO GET THE JOB DONE. AND HE
00:46:17HAS BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH THIS.
00:46:20CONGRESS. SECRETARY RUBIO, SECRETARY HEGSETH. GENERAL
00:46:23KAINE, DIRECTOR OF THE CIA.
00:46:25RATCLIFFE ALL CONDUCTING NOW
00:46:28THREE SPECIFIC BRIEFS, MAKING
00:46:32OUR OBJECTIVE CLEAR. DESTROY
00:46:35EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF IRANIAN MILITARY HARDWARE THAT CAN REACH
00:46:38OUT AND TOUCH AMERICANS, OR HAS BEEN USED TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH
00:46:42AMERICANS MR. SPEAKER, I
00:46:48RESERVE. >> RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
00:46:51>> MR. SPEAKER, IS THAT IF IRAN
00:46:59HAS BEEN AN IMMINENT THREAT FOR
00:47:0347 YEARS, THE WORD IMMINENT THEN
00:47:08LOSES ALL MEANING. CORRECT.
00:47:14YIELD ONE MINUTE TO THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM NEW
00:47:18YORK, THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER IN
00:47:20THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF
00:47:23REPRESENTATIVES, FROM BROOKLYN,
00:47:26NEW YORK. THE HONORABLE HAKEEM JEFFRIES. >> THE MINORITY LEADER IS
00:47:30RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. AND I
00:47:33THANK MY GOOD FRIEND, THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM
00:47:36QUEENS, THE GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK, THE ONCE AND FUTURE
00:47:40CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, MR. MEEKS, FOR HIS
00:47:44LEADERSHIP AND FOR YIELDING. I
00:47:46RISE TODAY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF
00:47:48THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IN SUPPORT
00:47:50OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM,
00:47:53IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND IN SUPPORT OF
00:47:56THIS WAR. POWERS RESOLUTION. AS
00:48:00WE GATHER HERE TODAY ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THERE ARE
00:48:03MOTHERS AND FATHERS ACROSS THIS
00:48:05COUNTRY WHO ARE IN MOURNING,
00:48:08CONFRONTING THE HEARTBREAKING
00:48:11LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONES IN
00:48:16UNIFORM. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE SIX AMERICAN
00:48:20SERVICE MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN
00:48:22KILLED OVERSEAS IN DONALD
00:48:25TRUMP'S WAR OF CHOICE THANKFUL
00:48:29FOR THEIR HEROISM, THEIR
00:48:32BRAVERY, AND THEIR PATRIOTISM.
00:48:34AND MAY THEIR MEMORIES ALWAYS BE
00:48:40A BLESSING. MR. SPEAKER, EVERY
00:48:42MEMBER WHO SERVES IN THIS
00:48:45CHAMBER HAS SWORN AN OATH OF IT
00:48:49SEEMS AS THOUGH MANY OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES HAVE
00:48:52FORGOTTEN THAT. SO LET ME REMIND
00:48:58YOU IN PART, AS TO WHAT IT SAYS.
00:49:01I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL
00:49:06SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
00:49:08STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES.
00:49:10FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. SO HELP
00:49:16ME, GOD. AND THIS REMARKABLE
00:49:18COUNTRY, THE GREATEST NATION IN
00:49:21THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. WE DON'T SWEAR AN OATH TO A KING,
00:49:24TO A POLITICAL PARTY, OR TO A
00:49:27MAN BENT ON DESECRATING THE OVAL
00:49:30OFFICE IN THE CONGRESS, IN THE
00:49:33COURTS, AND IN THE MILITARY. WE
00:49:35SWEAR AN OATH TO THE UNITED
00:49:37STATES CONSTITUTION. MR.
00:49:41SPEAKER, WHEN THE FRAMERS
00:49:45DRAFTED THAT GLORIOUS DOCUMENT, THEY FEARED THE RISE OF A
00:49:48MONARCH, A DEMAGOGUE, A TYRANT
00:49:53TODAY, WE ARE HERE ON THE HOUSE
00:49:56FLOOR BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION, THE BINDING DOCUMENT THAT MAKES
00:50:00US ALL AMERICANS IS BEING
00:50:04TRAMPLED ON BY A WANNABE KING.
00:50:07AS MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE BRANCH OF
00:50:11GOVERNMENT WHO THE FRAMERS DECIDED WOULD BE THE CLOSEST TO
00:50:13THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO REFLECT THE HOPES, THE DREAMS, THE
00:50:17ASPIRATIONS, THE FEARS, THE
00:50:19CONCERNS, THE ANXIETIES, THE LIFE EXPERIENCES AND THE
00:50:22PASSIONS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
00:50:25WE HAVE A SOLEMN OBLIGATION.
00:50:27DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE.
00:50:31WE ARE ALL GUARDIANS OF THE
00:50:33AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OF THE
00:50:36CONSTITUTION WE SWORE AN OATH
00:50:39THAT COMPELS US TO ENSURE THAT THIS PRESIDENT'S MODERN DAY
00:50:43INJURIES AND ABUSES COME TO AN
00:50:48END. WE'RE AT WAR NOW IN THE
00:50:49MIDDLE EAST, SPENDING BILLIONS
00:50:52OF DOLLARS TO BOMB IRAN. WHEN
00:50:57REPUBLICANS REFUSE TO FIND A
00:50:57DIME TO MAKE HEALTH CARE
00:51:02AFFORDABLE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO MAKE SURE THAT
00:51:06EVERYDAY AMERICANS CAN GO SEE A
00:51:09DOCTOR WHEN THEY NEED ONE. THIS
00:51:12WAR HAS NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY
00:51:17THE PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVES HERE IN THIS GLORIOUS HOUSE.
00:51:21ARTICLE ONE OF THE CONSTITUTION
00:51:24EXPLICITLY PROVIDES CONGRESS
00:51:27WITH THE SOLE AUTHORITY TO
00:51:29DECLARE WAR. THERE IS NOTHING
00:51:33AMBIGUOUS ABOUT THAT. >> I THINK WE SHOULD SET THE
00:51:37SCENE VERY CLEARLY THAT DURING
00:51:40THE LAST TWO WEEKS, SINCE WE VOTED ON THE WAR POWERS
00:51:44RESOLUTION LED IN A BIPARTISAN
00:51:46MANNER BY SENATORS KAINE AND
00:51:49PAUL, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S
00:51:52UNCONSTITUTIONAL WAR WITH IRAN
00:51:55HAS EVOLVED TREMENDOUSLY IN THE
00:51:58SPAN OF JUST TWO WEEKS, 13 U.S.
00:52:04SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN
00:52:06KILLED, AND AT LEAST 200. OF OUR
00:52:12AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN HAVE BEEN
00:52:15INJURED. U.S. DIPLOMATIC POSTS
00:52:18AND MILITARY FACILITIES IN THE
00:52:21MIDDLE EAST ARE UNDER CONSTANT
00:52:24ATTACK. THE WAR HAS EXPANDED.
00:52:29NOW IMPACTING AT LEAST 15 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FROM THE
00:52:32BASIS OF OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES TO
00:52:34OUR ALLIES IN THE REGION.
00:52:38AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE STILL TWO
00:52:41WEEKS IN, STRANDED IN THE
00:52:43REGION, TRYING TO GET HOME.
00:52:48CIVILIAN CASUALTIES ARE
00:52:53INCREASING, AND HERE AT HOME, WE
00:52:55ARE SEEING THE SKYROCKETING
00:52:57COSTS OF BASIC GOODS. THE
00:53:00SKYROCKETING, ROCKETING COST OF
00:53:02ENERGY, AND THE SKYROCKETING COSTS WE'RE SEEING AT THE
00:53:05PUMPS, AT OUR GAS STATIONS. WE
00:53:11NOW KNOW THE TRUMP
00:53:12ADMINISTRATION IS SPENDING OVER
00:53:15$1 BILLION A DAY ON THIS
00:53:18UNAUTHORIZED WAR, WHILE
00:53:21AMERICANS ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE
00:53:23ENDS MEET HERE AT HOME. AND THIS
00:53:27PRESIDENT IS THROWING MILLIONS
00:53:29OF PEOPLE OFF OF THEIR HEALTH
00:53:32CARE. AND THIS ADMINISTRATION,
00:53:34AMIDST ALL OF THIS, HAS FAILED
00:53:39TO COME BEFORE THE UNITED STATES
00:53:41SENATE. AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
00:53:44FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO MAKE ITS
00:53:49CASE ON THE BIGGEST MILITARY WAR ENGAGEMENT SINCE THE WAR IN
00:53:53AFGHANISTAN. ALL 100, SWORE AN
00:54:01OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WELL,
00:54:05FEALTY TO THAT OATH IS CLEAR,
00:54:07BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION IS
00:54:11CLEAR. CONGRESS HAS THE
00:54:13AUTHORITY TO DECLARE WAR AND
00:54:16AUTHORIZE THE USE OF MILITARY
00:54:19FORCE. BUT IN THIS CASE,
00:54:22CONGRESS AND THE UNITED STATES
00:54:25SENATE IN >> [APPLAUSE]
00:54:27>> PARTICULAR, HAS DONE NOTHING.
00:54:31THE SENATE HAS A SOLEMN
00:54:34RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSERT ITS
00:54:38SELF ALONG THE CONSTITUTIONAL
00:54:40MANDATE IN MATTERS OF WAR AND
00:54:42PEACE. THIS IS WHY I URGE MY
00:54:45COLLEAGUES SOON TO SUPPORT THE
00:54:48MOTION TO DISCHARGE SENATE JOINT
00:54:51RESOLUTION 118. I ASK FOR THAT
00:54:55BECAUSE OF WHAT IS AT STAKE.
00:54:57BILLIONS OF AMERICAN TAXPAYER
00:55:00DOLLARS, HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN
00:55:03LIVES. WHAT IS AT STAKE IS THE
00:55:06CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
00:55:08STATES OF AMERICA. WE SWORE AN
00:55:10OATH. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION.
00:55:14THIS IS THE MOMENT NOW. THIS IS NOT LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS IS A
00:55:18MORAL MOMENT AND A SOLEMN,
00:55:22SACRED, PATRIOTIC DUTY TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION, ESPECIALLY
00:55:26WHEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
00:55:28STATES OF AMERICA IS SO
00:55:30WILLFULLY VIOLATING IT MR.
00:55:33PRESIDENT, I YIELD
00:55:45>> MR. PRESIDENT. >> RECOGNIZE THE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA.
00:55:47>> I THANK SENATOR BOOKER FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP ON
00:55:51THIS WAR. POWERS RESOLUTION. SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY NOT
00:55:54KNOW THIS, BUT I WAS RAISED IN A
00:55:56DIVIDED HOUSEHOLD. MY FATHER WAS
00:55:59A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT. MY MOTHER, A REPUBLICAN. AND THERE WERE ANY
00:56:03NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO APPEALED TO BOTH
00:56:06OF MY PARENTS, WHO EMBODIED THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA AND THE
00:56:09PROMISE OF THIS GREAT REPUBLIC.
00:56:12ONE OF THEM WAS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER. YES, SOME IN MY
00:56:15FAMILY LIKED HIM SO MUCH, THEY HELPED CAMPAIGN FOR HIM, LIKE MY
00:56:19GRANDFATHER, HARRY GLOVSKY. I HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH IN MY OFFICE
00:56:23OF MY PA, HARRY, WHO WAS A REPUBLICAN COUNTY CHAIR, WALKING
00:56:27SIDE BY SIDE WITH IKE AT A
00:56:30CAMPAIGN RALLY. IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT EISENHOWER, THE
00:56:33SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER DURING WORLD WAR TWO, AND THE MAN WHO
00:56:36BROUGHT PEACE TO EUROPE, WOULD
00:56:38HAVE TO SAY RIGHT NOW, TO SEE
00:56:41OUR MILITARY MIGHT, OUR MILITARY
00:56:45PERSONNEL, USED IN A WAR OF CHOICE AGAINST A COUNTRY WITH A
00:56:47TERRIBLE REGIME, BUT WHICH WAS
00:56:51NOT ATTACKING US AND POSED NO IMMINENT THREAT TO THE AMERICAN
00:56:54PEOPLE TO SEE A PRESIDENT LIKE
00:56:58WE HAVE TODAY UNWILLING, EVEN WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THOSE
00:57:02WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE SERVICE OF THIS COUNTRY,
00:57:05A PRESIDENT WHO IGNORES OR, WORSE, BELITTLES A REPORTER WHO
00:57:08ASKS ABOUT THEM, OR WHETHER MORE
00:57:11TROOPS ARE GOING TO BE DEPLOYED
00:57:14TO THE REGION. WHAT WOULD HE
00:57:16THINK OF A CONGRESS EMPOWERED BY
00:57:18OUR FRAMERS TO HAVE THE SOLE
00:57:21POWER TO MAKE WAR, OR REFUSE TO
00:57:23DO SO, RELEGATED TO AN
00:57:25AFTERTHOUGHT IN CONFLICT AFTER
00:57:28CONFLICT, AFTER CONFLICT? EISENHOWER WAS A SINGULAR VOICE
00:57:32IN OUR NATION. HE WAS A MILITARY
00:57:36LEADER WHO ADVOCATED STRONGLY AGAINST THE USE OF MILITARY
00:57:38POWER WHEN IT WAS NOT NEEDED,
00:57:41WHEN THERE WERE ALTERNATIVES.
00:57:43SOMEONE WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE ENORMOUS COST AND THE LOST
00:57:47OPPORTUNITY TO THE COUNTRY THAT
00:57:51COMES WITH EXCESSIVE SPENDING ON ARMAMENTS. HE IS FAMOUS IN HIS
00:57:54FAREWELL ADDRESS FOR WARNING OF
00:57:56THE ENCROACHING INFLUENCE OF THE
00:57:58MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, AND WE SHOULD TURN TO THAT SPEECH
00:58:02NOW TO REMIND OURSELVES OF WHERE
00:58:06WE ARE IN THIS MOMENT, AS WE
00:58:08FIND OURSELVES AT WAR ONCE
00:58:11AGAIN, EISENHOWER SAID. EVERY
00:58:14GUN THAT IS MADE, EVERY WARSHIP
00:58:16LAUNCHED, EVERY ROCKET FIRED,
00:58:19SIGNIFIES IN THE FINAL SENSE, A
00:58:23THEFT FROM THOSE WHO HUNGER AND
00:58:25ARE NOT FED, THOSE WHO ARE COLD
00:58:28AND ARE NOT CLOTHED. THIS WORLD
00:58:31IN ARMS IS NOT SPENDING MONEY ALONE. IT IS SPENDING THE SWEAT
00:58:34OF ITS LABORERS, THE GENIUS OF
00:58:38ITS SCIENTISTS, THE HOPES OF ITS
00:58:41CHILDREN, THE COST OF ONE
00:58:43MODERN, HEAVY BOMBER. IS THIS A
00:58:45MODERN BRICK SCHOOL IN MORE THAN 30 CITIES? IT IS TWO ELECTRIC
00:58:50POWER PLANTS, EACH SERVING A
00:58:52TOWN OF 6000 POPULATION. IT IS
00:58:56TWO FINE, FULLY EQUIPPED
00:58:58HOSPITALS. IT IS SOME 50 MILES
00:59:01OF CONCRETE HIGHWAY. WE PAY FOR
00:59:03A SINGLE FIGHTER PLANE WITH A
00:59:06HALF MILLION BUSHELS OF WHEAT. WE PAY FOR A SINGLE DESTROYER
00:59:10WITH NEW HOMES THAT COULD HAVE
00:59:13HOUSED MORE THAN 8000 PEOPLE.
00:59:16THIS, I REPEAT, IS THE BEST WAY OF LIFE TO BE FOUND ON THE ROAD.
00:59:19THE WORLD HAS BEEN TAKING. THIS
00:59:22IS NOT A WAY OF LIFE AT ALL IN
00:59:25ANY TRUE SENSE. UNDER THE CLOUD
00:59:27OF THREATENING WAR, IT IS
00:59:31HUMANITY HANGING FROM A CROSS OF
00:59:34IRON. A THEFT FROM THOSE WHO
00:59:37HUNGER AND ARE NOT FED. THAT IS
00:59:41WHAT HE SAID. AND I ASKED MY
00:59:44COLLEAGUES 70 YEARS LATER, HAS
00:59:47ANYTHING CHANGED? WE HAVE TAKEN
00:59:51$170 BILLION IN FOOD AID AWAY
00:59:52FROM PEOPLE WHO HUNGER AND ARE
00:59:56NOT FED, AND WE ARE FEEDING THAT
00:59:58MONEY INTO A MILITARY OPERATION
01:00:00THAT IS COSTING THE COUNTRY BILLIONS EVERY WEEK. ARE WE NOT
01:00:04SEEING THE MONEY FOR A HOSPITAL
01:00:07OR TEN HOSPITALS SQUANDERED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD, RATHER
01:00:10THAN SPENT HERE AT HOME?
01:00:13PRESIDENT EISENHOWER UNDERSTOOD THE BASIC TRADE OFFS THAT WE
01:00:16FACE WHEN WE GO TO WAR. AND HERE'S THE THING. THE AMERICAN
01:00:19PEOPLE ARE NOT AFRAID OF SACRIFICE IN A JUST CAUSE. WE
01:00:23CAN MARSHAL THE STRENGTH OF OUR
01:00:24PEOPLE TO TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE,
01:00:27OVERCOME ANY THREAT, DEFEND
01:00:30OURSELVES AGAINST ANY FOE IN A JUST CAUSE. BUT HAS THE CASE
01:00:34BEEN MADE THAT THIS IS A JUST
01:00:37CAUSE, A NECESSARY CAUSE? HAVE WE EVEN HAD A DEBATE ON THE
01:00:41SUBJECT, OR A PUBLIC HEARING,
01:00:43OR, GOD FORBID, A VOTE? HAVE WE
01:00:46SAID ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOLCHILDREN WHO WILL GO
01:00:49HUNGRY, THAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE TAKING THEIR MEALS AND SPENDING
01:00:53THEM INSTEAD ON MISSILES? HAVE WE AGREED? AS WE SEND OUR SONS
01:00:56AND DAUGHTERS ON SHIPS TO THE
01:00:57STRAIT OF HORMUZ, THAT WE ARE WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES,
01:01:01THAT WE ARE READY TO PAY THE
01:01:03COSTS AT THE PUMP AND ON THE
01:01:06GROCERY SHELF, THAT THIS IS A SACRIFICE. WE ARE READY TO MAKE
01:01:09FOR THE GREATER GOOD. WE HAVE
01:01:12NOT KNOW. WE HAVE NOT AGREED
01:01:15BECAUSE WE HAVE DUCKED AND DODGED AND BOBBED AND WEAVED OUR
01:01:19WAY AROUND THIS TERRIBLE DECISION, NOT WANTING TO DEBATE
01:01:22THE WAR, NOT WANTING TO EVEN
01:01:24CALL IT WAR. BECAUSE WHEN WE DO,
01:01:29WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR OWN FAILURE AS AN INSTITUTION, AS THE
01:01:31CONGRESS, TO TAKE UP THE MATTER AS IF BOMBS FALLING DAY AFTER
01:01:34DAY FOR WEEKS ON END COULD BE LABELED AS ANYTHING ELSE BUT
01:01:38WAR. A WAR WHOSE RISKS LIKE
01:01:42CLOSING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OR
01:01:45IRAN'S ATTACKS ON ITS NEIGHBORS,
01:01:48OR THE STAYING POWER OF THE
01:01:50CLERICAL REGIME, WERE KNOWN AND IGNORED BY THE PRESIDENT, A
01:01:54PRESIDENT WHOSE HUBRIS HAS NOW
01:01:58COST OUR NATION DEARLY. WHAT WOULD IKE HAVE THOUGHT? WHAT
01:02:01WOULD IKE HAVE DONE? I SUSPECT HE WOULD CONCLUDE THIS WAR WAS
01:02:05NOT WORTH ITS COSTS. IN
01:02:09CASUALTIES AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES. BUT IF HE CONCLUDED OTHERWISE, I SUSPECT
01:02:12HE WOULD HAVE LEVELED WITH THE
01:02:15AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT THE PURPOSE, THE GOALS, THE RISKS,
01:02:18AND SOUGHT TO RALLY US TO THE CAUSE. HE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR
01:02:21THE SUPPORT OF CONGRESS, EVEN AS
01:02:26HE RALLIED THE SUPPORT OF THE NATION. HAD IT BEEN A JUST
01:02:28CAUSE, HAD IT BEEN A NECESSARY
01:02:31FIGHT, HAD OUR NATION BEEN UNDER ATTACK OR IMMINENT THREAT OF
01:02:34ATTACK? TODAY, WE ARE IN A WAR
01:02:37THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOT BACKED, THAT THE CONGRESS HAS NOT
01:02:41APPROVED, AND FOR WHICH THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT MADE THE CASE.
01:02:45A WAR OF REGIME CHANGE IN WHICH
01:02:49THE REGIME HAS NOT CHANGED. A WAR TO STOP AN IMMINENT THREAT
01:02:52WHICH DID NOT EXIST, A WAR IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT TELLS US WE
01:02:56DON'T NEED ALLIES, THEN PLEADS FOR THE HELP OF THOSE ALLIES TO
01:02:59OPEN THE STRAIT. AND WHEN THEY DO NOT COMPLY, TELLS US WE
01:03:02DON'T NEED THEM. AFTER ALL, A
01:03:05WAR IN WHICH WE MISTAKENLY BOMBED A GIRLS SCHOOL IN IRAN,
01:03:08IN WHICH OUR PRESIDENT TOLD US IRAN BOMBED ITS OWN SCHOOL, AND
01:03:11WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION WAS FORCED TO ACKNOWLEDGE. THAT
01:03:15SIMPLY WASN'T TRUE. A WAR IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT CALLS FOR
01:03:18THE PEOPLE OF IRAN TO RISE UP,
01:03:20THAT THIS IS THE BEST CHANCE THEY WILL EVER GET, AND THEN
01:03:23TELLS US THEY WILL BE MOWED
01:03:25DOWN. IF THEY DO. THE CONGRESS
01:03:27DOES NOT EXIST TO MERELY IMPLEMENT THE PRESIDENT'S WILL
01:03:32IN WAR OR PEACE. IT DOES NOT EXIST TO SERVE AS AN ECHO
01:03:35CHAMBER OR DUTIFULLY STAND AND APPLAUD WHEN HE ADDRESSES THE
01:03:38JOINT SESSION. THE FRAMERS DID NOT DRAFT SUCH AN EXQUISITE
01:03:42FRAMEWORK IN WHICH AMBITION WAS
01:03:45MADE TO COUNTER AMBITION, IN WHICH THE POWER TO DECLARE WAR
01:03:48AND FUND WAR WAS HELD IN ONE BRANCH, SO AS TO RESIST THE
01:03:51BELLICOSE, INTERESTS AND
01:03:54INSTINCTS OF THE HEAD OF ANOTHER BRANCH. THEY DID NOT DRAFT SUCH
01:03:57A PERFECT CONSTITUTION WITH THE
01:04:00IDEA THAT IT WOULD ALL BE A
01:04:02NULLITY THAT CONGRESS SHOULD
01:04:05SIMPLY ABDICATE, SURRENDER ITS
01:04:07CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE FOUNDERS HAD HIGHER HOPES
01:04:11FOR US. THEY HAD DREAMS FOR US
01:04:12TO REALIZE. THEY WAGERED THEIR
01:04:15LIVES AND SACRED HONOR, THAT WE WOULD RISE TO THE OCCASION, THAT
01:04:19WE POSSESSED SUFFICIENT VIRTUE TO BE SELF-GOVERNING, THAT WE,
01:04:21AS A PEOPLE, DID NOT NEED TO BE
01:04:24RULED BY A DESPOT. WERE THEY
01:04:30WRONG? WERE THEY WRONG? AT LONG
01:04:34LAST WERE OUR FOUNDERS WRONG
01:04:36AFTER WEEKS OF WAR AND BILLIONS
01:04:40SPENT, AND 13 SERVICE MEMBERS
01:04:42KILLED, AND 200 INJURED, IS IT
01:04:48STILL NOT TOO LATE TO DISCHARGE
01:04:52OUR RESPONSIBILITY, AS OUR FOUNDERS INTENDED, AS THE
01:04:55AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE EVERY RIGHT
01:04:56TO EXPECT? THIS RESOLUTION GIVES
01:05:00US A CHANCE TO DO THAT. LET US
01:05:03TAKE IT. I URGE AN. I VOTE ON
01:05:06THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, AND I
01:05:08YIELD BACK. >> YOU'RE ENTITLED TO YOUR
01:05:12OPINION. IT'S A FREE COUNTRY. WHETHER YOU, LIKE PRESIDENT
01:05:16TRUMP OR NOT, IS UP TO YOU. YOUR VIEW OF THE WAR IS UP TO YOU,
01:05:19BUT YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR
01:05:21FACTS. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THE
01:05:28FACTS.
01:05:38THE NEGOTIATIONS TO FIND A PEACEFUL
01:05:39SOLUTION TO THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR
01:05:42PROBLEM, PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT
01:05:44STEVE WITKOFF AND JARED KUSHNER
01:05:49TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE IRANIANS. THEY SAY, MR. PRESIDENT, ALL THEY WANT IS PEACEFUL NUCLEAR
01:05:53POWER. THE IRANIANS, THEY'VE
01:05:55BEEN SAYING IT, AND THEY SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO ENRICH LIKE OTHER
01:05:59COUNTRIES LIKE US, A BUNCH OF NATIONS ENRICH URANIUM FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES. AND THEY
01:06:02CLAIM, WHY NOT US? BECAUSE
01:06:08YOU'RE CHEAT. THE IAEA, NOT ME, NOT LINDSEY GRAHAM. YOU HAVE A
01:06:11HISTORY OF NOT LIVING UP TO WHAT
01:06:16YOU SAY ABOUT YOUR AMBITIONS, THAT YOUR ENRICHMENT FACILITIES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO PRODUCE
01:06:20PEACEFUL POWER, BUT TO PRODUCE A
01:06:22WEAPON. SO DURING THE
01:06:26NEGOTIATIONS, WITKOFF AND
01:06:27KUSHNER OFFERED THE IRANIANS,
01:06:30LISTEN, IF YOU'LL GIVE US YOUR
01:06:33HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM, WE WILL
01:06:38GUARANTEE YOU A LIFETIME FUEL
01:06:40SUPPLY FOR FREE, THAT YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE SPENT FUEL YOU NEED
01:06:44TO OPERATE A PEACEFUL POWER PROGRAM. YOU DON'T NEED TO ENRICH. AND IF YOU WANT TO
01:06:48ENRICH FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES, VERY LIMITED. FINE. BUT YOU
01:06:50CAN'T HAVE AN ENRICHMENT
01:06:52PROGRAM THAT WOULD LEAD TO
01:06:56MAKING BOMB GRADE MATERIAL,
01:06:57BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT RELIABLE.
01:07:00AND I WOULD GO A STEP FURTHER.
01:07:01IT'D BE LIKE LETTING HITLER
01:07:05HAVE ANYTHING. SEE, THE
01:07:10DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME? AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE,
01:07:13MAYBE MOST DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES, I THINK THESE GUYS
01:07:16ARE RELIGIOUS NAZIS. MIDLER. HITLER WANTED A MASTER RACE. HE WROTE A BOOK. NOBODY BELIEVED
01:07:19HIM. HE LITERALLY WANTED TO KILL ALL THE JEWS, AND NOBODY
01:07:23BELIEVED HIM. THE AYATOLLAHS THE SAME. THE REGIME IS BUILT AROUND
01:07:26A CULT OF DEATH. THEY WANT THREE
01:07:29THINGS TO PURIFY ISLAM. THEY'RE SHIITES. THEIR NUMBER ONE ENEMY
01:07:32IS SUNNI ARABS. THEY THINK THEY'RE. THEY'VE GOT THE FAITH
01:07:35WRONG, THAT THEY'RE THAT THEY'RE
01:07:38TRAITORS TO THE FAITH. THEY HATE SUNNIS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRUE
01:07:40TO THE FAITH. AND SAUDI ARABIA
01:07:45BELIEVES IT. SO THEY WANT TO PURIFY ISLAM, BEND IT TO THEIR
01:07:48WILL, MAKE EVERY SUNNI REJECT
01:07:51THEIR VIEW OF ISLAM, AND ACCEPT THE AYATOLLAHS VIEW. THAT'S WHAT
01:07:54THEY SAY, NOT ME. I BELIEVE IT.
01:07:58NUMBER TWO, THEY WANT TO KILL
01:08:01ALL THE JEWS, AND THEY OPENLY
01:08:05SAY IT. THEY'RE NOT HIDING THEIR DISDAIN FOR ISRAEL. THEY'RE ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT IT.
01:08:09THEY PUT DEATH TO ISRAEL ON
01:08:12LIKE, MILK CARTONS THESE PEOPLE
01:08:15ARE SERIOUS, AND YOU SHOULD TAKE
01:08:16THEM SERIOUS. LIKE IN THE 30s,
01:08:20PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT HITLER MEANT WHAT HE SAID BECAUSE THEY WERE TIRED FROM
01:08:23WORLD WAR ONE. AND THEY SAID,
01:08:24OH, HE'S JUST ALL TALK. HE WANTS THIS, HE WANTS THAT. HE
01:08:28WANTS MORE GERMAN SPEAKING TERRITORY. HE'S NOT COMPLETELY
01:08:32CRAZY, YOU KNOW, HE'S SORT OF JUST DOING THE HITLER THING.
01:08:36WELL, HE WAS COMPLETELY CRAZY. NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY HE WANTED
01:08:39TO KILL ALL THE JEWS. I DON'T KNOW WHY HITLER THOUGHT THE
01:08:43ARYAN RACE IS THE ONLY PURE RACE
01:08:44ON THE PLANET, BUT A LOT OF
01:08:48PEOPLE ARE DEAD BECAUSE WE GOT THAT WRONG. LET'S DON'T DO THAT
01:08:51AGAIN. WE'RE PLAYING LIKE WORLD WAR TWO. NEVER ACTUALLY
01:08:54HAPPENED. AND YOU'RE REWRITING
01:08:57THIS REGIME'S HISTORY FROM 1979. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE UNTIL
01:09:00TODAY? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO MAKE YOU THINK THEY DON'T
01:09:03BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY? WHAT BEHAVIOR HAVE THEY EXHIBITED
01:09:07THAT THEY REALLY DO WANT TO BE
01:09:11NORMAL? SO DURING THOSE
01:09:13NEGOTIATIONS, WHEN THEY SAID NO TO EVERY OFFER UNDER THE SUN,
01:09:17THEY SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS A
01:09:20FATAL MISTAKE FOR THEM. OH, BY
01:09:23THE WAY, WE HAVE 460KG OF
01:09:30URANIUM AT 60%. NOW, WHY DID
01:09:30THEY TELL US THAT THEY WERE
01:09:36TRYING TO INTIMIDATE US AND LETTING US KNOW THAT IF WE
01:09:39DON'T BEND TO >> THERE WILL WILL HAVE A PROBLEM. NOW, WHAT'S THE
01:09:42PROBLEM? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
01:09:4460 AND 90% ENRICHMENT IS WEEKS,
01:09:47MR. PRESIDENT. NOT MONTHS OR
01:09:50YEARS. AND WHEN YOU GET TO 90,
01:09:52THAT'S WEAPONS GRADE
01:09:56ENRICHMENT. THAT MATERIAL CAN BE
01:09:58TURNED INTO A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
01:10:01460KG AT 90%, IS ENOUGH TO BUILD
01:10:06TEN NUCLEAR BOMBS. AND I'M
01:10:09TALKING WEEKS, NOT MONTHS, TO GO FROM 60 TO 90. AND THEY WERE
01:10:13THREATENING TO DO IT. SO WHAT
01:10:14DID PRESIDENT TRUMP DO INSTEAD
01:10:18OF BEGGING THEM NOT TO? INSTEAD
01:10:22OF GIVING THEM A BUNCH OF MONEY, BRIBING THEM NOT TO, HE BLEW UP
01:10:26THEIR ENRICHMENT FACILITY SO THEY COULDN'T GET TO 90%. CALLED MIDNIGHT HAMMER. MR.
01:10:29PRESIDENT, I'M GLAD YOU DID.
01:10:31AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME NOBODY IN
01:10:33THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WOULD HAVE
01:10:38DONE THAT. QUESTION FOR MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND
01:10:39CRITICS WITHIN MY OWN PARTY, HOW
01:10:42COULD THEY HAVE 60% ENRICHED
01:10:45URANIUM AT 460KG WITHOUT CHEATING? EVERYTHING YOU WANTED
01:10:48TO DO TO CONTAIN THESE PEOPLE
01:10:51FAILED. THE JCPOA. EVERY
01:10:54AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN OFFERED TO RESTRICT IRAN'S NUCLEAR
01:10:57PROGRAM FAILED. IF, IN FACT,
01:11:00THEY DO HAVE 460KG OF URANIUM AT
01:11:0560%. SO HERE'S MY CHALLENGE. IF
01:11:07YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE, COME TO THE FLOOR AND TELL ME
01:11:11WHY I'M WRONG. WE KNOW THAT THE
01:11:16MATERIAL THAT 60% IS UNDER ALL
01:11:17THE RUBBLE OF THE ENRICHMENT
01:11:20FACILITIES, AND WE'RE WORRIED THAT SOMEHOW SOMEBODY'S GOING TO
01:11:22GET IT BEFORE WE DO. SO IS A
01:11:26FACT THAT THEY HAD PRODUCED
01:11:29ENOUGH URANIUM AT 60%. THAT
01:11:33MEANS THEY'RE CHEATING, BECAUSE
01:11:36THERE'S NO COMMERCIAL PURPOSE
01:11:38FOR URANIUM TO BE REACHED AT 60%. NONE. ZERO. YOU DON'T NEED
01:11:42THAT TO RUN A NUCLEAR POWER
01:11:45PROGRAM. YOU NEED NOTHING BEYOND
01:11:4720. TO GO TO 60 MEANS YOU'RE A
01:11:50THRESHOLD NUCLEAR NATION. WHY 60? IT'S JUST A SMALL JUMP TO
01:11:5490. AND THEY WANT TO INTIMIDATE
01:11:56AND BLACKMAIL THE WORLD. SO WHEN
01:12:01THEY TOLD US THAT WE GOT THIS MUCH AT 60, TRUMP SAID, WELL,
01:12:05THAT'S ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TAKE ENRICHMENT OFF THE TABLE. AND
01:12:09THANK GOD HE DID. THEIR
01:12:11ENRICHMENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN OBLITERATED, AND THEY COULDN'T
01:12:15GO TO 90. BUT I THINK THEY'LL COME BACK AT IT, MR. PRESIDENT,
01:12:18ONE DAY. IF WE DON'T DEAL WITH
01:12:19IT NOW. SO THAT'S MIDNIGHT
01:12:23HAMMER, EPIC FURY. WHAT HAPPENED
01:12:25AFTER WE BLEW UP THE ENRICHMENT
01:12:27FACILITIES? WITHIN WEEKS, THEY
01:12:30WERE ACTUALLY THE IRANIANS TRYING TO START OVER AGAIN,
01:12:33GOING DEEPER. WHAT WAS THE
01:12:36LESSON THEY LEARNED FROM MIDNIGHT HAMMER? WE'RE NOT DEEP ENOUGH IN THE GROUND. AND
01:12:40HERE'S THE MOST TELLING THING.
01:12:43THEY WERE TRYING TO CREATE A NEW
01:12:46ENRICHMENT CAPABILITY THAT DID
01:12:48NOT REQUIRE AN AIR SHAFT. NOW,
01:12:53WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? THE BOMBS THAT WERE USED, THAT WERE
01:12:57DROPPED ON THE ENRICHMENT
01:12:59FACILITIES WENT THROUGH THE AIR SHAFT, PENETRATED AND BLEW UP
01:13:02THE FACILITIES DEEP UNDERGROUND.
01:13:05THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO OUR AIR POWER, THAT THE AIR SHAFT
01:13:08OPENING WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
01:13:11REFRIGERATOR. AND WE DROPPED
01:13:13BOMBS THROUGH THOSE AIR SHAFTS
01:13:16TO OBLITERATE THE ENRICHMENT FACILITIES. THEY HAD. INSTEAD OF
01:13:19LEARNING THEIR LESSON. AND LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT
01:13:23PEACEFUL NUCLEAR POWER. THEY WENT THE OTHER WAY. AND THAT'S
01:13:26JUST I THINK THAT'S A FACT. SO
01:13:32EPIC FURY. IF YOU DO NOT SEE THIS AS AN IMMINENT THREAT, THEN
01:13:35YOU'RE BLIND FOR YOUR HATRED OF
01:13:37TRUMP. THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE
01:13:40LEFT AND PEOPLE IN MY OWN PARTY
01:13:44THAT MORE. THERE ARE MORE AFRAID
01:13:47OF TRUMP BEING SUCCESSFUL THAN
01:13:49THE AYATOLLAH HAVING A NUCLEAR
01:13:52WEAPON THAT'S SICK, THAT IS
01:13:56SICK. BOMB TOOK OUT BIN LADEN, I
01:13:58CLAPPED LIKE A SEAL EVERY TIME
01:14:03HE WANTED TO GO IN SYRIA. I WAS
01:14:06THERE WITH HIM. AND JOHN MCCAIN. I'VE TRIED TO BE BIPARTISAN ON
01:14:08SUCH THINGS. I NEVER HAVE EVER INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION AGAINST A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT UNDER THE
01:14:12CONGRESSIONAL WAR POWERS ACT, TO LIMIT THEIR ABILITY TO PROTECT
01:14:16THE NATION, EVER. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
01:14:20I'VE NEVER DONE TO A DEMOCRAT WHAT YOU CONSTANTLY ARE DOING TO
01:14:23THIS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT. AND WHEN A REPUBLICAN TRIED TO DO
01:14:26THAT, I OBJECTED. IF YOU DON'T
01:14:29LIKE WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP OR ANY OF THE PRESIDENTS DOING IN
01:14:31MILITARY MATTERS, CUT OFF THE
01:14:36FUNDING. WE HAVE THE POWER OF THE PURSE. WE COULD STOP FUNDING
01:14:38FOR THESE OPERATIONS, AND THAT WOULD BE CONSTITUTIONAL. WHAT WE
01:14:41CAN'T DO, IN MY VIEW, IS BECOME
01:14:43THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. YOU CAN'T HAVE 535 PEOPLE BECOMING
01:14:47THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. AND
01:14:48THAT'S WHAT THE WAR POWERS ACT
01:14:51DOES. AFTER 60 DAYS, IF CONGRESS
01:14:53DOESN'T APPROVE, MILITARY
01:14:56ACTION, STOPS, BASICALLY, UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, YOU CAN BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF FOR ONLY 60
01:14:59DAYS. AND CONGRESS TAKES OVER. THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY HAD IN
01:15:03MIND. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE FOUNDERS HAD IN MIND. A SINGLE
01:15:07PERSON, THE PRESIDENT, TO BE
01:15:09COMMANDER IN CHIEF, AND CONGRESS, TO HAVE THE POWER OF
01:15:13THE PURSE AND REGULATE THE LAND AND NAVAL FORCES. THAT'S THE
01:15:16BALANCE WE'VE HAD ALL THESE
01:15:17YEARS. AND THE WAR POWERS ACT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT
01:15:21DESTROYS THAT BALANCE. BUT IT
01:15:24DOESN'T MEAN CONGRESS IS OUT OF THE GAME. LITERALLY, IF YOU HAD
01:15:27A RESOLUTION OR A APPROPRIATION BILL DENYING FUNDING FOR EPIC
01:15:31FURY, I WOULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU, BUT YOU WOULD BE ON SOUND
01:15:35CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS. NOW, WHY
01:15:37DO I OPPOSE THIS? NOT JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AN
01:15:40INFRINGEMENT ON THE THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE OVERSTEPPED BY THE CONGRESS. I
01:15:44THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY, QUITE FRANKLY, DANGEROUS NOT TO FINISH
01:15:48THIS THING OUT IN 18 OR 19 DAYS.
01:15:51WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER ON THE ABILITY OF IRAN TO BUILD
01:15:54BALLISTIC MISSILES, TO HIT US AND OUR ALLIES. AND IF YOU
01:15:58DON'T THINK THEY WOULD PUT
01:16:00YOURSELF IN THE SAME CATEGORY,
01:16:02THAT MISCALCULATED HITLER, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE IRANIANS? YOU
01:16:06THINK THEY REALLY DON'T MEAN WHAT THEY SAY? SO WE'VE
01:16:09DESTROYED THAT ABILITY TO BUILD THOSE MISSILES TO COME AFTER US.
01:16:13AND THEY WERE BUILDING 100 A MONTH BEFORE WE DID THIS. THE
01:16:16SECOND THING IS, THEY HAVE BEEN
01:16:18FUNDING HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS, THE
01:16:20HOUTHIS PROXIES. HEZBOLLAH HAS A LOT OF AMERICAN BLOOD ON ITS
01:16:24HAND, KILLED 220 MARINES AND
01:16:26SAILORS BACK IN THE 1980s, WHEN
01:16:29WE WERE IN LEBANON, TRYING TO HELP WITH THAT CIVIL WAR. THEY ATTACKED OUR BARRACKS. THERE ARE
01:16:33A LOT OF AMERICAN BLOOD ON THE
01:16:35HANDS FROM AFGHANISTAN. IEDS
01:16:38MADE IN IRAN. SO THESE PEOPLE
01:16:40HAVE BEEN WAR WITH US SINCE
01:16:451979. FINALLY, WE'RE PUSHING
01:16:46BACK. INSTEAD OF DOING DEALS
01:16:50THAT DON'T WORK, WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE THREAT IN A
01:16:52RESPONSIBLE WAY. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN IRAN? I THINK THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE A CHANCE DOWN THE ROAD
01:16:56TO TO DECIDE THAT. NOT ME, NOT
01:16:59YOU. WE'RE NOT GOING TO INVADE
01:17:00IRAN. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THE
01:17:04IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN STAND. THERE'S NO REASON TO WHAT WE
01:17:07WANT TO DO. MILITARY,
01:17:09MILITARILY, MR. PRESIDENT, IS
01:17:11ELIMINATE THE THREATS. THEY
01:17:14CAN'T FUND PROXIES. THEY CAN'T
01:17:16BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS ANYMORE. >> AND THEY CAN'T BUILD MISSILES
01:17:19THAT WOULD TERRORIZE US IN THE
01:17:21REGION. AND EUROPE. WHEN WE
01:17:24ACCOMPLISH THOSE THREE THINGS. HERE'S WHAT I THINK WILL
01:17:26HAPPEN. WE WILL BUILD ON WHAT
01:17:32PRESIDENT BIDEN STARTED, WHICH IS NORMALIZATION BETWEEN SAUDI
01:17:36ARABIA AND ISRAEL. NOW, WHY IS THAT BIG? UH, SENATOR BOOKER HAS
01:17:39BEEN GREAT ON THIS. HE'S GONE
01:17:40WITH ME. WHEN WE WHEN BIDEN WAS
01:17:43PRESIDENT, I WAS A REPUBLICAN TRYING TO BUILD ON THE ABRAHAM
01:17:47ACCORDS, SEE IF WE COULD GET SAUDI AND ISRAEL TO NORMALIZE,
01:17:51WHICH WOULD BE THE END OF THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT. IT'D BE THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THOUSANDS
01:17:54OF YEARS. AND I'D BE WILLING TO HELP PRESIDENT BIDEN. I WAS AND,
01:17:58YOU KNOW, WE HAD A BIPARTISAN
01:18:00TEAM. I WAS PART OF IT. WELL,
01:18:03OCTOBER THE 7th CAME ALONG TO
01:18:04STOP THAT. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT,
01:18:10WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A BREAKTHROUGH ON NORMALIZATION UNDER PRESIDENT BIDEN. TONY
01:18:14BLINKEN, JAKE SULLIVAN, BRETT MCGURK. I WENT OVER THERE EIGHT
01:18:16TIMES. I THINK, UH, WE'RE CLOSE,
01:18:20BUT OCTOBER 7th WAS DESIGNED TO STOP WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
01:18:22IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR THE
01:18:26IRANIANS, I THINK, FOR THE ARABS AND THE ISRAELIS, TO MAKE PEACE,
01:18:28BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE REGION FOREVER, LEAVING THEM BEHIND. SO
01:18:32OCTOBER THE 7th WAS AN ATTACK BY
01:18:33HAMAS, BUT IT COULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT IRAN STOPPING
01:18:37NORMALIZATION. AND IT'S WORKED TO, TO A GREAT EXTENT, THE
01:18:41TOLERANCE FOR A TWO STATE
01:18:44SOLUTION IN ISRAEL IS PRETTY LOW. AFTER OCTOBER 7th. AND THE
01:18:48ARAB WORLD IS PRETTY INFLAMED BECAUSE OF GAZA. BUT WE CAN'T
01:18:51LET IRAN WIN THE DAY. SO HERE'S
01:18:52WHAT I HOPE WE CAN DO. KEEP THIS
01:18:56MILITARY CAMPAIGN GOING WEEKS,
01:18:57NOT MONTHS, CONTINUE TO DEGRADE
01:19:01THE ABILITY OF THE IRGC TO TERRORIZE THEIR OWN PEOPLE, TO
01:19:05WREAK HAVOC IN THE REGION. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME BLOWS. THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF DRONES.
01:19:08THEY STILL HAVE MISSILES, BUT
01:19:09LESS EVERY DAY. GAS PRICES UP.
01:19:14NO SMALL THING FOR SOMEBODY TRYING TO RAISE A FAMILY ON
01:19:17LIMITED INCOME. BUT I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART, YOU PAY NOW
01:19:20OR PAY LATER WITH THIS REGIME. AND WE WERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS
01:19:24AWAY FROM THE AYATOLLAH AND HIS
01:19:27CROWD HAVING WEAPONS GRADE MATERIAL FOR TEN BOMBS. AND YOU THINK THINGS ARE BAD NOW? I CAN
01:19:31ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE WORLD
01:19:32WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THIS MADMAN
01:19:35AND HIS REGIME ACTUALLY HAD NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ONE, I THINK HE
01:19:39WOULD USE IT IF HE DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD KILL ALL THE JEWS, THAT
01:19:43WOULD BE A MISTAKE. CERTAINLY,
01:19:47THE JEWISH PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT. AND THIS IDEA THAT WE WERE DRUG INTO THE WAR BY ISRAEL, THAT'S
01:19:50THE OLDEST GAME, LITERALLY IN THE BOOK. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE
01:19:53JEWS, WE'D ALL BE BETTER OFF. IT'S THE JEWS THAT ARE ALWAYS
01:19:57GETTING US IN TROUBLE. WHAT AN
01:19:59OFFENSIVE THING TO SAY. ISRAEL
01:20:03CONSULTED WITH US. WE DO HAVE COMMON VALUES, AND WE HAVE A
01:20:07COMMON ENEMY. THEY DON'T JUST CHANT, DEATH TO ISRAEL. THEY
01:20:09CHANT, DEATH TO AMERICA. THE IRANIAN REGIME. THEY GOT OUR
01:20:13BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS, JUST NOT AS REALLY BLOOD. SO THE IDEA
01:20:15THAT SOMEHOW THAT PRESIDENT
01:20:17TRUMP GOT HOODWINKED BY THE JEWS
01:20:19IS LIKE, ENOUGH ALREADY. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PRESIDENT
01:20:23TRUMP, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. AND YOU'RE JUST
01:20:26GIVING LIFE TO THE IDEA THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR LIKE 2000 YEARS
01:20:30WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE. ENOUGH.
01:20:33SO WHAT I HOPE WILL HAPPEN, MR.
01:20:35PRESIDENT, WILL BE STEADY. AMERICAN PEOPLE. THERE'S GOING
01:20:39TO BE SOME PAIN. THE REGION, YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIT AGAIN.
01:20:43WE'VE LOST, SOLDIERS. GOD BLESS
01:20:44THEM. GOD BLESS THE WOUNDED. A COUPLE OF HUNDRED AND CASUALTIES
01:20:48MAY INCREASE. BUT THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE
01:20:52MILITARY FROM MY TIME BEING AROUND IT, WHICH IS MOST OF MY
01:20:56ADULT LIFE, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO TO MILITARY UNIT IS ASK
01:20:57THEM TO SACRIFICE AND NOT FINISH
01:21:02THE JOB. YOU WANT TO HELP THE MILITARY, LET THEM FINISH THE
01:21:05JOB THEY BELIEVE IN, THAT IT'S
01:21:08NECESSARY, AND YOU GET NOTHING
01:21:09FOR FINISHING SECOND IN A WAR
01:21:12WITH MAD PEOPLE, CRAZY PEOPLE.
01:21:16AND IF YOU DON'T THINK THE REGIME IS BUILT AROUND A CULT OF
01:21:18DEATH, THEN YOU MISSED A LOT.
01:21:21THEY WANT A. RELIGIOUS WORLD
01:21:27THAT THEY RUN. THEY WANT A
01:21:31RELIGIOUS MASTER RACE, NOT AN
01:21:33ARYAN ETHNIC MASTER RACE. THEY
01:21:36WANT TO DOMINATE THE WORLD THROUGH THEIR FAITH AND THAT
01:21:39TOO, SHOULD SCARE YOU. I DON'T
01:21:43INTEND TO BEND TO THEIR WILL. I DON'T THINK SUNNI ARABS ARE.
01:21:47AND YOU KNOW WHAT? MOST IRANIANS DON'T BUY THAT. BUT THEY'VE
01:21:50BEEN KILLED BY THE TENS OF
01:21:54THOUSANDS. THEY'VE HAD IT, TOO. SO I THINK WE'RE CLOSE, MR.
01:21:56PRESIDENT, TO WEAKENING THE
01:21:59REGIME TO THE POINT THAT WE CAN
01:22:04START AGAIN WITH NORMALIZATION TALKS BETWEEN SAUDI AND ISRAEL,
01:22:06WHICH WOULD BE THE END OF THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT, THE
01:22:09BIGGEST CHANGE IN 2000 YEARS.
01:22:11AND IF THEY CAN'T DO ANOTHER
01:22:13OCTOBER 7th, THEN I THINK WE MAY GET THERE. BUILDING ON WHAT WAS
01:22:17DONE BY THE PAST ADMINISTRATION.
01:22:20SO JUST THINK ABOUT IT. WE'RE
01:22:22NOT GOING TO GET A NORMALIZATION DEAL THAT DOESN'T HAVE A
01:22:26PALESTINIAN COMPONENT, BECAUSE MBS, THE LEADER OF SAUDI ARABIA,
01:22:30CAN'T RECOGNIZE ISRAEL. HE FINDS SOME DIGNIFIED SOLUTION
01:22:32FOR THE PALESTINIANS THAT ISRAEL
01:22:35CAN LIVE WITH. AND HE WANTS A DEFENSE AGREEMENT WITH US
01:22:38BECAUSE HE WANTS TO COME OUR
01:22:39WAY, NOT TURKEY, NOT PAKISTAN. A
01:22:44MUTUAL DEFENSE AGREEMENT. WELL, TO MY DEMOCRATIC FRIENDS,
01:22:47ENTERTAINED THE IDEA OF HELPING US GET THERE. BUT YOU SHOULD
01:22:50INSIST THAT THERE'S SOMETHING
01:22:53THERE FOR THE PALESTINIANS. AND WE ALL HAVE A CHANCE HERE TO
01:22:56MAKE HISTORY. A FEW MORE WEEKS,
01:22:58NOT A FEW MORE MONTHS. WE SHOULD
01:23:01BE AT THE POINT, IN MY VIEW,
01:23:03THAT WE CAN START WHERE WE ENDED
01:23:07BEFORE. AND IRAN'S EFFORTS TO
01:23:11DENY REAL PEACE TO THE REGION
01:23:15WILL HAVE FAILED. KHARG ISLAND SELDOM IN THE HISTORY OF WARFARE
01:23:16HAS A COUNTRY OR A WARRING
01:23:19OPPONENT HAD A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. ALL THEIR MONEY COMES
01:23:23FROM OIL AND GAS. IN IRAN, THE REGIME AND ALL THE
01:23:27INFRASTRUCTURE VIRTUALLY IS ON A SINGLE ISLAND. IF YOU CONTROL
01:23:31THAT ISLAND, YOU CONTROL THE DESTINY OF THE INCOME TO
01:23:34CONTINUE THIS WAR. AND, UH,
01:23:38REMEMBER WHAT I SAID? I DON'T KNOW WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
01:23:41GOING TO DO AS TO THIS RESOLUTION. I HAVE A LOT OF
01:23:45ADMIRATION FROM SENATOR BOOKER. WE'RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS, AND
01:23:49WE'LL WORK TOGETHER WHERE WE CAN. I THINK THIS IS THE WRONG
01:23:51SIGNAL AT THE WRONG TIME. I NEVER BELIEVED IT WAS
01:23:55CONSTITUTIONAL. I NEVER DID AS DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. BUT WE DO
01:23:59NOT NEED TO DO THIS, BECAUSE IF
01:24:03WE STOP NOW, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PAY A HEAVY PRICE LATER. THE
01:24:05WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME IS FOR
01:24:07THOSE 32,000 PEOPLE TO GO TO THE
01:24:11STREETS AND DIE FOR NOTHING. THE
01:24:13WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME IS TO
01:24:16SUFFER AND NOT GET IT RIGHT. THEY HAVE A PAIR OF TWOS AND WE
01:24:20HAVE A FULL HOUSE. IT'S NOT A
01:24:22CARD GAME, BUT WE'RE IN A GOOD
01:24:25SPOT. TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES AND BEEN INJURED.
01:24:29YOU DIED IN THE SERVICE OF YOUR
01:24:32COUNTRY, MAKING THE WORLD SAFER,
01:24:34AND THAT'S WHAT MILITARY PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR. AND TO THOSE WHO
01:24:38HAVE BEEN INJURED, YOU'VE BEEN HURT TRYING TO STOP SOMETHING
01:24:42THAT MATTERS. THIS IS NOT. A
01:24:46FOOLISH ENDEAVOR. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE
01:24:50BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO BREAK OUT. IF WE DIDN'T STOP THEM, WE
01:24:53WERE REALLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS
01:24:55AWAY FROM THEM HAVING ENOUGH
01:25:00URANIUM AT 90% TO MAKE TEN BOMBS, AND THE WORLD WOULD HAVE
01:25:03CHANGED IN A BLINK OF AN EYE. SO I'M GOING TO OPPOSE THIS
01:25:07RESOLUTION. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT
01:25:10PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PLAN TO
01:25:12CONTINUE TO DEFAME THE REGIME.
01:25:14AND I JOIN WITH MY DEMOCRATIC
01:25:18COLLEAGUES, IF THEY WOULD LIKE. AND IF SAUDI ARABIA AND ISRAEL
01:25:21WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHANGING THE MIDEAST FOREVER, I WOULD
01:25:23ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO WHAT I DID.
01:25:28LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO BRING ABOUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE
01:25:29IN 2000 YEARS. AND THE REASON WE
01:25:34DIDN'T GET THERE IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION IS BECAUSE OCTOBER 7th, IT WASN'T ANY FAULT
01:25:37OF ANYBODY ELSE. THIS ATTACK WAS
01:25:42DESIGNED TO STOP EVERYTHING WE TRIED BEFORE, AND IT WOULD BE A
01:25:45SHAME AND A TREMENDOUS. MISSED
01:25:52OPPORTUNITY IN HISTORY TO LET
01:25:52THE IRANIANS DENY THE REGION
01:25:57SOMETHING I THINK THEY REALLY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, NOT
01:26:01BACKWARD. AND I'LL END WITH
01:26:02THIS. TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, I
01:26:06KNOW IT'S TOUGH. I KNOW THE ECONOMY ON THE GAS FRONT IS IS
01:26:10HURTING. BUT I DO BELIEVE THIS
01:26:14WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING. IF WE HAD NOT DONE THIS, THEY WOULD
01:26:17BE ON THE PATH. THE IRANIAN
01:26:21REGIME TO A NUCLEAR CAPABILITY, AND THEY WOULD USE IT. EVENTUALLY, THEY WOULD USE IT OR
01:26:25GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY WHO WOULD.
01:26:27THEY'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN
01:26:29HITLER, EXCEPT THIS. HITLER
01:26:31WANTED A MASTER RACE TO RUN THIS
01:26:34WORLD, AND HE WAS DENIED ONLY
01:26:37AFTER ABOUT 50 MILLION PEOPLE
01:26:40DIED. THIS REGIME WANTS A MASTER
01:26:44RELIGION TO DOMINATE THIS WORLD.
01:26:46I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I BELIEVE
01:26:50THEM. AND WE'RE SO CLOSE TO
01:26:53GETTING THIS RIGHT. AND SINCE
01:26:571979, THIS REGIME HAS BEEN BUILT AROUND A CULT OF DEATH. A 16
01:27:00YEAR OLD GIRL WAS KILLED LAST YEAR FOR NOT HAVING THE
01:27:04HEADSCARF ON. RIGHT, DRUG OFF A BUS AND BEAT TO DEATH. THE
01:27:08PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN THE STREETS, MR. PRESIDENT, SLAUGHTERED BY
01:27:11TENS OF THOUSANDS. LET'S NOT LET
01:27:13THIS MOMENT PASS LESS THAN A
01:27:16RESPONSIBLE WAY. KEEP WEAKENING
01:27:18THIS REGIME, GIVING THE PEOPLE
01:27:21DOWN THE ROAD A CHANCE TO HAVE A
01:27:22NEW IRAN STAND WITH OUR ALLIES,
01:27:27FINISH THE JOB. AND IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, A GATEWAY TO PEACE WILL
01:27:31OPEN UP AND CAN SAY TO THOSE WHO
01:27:39SACRIFICE WERE HURT AND DIED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID, YOU
01:27:42CREATED AN AVENUE FOR PEACE THAT
01:27:45IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD. SO
01:27:47I WILL BE VOTING NO. BUT I'M
01:27:49GOING TO DO MORE THAN VOTE NO.
01:27:51I'M GOING TO SUPPORT AN OUTCOME THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. THE
01:27:55DAY THIS REGIME NO LONGER CAN WREAK TERROR. AND HAVOC IS A
01:27:59GOOD DAY, AND WE'RE CLOSE TO THAT. AND THE DAY WE CAN GET
01:28:03BACK TO THE PEACE TABLE BETWEEN
01:28:04SAUDI ARABIA AND ISRAEL WILL BE
01:28:07A WONDERFUL DAY. THE CENTER OF ISLAM, SENATOR BOOKER, IS SAUDI
01:28:11ARABIA. THAT'S WHERE THE HOLY MOSQUE OF MECCA AND MEDINA ARE.
01:28:14AND THIS YOUNG MAN, MBS, HAS
01:28:18MADE A DECISION TO GO A DIFFERENT WAY. AND I'VE HAD MY PROBLEMS WITH HIM. BUT I REALLY
01:28:21DO THINK HE'S MADE A DECISION TO
01:28:25GO A DIFFERENT WAY. THAT WILL BENEFIT THE REGION IN THE WORLD.
01:28:29AND I HOPE THE ISRAELI PEOPLE
01:28:32UNDERSTAND. IF YOU WANT TRUE
01:28:33PEACE, LASTING PEACE, YOU GOT TO
01:28:36DEAL WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. ABRAHAM ACCORDS TELLS ME THEY'RE
01:28:39WILLING TO DEAL WITH THEIR
01:28:42NEIGHBORS. LET'S DON'T LET
01:28:44OCTOBER 7th BE THE FINAL CHAPTER. LET'S MAKE SURE WE
01:28:48PUNCH THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED ON
01:28:49OCTOBER 7th. AND WE PUNCHED
01:28:52THROUGH. RIGHT NOW TO GET THE
01:28:54CONFLICT IN A SPOT WHERE WE CAN
01:28:57TRULY HAVE PEACE. LAST THOUGHT YOU'LL NEVER HAVE PEACE IN THE
01:29:01MIDDLE EAST. WE'LL NEVER KNOW
01:29:02PEACE HERE AT HOME. UNTIL THIS
01:29:05MADMEN REGIME, THE AYATOLLAH AND
01:29:07HIS HENCHMEN ORGANIZED AROUND A
01:29:10CULT OF DEATH, CAN NO LONGER HURT US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I
01:29:14YIELD. >> I'VE COME TO THE FLOOR TODAY AS A UNITED STATES SENATOR, OF
01:29:17COURSE, BUT ALSO AS A FORMER SOLDIER WHO SERVED IN UNIFORM
01:29:20THE LAST TIME A PRESIDENT RASHLY
01:29:23SENT OUR MEN AND WOMEN INTO AN
01:29:26UNJUSTIFIED WAR IN THE MIDDLE
01:29:28EAST. I SPENT NEARLY A YEAR AT
01:29:31WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, RECOVERING FROM THE INJURIES I
01:29:34EARNED IN IRAQ. AND EVERY MORNING, AS I STRUGGLED TO SIT
01:29:37UP STRAIGHT EVERY TIME I WAS ROLLED INTO YET ANOTHER SURGERY,
01:29:41I MADE SURE TO READ THE POSTER I HAD NEXT TO MY HOSPITAL BED. IT WAS A FRAMED COPY OF THE
01:29:45SOLDIER'S CREED. THE WORDS THAT THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WEAR THE
01:29:48ARMY UNIFORM LIVE BY. THAT SAME
01:29:51FRAMED COPY NOW HANGS BY MY DESK HERE IN D.C., AND AS I GLANCED
01:29:54AT IT THIS MORNING, I REALIZED
01:29:56THAT THERE'S PERHAPS NO GREATER
01:29:59PROOF THAT DONALD TRUMP NEVER DEIGNED TO SERVE A DAY IN HIS
01:30:03LIFE THAN THE MOCKERY HE MAKES OF THE SOLDIERS CREEDS COMMITMENTS. EVERY SINGLE DAY HE
01:30:07HAS BEEN IN OFFICE. THE CREED MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARMY,
01:30:10BUT THE SENTIMENTS HOLD TRUE FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WEAR THE
01:30:13UNIFORM OF THIS GREAT NATION.
01:30:17ITS 13 LINES TELLS US TO BE DISCIPLINED PHYSICALLY AND
01:30:19MENTALLY TOUGH, TRAINED,
01:30:22PROFICIENT, AND TO LOOK OUT FOR THOSE WHO LOOK OUT FOR US, TO
01:30:26LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. DONALD
01:30:28TRUMP IS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR
01:30:31SERVICE MEMBERS, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, THE VERY, VERY LEAST WE
01:30:34SHOULD EXPECT OF HIM IS TO EPITOMIZE THE STANDARDS THAT WE
01:30:37ASK OUR TROOPS TO SWEAR BY, TO
01:30:40LIVE BY THE VERY, VERY LEAST, WE SHOULD EXPECT OF THE COMMANDER
01:30:43IN CHIEF IS TO BE AS COMPETENT,
01:30:47DISCIPLINED, AND PROFESSIONAL AS THE MEN AND WOMEN WHOSE VERY
01:30:50LIVES HINGE ON HIS CAPACITY TO
01:30:52LEAD ON THAT COMPETENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM. WE EXPECT TO
01:30:56SEE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. THE
01:30:59CREED MAKES CLEAR THAT OUR TROOPS WILL NEVER QUIT, THAT THEY WILL NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN
01:31:03COMRADE BEHIND. YET CADET BONE
01:31:05SPURS IS SOMEONE WHO WILL ALWAYS
01:31:08QUIT, AND EVERY HOUR HE ORDERS
01:31:10OUR SERVICE MEMBERS TO REMAIN IN
01:31:12UNNECESSARY, GROWING DANGER. HE
01:31:15IS PROVING THAT DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT GIVE A ABOUT LEAVING A
01:31:18COMRADE, OR SO SO MANY COMRADES
01:31:22BEHIND. EVERY MOMENT THAT DONALD TRUMP LEAVES OUR HEROES MIRED IN
01:31:25THE MUCK OF THIS ILLEGAL WAR OF
01:31:28CHOICE IN IRAN, HE IS SHOWING THAT HE CARES MORE ABOUT SAVING
01:31:32HIS OWN FACE THAN LEADING OUR
01:31:34TROOPS. SO I COME TO THE FLOOR TODAY WITH A SIMPLE QUESTION.
01:31:38OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN GO OUT THERE EVERY DAY AND DO THEIR
01:31:41JOBS, NO MATTER THE RISK. ALL ON DONALD TRUMP'S ORDERS. SO I ASK
01:31:45YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, WHY THE HELL
01:31:49CAN'T YOU DO YOUR JOB, TOO? WHY CAN'T YOU LIVE UP TO THE SAME
01:31:51LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY AS OUR
01:31:56TROOPS? LOOK, I'M PROUD OF EVERY MISSION I COMPLETED IN IRAQ, BUT I WOULD NEVER, EVER
01:31:59WISH ANOTHER ENDLESS, NEEDLESS,
01:32:04UNJUSTIFIED WAR LIKE THE ONE I SERVED IN ON ANYBODY ELSE. I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON THE HEROES
01:32:07WHO ARE PACKING UP THEIR ROCKS
01:32:09RIGHT NOW, KNOWING THEY MAY
01:32:13NEVER TOUCH AMERICAN SOIL AGAIN. I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE BEING FORCED TO
01:32:16SPEND THEIR DAYS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING NEWS FROM HALF A WORLD
01:32:19AWAY, AND I WOULDN'T WISH IT ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO WANT
01:32:22THEIR PRESIDENT TO FOCUS ON BRINGING THE COSTS DOWN HERE AT
01:32:25HOME, NOT STARTING NEW,
01:32:28EXPENSIVE, TAXPAYER FUNDED WARS, CONTINENTS AWAY. BUT TRUMP
01:32:32EITHER DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, OR HE SIMPLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THAT. FROM THE MOMENT THIS
01:32:35CONFLICT BEGAN, THE PRESIDENT HAS TRIED TO SHROUD HIS
01:32:39INCOMPETENCE BEHIND THE VALOR OF
01:32:42OUR SERVICE MEMBERS. WHEN ASKED
01:32:45TO JUSTIFY HIS ILLEGAL ACTIONS,
01:32:48DONALD TRUMP TRIED TO HIDE HIS
01:32:50COWARDICE BEHIND OUR HEROES COURAGE. HE'S TRIED TO ACT AS
01:32:54IF QUESTIONING WHY WE'RE AT WAR
01:32:59IS THE SAME AS QUESTIONING THE SKILL AND BRAVERY OF OUR TROOPS THEMSELVES. IT ISN'T. AND I'M
01:33:02HERE TO CALL ON THE PRESIDENT OF
01:33:04THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OUR MILITARY WILL
01:33:08ALWAYS DO THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE WHEN GIVEN A MISSION. OUR
01:33:11SERVICE MEMBERS WILL SAY, YES, I
01:33:14WILL SERVE. THEY DON'T SAY, WHY ME? THEY DON'T ASK, WILL I BE
01:33:18SAFE? NO. THEY DUST OFF THEIR BOOTS. THEY SHOW UP, AND THEY DO
01:33:21WHAT'S ASKED OF THEM TO THE
01:33:23BEST OF THEIR ABILITY. EVERY
01:33:27SINGLE TIME, TIME AFTER TIME, TOUR AFTER TOUR, NO MATTER THE
01:33:31RISK, NO MATTER THE SACRIFICE.
01:33:33THEY WILL ALWAYS, ALWAYS EXECUTE
01:33:35THEIR ORDERS TO THE MAXIMUM CAPABILITY OF THEIR
01:33:38PROFESSIONALISM. AND THEY ARE
01:33:41PROUD TO DO IT. THAT ISN'T THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HERE IS
01:33:44THAT THE PERSON WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE LEADING THEM SPENDS MORE
01:33:47TIME TALKING ABOUT HIS MARIE ANTOINETTE BALLROOM THAN HE DOES
01:33:51SITTING IN THE SITUATION ROOM TRYING TO GET US OUT OF THIS
01:33:54WAR. THE PROBLEM IS, THE GUY WHO
01:33:56CLAIMS TO BE MAKING AMERICA
01:33:58GREAT AGAIN LOOKS AT THE WORD AMERICA, AND ONLY SEES THE
01:34:01LETTERS M AND E IN THE MIDDLE OF
01:34:03IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF NOT ONLY HAS
01:34:07NO IDEA WHAT THE END STATE IS
01:34:10LIKE FOR HIS WAR OF CHOICE, BUT PROPERLY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT
01:34:14THE TERM END STATE MEANS AT ALL.
01:34:15THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVEN IN THE
01:34:18LAST TWO WEEKS, THE MAN WHO IS IN CHARGE OF OUR NATION'S
01:34:21NUCLEAR CODES HAS HIMSELF GONE
01:34:24INCREASINGLY NUCLEAR. HE'S NOT
01:34:27BELIEVING LITERAL WAR WITH IRAN
01:34:29IS ENOUGH. HE'S NOW GONE ON TO
01:34:32PROVERBIAL WAR WITH THE VATICAN CHOOSING TO PICK FIGHTS WITH THE
01:34:35POPE OF ALL PEOPLE. THE POPE.
01:34:37RATHER THAN TRY TO ENGAGE IN ANY
01:34:40SEMBLANCE OF REAL DIPLOMACY TO END THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE
01:34:43EAST, HE'S THREATENED TO
01:34:45ANNIHILATE AN ENTIRE
01:34:48CIVILIZATION, TERRIFYING PEOPLE OVERSEAS AND HERE AT HOME, WHO
01:34:51ARE UNDERSTANDABLY WORRIED ABOUT
01:34:53RETALIATORY STRIKES. AND NOW,
01:34:56AFTER ONE HALF DAY OF SO-CALLED
01:34:58NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN, HE'S
01:35:00WHIPSAWED TO THE NEXT RISKY FRONTIER IN THE REGION, A
01:35:03DANGEROUS, COMPLEX, PARTIAL
01:35:07MILITARY BLOCKADE OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, LAUNCHING IT AT OUR
01:35:10NATION'S EXPENSE, WITH NO
01:35:13JUSTIFICATION, NO EXPLANATION,
01:35:16OR ANY REAL PLAN OF WHAT COMES
01:35:18NEXT. HIS ONLY PLAN SEEMS TO
01:35:21RELY ON THE VALOR, THE WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE, THE
01:35:24PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR MILITARY
01:35:26MEN AND WOMEN. BUT LET ME TELL
01:35:29YOU, THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. THEY
01:35:30NEED A TRUE COMMANDER. BUT TRUMP
01:35:34IS TRUMP, AND AND HE IS ACTIVELY, UNABASHEDLY TELLING US
01:35:38HOW TO IGNORE WHAT WE ARE ALL
01:35:39SEEING WITH OUR OWN EYES. HE'S
01:35:42TRYING TO DECLARE MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, DESPITE HIS
01:35:45OBVIOUS FAILURES AT EVERY SINGLE
01:35:49TURN HE'S DECLARING, AND I QUOTE, WE DID IT. WE'RE WINNING, AFTER ALL. SIGNS POINT
01:35:52TO THE OPPOSITE. WE'RE STILL AT
01:35:55WAR. AMERICANS ARE STILL AT RISK. CIVILIANS ACROSS THE
01:35:59REGION ARE STILL DYING FOR NO REASON THAT ANYONE CAN TRULY
01:36:02ARTICULATE. IN REALITY, THE ONLY
01:36:05THING THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST SIX
01:36:09WEEKS IS MORE CHAOS BECAUSE OF
01:36:12HIS CHOICES. A NEW, YOUNGER AYATOLLAH IS IN CHARGE WHO SEEMS
01:36:16EVEN MORE RADICAL THAN HIS
01:36:17FATHER WAS. 13 AMERICAN HEROES
01:36:20HAVE BEEN KILLED, WITH HUNDREDS
01:36:22MORE WOUNDED. MORE GOLD STAR
01:36:26PARENTS ARE GRIEVING THEIR CHILDREN, AND MORE AMERICAN
01:36:29FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD THE SPIKING GAS PRICES.
01:36:32THEY'RE UNSURE IF THEY CAN PAY
01:36:35EVEN MORE. EVERY TIME THEY GO TO THE GAS STATION. BUT THEY HAVE
01:36:38TO, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GET TO WORK. THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE THEIR
01:36:42KIDS TO SCHOOL. THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE THEIR AGING PARENTS TO THE
01:36:44DOCTOR. THE FARMERS OF ILLINOIS,
01:36:47THE FARMERS OF THIS GREAT NATION, HAVE SEEN AT THE TIME
01:36:51THAT WE SHOULD BE PLANTING THEIR
01:36:57INPUTS, COSTS SKYROCKET BECAUSE OF DONALD TRUMP'S WAR OF
01:37:00CHOICE. LOOK, WAR IS ALWAYS TRAGIC. BUT WHEN IT'S
01:37:04PREVENTABLE, WHEN IT'S
01:37:07UNJUSTIFIED, IT'S NOT JUST TRAGIC. IT'S A TRAVESTY. TRUMP WOULDN'T LET HIMSELF BE DRAGGED
01:37:11BY THE BONE. SPURS TO SERVE IN
01:37:13VIETNAM, SO HOW DARE HE? HOW
01:37:16DARE HE DRAG OUR NATION INTO A
01:37:19WAR OF HIS CHOICE TODAY? BUT THIS DRAFT DODGER, THIS FIVE
01:37:22TIME DRAFT DODGER IS TOO
01:37:25INFATUATED WITH MAXIMUM PRESSURE
01:37:26TO MAKE A SERIOUS EFFORT AT EVEN
01:37:30MINIMUM, DIPLOMACY. ONCE AGAIN,
01:37:34THE TRUMP FOREIGN POLICY DOCTRINE HAS PROVEN RECKLESS,
01:37:37SENSELESS, AND DANGEROUS, A DOCTRINE IN WHICH FACT AND
01:37:41FICTION ARE ONE AND THE SAME ONE IN WHICH OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF
01:37:45SEEMS TO COME TO MILITARY DECISIONS BY VIRTUE OF TEMPER
01:37:48TANTRUMS, AND ANNOUNCES THEM VIA TWEET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
01:37:51NIGHT, AND ONE IN WHICH AVARICE
01:37:54OUTWEIGHS ADVICE EVERY SINGLE
01:37:57TIME. LOOK, UNLIKE TRUMP, I
01:38:00ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO
01:38:04LEAVE YOUR BLOOD SOAKING INTO THE DESERT SAND HALF A WORLD
01:38:06AWAY. SO I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE.
01:38:08I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE AND WHAT
01:38:11IS AT STAKE FOR THE TROOPS. THIS
01:38:13ADMINISTRATION IS SENDING INTO
01:38:15HARM'S WAY. WE MUST SAFEGUARD THEIR VALOR AND THEIR
01:38:18PROFESSIONALISM BY DOING OUR
01:38:20JOBS. I CAN TELL YOU THIS. IT'S
01:38:23A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO COVER YOUR
01:38:24EYES AND ORDER OTHER AMERICANS
01:38:27TO SACRIFICE THEIR CHILDREN AND
01:38:29SACRIFICE THEMSELVES. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THE
01:38:33SACRIFICING YOURSELF, IT'S EASIER TO SEND OTHER PEOPLE'S
01:38:36CHILDREN TO FIGHT IN A WAR. IF
01:38:38YOU KNOW YOUR OWN CHILDREN ARE
01:38:40COZY IN A PENTHOUSE SUITE
01:38:43SOMEWHERE, IT'S EASIER TO
01:38:45IGNORE THE EVERYDAY REALITIES OF WAR FROM INSIDE THE HALLOWED
01:38:48HALLS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. WE'VE
01:38:51GOT MCDONALD'S BEING DOORDASH TO
01:38:53THE OVAL OFFICE, BUT IT'S NEARLY
01:38:56IMPOSSIBLE. IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU'VE BEEN ACTUALLY OUTSIDE THE WIRE
01:39:00YOURSELF. SO I'VE COME TO THE
01:39:02FLOOR TODAY TO KEEP TRUE A
01:39:05PROMISE. I FIRST MADE OVER TWO
01:39:07DECADES AGO. I RAN FOR CONGRESS,
01:39:10NOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE IN CONGRESS, NOT BECAUSE I WANTED
01:39:12TO BE A CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR.
01:39:15I RAN FOR CONGRESS TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO CARRIED ME OUT
01:39:18OF THAT BLOODY WAR ZONE. I MADE
01:39:24A PROMISE. THAT WHEN THE DRUMS
01:39:28OF WAR STARTED BEATING AGAIN, I
01:39:31WOULD BE IN A POSITION. TO MAKE
01:39:38SURE THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS FULLY CONSIDER THE TRUE COST OF
01:39:41WAR, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF MONEY,
01:39:42BUT IN HUMAN LIVES, AND IN THE
01:39:45SACRIFICES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN
01:39:47WHO WEAR THE COLORS OF THIS
01:39:49GREAT NATION.
01:39:58THAT WAS THE VOW I MADE TO THE
01:40:01TROOPS I DEPLOYED WITH, AND TO
01:40:04ALL OF THOSE WHO'VE SERVED
01:40:06SINCE I'VE HUNG UP MY UNIFORM.
01:40:17I'M HERE TODAY UNDER THIS GREAT
01:40:19CAPITOL DOME, TO KEEP THAT MOST
01:40:22SACRED OATH. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW,
01:40:25THOUSANDS OF OUR TROOPS ARE
01:40:27READY TO DO THEIR JOBS, EVEN IF IT MEANS LAYING DOWN THEIR
01:40:31LIVES. AND IT'S TRAGIC. IT'S
01:40:33DISGUSTING TO ME THAT EVEN AS
01:40:36THEY PREPARE TO DO THEIR JOBS, OUR PRESIDENT AND SOME MEMBERS
01:40:40OF THIS CHAMBER SEEM SO EAGER TO
01:40:44NEGLECT THEIR OWN. SO AS THOSE DRUMS OF WAR ECHO LOUDER THAN
01:40:47THEY HAVE EVER IN YEARS. I AM
01:40:49HERE TO REMIND DONALD TRUMP THAT
01:40:53HE DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO UNILATERALLY FORCE US INTO
01:40:56WAR. HE MAY NEVER HAVE READ THE
01:40:59CONSTITUTION, BUT I HAVE. SO LET ME DIRECT HIS ATTENTION TO
01:41:02ARTICLE ONE, WHICH MAKES CLEAR
01:41:04THAT ONLY CONGRESS, ONLY
01:41:08CONGRESS, HAS THE POWER TO
01:41:09DECLARE WAR. WE ARE THE ONES
01:41:13TASKED WITH DECIDING WHEN AND
01:41:15HOW AMERICANS ARE SENT INTO COMBAT. WE ARE THE ONES CHARGED
01:41:18WITH THAT MOST SOLEMN DUTY. YET
01:41:21TRUMP IS ACTING AS IF ARTICLE ONE SIMPLY DOESN'T EXIST, AS IF
01:41:25OBEYING THE CONSTITUTION IS IS
01:41:27OPTIONAL, AS IF OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENT IS JUST A YELLOWING,
01:41:31CRUMBLING PIECE OF PAPER THAT HE CAN CRUMBLE UP AND TOSS INTO THE
01:41:33GARBAGE CAN AT WILL. THIS SHOULD
01:41:35NOT, MUST NOT BE A PARTISAN
01:41:38ISSUE. NO MATTER IF YOU'RE STARTING STRUGGLING TO PAY RENT,
01:41:42OR IF YOUR NAME IS PLASTERED IN FAKE GOLD ON A BUILDING ON FIFTH
01:41:45AVENUE, NO ONE CAN IGNORE THE
01:41:51CONSTITUTION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE SWORN AN OATH TO DEFEND
01:41:54IT. NO MATTER IF YOU'RE A MAR-A-LAGO WORKER PULLING DOWN DOUBLE SHIFTS OR THE PRESIDENT
01:41:58OF THE UNITED STATES. NO ONE IS
01:42:02ABOVE THE LAW. I BELIEVE FULLY
01:42:05THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN SOLEMN, URGENT TIMES WHEN OUR MILITARY
01:42:08MUST BE CALLED UPON TO DEFEND US. THERE ARE CERTAIN MOMENTS
01:42:11WHEN THE THREAT IN QUESTION IS SIGNIFICANT AND IMMINENT,
01:42:15INSTANCES WHEN MILITARY FORCE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL AT HAND,
01:42:19AND THAT USING IT IS NECESSARY
01:42:20TO PROTECT AMERICA AND HER
01:42:24INTERESTS. THE THING IS, FROM
01:42:28WHAT LITTLE INFORMATION THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS SHARED PUBLICLY, THAT HE HASN'T
01:42:32IMMEDIATELY CONTRADICTED, AND SOMETIMES THE SAME SENTENCE.
01:42:35THIS WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES.
01:42:38BUT IF THE ADMINISTRATION THINKS THAT I'M WRONG AND THERE WAS
01:42:42IMMINENT, REASONABLE, ACTUAL THREAT TO AMERICA, THEN GUESS
01:42:45WHAT? THE FLOOR IS THEIRS. COME TO THE SENATE WITH JUST 20
01:42:49MINUTES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. IT'S NOT HARD TO FIND. IT'S
01:42:52EVEN FASTER IN YOUR MOTORCADE,
01:42:56MR. PRESIDENT. IT'S NOT HARD TO FIND US. WHERE THE BUILDING WITH
01:42:58THE BIG DOME ON TOP. WE'RE ONLY A 20 MINUTE WALK. TRUMP KNOWS
01:43:02WHERE THE CAPITOL BUILDING IS.
01:43:05IT'S A SPOT HE TOLD THE INSURRECTIONISTS TO MARCH
01:43:07TOWARDS ON JANUARY 6th. SO IF
01:43:11HIS TEAM ACTUALLY BELIEVES THAT WAR IS UNJUSTIFIED, THEN THEY
01:43:14NEED TO COME TO CONGRESS AND DO THEIR JOBS, EXPLAIN THEIR CASE,
01:43:18GIVING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE A SAY
01:43:19THROUGH THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. THE MEMBERS WHO
01:43:23SIT AT EVERY ONE OF THESE DESKS
01:43:24IN THIS CHAMBER, THEY NEED TO RESPECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
01:43:28ENOUGH TO FINALLY TELL THEM WHY
01:43:32THEY'RE BEING FORCED TO BEAR THE COST OF THIS CONFLICT, BOTH
01:43:35IN DOLLARS AND CENTS AND DOLLAR,
01:43:38AND DAUGHTERS AND SONS. THEY NEED TO RESPECT OUR SERVICE
01:43:41MEMBERS ENOUGH TO PROVE WHY WAR
01:43:44WITH IRAN IS WORTH MORE. CHILDREN GROWING UP WITHOUT THEIR MOM OR DAD. THEY NEED TO
01:43:48MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY'VE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, AND WELL
01:43:51ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY ARTICULATE WHAT AN END STATE
01:43:55WITH THIS WAR OF CHOICE IN IRAN
01:43:57WOULD EVEN LOOK LIKE. THEN, WHEN THEIR CASE HAS BEEN MADE, WHEN
01:44:01THE DEBATE HERE IN CONGRESS IS COMPLETED, THEN THE MEMBERS OF
01:44:04THIS CHAMBER MUST VOTE. IT'S OUR
01:44:08DUTY. YES, IT IS OUR BURDEN. IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR
01:44:12THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO
01:44:14SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO
01:44:16SAFEGUARD THIS DEMOCRACY. BUT IF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFUSES
01:44:20TO DO THAT, IF THEY REFUSE TO ADHERE TO THE CONSTITUTION,
01:44:24WELL, THEN IT BEGS THE QUESTION,
01:44:27WHAT ARE YOU HIDING? WHAT ARE
01:44:31YOU HIDING? MR. PRESIDENT, WE ALREADY KNOW YOU'RE INCOMPETENT.
01:44:35WHAT ELSE ARE YOU HIDING? LOOK, WE'VE NOW BEEN AT THIS WAR OF
01:44:39CHOICE, OF TRUMP'S CHOICE FOR A
01:44:41MONTH AND A HALF. THOUSANDS ARE
01:44:45DEAD, GRIEVING, WOUNDED, SUFFERING. ONLY SOMEONE AS INEPT
01:44:48AND UNFIT, SOMEONE AS CALLOUS
01:44:52AND CRUEL AS TRUMP WOULD SEE
01:44:53THIS AS WINNING. ONLY A DRAFT DODGING COWARD WOULD THINK THAT
01:44:57THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO ENGAGE
01:45:00IN A WAR. ONLY A MAN SO
01:45:02UNQUALIFIED TO BE COMMANDER IN
01:45:05CHIEF, WOULD BE PROUD TO KEEP ON RISKING OUR HEROES LIVES,
01:45:08WITHOUT EVEN A CONCEPT OF A PLAN FOR HOW TO GET THEM BACK HOME,
01:45:12WITHOUT RISKING MORE GRAVES. AT
01:45:16ARLINGTON. WE CAN'T LET THIS CHAOS CONTINUE UNCHECKED AS OUR
01:45:20TROOPS CONTINUE TO SACRIFICE
01:45:22WHATEVER IS ASKED OF THEM. WE
01:45:26SENATORS, WE SENATORS, NEED TO DO THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM REQUIRED
01:45:30OF US. THAT'S WHY THIS WEEK, I'M CALLING UP MY WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, DEMANDING THAT THE
01:45:34TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FINALLY END
01:45:36THIS ILLEGAL WAR, AND TO CALL FOR SOME ACTUAL PUBLIC OVERSIGHT
01:45:40AND ACCOUNTABILITY ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I'LL COME
01:45:43TO THE FLOOR FOR A VOTE SHORTLY. SO, TO MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES,
01:45:47YOU HAVE A CHOICE, A SIMPLE ONE,
01:45:49REALLY. YOU CAN VOTE WITH ME TO END THIS CONFLICT AND SHOW THAT
01:45:52YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT PUTTING AMERICA FIRST, LIKE YOU CLAIM.
01:45:56OR YOU CAN VOTE TO PUT TRUMP'S
01:45:59EGO FIRST, PROVING THAT WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, YOU CARE MORE ABOUT PROTECTING TRUMP'S
01:46:03THIN SKIN THAN THE CONSTITUTION
01:46:06THAT YOU SWORE TO DEFEND. AT
01:46:08THIS POINT, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR DONALD J. TRUMP WILL ALWAYS BE
01:46:11MORE INTERESTED IN LOOKING OUT FOR HIS OWN SELF-INTEREST,
01:46:14RATHER THAN TRULY SERVING
01:46:17AMERICAN INTERESTS. SO MY
01:46:21QUESTION IS, IF ANY OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE
01:46:25ACTUALLY BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAND UP AND TELL DONALD J. TRUMP, THE
01:46:27FIVE TIME DRAFT DODGING COWARD,
01:46:30ENOUGH. THANK YOU.
01:46:35>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR
01:46:3647 YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A WAR
01:46:39INVOLVING IRAN. IT'S BEEN A WAR
01:46:41AGAINST THE UNITED STATES. IT STARTED 47 YEARS AGO WITH DEATH
01:46:45TO AMERICA. AND WHEN THEY
01:46:47CHANTED IT, THEY MEANT IT. IT
01:46:51STARTED IN 1979, WHEN THEY TOOK
01:46:53OUR HOSTAGES IN 1983, WHEN IRAN
01:46:57KILLED 241 AMERICANS, INCLUDING
01:47:01220 MARINES. IRAN RECOGNIZED
01:47:03THEY WERE AT WAR WITH US. IN
01:47:071996, THE KHOBAR TOWERS. WHEN IRAN, IN THEIR WAR FOR DEATH TO
01:47:11AMERICA, KILLED 19 MORE
01:47:14AMERICANS IN 2003 TO 2011, WHEN
01:47:18IRAN, THINKING THEY WERE AT WAR
01:47:22WITH AMERICA, KILLED OVER 600 OF OUR SOLDIERS THAT WERE IN IRAQ.
01:47:25AND ON OCTOBER 7th, 2023, IRAN.
01:47:30REALIZING DEATH TO AMERICA, WAR
01:47:32WITH AMERICA, KILLED 46 AMERICANS THAT WERE LIVING IN
01:47:36ISRAEL. BUT IRAN IS NOT JUST BEEN AT WAR WITH US, THEY'VE
01:47:40BEEN AT WAR WITH THEIR OWN PEOPLE. AND WE CAN HEAR TEARS
01:47:43FOR THE SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT
01:47:45DIED, BUT WE DO NOT HEAR THE
01:47:49TEARS FOR THE 35,000 IRANIANS
01:47:51THAT WE KNOW OF, THAT THEY
01:47:54KILLED IN JANUARY. WE DON'T HEAR THE CRIES FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR WAR WITH THEIR
01:47:58OWN PEOPLE. THAT HAS KEPT THE INTERNET OFF IN THEIR COUNTRY
01:48:02FOR MONTHS NOW. AND WE WILL HEAR
01:48:05WE SHOULD JUST HAVE MORE
01:48:08DIPLOMACY. 47 YEARS OF DIPLOMACY
01:48:10IS NOT ENOUGH. MAKE NO MISTAKE,
01:48:13IRAN USES DIPLOMACY AS A WEAPON
01:48:16TO CREATE COVER FOR THEIR
01:48:18NUCLEAR PROGRAM. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT STAKE
01:48:21TODAY. AS PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKES
01:48:23EXTRAORDINARY STEPS FOR 47 YEARS, AS IRAN HAS DECLARED WAR
01:48:27WITH US, THEY HAVE TRIED TO
01:48:29BUILD A NUCLEAR WEAPON. THEY HAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL TO BUILD A
01:48:33COUPLE. AND WHILE WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD DELIVER
01:48:37THAT NUCLEAR WEAPON TO THE
01:48:39UNITED STATES TODAY, THAT IS THEIR SINGLE MINDED PURPOSE. AND
01:48:43THEIR GOAL WAS TO CREATE A MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
01:48:46CREATED A SHIELD SO THAT THEY COULD DEVELOP THOSE NUCLEAR
01:48:49WEAPONS, AND THEY COULD DEVELOP THAT MISSILE. MY COLLEAGUES ON
01:48:52THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE MIGHT BE FINE, LEARNING THAT
01:48:55THEY HAVE THAT NUCLEAR WEAPON, AND THEY HAVE THAT MISSILE. WHEN
01:48:59ONE LANDS RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THANK
01:49:02GOD, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE REST OF US DO NOT. THIS
01:49:06RESOLUTION IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. WE SHOULD STAND WITH OUR
01:49:10PRESIDENT. WE SHOULD STAND WITH OUR TROOPS. WE MUST END THE 47
01:49:14YEAR WAR THAT IRAN HAS HAD WITH
01:49:16THE UNITED STATES. I AM GRATEFUL THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DOING
01:49:20THAT RIGHT NOW. VOTE NO ON THIS. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
01:49:23>> RESERVE. >> THE GENTLEMAN RESERVES THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
01:49:27>> I YIELD TWO MINUTES TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM CONNECTICUT, THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE
01:49:29INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM
01:49:32CONNECTICUT, IS RECOGNIZED FOR TWO MINUTES. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I
01:49:36THANK THE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING MEMBER FOR THIS IMPORTANT DEBATE. I'VE BEEN LISTENING
01:49:39CAREFULLY TO MY REPUBLICANS, AND THEY'LL GET NO ARGUMENT FROM ME
01:49:43ON THE NOTION THAT WE'VE BEEN AT WAR WITH IRAN FOR DECADES. NO ARGUMENT AT ALL. AND AS MR.
01:49:46MASSIE KEEPS SAYING, THIS IS A BAD AND EVIL REGIME. AND, YES,
01:49:49WE'VE BEEN AT WAR. BUT AT NO
01:49:51POINT IN THOSE DECADES HAVE WE
01:49:54BEEN SO OBVIOUSLY LOSING THAT WAR IN ANY STRATEGIC SENSE.
01:49:57YEAH, THE IRANIAN NAVY IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN. WE'VE
01:50:01BROKEN A BUNCH OF THEIR MISSILE LAUNCHERS, AND I GUESS THE NUCLEAR MATERIAL IS A LITTLE
01:50:04MORE BURIED THAN IT WAS WHEN WE OBLITERATED IT NINE MONTHS AGO.
01:50:07BUT LET'S LOOK AT THE BALANCE HERE. LET'S SET ASIDE THE
01:50:10CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES THAT THE MAJORITY HAS BEEN QUITE HAPPILY HAPPY TO SET ASIDE NOW FOR A
01:50:13MONTH AND A HALF. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REGIME CHANGE
01:50:16WHICH OCCURRED. WE CHANGED THE REGIME TO A YOUNGER, MUCH MORE
01:50:20VICIOUS REGIME THAT IS NOW IN POWER IN IRAN. WE ALSO
01:50:23DEMONSTRATED THAT IRAN CAN SUSTAIN THE MOST BRUTAL MILITARY
01:50:26ATTACK THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, AND THAT THAT REGIME CAN STILL
01:50:30SURVIVE. WE HAVE SHOWN THE REGIME, AND THIS IS THE KEY
01:50:32POINT, THAT THEY HAVE A WEAPON MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY OF OURS,
01:50:36WHICH IS THEY CONTROL THE ENERGY MARKETS ON THE GLOBE. RIGHT NOW,
01:50:39AS WE SPEAK, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS IS PAYING
01:50:43ABOUT $1.25 MORE PER GALLON OF GASOLINE THAN THEY DID BEFORE THIS ILL ADVISED WAR. AND BY THE
01:50:47WAY, WE'VE BROKEN THE ALLIANCE
01:50:49WITH ISRAEL. JOE KENT, THE
01:50:53FORMER NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM DIRECTOR, IS RUNNING AROUND SAYING, WE ARE IN THIS WAR
01:50:56BECAUSE OF ISRAEL. NOW, I WASN'T IN THE OVAL OFFICE, BUT
01:50:59THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING FOR THAT ALLIANCE. WE'VE SPENT
01:51:03BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR WHAT?
01:51:05AND OF COURSE, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
01:51:0813 DEAD AMERICANS, PRECIOUS
01:51:10LIVES GIVEN FOR SOMETHING WHERE
01:51:14THE MISSION IS UNCLEAR. WE SHOULD SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BUT OUR TROOPS DESERVE A STRATEGY.
01:51:17THEY DESERVE A SENSE OF MISSION.
01:51:20THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE DEBATED THEIR
01:51:24LIFE OR THEIR DEATH. SO, YES, THIS IS A TERRIBLE REGIME. AND
01:51:27YES, WE'RE AT WAR. BUT YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOSING IT. AND
01:51:31NOW IS THE TIME FOR CONGRESS TO
01:51:34FINALLY REASSERT ITS CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND GIVE A SENSE OF MISSION, AND GIVE A SENSE OF MEANING TO THOSE
01:51:37YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE DEPLOYED. VOGT FOR H CON RES 40,
01:51:41SO WE CAN FINALLY DO OUR DUTY.
01:51:49BACK. >> THE GENTLEMAN RESERVES. THE CHAIR WILL NOW RECEIVE A MESSAGE.
01:51:51>> MR. SPEAKER. MESSAGE FROM THE
01:51:53PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. MR. SPEAKER. >> MR. SECRETARY.
01:51:57>> I AM DIRECTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO DELIVER TO THE HOUSE OF
01:52:00REPRESENTATIVES A MESSAGE IN WRITING.
01:52:03>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA IS
01:52:07RECOGNIZED. >> RECOGNIZED MYSELF FOR A FEW
01:52:09MOMENTS.
01:52:12>> GENTLEMAN IS RECOGNIZED.
01:52:17>> MOST VICIOUS REGIME. MY COLLEAGUES SHOULD PROBABLY STICK
01:52:19AROUND FOR THIS. THEY MIGHT BE VICIOUS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE
01:52:22THE TEETH THAT THEY HAD BEFORE. AS YOU POINTED OUT, WE SUNK
01:52:25THEIR NAVY. WE'VE DESTROYED THEIR AIR FORCE, THEIR DRONE
01:52:29MANUFACTURING FACILITIES, THEIR
01:52:30CACHES OF WEAPONS, THEIR MOBILE
01:52:33LAUNCHING PLATFORMS, THEIR FIXED
01:52:36LAUNCHING PLATFORMS. AND WE ARE, AS WE SPEAK, IN THE MIDST OF A
01:52:38CEASE FIRE, IN THE MIDST OF A
01:52:42CEASE FIRE, MY COLLEAGUES THE
01:52:46WORDS I WANT TO USE WOULD PROBABLY BE TAKEN DOWN. BUT
01:52:48LET'S JUST SAY, IN AN ILL ADVISED WAY, WANT TO SAY, REMOVE
01:52:51ALL U.S. FORCES IN THE MIDST OF
01:52:54THIS CEASE FIRE THAT WE'RE IN?
01:52:57THAT'S CRAZY. THEY TALK ABOUT
01:52:59WANTING DIPLOMACY, BUT THEY
01:53:02DON'T. THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT I
01:53:03OPENED UP WITH. IT'S ALL PURE
01:53:07POLITICS FOR MY COLLEAGUES. YOU
01:53:11HAVE JOE BIDEN. HE'S LAUNCHING ATTACKS AGAINST THESE IRANIAN
01:53:14FORCES FOR ALMOST A YEAR. NOT
01:53:17ONE WAR POWER RESOLUTION. PRESIDENT TRUMP, HALF A DOZEN OF
01:53:19THEM, AND WILL DO ANOTHER ONE
01:53:23NEXT WEEK. WANT TO TALK ABOUT
01:53:25SERVICE MEMBERS? BUT THEY CAN'T TELL YOU WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE
01:53:28IT'S JUST A NUMBER TO THEM.
01:53:31THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON DESTROYING IRAQ. THEY
01:53:35WANT TO PUT MORE SUPPORT INTO
01:53:38SUPPORTING UKRAINE IN A CONFLICT
01:53:41WHERE NO AMERICAN HAS BEEN
01:53:44KILLED YET. AND MIND YOU, I HAVE
01:53:47NO LOVE FOR RUSSIA WHATSOEVER. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO IRAN, WHO
01:53:49HAS BEEN KILLING AMERICANS,
01:53:52NOTHING CRICKETS, PURE POLITICS.
01:53:59I'M GOING TO YIELD 2.5 MINUTES TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, MR. WILSON.
01:54:02>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA IS RECOGNIZED FOR TWO AND ONE HALF MINUTES.
01:54:06>> THANK YOU. MR.. THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, AND I APPRECIATE
01:54:09THE LEADERSHIP OF CHAIRMAN BRIAN
01:54:10MAST AND AGREE WITH HIS
01:54:13ASSESSMENTS. I RISE IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED
01:54:15RESOLUTION. APPEASEMENT LEADS TO
01:54:17A LARGER WAR. AS WE LEARNED IN
01:54:211939, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS
01:54:23COURAGEOUSLY TAKEN DECISIVE ACTION AGAINST THE REGIME IN
01:54:27TEHRAN, ELIMINATING KHAMENEI, THE ARCHITECT OF DECADES OF
01:54:30TERROR, MASS MURDER, REPRESSION
01:54:32AND AGGRESSION AGAINST THE
01:54:34UNITED STATES. IRANIAN PATRIOTS
01:54:36AND OUR GULF ALLIES. THE REMOVAL
01:54:39OF THIS MURDEROUS DICTATOR MARKS
01:54:42A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN HISTORY.
01:54:43IT'S GOING TO BE SO BENEFICIAL
01:54:46FOR STABILITY, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY FOR OUR GULF ALLIES
01:54:50OF KUWAIT, BAHRAIN, QATAR, UAE,
01:54:54OMAN AND YEMEN, WHICH WE CHERISH. THEIR FRIENDSHIP.
01:54:57ADDITIONALLY, LEBANON, SYRIA,
01:54:59AND IRAQ WILL BE FULLY LIBERATED OF IRANIAN INTERFERENCE.
01:55:03PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CORRECT AGAIN
01:55:05OF GIVING SYRIA A CHANCE. IRAN HAS BEEN AT WAR WITH AMERICA AND
01:55:09WESTERN CIVILIZATION FOR 47
01:55:11YEARS. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THOSE WHO THREATEN THE UNITED
01:55:15STATES AND OUR PARTNERS WILL BE
01:55:17ULTIMATELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I'M PARTICULARLY GRATEFUL THAT
01:55:21FOUR OF MY SONS HAVE SERVED IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO DEFEAT
01:55:25TERRORISM OVERSEAS, TO PROTECT
01:55:27AMERICAN FAMILIES AT HOME.
01:55:30RECENT EVENTS HAVE EXPOSED THE
01:55:33DANGEROUS. BY TEHRAN SPECIAL
01:55:35ENVOY STEVE WITKOFF, LEARNED OF
01:55:37THE IRANIAN CAPABILITY TO BUILD NINE BOMBS. PRESIDENT TRUMP
01:55:40COURAGEOUSLY ACTED TO PREVENT DEATH TO AMERICA. DEATH TO
01:55:43ISRAEL WITH BALLISTIC MISSILE.
01:55:45RANGE OF CENTRAL. INTO CENTRAL
01:55:48EUROPE AND INDIA. PRESIDENT
01:55:51TRUMP HAS UNIFIED OUR ALLIES FROM TURKEY TO THE ARAB GULF
01:55:56STATES TO SAUDI ARABIA. AS THE IRANIAN PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO
01:55:58THE FUTURE, WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEIR ASPIRATIONS FOR FREEDOM
01:56:02AND DIGNITY HAVE BEEN CRUSHED
01:56:03WITH THE MURDER OF 35,000
01:56:06PATRIOTS THIS YEAR, THE UNITED STATES STANDS WITH THE IRANIAN
01:56:09PEOPLE, NOT WITH THE TYRANTS WHO MURDERED THEM. TODAY, WE HONOR
01:56:13THE COURAGE OF OUR AMERICAN TROOPS, REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT
01:56:16TO ALLIES, RECOGNIZE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP IN CONFRONTING ONE OF THE MOST
01:56:20DANGEROUS REGIMES IN MODERN ERA. AMERICA REMAINS VIGILANT,
01:56:24RESOLUTE, AND COMMITTED TO DEFENDING FREEDOM WHEREVER IT'S
01:56:27THREATENED. WEAKENING WAR CRIMINAL PUTIN. AS UKRAINIANS
01:56:30ARE COURAGEOUSLY ACHIEVING VICTORY. THANK YOU. AND I URGE
01:56:34MY COLLEAGUES TO OPPOSE THIS RESOLUTION. I YIELD BACK.
01:56:37>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA
01:56:41RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED. >> YES. I'M PROUD TO YIELD TWO MINUTES TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA, THE RANKING MEMBER
01:56:45OF THE HOUSE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE, REPRESENTATIVE
01:56:48SARAH JACOBS. >> GENTLEMAN FROM CALIFORNIA, IS
01:56:50RECOGNIZED FOR TWO MINUTES.
01:56:53>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THIS ISN'T JUST POLITICS FOR ME. TWO
01:56:57WEEKS AGO, THOUSANDS OF SAN
01:56:59DIEGO MILITARY FAMILIES GOT 48 HOUR DEPLOYMENT NOTICES. THAT
01:57:02MEANS THEY NEED TO BE READY TO DROP EVERYTHING TO DEPLOY TO THE
01:57:05MIDDLE EAST, GET THEIR AFFAIRS IN ORDER, PACK AND SAY GOODBYE TO THEIR FAMILIES FOR A FEW
01:57:09MONTHS, OR MAYBE A YEAR. AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, THIS IS
01:57:12WHAT OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES SIGNED UP FOR. AND THEY ARE NOT COMPLAINING.
01:57:15BUT IT IS OUR JOB IN CONGRESS
01:57:21AND MY JOB AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST MILITARY COMMUNITY, TO MAKE SURE
01:57:25THAT WE'VE EXPLORED ALL THE CONTINGENCY PLANS, EXHAUSTED ALL
01:57:28DIPLOMATIC AND NONMILITARY OPTIONS, AND FIGURED OUT THE OBJECTIVES, THE STRATEGY, AND
01:57:32THE EXIT PLAN BEFORE WE'VE ASKED
01:57:33THEM TO. AND WE HAVE DONE NONE
01:57:37OF THAT. AND WHILE I WILL PUSH FOR OVERSIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE, OUR FOCUS
01:57:40NOW SHOULD BE ON HOW WE END THIS WAR. BUT INSTEAD, PRESIDENT
01:57:44TRUMP IS ESCALATING. THE SAN DIEGO BASED CARRIER, THE
01:57:47LINCOLN, IS ALREADY IN THE REGION. SAN DIEGO'S USS BOXER
01:57:50AND THE 11th MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT WILL BE ARRIVING SOON. AND WE'RE
01:57:54EXPECTING ANOTHER SAN DIEGO BASED CARRIER, THE ROOSEVELT, TO
01:57:56DEPLOY ANY DAY NOW. AND WHEN
01:57:59THEY GET THERE, THEY WILL BE PRIME TARGET FOR RETALIATION AND
01:58:02CHARGED WITH A DIFFICULT TASK OF
01:58:04ENFORCING DONALD TRUMP'S
01:58:07COCKAMAMIE BLOCKADE OF IRAN'S PORTS AND PARTIAL BLOCKADE OF
01:58:11THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHICH WILL PUT A LOT OF STRAIN ON AN
01:58:13ALREADY FRAGILE CEASE FIRE. DONALD TRUMP IS GETTING OUR
01:58:17COUNTRY FURTHER ENTRENCHED IN ANOTHER FOREVER WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND THE LONGER WE
01:58:21STAY, THE HARDER AND MORE EXPENSIVE IT WILL BE TO GET OUT.
01:58:23SO, YES, WE SHOULD SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. THAT MEANS DOING OUR
01:58:27JOBS AND ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE THEY ARE ASKED TO
01:58:31SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES. THAT'S WHY CONGRESS NEEDS TO DO OUR
01:58:34JOB, OR ELSE WE WILL KEEP PAYING THE COSTS IN TERMS OF LIVES LOST
01:58:37AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AND
01:58:40CAPTAIN CODY CORK, SERGEANT FIRST CLASS, NOAH KITCHENS,
01:58:44SERGEANT, FIRST CLASS. NICOLE AMOUR, SERGEANT. DECLAN CODY,
01:58:46MAJOR. JEFFREY O'BRIEN, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER. ROBERT MARZAN,
01:58:50SERGEANT. BENJAMIN, PENTAGON AND ALL OF THE OTHER SERVICE MEMBERS
01:58:53WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THIS WAR
01:58:56DESERVE US TO DO OUR JOB. MY
01:58:58CONSTITUENTS LIVES ARE IN OUR HANDS, AND THEIR FATE IS NOW UP
01:59:02TO US. VOTE YES. >> GENTLEMAN'S TIME HAS
01:59:06EXPIRED. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK RESERVES THE GENTLEMAN FROM
01:59:08FLORIDA, IS RECOGNIZED.
01:59:13>> I THINK IT'S A MISCALCULATION TO TELL THE MILITARY TO END A
01:59:16WAR, OR A CONFLICT, OR A BATTLE,
01:59:17OR ANYTHING ELSE. WE WORK TO END
01:59:23THREATS. WE WORK TO ELIMINATE IMMINENT THREATS AGAINST THE
01:59:27UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE
01:59:30THERE. AND TO THINK THAT THIS
01:59:33WAS NOT THOROUGHLY CALCULATED,
01:59:37THE APPROACH AT WHICH THIS GOES.
01:59:38DESTROYING SURFACE TO AIR, THEN
01:59:43BRINGING IN DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT, SINKING IN, NAVY DESTROYING
01:59:46DRONE MANUFACTURING. EVERY SINGLE TARGET CALCULATED IN
01:59:49VERY, VERY SPECIFIC ORDERS.
01:59:53EITHER YOU BELIEVE THAT ABOUT
01:59:55OUR MILITARY, OR YOU DON'T. I
01:59:59CAN TELL YOU, I KNOW FOR A FACT
02:00:01THAT IS EXACTLY THE WAY THAT OUR MILITARY HAS CONDUCTED THIS
02:00:04OPERATION. AND A PINPOINTED,
02:00:08METHODICAL, PEDANTIC DRUMBEAT OF
02:00:11A WAY TO ADDRESS TARGETS IN A
02:00:13VERY SPECIFIC ORDER OVER AND
02:00:16OVER AND OVER AGAIN, ONLY PAUSED
02:00:19BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING
02:00:20NEGOTIATIONS AND CEASE FIRE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO SAY,
02:00:24REMOVE ALL FORCES IN THE MIDST
02:00:28OF. THAT'S THEIR DEMAND TODAY. REMOVE ALL FORCES, AS THEY'VE
02:00:31DEMANDED IN THE PAST. I RESERVE. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA
02:00:35RESERVES, THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED. >> I YIELD ONE MINUTE TO THE
02:00:37GENTLEMAN FROM WASHINGTON, THE
02:00:40ESTEEMED MEMBER OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE,
02:00:43REPRESENTATIVE PRAMILA JAYAPAL. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM
02:00:46WASHINGTON, IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.
02:00:50PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ILLEGALLY AND UNCONSTITUTIONALLY TAKEN US
02:00:54INTO AN EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS
02:00:57WAR WITH IRAN. THE WAR HAS COST
02:01:01TAXPAYERS $50 BILLION ALREADY,
02:01:02AND THE PENTAGON WILL REQUEST
02:01:05$200 BILLION MORE ON TOP OF A RECORD $1.5 TRILLION BUDGET
02:01:09REQUEST. WE'VE ALREADY LOST 13
02:01:15U.S. TROOPS, INCLUDING CAPTAIN ARIANA SAVINO FROM MY HOME STATE OF WASHINGTON. WE'VE KILLED
02:01:19THOUSANDS OF IRANIAN AND
02:01:21LEBANESE CIVILIANS AND DISPLACED MILLIONS MORE. GAS PRICES AT
02:01:24HOME ARE UP TO $7 IN MY HOME
02:01:29STATE, AND FAMILIES ARE HURTING. ANOTHER 10,000 U.S. TROOPS ARE
02:01:32BEING SENT IN TO JOIN 50,000 ALREADY STATIONED IN THE MIDDLE
02:01:36EAST, WITH ABSOLUTELY NO
02:01:39STRATEGY, NO PLAN, AND NO EXIT.
02:01:42MEANWHILE, THE MADMAN IN THE
02:01:43WHITE HOUSE TWEETS ABOUT EXTERMINATING AN ENTIRE
02:01:47CIVILIZATION RAGES AT THE POPE FOR CALLING FOR PEACE, AND
02:01:51PRETENDS HE IS JESUS. WE CANNOT
02:01:55ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE. LET'S
02:01:56REIN IN THIS PRESIDENT AND
02:01:59RESTORE THE SOLE AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS AND CONGRESS ALONE TO
02:02:03GO TO WAR. VOTE YES. >> MEMBERS ARE REMINDED TO
02:02:07REFRAIN FROM ENGAGING IN PERSONALITIES TOWARD THE PRESIDENT. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN
02:02:11FROM FLORIDA IS RECOGNIZED. >> I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE HAVE
02:02:14A PRESIDENT THAT KNOWS WHERE HE
02:02:16IS CAN FIND HIS WAY ON OR OFF OF
02:02:19A STAGE. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES
02:02:22SAID TO LITERALLY REMOVE THEIR PRESIDENT THAT THEY DID NOT ASK
02:02:25FOR ANY WAR POWERS, AUTHORITIES
02:02:28FOR WHEN HE WAS CONDUCTING HIS ATTACKS AGAINST IRAN FOR ABOUT A
02:02:31YEAR. THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT.
02:02:33UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS
02:02:36SOMEBODY THAT THEY LITERALLY REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT BECAUSE
02:02:40OF SENILITY, UH, IN THAT I RESERVE. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA
02:02:44RESERVES, THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
02:02:46>> I NOW YIELD ONE MINUTE TO THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM NEW YORK,
02:02:49REPRESENTATIVE ALEXANDRIA.
02:02:53ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ. >> THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM NEW YORK, IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.
02:02:56>> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. IN FEBRUARY, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, IN CONJUNCTION
02:02:59WITH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, LAUNCHED AN ILLEGAL AND
02:03:03DISASTROUS WAR IN IRAN. THEY PROVIDED NO RATIONALE TO THE
02:03:06AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY SOUGHT NO
02:03:10LEGAL AUTHORITY FROM CONGRESS, AND THEY HAVE SINCE DESCENDED OUR WORLD AND OUR GLOBAL ECONOMY
02:03:14INTO CHAOS. AND THAT WAS JUST
02:03:16THE BEGINNING. NOW, PRESIDENT
02:03:20TRUMP HAS THREATENED TO USE THE UNITED STATES MILITARY TO CARRY
02:03:24OUT ACTS OF GENOCIDE AGAINST THE
02:03:26IRANIAN PEOPLE, INNOCENT
02:03:30CIVILIANS, UP UNTIL TODAY, HE HAS DONE THIS ON HIS OWN. A
02:03:34ROGUE ACTOR. BUT TODAY, WE VOTE
02:03:36ON WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL DO THIS IN THE NAME OF THE AMERICAN
02:03:40PEOPLE. CONGRESS MUST VOTE TO
02:03:44EXERCISE OUR POWER TO STOP THIS CHAOS, OR WHETHER WE SANCTION
02:03:48IT. AND WE MUST VOTE TO RESTRAIN
02:03:51IT. I URGE OUR COLLEAGUES THAT
02:03:52WE VOTE YES, AND THAT WE END AND
02:03:57STOP ALL THAT IS IMPERILED
02:03:58BEFORE US. AND WITH THAT, I
02:04:02YIELD BACK. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK RESERVES, THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA, IS RECOGNIZED. >> I WOULD JUST EDUCATE MY
02:04:06COLLEAGUE THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GOES TO THE GREATEST
02:04:10LENGTHS TO USE THE MOST PINPOINTED WEAPONS, AT GREAT
02:04:12EXPENSE, PRECISION WEAPONS, OVER
02:04:15AND OVER AGAIN, SO THAT IF ANY
02:04:19CIVILIAN IS KILLED, IT IS TRAGIC, BUT IT IS NEVER ANYTHING
02:04:22MORE THAN AN ACCIDENT. BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE GO TO, TO
02:04:26BE PINPOINTED IN ANY STRIKE THAT
02:04:28WE CARRY OUT. THAT IS A FACT. I
02:04:32RESERVE. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
02:04:36>> I YIELD ONE MINUTE TO THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM MINNESOTA, REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR.
02:04:39>> THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM MINNESOTA, IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.
02:04:43>> I RISE TODAY NOT JUST AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, BUT AS
02:04:47SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE HUMAN COST
02:04:49OF WAR, WHAT IT TAKES, WHAT IT
02:04:53DESTROYS, AND WHAT IT NEVER GIVES BACK. WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS
02:04:57KILLED AND WOUNDED IN IRAN AND
02:04:59IN LEBANON. AMERICAN SERVICE
02:05:03MEMBERS LOST, MILLIONS FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES WITH NOWHERE TO
02:05:06GO. THIS IS WHAT WAR LOOKS LIKE.
02:05:07AND IT. IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.
02:05:10AND YET, THIS WAR OF CHOICE HAPPENED WITHOUT CONGRESS,
02:05:14WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND WITHOUT A PLAN FOR PEACE. THE
02:05:18CONSTITUTION IS CLEAR. THE POWER
02:05:22TO DECLARE WAR BELONGS TO CONGRESS. IT IS PARAMOUNT THAT
02:05:25WE ACT WHEN A PRESIDENT ABUSES
02:05:27THEIR POWER. I HAVE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WORLD LOOKS
02:05:31AWAY AS VIOLENCE SPIRALS. WE
02:05:35CANNOT BE SILENT. WE CANNOT BE
02:05:38COMPLACENT. I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE YES, AND I YIELD BACK.
02:05:42>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW YORK RESERVES THE GENTLEMAN FROM
02:05:45FLORIDA, IS RECOGNIZED. >> I HOPE MY COLLEAGUE WOULD STAY FOR MORE DEBATE. THAT WAS
02:05:49JUST SPEAKING, BUT I WOULD BE
02:05:50CURIOUS. THE GENTLELADY INTENDS
02:05:53TO VOTE TO TELL THE PRESIDENT
02:05:56THAT ALL U.S. FORCES MUST BE
02:06:00REMOVED FROM HOSTILITIES. DO
02:06:01THEY FEEL AS THOUGH THAT IS A SOUND STRATEGY TO REACH THE
02:06:05CONCLUSION THAT THEY WANT, IN
02:06:06THE MIDST OF A CEASE FIRE?
02:06:12SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVEN'T CALCULATED THAT. I RESERVE.
02:06:16>> THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA RESERVES. THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW
02:06:17YORK IS RECOGNIZED.
02:06:20>> I YIELD ONE MINUTE TO THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM NEW MEXICO. REPRESENTATIVE MELANIE STANSBURY. >> THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW MEXICO
02:06:24IS RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.
02:06:28>> MR. SPEAKER, AS CO-SPONSOR OF THIS WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, THIS
02:06:31DEBATE IS MAKING ME SICK. THE
02:06:34LIES AND COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SO
02:06:36WEAK THAT THEY WON'T ENFORCE THE CONSTITUTION TO REIN IN A
02:06:40PRESIDENT WHO IS CLEARLY OUT OF
02:06:42CONTROL. AS WE SIT HERE,
02:06:45THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS ARE DEAD. 13 SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN
02:06:49KILLED. HUNDREDS OF HAVE BEEN INJURED WITH BRAIN INJURIES
02:06:53WHOSE LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
02:06:56DISPLACED, AND OUR AMERICAN
02:06:58BASES BOMBED. AND FOR WHAT?
02:07:02HAVING BEEN LED INTO AN ILLEGAL WAR BY A MADMAN WHO IS ATTACKING
02:07:05THE POPE, THREATENING WAR CRIMES, AND IMPLICATED IN THE
02:07:09EPSTEIN FILES, AND WHO CAN'T
02:07:12EXPLAIN WHY WE WERE THERE, OR WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY AFTER. THAT
02:07:16IS WHY IT IS TIME TO END THIS
02:07:19WAR, TO STAND WITH OUR TROOPS, AND TO STAND WITH THE AMERICAN
02:07:22PEOPLE. SO WE MUST PASS THIS
02:07:25RESOLUTION AND END THIS WAR. NOW. >> THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER. I
02:07:29THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR
02:07:30YIELDING. I THANK HIM FOR HIS
02:07:33COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP, BRINGING
02:07:36THIS LEGISLATION TO THE FLOOR.
02:07:37WE ARE THE HOUSE OF
02:07:40REPRESENTATIVES. ARTICLE ONE OF THE CONSTITUTION GIVES THE POWER
02:07:43TO DECLARE WAR TO THE CONGRESS
02:07:46OF THE UNITED STATES, AND WHY?
02:07:48BECAUSE WE ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF
02:07:52THE UNITED STATES, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE
02:07:56UNITED STATES TO UNDERSTAND THE
02:07:58REASON WHY THE PURPOSE, THE
02:08:01STRATEGY OF IT ALL, AND ALSO TO
02:08:04APPROVE OF THE USE OF FORCE. OF
02:08:08COURSE, THE PRESIDENT DID NOT DO THAT, AND FOR SOME REASON, THERE
02:08:12ARE THOSE IN THIS BODY WHO HAVE BEEN WILLING TO ABDICATE THE
02:08:16POWER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CONGRESS
02:08:18OF THE UNITED STATES TO DECLARE
02:08:20WAR. BUT THE GRAVEST COST, OF
02:08:23COURSE, IS TO. THIS WAR'S NOT JUST THAT. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
02:08:26HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPLANATION BY
02:08:29WAY OF THE CONGRESS HAVING THAT
02:08:31EXPLANATION IS, THE COST IS HUMAN. 13 BRAVE AMERICAN SERVICE
02:08:35MEMBERS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES. HUNDREDS MORE HAVE BEEN INJURED,
02:08:38AND MORE THAN A THOUSAND CIVILIANS IN THE REGION HAVE
02:08:41PERISHED. WE ALL AGREE, OF COURSE, THE COST IS IN THE
02:08:44BILLIONS. AND THE PRESIDENT SAID, WE CAN'T DO CHILD CARE
02:08:48BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON WAR. WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND
02:08:51MONEY. >> THE GENTLEMAN'S TIME HAS EXPIRED.
02:08:55>> THEY CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR
02:08:58WEAPON. PRESIDENT DID. >> ANOTHER 30s. >> PRESIDENT OBAMA.
02:09:02>> DID THAT DIPLOMATICALLY. THE PRESIDENT, THROUGH THAT
02:09:04PRESIDENT CURRENT PRESIDENT
02:09:07THROUGH THAT OUT, AND DECIDED TO
02:09:11GO TO WAR WITHOUT A PLAN, WITHOUT A STRATEGY, WITHOUT AN
02:09:14EXIT PLAN, AND REALLY WITHOUT EVEN EXPLAINING HIS PURPOSE TO
02:09:18THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I URGE OUR
02:09:21COLLEAGUES TO RESPECT WHO THEY ARE. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WITH
02:09:24THE POWER TO DECLARE WAR AND
02:09:26INSIST ON VOTING ON THIS MOTION
02:09:28PUT FORTH BY THE DISTINGUISHED,
02:09:31SOON TO BE CHAIRMAN AGAIN OF THE
02:09:36FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
02:09:37>> I RISE TODAY TO END PRESIDENT
02:09:41TRUMP'S WAR IN IRAN. THIS VOTE COULD NOT COME AT A MORE CRUCIAL
02:09:45TIME. TODAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
02:09:49THE END OF THE CEASE FIRE THAT
02:09:51IS HANGING ON BY A THREAD, WHILE
02:09:53THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT IT WILL
02:09:55BE EXTENDED, WE HAVE NO IDEA
02:09:58UNTIL WHEN? WE HAVE NO IDEA IF
02:10:01THE PRESIDENT WILL, AS HE HAS
02:10:06MANY TIMES, CHANGE HIS POSITION
02:10:09AND GO THROUGH WITH HIS THREAT
02:10:11TO COMMIT WAR CRIMES AND BOMB
02:10:15CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE. SO NOW
02:10:21IS THE TIME TO ACT. WE SIMPLY DO
02:10:23NOT HAVE ANY TIME TO WASTE AND
02:10:26SEE IF AN ENTIRE CIVILIZATION,
02:10:29CIVILIZATION, WILL DIE BECAUSE
02:10:32THE PRESIDENT GETS IMPATIENT.
02:10:37THIS ENTIRE WAR HAS BEEN
02:10:40UNNECESSARY, ILLEGAL, AND
02:10:42UNWISE. AND WE NEED TO PUT A
02:10:44CHECK ON THIS PRESIDENT BEFORE
02:10:46IT GETS EVEN WORSE.
02:10:50UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRESIDENT HAS
02:10:51SHOWN US THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A
02:10:56PLAN AFTER DAY ONE, THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT THE WAR
02:11:00WOULD BE OVER IN A MATTER OF
02:11:03DAYS. WE ARE COMING UP ON THE
02:11:07TWO MONTH MARK WITH NO REAL END
02:11:11IN SIGHT AND OVER THE COURSE OF
02:11:1650 PLUS DAYS, WE HAVE SEEN
02:11:18NOTHING SHORT OF A DISASTER.
02:11:21THIS WAR HAS CAUSED IRREPARABLE
02:11:24DAMAGE TO FAMILIES, TO THE
02:11:28AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO OUR STANDING
02:11:30IN THE WORLD, AND TO OUR
02:11:35ECONOMY. WE'VE LOST 13 AMERICAN
02:11:38SERVICE MEMBERS, WITH HUNDREDS
02:11:41OF OTHERS INJURED, MANY
02:11:44SERIOUSLY. THOUSANDS OF
02:11:46CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED,
02:11:50INCLUDING MANY DOZENS OF
02:11:51SCHOOLGIRLS, BY AN ERRANT U.S.
02:11:55BOMB. PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WAR HAS
02:11:58DELIVERED HIGHER COSTS FOR
02:12:00AMERICANS AT THE PUMP, WITH FAMILIES PAYING MORE THAN A
02:12:04DOLLAR MORE PER GALLON SINCE THE
02:12:06WAR STARTED AND I WOULD BE
02:12:10REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT
02:12:16EVEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS NOW ADMITTING THAT THOSE COSTS
02:12:18ARE GOING TO BE HERE TO STAY,
02:12:20GIVEN THE MESS THEY'VE CREATED
02:12:22IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IT'S
02:12:26JACKED UP THE COST OF FERTILIZER
02:12:30AND FUEL FOR WISCONSIN FARMERS. SOON ENOUGH. THIS WILL ALSO MEAN
02:12:34HIGHER COSTS. AT THE CHECKOUT
02:12:35COUNTER, AT THE GROCERY STORE
02:12:40FOR FAMILIES, AS MY FARMERS
02:12:42SIMPLY CAN'T EAT THOSE COSTS
02:12:45THE COST OF THE WAR, WHICH THE
02:12:48ADMINISTRATION WON'T EVEN TELL
02:12:51US OUTSIDE OF CLASSIFIED
02:12:53SETTINGS, IS IN THE TENS OF
02:12:55BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND THE
02:12:57AMERICAN TAXPAYERS ARE FOOTING
02:12:59THE BILL IRAN'S RESOLVE IS
02:13:05HARDENED AND ARGUABLY SO IS ITS
02:13:11REGIME. AND THEY ARE STILL IN
02:13:15CONTROL OF ITS ENRICHED URANIUM THIS WAR HAS TAKEN US BACKWARDS
02:13:19AND CREATED MORE PROBLEMS FOR
02:13:21THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK FOR. THE
02:13:25AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
02:13:25CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT
02:13:29WANT THIS WAR. THEY DO NOT. THEY
02:13:32WANT WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED
02:13:35FROM THIS PRESIDENT. LOWER COSTS
02:13:38AND NO FOREIGN WARS. THEY WERE
02:13:41SOLD A BAD BILL OF GOODS. AND
02:13:45NOW ARE LEFT CLEANING IT UP.
02:13:48IT'S TIME FOR CONGRESS TO DO
02:13:54ITS JOB AND END THIS WAR. NOW, I
02:13:57ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VOTE
02:13:59YES ON THIS RESOLUTION, AND I
02:14:03YIELD THE FLOOR. >> I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE,
02:14:07SENATOR BALDWIN, AND OTHERS FOR
02:14:09CONTINUING TO BRING THIS DEBATE BEFORE THE SENATE. AGAIN, IT'S
02:14:13JUST EXTRAORDINARY THAT THIS IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MILITARY ACTION THAT THE UNITED STATES
02:14:16HAS TAKEN IN DECADES, AND THERE
02:14:18HAS YET TO BE ONE SINGLE HEARING, ONE SINGLE DEBATE, ONE
02:14:22SINGLE VOTE ON AN AUTHORIZATION
02:14:23OF MILITARY FORCE. I WANT TO
02:14:27TARGET MY REMARKS TODAY ON JUST WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST
02:14:30TWO WEEKS, BECAUSE WE TEND TO BOUNCE FROM ONE NEWS CYCLE TO
02:14:34THE NEXT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO
02:14:36REALLY CONNECT TOGETHER. THE
02:14:38GROWING INCOMPETENCE THAT IS
02:14:41DEFINED, THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS
02:14:44WAR. WE SHOULDN'T SUGARCOAT OR
02:14:47NORMALIZE THIS DEGREE OF GROSS,
02:14:53UNACCEPTABLE INCOMPETENCE BEING EXERCISED HERE. WE ESSENTIALLY
02:14:56HAVE A TALK SHOW HOST AND A COUPLE OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS
02:15:00WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR WAR STRATEGY, AND WE ARE GETTING
02:15:04ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IF YOU PUT A TALK SHOW
02:15:08HOST AND A HANDFUL OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN CHARGE OF A
02:15:11MAJOR MIDDLE EAST WAR, IF
02:15:14MILLIONS OF LIVES WEREN'T AT STAKE. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S
02:15:18AT STAKE. AS THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
02:15:21THREATENS TO MELT DOWN BECAUSE OF RISING GAS PRICES AND THE
02:15:25FACT THAT ONE THIRD OF ALL FERTILIZER SUPPLY IS RIGHT NOW
02:15:28STUCK IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. IF THIS WASN'T REALLY ABOUT
02:15:32MILLIONS OF LIVES BEING AT STAKE, THIS WOULD BE THE STUFF
02:15:35OF FARCE. ONE MISTAKE JUST
02:15:38COMPOUNDED BY ANOTHER. SO MANY OF US BELIEVE THIS WAR HAS TO
02:15:41END RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE, AS EACH
02:15:48MISTAKE GETS BIGGER THAN THE NEXT, THE HOLE FOR THE UNITED
02:15:51STATES, FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES, FOR OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, GETS DEEPER AND DEEPER. SO I'M
02:15:54LITERALLY JUST GOING TO VERY QUICKLY RUN YOU THROUGH WHAT HAS
02:15:57HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. SO WE ALL REMEMBER, JAN, EXCUSE
02:16:01ME, WE ALL REMEMBER ON APRIL
02:16:037th, WHEN TRUMP POSTS ON SOCIAL
02:16:07MEDIA THAT HE IS GOING TO DESTROY IRAN'S ENTIRE
02:16:10CIVILIZATION. HE SAYS, A WHOLE
02:16:14CIVILIZATION WILL DIE TONIGHT,
02:16:15NEVER TO BE BROUGHT BACK AGAIN.
02:16:18LATER THAT DAY, HE ANNOUNCES THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CEASE
02:16:21FIRE. BUT WITHIN HOURS, THERE IS
02:16:26A ESSENTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED INTERPRETATIONS FROM
02:16:30TRUMP AND THE IRANIANS AS TO THE
02:16:33TERMS OF THAT CEASE FIRE. THE NEXT DAY, HE PUTS OUT A SERIES
02:16:36OF POSTS SAYING, A BIG DAY FOR WORLD PEACE. IRAN WANTS IT TO
02:16:39HAPPEN. THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH.
02:16:42LIKEWISE. SO IS EVERYBODY ELSE. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE HELPING WITH THE TRAFFIC
02:16:45BUILDUP IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THERE WILL BE LOTS OF POSITIVE
02:16:48ACTION BY THE END OF THE DAY. ON
02:16:50APRIL 8th. THE CEASE FIRE HAS
02:16:54FALLEN APART. IRAN SAYS THAT A
02:16:56CEASE FIRE IN LEBANON IS ALSO NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET THE
02:16:59STRAITS OF HORMUZ OPENED. TRUMP IS UNABLE TO SECURE THAT. AND SO
02:17:03BY THE END OF THE DAY, THE DAY AFTER THE CEASE FIRE IS
02:17:07ANNOUNCED, THE CEASE FIRE NO
02:17:09LONGER EXISTS. TWO DAYS LATER, ON APRIL 10th, TRUMP SENDS HIS
02:17:12VICE PRESIDENT, JD VANCE, TO
02:17:16PAKISTAN FOR NEGOTIATIONS. ON
02:17:18APRIL 11th, THOSE NEGOTIATIONS
02:17:21ARE CONCLUDED AFTER WHAT APPEARS
02:17:23TO BE AN HOUR OR TWO OF FACE TO
02:17:26FACE NEGOTIATIONS. VANCE GETS
02:17:28RIGHT BACK ON A PLANE AFTER
02:17:31HAVING SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY. ONE DAY NEGOTIATING THE END OF THIS
02:17:34WAR, TO COME BACK TO THE UNITED
02:17:36STATES THAT DAY, TRUMP SAYS
02:17:39THEIR LEADERSHIP IS DEAD. NOT TRUE. THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL
02:17:43SOON BE OPEN. NOT TRUE. THE U.S.
02:17:47DELEGATION, LED BY VANCE, COMES BACK TO THE UNITED STATES
02:17:51WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT. ON APRIL
02:17:5412th, TRUMP ANNOUNCES THIS IS THE DAY AFTER THE NEGOTIATIONS
02:17:57FALL APART THAT HE'S SETTING UP
02:17:59A BLOCKADE. SO THE IRANIANS HAVE
02:18:03A BLOCKADE ON THE STRAIT. NOW,
02:18:06TRUMP ANNOUNCES A LAYERED SECOND
02:18:07BLOCKADE. BUT HE STILL SAYING THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE GOING
02:18:10GREAT. HE SAYS THE MEETING THE DAY BEFORE WENT WELL. MOST
02:18:14POINTS WERE AGREED TO, BUT NOT THE ONLY POINT THAT REALLY
02:18:16MATTERED. NUCLEAR. OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT TRUE. VIRTUALLY
02:18:20NOTHING WAS AGREED TO IN THAT
02:18:23MEETING, HE SAYS. THE NEXT DAY
02:18:26THAT HIS NEGOTIATORS, WHO WERE
02:18:30TALKING ABOUT A 20 YEAR MORATORIUM ON ENRICHMENT OF
02:18:33URANIUM, DO NOT HAVE HIS
02:18:35SUPPORT, HE SAYS, I'VE BEEN SAYING THEY CAN'T HAVE NUCLEAR
02:18:38WEAPONS, SO I DON'T LIKE THE 20 YEARS. I MEAN, WE'VE NEVER SEEN
02:18:41THIS BEFORE. LITERALLY, A PRESIDENT IN PUBLIC,
02:18:44CONTRADICTING HIS NEGOTIATORS WHO WERE NEGOTIATING THE TERMS
02:18:48OF AN AGREEMENT JUST TWO DAYS
02:18:50AGO, THREE DAYS LATER, ON APRIL
02:18:5417th, TRUMP SAYS THAT IRAN
02:18:56AGAIN, HAS AGREED TO EVERYTHING,
02:18:58INCLUDING REMOVING ENRICHED URANIUM. TRUMP SAYS, OUR PEOPLE
02:19:02ARE JUST GOING TO GO GET THE URANIUM, THE URANIUM, AND BRING
02:19:04IT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES.
02:19:07WITHIN HOURS. IRAN SAYS THIS IS NOT TRUE. THEY SAY WE HAVE THE
02:19:11RIGHT, A SACRED RIGHT, TO ENRICH
02:19:15URANIUM ON OUR SOIL. TRUMP SAYS
02:19:18HIS NEGOTIATORS ARE NOT CONSIDERING RELEASING SANCTIONS.
02:19:22TWO OF HIS NEGOTIATORS GO TO THE PRESS AND SAY THEY WERE TALKING
02:19:25ABOUT RELEASING SANCTIONS. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST DIPLOMATIC
02:19:29MALPRACTICE. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HIS
02:19:31NEGOTIATORS ARGUING WITH EACH
02:19:34OTHER IN PUBLIC THROUGH THE
02:19:36MEDIA. THEN, ON APRIL 19th,
02:19:39TRUMP SAYS HE IS SENDING STEVE WITKOFF AND JARED KUSHNER TO
02:19:43PAKISTAN FOR NEW TALKS. THE TOP
02:19:46NEGOTIATOR, J.D. VANCE,
02:19:48APPARENTLY HAS BEEN SIDELINED. THE ADMINISTRATION THEN, SAYS
02:19:52VANCE IS INDEED GOING TO PAKISTAN. TRUMP GOES BACK TO THE
02:19:55PRESS AND SAYS VANCE IS NOT GOING TO PAKISTAN. THE WHITE
02:19:58HOUSE SCRAMBLES AGAIN AND
02:20:00CONFIRMS THAT VANCE WILL BE GOING. THE PROBLEM THE IRANIANS
02:20:04HAVE NOT AGREED TO THE
02:20:06NEGOTIATIONS. SO A DAY LATER,
02:20:09THE PRESIDENT SAYS, VANCE AND THIS DELEGATION ARE ON THEIR
02:20:13WAY. COME TO FIND OUT, THEY ARE
02:20:14NOT LEAVING FOR PAKISTAN BECAUSE
02:20:17THE IRANIANS ARE NOT AGREEING TO NEGOTIATE. I MEAN, I GET IT THAT
02:20:22WE HAVE COME TO KIND OF NORMALIZE THIS KIND OF
02:20:25INCOMPETENCE, THIS KIND OF
02:20:28PLANNED, EXECUTED CHAOS. BUT WE
02:20:31ARE ON THE FLOOR WEEK AFTER WEEK, ASKING OUR COLLEAGUES TO
02:20:35END THIS WAR, BECAUSE THIS IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE UNITED
02:20:38STATES OF AMERICA. THE PRESIDENT AND HIS NEGOTIATORS ARGUING IN
02:20:42PUBLIC WITH EACH OTHER. THE
02:20:45PRESIDENT LITERALLY >> HE DECIDING BY THE HOUR
02:20:49WHETHER HIS SON IN LAW IS IN CHARGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, OR
02:20:52WHETHER THE VICE PRESIDENT IS IN
02:20:56CHARGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. THE PRESIDENT, LYING CONSISTENTLY ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, SAYING THINGS THAT
02:20:59HAVE BEEN AGREED TO THAT CLEARLY
02:21:01HAVE NOT BEEN AGREED TO HELPING
02:21:05THE IRANIANS, THE STRAIT. WE'VE
02:21:09NEVER SEEN A FOREIGN CONFLICT
02:21:11MISMANAGED IN PUBLIC LIKE THIS
02:21:14BEFORE. AND SO I UNDERSTAND MANY
02:21:16OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WANT TO SUPPORT THEIR PRESIDENT, BUT
02:21:20WE ARE BECOMING A LAUGHING STOCK
02:21:21IN THE WORLD, WHILE AT THE SAME
02:21:25TIME, WE ARE HURTING AMERICANS WHO ARE NOW PAYING BILLIONS MORE
02:21:28IN GAS PRICES. WE ARE RISKING A
02:21:32GLOBAL FAMINE AS FERTILIZER IS
02:21:35UNAVAILABLE TO POOR FARMERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND ECONOMIES
02:21:39ARE SHUTTING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE
02:21:40HIGH PRICE AND SHORTAGE OF FUEL
02:21:44THE COSTS OF KEEPING THIS WAR
02:21:48GOING ONE MORE DAY ARE JUST TOO
02:21:51HIGH, BOTH IN REPUTATIONAL
02:21:53COSTS, TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT
02:21:56ALSO IN THE COST TO LIVES AND
02:21:59THE POCKETBOOKS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. I KNOW MY REPUBLICAN
02:22:03COLLEAGUES HAVE A HARD TIME
02:22:05BREAKING WITH THEIR PRESIDENT. I
02:22:08WILL SAY THAT MANY OF US, IN CLOSING, UM, ON THE DEMOCRATIC
02:22:11SIDE, CERTAINLY HAD A HARD TIME
02:22:15BREAKING WITH OUR PRESIDENT AS WELL, WHETHER IT WAS BARACK
02:22:17OBAMA OR JOE BIDEN. BUT ON
02:22:20MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WE DID. MANY OF US STOOD ON THIS FLOOR AND
02:22:24ARGUED AGAINST PRESIDENT OBAMA'S INTERVENTION IN THE
02:22:26YEMEN WAR. MANY OF US STOOD ON
02:22:28THIS FLOOR AND ARGUED AGAINST BIDEN'S POLICY IN GAZA. THAT
02:22:32WASN'T EASY, BUT WE THOUGHT IT
02:22:34WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM OUR PARTY
02:22:37LOYALTY. WHEN WE THOUGHT OUR
02:22:40PRESIDENT HAD GOTTEN IT WRONG FOR AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY.
02:22:43IT'S TIME FOR OUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US IN ONE OF
02:22:45THESE RESOLUTIONS, BECAUSE IT IS
02:22:48JUST SO CLEAR TO THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT IF THIS WAR
02:22:52CONTINUES, EVEN FOR ANOTHER DAY,
02:22:58THE REPUTATIONAL COST TO THE UNITED STATES IS POTENTIALLY UNRECOVERABLE. I YIELD THE FLOOR.
02:23:01>> UM, WE WE DON'T MIND DEBATING
02:23:05THINGS ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, AND I WELCOME THEM. AND
02:23:08CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, MY
02:23:10FRIENDS. UM, RIGHT. AND THE
02:23:13RIGHT OF MY FELLOW SENATORS TO DISAGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT'S
02:23:16ACTIONS IN IRAN. I DO NOT
02:23:20DISAGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS IN IRAN. I SUPPORT THEM,
02:23:24UH, BUT I OPPOSE THIS
02:23:27RESOLUTION. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THESE VOTES BEFORE. WE'VE BEEN
02:23:31THROUGH THESE VOTES RECENTLY,
02:23:34AND NOTHING HAS OCCURRED, UH, IN
02:23:36THE MAKEUP OF THIS BODY OR IN
02:23:39THE SITUATION IN IRAN OR THE
02:23:41MIDDLE EAST, TO MATERIALLY
02:23:43CHANGE, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE
02:23:46VOTED ON THIS MATTER. I THINK
02:23:49PASSING THIS RESOLUTION WOULD BE UNWISE, AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
02:23:53UNWISE. THE. NUMEROUS TIMES
02:23:55WE'VE TURNED IT DOWN ALREADY, IT WOULD CURTAIL THE
02:23:59PRESIDENT'S AUTHORITY. IT WOULD
02:24:02CURTAIL HIS DISCRETION. WHILE SO
02:24:04MANY SERVICE MEMBERS REMAIN ENGAGED IN THE REGION. AND I
02:24:07THINK IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS. IT
02:24:10WOULD TIE THE COMMANDER IN
02:24:12CHIEF'S HANDS AT A TIME WHEN HE
02:24:15NEEDS MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY TO
02:24:18ELIMINATE THE THREAT FROM IRAN.
02:24:22I DON'T THINK NEGOTIATIONS ARE
02:24:24GOING TO GET US ANYWHERE, BUT IF
02:24:27MY COLLEAGUES THINK THEY ARE
02:24:29WORTHWHILE, THEN THEY SHOULD VOTE NO ON THIS RESOLUTION,
02:24:33BECAUSE A YES VOTE WOULD WEAKEN
02:24:36THE HANDS OF THE NEGOTIATORS. THE PRESIDENT HAS DESIGNATED THE
02:24:39SENATE. UM, IF NEGOTIATIONS HAVE
02:24:45A CHANCE, THE SENATE SHOULD GIVE THEM THE LEVERAGE THEY NEED. WE COULD, WITH ONE VOICE, GIVE THEM
02:24:48A SHOW OF SUPPORT AND MAXIMIZE
02:24:54WHATEVER NEGOTIATING POWER THEY
02:24:56HAVE. I THINK HISTORY WILL
02:24:59VINDICATE THE DECISION THAT PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP HAS
02:25:03MADE WITH REGARD TO THE
02:25:04SITUATION IN IRAN. IRAN MUST
02:25:08NEVER ACQUIRE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:25:10AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH OUR
02:25:13MILITARY GOES A LONG WAY TO
02:25:15ASSURING THAT THEY WILL NEVER
02:25:18ACQUIRE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. IT'S TIME FOR OVER FOUR AND A HALF
02:25:22DECADES OF TERRORIST SUPPORT
02:25:25FROM THE IRANIAN REGIME TO STOP.
02:25:28AND FOR THAT REASON, AND ALSO
02:25:31FOR THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN
02:25:34SO ELOQUENTLY, UM, ENUNCIATED BY
02:25:37MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL
02:25:40WEEKS, I URGE MY COLLEAGUES NOT
02:25:43TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION AND
02:25:46TO DO SO ON BEHALF OF THE FUTURE
02:25:50OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
02:25:53>> MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY
02:25:55IN STRONG SUPPORT OF SENATOR
02:25:58SCHIFF'S WAR POWERS RESOLUTION
02:26:02TO END PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ILLEGAL WAR AGAINST IRAN. AND LET'S
02:26:06BEGIN WITH A SIMPLE FACT. WE ARE
02:26:09NOW OVER 60 DAYS INTO THIS
02:26:11ILLEGAL WAR. THE WAR WAS STARTED
02:26:14ON FEBRUARY 28th. A FEW DAYS
02:26:18LATER, ON MARCH 2nd, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION
02:26:21SUBMITTED THE NOTICE TO
02:26:23CONGRESS. SO EVEN IF YOU TAKE
02:26:27THE DATE OF SUBMISSION, TOMORROW WILL BE THE 60 DAYS. OF COURSE,
02:26:31WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE INCENTIVES FOR ANY
02:26:34ADMINISTRATION TO DELAY THE SUBMISSION OF THE NOTICE. SO THE
02:26:37CLOCK IS RUN. BUT LET'S JUST BE
02:26:41CLEAR, ACCEPTING THEIR VIEW OF THE WORLD, TOMORROW WILL BE THE
02:26:4460th DAY, 60 DAYS SINCE PRESIDENT TRUMP, TOGETHER WITH
02:26:47PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU,
02:26:49STARTED THIS WAR AGAINST IRAN. A
02:26:52WAR STARTED WITHOUT
02:26:54CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION, WITHOUT ARTICULATING ANY CLEAR
02:26:58AMERICAN INTERESTS, AND WITHOUT TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THE
02:27:02TRUTH ABOUT WHAT THIS WAR WOULD
02:27:05COST. THIS WAR IS MAKING AMERICANS LESS SAFE, AND WE ARE
02:27:09WORSE OFF BECAUSE OF IT. AND THE
02:27:12AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW THAT, WHICH IS WHY THEY OVERWHELMINGLY
02:27:16OPPOSE THIS WAR. AND THEY WANT
02:27:18TO SEE US BRING IT TO AN END.
02:27:22NOW. AND YET, HERE WE ARE, OVER
02:27:2360 DAYS LATER. 14 AMERICAN
02:27:27SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN KILLED, HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN TROOPS
02:27:32WOUNDED, THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS
02:27:34IN THE REGION, KILLED AT LEAST
02:27:38$25 BILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY
02:27:40ALREADY BURNED. WE FACE EVEN
02:27:43MORE REGIONAL INSTABILITY IN AN ALREADY VOLATILE PART OF THE
02:27:47WORLD, AND WE HAVE AN
02:27:49ADMINISTRATION THAT CANNOT
02:27:51EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THEY'RE
02:27:53TRYING TO ACHIEVE. THEY CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TODAY. THEY COULDN'T
02:27:56EXPLAIN IT THE DAY THEY STARTED
02:28:00THE WAR. IN FACT, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
02:28:04REPEATEDLY PLEDGED THAT THE WAR WOULD BE RESOLVED QUICKLY. A
02:28:07PROMISE THAT HE HAS MADE AND
02:28:08THEN BROKEN MANY TIMES. IN FACT,
02:28:12YOU MAY RECALL, COLLEAGUES, IT WAS OVER A MONTH AGO THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP DECLARED THAT WE
02:28:16HAD WON. QUOTE, WE WON. HE SAID,
02:28:20WELL, IF WE WON, WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING THERE? AND THE
02:28:24REALITY IS, WE HAVEN'T WON
02:28:27ANYTHING. THE NEGOTIATIONS TO
02:28:29END IT ARE OFF AGAIN. THEN THEY'RE ON, THEN THEY'RE OFF.
02:28:32OF COURSE, A BIG PART OF THESE
02:28:36NEGOTIATIONS IS ABOUT REOPENING THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHICH WAS
02:28:40OPEN THE DAY BEFORE THIS WAR
02:28:43STARTED. AND NOW, REPORTEDLY,
02:28:47THE PRESIDENT IS PREPARING FOR
02:28:50AN EXTENDED BLOCKADE OF IRAN, PROLONGING A CONFLICT THAT HAS
02:28:52ALREADY DRIVEN UP PRICES DAILY
02:28:55IN THE UNITED STATES. WE JUST
02:28:58SAW THAT AVERAGE GASOLINE PRICES
02:29:00HAVE REACHED A FOUR YEAR HIGH IN
02:29:03THE UNITED STATES. HE'S ALSO
02:29:06KEPT AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS
02:29:07DEPLOYED OVERSEAS FOR RECORD
02:29:12BREAKING PERIODS, AND EXPENDED A HUGE AMOUNT OF MUNITIONS,
02:29:15CREATING SHORTAGES IN OUR SUPPLY
02:29:19ELSEWHERE. SO WHAT'S THE PLAN?
02:29:23WHAT IS THE PLAN? JUST TO PURSUE
02:29:24AN OPEN ENDED BLOCKADE COSTING
02:29:28TAXPAYERS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IN FACT, $1 BILLION A DAY, AND
02:29:32FURTHER JEOPARDIZING THE GLOBAL
02:29:35ECONOMY, OFFERING NO CLEAR PATH
02:29:37TO ENDING THE WAR SOMETIMES,
02:29:42PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THAT THIS WAR WAS TO PREVENT IRAN FROM
02:29:46GETTING A NUCLEAR WEAPON. WELL,
02:29:49THIS IS THE PRESIDENT WHO TORE
02:29:52UP THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, OR
02:29:54JCPOA, THAT WAS NEGOTIATED BY
02:29:56PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHICH KEPT IRAN FROM OBTAINING A NUCLEAR WEAPON
02:30:00AND HAD PROBABLY THE MOST
02:30:01INTRUSIVE INSPECTION REGIME IN
02:30:04ARMS CONTROL HISTORY. AND LAST
02:30:07YEAR, BEFORE THE PRESIDENT TRUMP
02:30:11STARTED THIS WAR, HIS OWN DNI
02:30:13SAID THAT IRAN WAS NOT PURSUING
02:30:17A NUCLEAR WEAPON. AND, OF COURSE, AFTER THE MILITARY
02:30:20OPERATIONS IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR
02:30:23AGAINST IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM,
02:30:26PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD THE COUNTRY THAT IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM WAS,
02:30:29AND I, QUOTE, OBLITERATED. I
02:30:33ALSO THINK IT'S WORTH REMINDING
02:30:35PEOPLE WHAT CITIZEN TRUMP SAID
02:30:38BACK IN 2011, BECAUSE IT'S
02:30:44REVEALING AS TO THE PRESIDENT'S
02:30:51MINDSET. WE KNOW THAT THIS PRESIDENT OFTEN ENGAGES IN PROJECTION. HERE'S WHAT HE
02:30:54SAID. BACK IN 2011 ABOUT THEN
02:31:00PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE SAID, AND I QUOTE, OUR PRESIDENT WILL START
02:31:04A WAR WITH IRAN BECAUSE HE HAS
02:31:07ABSOLUTELY NO ABILITY TO
02:31:10NEGOTIATE. HE'S WEAK, AND HE'S INEFFECTIVE. SO THE ONLY WAY HE
02:31:13FIGURES THAT HE'S GOING TO GET
02:31:16REELECTED, AND AS SURE AS YOU'RE SITTING THERE IS TO START A WAR
02:31:20WITH IRAN, END QUOTE. CITIZEN
02:31:23TRUMP, BACK IN 2011 ABOUT
02:31:26PRESIDENT OBAMA. WELL, PRESIDENT
02:31:29OBAMA NEGOTIATED AN AGREEMENT TO
02:31:31PREVENT IRAN FROM OBTAINING A
02:31:35NUCLEAR WEAPON. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FIRST TERM TURNED TORE
02:31:37IT UP. BUT HERE'S DONALD TRUMP
02:31:42ESSENTIALLY TELLING US WHAT HE THINKS. OBVIOUSLY, DONALD TRUMP
02:31:45COULDN'T NEGOTIATE A DEAL WITH
02:31:47IRAN AND SO HE STARTED A WAR
02:31:54WITH IRAN. EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS
02:31:57CLAIMING, THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WOULD DO, BECAUSE HE CLAIMED PRESIDENT OBAMA DIDN'T HAVE THE
02:32:00SKILLS TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT
02:32:04TO PREVENT IRAN FROM GETTING A
02:32:05NUCLEAR WEAPON. SO HERE WE ARE.
02:32:09JUST TO RECAP, THE PRESIDENT
02:32:11STARTED A WAR TO STOP WHAT HE HAD CALLED AN OBLITERATED
02:32:15NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND TO REOPEN AN
02:32:18INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY THAT WAS
02:32:20OPEN BEFORE HE STARTED THE WAR.
02:32:23AND SINCE HE STARTED THIS WAR, ALONG WITH PRIME MINISTER
02:32:26NETANYAHU, THE JUSTIFICATIONS
02:32:28HAVE BEEN INCONSISTENT AND EVER
02:32:31CHANGING, ZIGZAGGING HERE AND THERE. BUT THE RESULTS ARE
02:32:35CLEAR, WHICH IS THAT PRESIDENT
02:32:39TRUMP HAS LED THIS COUNTRY INTO A COMPLETE STRATEGIC MESS, WITH
02:32:42NO END IN SIGHT AND EVER RISING
02:32:45COSTS THAT AMERICANS HAVE TO
02:32:48BEAR, BOTH IN TAX DOLLARS
02:32:50EXPENDED AND HIGHER PRICES AT
02:32:53THE PUMP AND ELSEWHERE. AND THE
02:32:58REASON FOR SO MANY WEEKS, THIS ADMINISTRATION REFUSED TO HAVE
02:33:02ONE OF THEIR DECISION MAKERS TESTIFY IN FRONT OF CONGRESS
02:33:06WAS. BECAUSE WHAT WE HEARD BEHIND CLOSED DOORS REVEALED
02:33:10THAT THERE WAS NO PLAN AND NO END GAME. NOW, IN THE LAST TWO
02:33:14DAYS, WE'RE HEARING, FINALLY,
02:33:18FROM SECRETARY HEGSETH, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN SEE IN PLAIN
02:33:22VIEW THAT THEY HAVE NO PLAN. AND
02:33:24YET THIS IS THE SECRETARY OF THE ADMINISTRATION THAT'S NOW ASKING
02:33:28THIS CONGRESS TO PROVIDE A $1.5
02:33:33TRILLION DEFENSE BUDGET. THEY
02:33:36JUST WANT TO BLOW THE ROOF OFF
02:33:41OF AND, OF COURSE, THIS IS A PENTAGON AND DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
02:33:45THAT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO MEET AN
02:33:50AUDIT. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO
02:33:53DO AT THIS POINT? WE'VE GOT $25 BILLION GONE. IN FACT, MANY
02:33:57PEOPLE THINK THAT'S A LOWBALL
02:34:00ESTIMATE. BUT THE REALITY IS
02:34:03THAT WE COULD PUT THAT MONEY TO
02:34:08MUCH BETTER USE. WE COULD USE IT
02:34:10TO HELP OUR FELLOW AMERICANS.
02:34:13BUT NO, DONALD TRUMP SAID, WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE
02:34:16THE RESOURCES FOR THAT BECAUSE
02:34:18WE NEED THE RESOURCES FOR THIS
02:34:22WAR, A WAR HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER START. IN FACT, WHAT HE SAID IS, AND I'M QUOTING, IT'S
02:34:24NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO TAKE CARE
02:34:27OF DAY CARE AND MEDICAID AND MEDICARE. ALL THESE INDIVIDUAL
02:34:30THINGS, BECAUSE WE'RE FIGHTING
02:34:32WARS, THE WARS. HE SAID HE WOULD
02:34:35NEVER START. WELL, MAYBE HIGHER
02:34:38GAS PRICES DON'T MATTER MUCH TO
02:34:43PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS BILLIONAIRE BUDDIES. AND THE BIGGEST BILLIONAIRE CABINET IN
02:34:47AMERICAN HISTORY, BY FAR. MAYBE
02:34:50THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT HIGHER GAS PRICES. BUT I CAN TELL YOU,
02:34:53MR. PRESIDENT, AMERICANS WHO ARE
02:34:57GOING TO FUEL THEIR CARS AT THE PUMP, THEY CARE. THEY'RE THE
02:35:01ONES BEARING THE BURDEN HERE IN
02:35:04AMERICA. OF THIS ILLEGAL TRUMP
02:35:10WAR. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE BURNING THROUGH OUR
02:35:14MUNITIONS AT A VERY RAPID RATE.
02:35:18MUNITIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
02:35:19RESERVED FOR REAL NATIONAL
02:35:25EMERGENCIES THAT WE MIGHT FACE
02:35:28ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. WE ALSO
02:35:31HEARD SOMETHING VERY DISTURBING,
02:35:33AGAIN, FROM SECRETARY HEGSETH
02:35:35WHEN HE TESTIFIED IN THE HOUSE
02:35:39YESTERDAY, WHICH IS HIS UTTER CONTEMPT, HIS UTTER CONTEMPT FOR
02:35:42THE GUARDRAILS WE PUT IN PLACE
02:35:45TO PREVENT CIVILIAN HARM IN WAR
02:35:48THAT'S WHY I LED NEARLY THE ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS A FEW
02:35:52WEEKS AGO IN DEMANDING ANSWERS
02:35:53AND ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE U.S.
02:35:57AIRSTRIKE THAT HIT AN ELEMENTARY
02:35:59SCHOOL IN IRAN, KILLING OVER 175
02:36:02PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM CHILDREN,
02:36:07BUT SECRETARY HEGSETH DISMISSIVE
02:36:10OF ALL OF THESE CONCERNS. IN FACT, HE SAID THAT THE RULES OF
02:36:13ENGAGEMENT WERE, QUOTE, STUPID,
02:36:17UNQUOTE, RULES DESIGNED TO PREVENT INNOCENT PEOPLE FROM
02:36:20GETTING KILLED IN WAR. HE SHOULD
02:36:25NEVER HAVE BEEN NOMINATED. HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN
02:36:27CONFIRMED, AND HE SHOULD BE
02:36:31RELIEVED OF DUTY TODAY AND HOW
02:36:34CAN WE TRUST AN ADMINISTRATION
02:36:37WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS WHEN THEY
02:36:40SO BRAZENLY SAY THEY DON'T WANT
02:36:42TO COMPLY WITH RULES DESIGNED TO PREVENT CIVILIAN HARM, WHICH, IN
02:36:46THE LONG RUN, ARE ALSO DESIGNED
02:36:47TO HELP PROTECT THE LIVES OF OUR
02:36:52TROOPS. AND YET, THEY'RE ASKING
02:36:54FOR MORE MONEY AND MORE
02:36:57RESOURCES, AND ALL WITHOUT ANY
02:37:00CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION TO
02:37:07GO INTO THIS WAR. NOW, I WANT TO
02:37:08JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAR
02:37:12POWERS RESOLUTION HERE, BECAUSE, AS I STATED AT THE TOP OF MY
02:37:14REMARKS, WE'RE NOW 60 DAYS INTO
02:37:17THIS WAR YESTERDAY. OR IF WE
02:37:19ACCEPT THE ADMINISTRATION'S
02:37:22INTERPRETATION TOMORROW, 60 DAYS
02:37:26NOW, UNDER THE WAR POWERS
02:37:30RESOLUTION, THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO
02:37:32START A WAR AND FIGHT A WAR FOR
02:37:34TWO DAYS, THREE DAYS, FOUR DAYS,
02:37:38LET ALONE 60 DAYS. BUT THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU DID. THEY
02:37:42STARTED A WAR. THE IDEA BEHIND
02:37:46THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION IS IF THE UNITED STATES FACES AN IMMINENT THREAT, THAT REQUIRES
02:37:50THE PRESIDENT TO ENGAGE IN HOSTILITIES OVERSEAS, THAT WE
02:37:53WILL HAVE A CLOCK TO MAKE SURE
02:37:57THAT CONGRESS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND GIVEN THE POWER UNDER THE
02:38:00CONSTITUTION, TO DECLARE WAR,
02:38:03HAS TIME TO CONSIDER AND DEBATE.
02:38:06AND IT SAYS, YOU HAVE 60 DAYS.
02:38:12IF YOU'RE FIGHTING A WAR THAT
02:38:15SOMEBODY ELSE STARTED. WE'RE
02:38:20HEARING THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THE PRESIDENT,
02:38:23MAY EXERCISE THE ABILITY UNDER THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION FOR
02:38:26ANOTHER 30 DAYS ON TOP OF THE 60
02:38:28DAYS. SO THAT GIVES YOU 90 DAYS. BUT HERE'S THE THING, MR.
02:38:31PRESIDENT. THE WAR POWERS
02:38:33RESOLUTION IS VERY CLEAR THAT
02:38:36ADDITIONAL 30 DAYS IS NOT TO RAMP UP A WAR. IT'S TO RAMP
02:38:40DOWN A WAR. IT'S TO BRING
02:38:42AMERICAN TROOPS WHO ARE IN
02:38:45HOSTILITY SAFELY HOME. AND YET, HERE WE ARE, AROUND THE 60th
02:38:49DAY, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP
02:38:52REPORTEDLY IS CONTEMPLATING
02:38:54UPPING THE TEMPO OF THE WAR,
02:38:58INCREASING STRIKES AGAINST IRAN.
02:39:01THAT IS A GROSS VIOLATION, EVEN
02:39:04OF MY REPUBLICAN SENATE COLLEAGUES INTERPRETATION OF THE
02:39:07WAR POWERS ACT. ARE THEY GOING
02:39:10TO SIT HERE AND SAY NOTHING AND
02:39:13DO NOTHING WHILE THE PRESIDENT
02:39:18BLATANTLY VIOLATES THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION? SO FAR,
02:39:21THEY'VE BEEN SILENT AS HE VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTIONAL
02:39:24REQUIREMENT THAT ONLY THE CONGRESS CAN DECLARE WAR. BUT
02:39:27EVEN IF YOU ADOPT A WORLDVIEW THAT SOME OF MY SENATE
02:39:31COLLEAGUES HAVE EXPRESSED, THE
02:39:35PLAIN READING OF THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION SAYS THE NEXT 30 DAYS
02:39:36HAVE TO BE USED TO WIND DOWN
02:39:39HOSTILITIES. NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT SECRETARY HEGSETH, TODAY IN
02:39:42THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
02:39:43HERE IN THE SENATE SAID, WELL,
02:39:47WE'RE NOW IN A CEASE FIRE. SO
02:39:50THE CLOCK WAS PAUSED. IT'S NOT
02:39:54TICKING. WHAT A PILE OF
02:39:56NONSENSE. HERE WE HAVE A FULL ON
02:40:01BLOCKADE, WHICH WE KNOW IS AN
02:40:02ACT OF WAR. AND THE SECRETARY OF
02:40:06DEFENSE, WHO CLEARLY JUST MAKES
02:40:08THINGS UP AS HE GOES, IS ARGUING
02:40:12THAT THAT SOMEHOW PAUSED THE
02:40:15STATUTE. I HOPE MY REPUBLICAN SENATE COLLEAGUES HAVE THE
02:40:18SELF-RESPECT NOT TO BUY INTO
02:40:20THAT RIDICULOUS INTERPRETATION
02:40:23OF THE, BUT THAT IS APPARENTLY
02:40:28THE LIE THAT THE SECRETARY OF
02:40:32DEFENSE IS TRYING TO PERPETRATE.
02:40:36AS WE SPEAK. SO LET'S LET'S BE HONEST WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
02:40:40WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE
02:40:43PRESIDENT, ALONG WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU,
02:40:47STARTED A WAR AGAINST IRAN.
02:40:50THERE WAS NO IMMINENT THREAT.
02:40:52THEY STARTED IT. AND THEY DID IT
02:40:57WITHOUT ANY CONGRESSIONAL
02:40:58AUTHORIZATION. IN FACT, OUR
02:41:02COLLEAGUES HERE WON'T PUT FORWARD A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF FORCE. BE
02:41:06GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE TAKE THAT KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY. IF YOU
02:41:09SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION,
02:41:11PUT FORWARD AN AUTHORIZATION FOR
02:41:14THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE. NOT A
02:41:15PEEP ABOUT THAT. BUT NOW WE HAVE
02:41:18AN ACTUAL STATUTE THAT'S ALREADY PASSED THE WAR POWERS
02:41:21RESOLUTION, WHICH, EVEN UNDER
02:41:24THE INTERPRETATION OF SENATE REPUBLICANS, REQUIRES THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES, TO
02:41:28SPEND THE NEXT 30 DAYS WINDING
02:41:30DOWN THIS WAR, NOT STEPPING UP
02:41:35THIS WAR. REALLY, COLLEAGUES, YOU SHOULD LEVEL WITH THE
02:41:38AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO PROMISED TO KEEP
02:41:41US OUT OF WARS. WE HAD A PRESIDENT WHO SAID HE WAS GOING
02:41:45TO BRING DOWN PRICES. HE HAS
02:41:46DONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE, STARTED
02:41:50WARS. PRICES ARE GOING UP. AMERICANS HAVE BEEN KILLED.
02:41:53AMERICANS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED.
02:41:57THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED, THOUSANDS MORE WOUNDED. AND WE ARE LESS SAFE AND WORSE
02:42:01OFF. WHEN YOU'RE DIGGING A HOLE,
02:42:09STOP DIGGING. VOGT FOR THIS WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, AND LET'S PUT AN END TO THIS ILLEGAL WAR. I
02:42:13YIELD THE FLOOR. >> MR. PRESIDENT, I'M HERE TO
02:42:16SPEAK THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THE
02:42:20CONFLICT INVOLVING IRAN, AND,
02:42:20MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE ROLE OF
02:42:24CONGRESS WITHIN IT. AT THE OUTSET, I WANT TO REITERATE
02:42:27SOMETHING THAT I THINK GETS LOST IN THESE DISCUSSIONS. THE FACT
02:42:31OF THE MATTER IS, IS THE IRANIAN REGIME, THIS IS NOT AN ABSTRACT
02:42:34ADVERSARY OF AMERICA OR, OR ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS FREE PEOPLE
02:42:37AND A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD. FOR
02:42:41OVER 47 YEARS, THE ISLAMIC
02:42:45REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS HAVE BRUTALIZED THEIR OWN PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF PRESERVING THE POWER
02:42:47OF THEIR SUPREME LEADER.
02:42:49PROTESTERS AND DISSENTERS ARE
02:42:51MET WITH VIOLENCE, IMPRISONED AND MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD, AND
02:42:55AT THE SAME TIME, THAT SAME REGIME, THROUGH ITS PROXIES AND
02:42:59NETWORKS, HAS KILLED THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS OVER THE YEARS.
02:43:02THEY HAVE EMPOWERED GROUPS LIKE HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS, SHIA MILITIAS
02:43:06IN IRAQ TO ORCHESTRATE
02:43:09SIGNIFICANT ATTACKS THAT HAVE
02:43:10DESTABILIZED THE REGION. THERE
02:43:13IS NO DOUBT THAT THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT
02:43:16THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.
02:43:18THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE WORLD
02:43:21WOULD BE A SAFER PLACE WITHOUT
02:43:24THE REGIME SPREADING TERROR
02:43:27AROUND THE WORLD. WE NOW FIND OUR NATION AT WAR WITH IRAN, AND
02:43:29I'M NOT HERE TO RELITIGATE HOW
02:43:33WE GOT INTO THIS CONFLICT. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE'RE IN
02:43:36IT, BUT WE OWE IT TO OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THE AMERICANS WHO
02:43:40ARE FEELING THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS
02:43:42OF THIS WAR. WE OWE THEM A
02:43:45CLEAR, A THOUGHTFUL, A RATIONAL
02:43:47PLAN FOR WHAT COMES NEXT. SOME
02:43:52TWO MONTHS LATER, THE REGIME
02:43:55RETAINS THE ABILITY TO STRIKE ACROSS THE REGION. THEY CONTINUE
02:43:58TO DISRUPT SHIPPING THROUGH THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ. AND WHILE THE
02:44:01ADMINISTRATION MAY POINT TO ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS, EVENTS ON
02:44:05THE GROUND, AND THE RHETORIC
02:44:06COMING OUT OF TEHRAN TELL A
02:44:09DIFFERENT STORY. BUT IF THE U.S.
02:44:13STEPS BACK ABRUPTLY AND PREMATURELY, WE ALMOST CERTAINLY
02:44:16LEAVE THEIR CRITICAL CAPABILITIES INTACT. WE RISK A
02:44:20NEW SET OF LEADERS WHO ARE EVEN
02:44:21MORE RADICALIZED AGAINST US. AND
02:44:26WE ALL BUT INVITE RETALIATION AGAINST AMERICAN MILITARY
02:44:29FORCES, OUR ALLIES, AND THE
02:44:31AMERICAN PEOPLE. AND THOSE ARE NOT RISKS THAT I'M WILLING TO
02:44:35TAKE. BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT A
02:44:40BLANK CHECK FOR ANOTHER ENDLESS
02:44:41WAR, NOR IS IT OPEN ENDED
02:44:44AUTHORITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
02:44:46WITH NO GUARDRAILS, NO OVERSIGHT
02:44:48FROM CONGRESS, AND NO CLEARLY
02:44:52DEFINED MISSION. THE ANSWER, I
02:44:53BELIEVE, RELIES ON CAREFUL,
02:44:56DELIBERATE USE OF CONGRESSIONAL
02:44:58POWER. AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE'RE FALLING SHORT, BECAUSE WE
02:45:02ARE APPROACHING THE 60 DAY MARK
02:45:05UNDER THE WAR POWERS ACT. SO
02:45:08WHAT COMES NEXT? THE
02:45:10CONSTITUTION IS CLEAR ON THIS POINT. CONGRESS HOLDS THE POWER
02:45:13TO DECLARE WAR AND AUTHORIZE THE
02:45:15USE OF MILITARY FORCE. AND YES,
02:45:18THE PRESIDENT MUST HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO
02:45:22EMERGENCIES AND IMMINENT THREATS. AND HE DOES. AND HE
02:45:26DOES. BUT THOSE ARE NOT ONGOING
02:45:28MILITARY CAMPAIGNS LIKE WE FIND OURSELVES CURRENTLY MIRED IN, IN
02:45:32SUCH CONFLICTS. THE PRESIDENT
02:45:36AND THE ADMINISTRATION MUST
02:45:38EXPLICITLY STATE THEIR GOALS,
02:45:40THEIR PLANS, AND THE METRICS FOR
02:45:43SUCCESS. AND IF WE DON'T PRESS
02:45:45THEM TO DEFINE THOSE PARAMETERS,
02:45:48WE MAY RISK REPEATING HISTORY. ONE OF THE CLEAREST LESSONS FROM
02:45:51THE WAR ON TERROR IS THAT THE FAILURE TO THINK BEYOND THE
02:45:54INITIAL PHASE OF MILITARY OPERATIONS CAN LOCK US INTO A
02:45:58CONFLICT THAT BECOMES MORE LENGTHY, MORE DEADLY, MORE
02:46:02COSTLY, AND MORE DIFFICULT TO
02:46:05UNWIND, WHICH BRINGS ME TO A CONCERN I HAVE HAD FROM THE
02:46:08OUTSET OF THIS CONFLICT. AND THAT'S THE LACK OF CLARITY FROM
02:46:12THE ADMINISTRATION, FROM THEIR PUBLIC STATEMENTS TO THE
02:46:15CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS THAT WE
02:46:17RECEIVE AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS,
02:46:21WHEN AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS ARE DEPLOYED AND LIVES ARE ON
02:46:23THE LINE, THE ADMINISTRATION
02:46:27OWES CONGRESS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE A STRAIGHT ANSWER ABOUT
02:46:30WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN
02:46:34WORKING WITH SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON AN AUTHORIZATION
02:46:38FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE.
02:46:39NOW, THIS IS AN AUTHORIZATION,
02:46:44BUT IS ALSO A RESTRAINT. IT'S NOT A BLANK CHECK. IT WOULD NOT
02:46:48GRANT OPEN ENDED AUTHORITY, BUT INSTEAD, IT WOULD SEEK TO
02:46:51ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK REQUIRING
02:46:55THE PRESIDENT TO COME TO CONGRESS WITH A CLEARLY DEFINED
02:46:58POLITICAL AND MILITARY OBJECTIVES. IT WOULD REQUIRE
02:47:01METRICS FOR SUCCESS. NOTICE OF
02:47:02ANY CHANGES IN OBJECTIVES AND AN
02:47:05EXIT CRITERIA. IT WOULD
02:47:10ULTIMATELY ENSURE THAT CONGRESS
02:47:14IS ENGAGED. AUMFS SHOULD PRECEDE
02:47:17WARS NOT BE ENACTED IN THEIR
02:47:19MIDST. THAT WASN'T A CHOICE FOR US HERE, BUT IT CANNOT BE USED
02:47:23AS AN EXCUSE TO ABANDON OUR
02:47:25RESPONSIBILITIES. WE'RE SUPPOSED
02:47:28TO REPRESENT, ENGAGE, DEBATE, VOTE, AND WHEN AND WHERE
02:47:32NECESSARY, RESTRAIN THE EXECUTIVE. THAT'S THAT'S WHY
02:47:35WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE IN CONGRESS, AND THAT MATTERS MOST
02:47:37IN TIMES OF WAR. WE'VE ALREADY
02:47:40LOST SERVICE MEMBERS IN THIS
02:47:42CONFLICT. MAY GOD REST THEIR SOULS. AND THERE IS STILL
02:47:46DANGER, AND MORE SERVICE MEMBERS
02:47:47WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE PUT IN
02:47:50HARM'S WAY, EVEN DURING AN
02:47:51ECONOMIC BLOCKADE. NOW I THINK
02:47:55THERE IS A FAIR AND LEGITIMATE
02:47:57QUESTION THAT SOME MAY BE ASKING
02:48:00US. YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN AUMF.
02:48:04WE'VE JUST HAD A VOTE ON A WAR POWERS RESOLUTION. ACTUALLY, WE
02:48:07HAVE HAD SEVERAL VOTES ON WAR
02:48:11POWERS RESOLUTION, AND I HAVE OPPOSED EACH OF THEM, INCLUDING
02:48:14THE ONE THAT WE JUST TOOK TODAY.
02:48:18SO WHY AUMF AND NOT A WAR POWERS
02:48:20RESOLUTION? THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION WE HAVE VOTED ON
02:48:23WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE REMOVAL
02:48:25OF U.S. FORCES FROM ACTIVE
02:48:27HOSTILITIES. THEY WOULD HAVE
02:48:30HALTED OPERATIONS THAT WERE ALREADY UNDERWAY WITHOUT ANY
02:48:34FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT COMES NEXT. AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I
02:48:37CAN'T SUPPORT. I IRAN HAS BEEN TARGETING U.S. PERSONNEL, OUR
02:48:41ALLIES, AND OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THE REGION, AND I DON'T BELIEVE
02:48:43THAT WE CAN RESPONSIBLY TIE THE HANDS OF OUR MILITARY OR WALK
02:48:47AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ONGOING
02:48:52FIGHT WITHOUT A PLAN. WE SAW IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2021 THE DANGERS
02:48:55OF WITHDRAWING WITHOUT A
02:48:57STRATEGY. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD
02:49:02HAVE COME TO CONGRESS BEFORE ENGAGING IN MILITARY ACTION AT THIS SCALE THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW. AND THAT, REGRETTABLY, DID
02:49:06NOT HAPPEN. SO WE'RE NOW IN A POSITION WHERE CONGRESS MUST
02:49:10STEP IN, NOT TO ABRUPTLY END
02:49:13OPERATIONS, BUT TO DEFINE THEM.
02:49:14AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE HERE.
02:49:18THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTIONS HAVE
02:49:20ATTEMPTED TO STOP THIS CONFLICT WITHOUT ESTABLISHING A PATH
02:49:23FORWARD. AN AUMF RECOGNIZES THE
02:49:27REALITY THAT THE U.S. MILITARY
02:49:30IS ALREADY ENGAGED AND PROVIDES
02:49:32STRUCTURE AND CLARITY BY
02:49:37REQUIRING THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEFINE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND THE MEANS OF
02:49:39ACHIEVING IT. IT REQUIRES REPORTING TO CONGRESS, AND IT
02:49:43BRINGS TRANSPARENCY. WHERE
02:49:45LITTLE HAS EXISTED OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. NOW, MR. PRESIDENT,
02:49:49I'M NOT INTRODUCING AN AUMF
02:49:53TODAY, BUT IF WE PASS THIS 60
02:49:54DAY MARK FROM THE START OF
02:49:57HOSTILITIES, WITH STILL A LACK OF A CREDIBLE PLAN AND INFORMATION FROM THE
02:50:00ADMINISTRATION, IT IS ONE IT IS
02:50:02SOMETHING THAT I INTEND TO
02:50:06INTRODUCE ONCE THE SENATE RECONVENES HERE. SO I WANT TO
02:50:10CLOSE BY SAYING AS PLAINLY AS I
02:50:11CAN, I STAND FIRMLY BEHIND OUR
02:50:15TROOPS. AND AS PART OF THAT, I DO NOT TAKE THEIR DEPLOYMENT
02:50:17LIGHTLY, AND I DO NOT ACCEPT THAT WE SHOULD ENGAGE IN OPEN
02:50:21ENDED MILITARY ACTION WITHOUT
02:50:24CLEAR DIRECTION OR ACCOUNTABILITY. CONGRESS HAS A
02:50:27ROLE. CONGRESS HAS TO STEP UP
02:50:29AND FULFILL THAT ROLE, THAT OBLIGATION THAT THE CONSTITUTION
02:50:33ASSIGNS TO US. WE OWE IT TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE SERVING
02:50:36OUR GREAT NATION. AND WITH THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE
02:50:40FLOOR. >> MR. PRESIDENT, TODAY THE SENATE WILL VOTE ON A SIMPLE
02:50:43QUESTION. WILL CONGRESS EMBRACE
02:50:47AN EXERCISE ITS CONSTITUTIONAL
02:50:49RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE THE
02:50:51QUESTION OF WAR? AS MADISON
02:50:58SUMMARIZED, I QUOTE THE CONSTITUTION