LIVE: DEM SENATORS ADDRESS UNLAWFUL WAR!!
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The administration initiated military action in Iran unilaterally, bypassing Congress and the Constitution.
- ❖The war has resulted in 13 American service member deaths and over 200 injuries, with no clear end strategy.
- ❖Economic impacts include rising gas and grocery prices, disproportionately affecting middle and low-income families.
- ❖The administration cut VA benefits and fired veterans from federal jobs while engaging in costly military operations.
- ❖Senators are employing 'privileged resolutions' and other legislative tactics to force public debate and votes on the war.
- ❖Republican leadership is accused of blocking public hearings and shielding the administration from accountability.
- ❖The constitutional power to declare war rests with Congress, a safeguard against a president's 'whim' or 'ego'.
Insights
1Unconstitutional War and Executive Overreach
Senators assert that the administration initiated military engagement in Iran without congressional authorization, directly violating the Constitution's war-making clause. This is framed as a dangerous precedent where a president acts on 'whim' or 'ego,' undermining the system of checks and balances designed to prevent such unilateral decisions.
Senator Booker states, 'We are a nation watching Donald Trump unilaterally unconstitutionally take our nation towards the and involve us in the largest war engagement since Afghanistan.' Senator Schiff adds, 'The founders gave us the power to declare a war or to refuse to do so... if we don't use that power to bring an end to this war... then that power is gone for good.'
2Devastating Human and Economic Costs
The war is criticized for its immediate human toll on service members and its broader negative economic impact on American citizens. The administration is accused of cutting veteran benefits and federal jobs while simultaneously engaging in a costly war that drives up consumer prices.
Senator Booker notes, 'Spending a billion dollars a day, costing already 13 service men and women their lives with over 200 visibly injured.' He also highlights cuts to VA programs and SNAP, and the non-extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, affecting veterans. Senator Murphy details, 'It is not just the lives lost. It is the infinite number of traumas... It's the choice to spend trillions of dollars fighting incompetent forever wars instead of building schools or getting people healthcare at home.'
3Congressional Strategy for Accountability
Democratic senators are actively employing legislative tools, primarily War Powers Resolutions, to force public debate and votes on the war. This strategy aims to compel the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty of oversight and expose the administration's lack of planning and rationale.
Senator Kaine describes his 'obsession' since 2013 to 'stop any illegal war' and details the use of 'privileged resolutions' which 'take about 10 days to ripen' and can interrupt Senate business to force votes. Senator Baldwin mentions, 'We've got a lot of talks amongst ourselves. When is the break glass moment?' referring to the need to challenge the president's overreach.
4Lack of Transparency and Administration's Incompetence
The administration is accused of deliberately avoiding public scrutiny and failing to provide a clear plan or justification for the war. Republican leadership in the Senate is criticized for enabling this lack of transparency by refusing public hearings.
Senator Kaine recounts a classified hearing where Senator Ris stated, 'I have decided that we will not have public hearings because I do not believe the administration's decision makers should be subject to public questioning by senators.' Senator Duckworth questions the competence of the appointed Secretary of Defense, noting his lack of typical military credentials.
Key Concepts
Checks and Balances
The core argument revolves around the constitutional principle of checks and balances, specifically Congress's power to declare war as a check on executive authority, which the senators argue has been violated by the administration's unilateral actions.
Power of the People
Senator Booker emphasizes that the 'power of the people is always greater than the people in power,' arguing that public engagement and demands for accountability are essential to pressure politicians and uphold democratic principles against a 'lawless president'.
Lessons
- Contact your senators and representatives to demand public hearings and votes on military engagements, particularly regarding the War Powers Resolution.
- Support organizations like VoteVets that advocate for veterans and constitutional oversight of military actions.
- Engage in public discourse and organize within your communities to raise awareness about the costs of war and the importance of congressional checks and balances.
Quotes
"If we're going to ask our service members to put themselves in harm's way, we should be willing to take a vote here in Congress. We should be willing to have an open hearing here in Congress. We should be willing to be held accountable."
"Donald Trump through his war of choice is not making America greater. Is not making America stronger. Is in fact weakening our national security."
"The biggest vulnerability may not be the exquisite weapon system that an enemy may have. The biggest vulnerability is poor decisionmaking by the civilian leadership that asked you to do things that they shouldn't ask you to do."
"If your goal is to cover up the incompetence of this war, yes, a public hearing would be counterproductive. But asking the administration to explain its rationale for putting thousands of young men and women in harm's way for a war with no endgame is not counterproductive to the basic exercise of democracy in this country."
"When people are afraid of their government, there's tyranny. When the government is afraid of people, there is liberty."
"Our leaders should not treat them as if they're disposable. Our leaders should understand the full consequence of sending men and women into war."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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