REMARKS: Senator Coons urges colleagues to consider “human cost of war” after voting to support war powers resolution for Iran

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) gave a floor speech today following his vote in support of a war powers resolution that would rein in President Trump's war of choice in Iran, asking his colleagues to consider the costs service members and their families will bear.

"I rise to talk about the human cost of war," Senator Coons began. "There is a real and a deep and a lasting cost to every armed conflict, to every war, one paid by brave men and women around the world and by the people who love them. One also paid, all too often, by civilians, by families, by those considered collateral damage."

In addition to his roles as ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Coons represents Dover Air Force Base. Dover AFB carries out the dignified transfer for every American service member killed in the line of duty, a ceremony in which the fallen are returned to their families. Senator Coons attends dignified transfers as frequently as he can.

"There is a sound that a mother and a widow make when they first recognize the movement of a flag-draped coffin holding the remains of their loved one that you can never unhear," Senator Coons said. "And that presence, that sound, that grief, that keening into the wind should be on the heart of every senator, of every American leader, as we vote on whether or not to commit our nation's armed forces to war."

Senator Coons drew on this experience during his speech to discuss President Trump's days-old war of choice with Iran, highlighting the administration's inability to explain why the war is necessary, how it started, or what its goals are. Additionally, the administration has spent minimal time making the case for the war to Congress and the American people. As Senator Coons said, President Trump gave a nearly two-hour State of the Union address last week in which he spent just a few minutes on the threat posed by Iran.

"Earlier today, just two hours ago on this floor, we voted on whether to proceed to a war powers resolution, and I voted yes," Senator Coons said. "I voted to rein in this reckless war of choice. At the very least, what we owe our service members is a debate - a public briefing, an explanation, an accounting of why this war and what its ends are."

A video of Senator Coons' remarks is available here.

A transcript of Senator Coons' remarks is below:

Senator Coons: Mr. President, I rise to talk about the human cost of war. There is a real and a deep and a lasting cost to every armed conflict, to every war, one paid by brave men and women around the world and by the people who love them. One also paid, all too often, by civilians, by families, by those considered collateral damage.

But before we launch our nation into an intentional war of choice, we should only ask our armed forces members - our soldiers and sailors, our airmen and Marines - to take on the risk and loss of war if we are sure why.

It's clear today we are engaged in a war in Iran. The Trump administration doesn't seem to be able to agree amongst themselves why? What's the scope? What's the mission? What's the duration? What is the cost that so many may need to bear?

At the outset, President Trump was talking regime change and urging Iranians to rise up against the brutal and oppressive regime of the mullahs and ayatollah. Now, they're not mentioning regime change. Recently, Secretary Rubio and Speaker Johnson said Israel forced our hand. And then Trump said, 'no, no, we forced theirs.'

There's been talk of taking out their Navy, of going after ballistic missile launchers, of preventing the resurrection of a supposedly obliterated nuclear weapons program, but without real clarity. And after months of planning, allegedly, there are hundreds and thousands of Americans in the region - civilians, diplomats, families - in harm's way with no clear path to evacuation. Our embassies and consulates are being bombed and attacked. A number are closed. And there's been no compelling explanation of the urgency, as to why this was imminent - of why this body, this Senate, couldn't carry out its constitutional role and authorize this war.

I represent Delaware. The Dover Air Force Base, in the center of our state, in our state capital, is where every American who falls in service to our nation first returns to our soil. And Dover has the honor - the sacred duty - to carry out and support what are called dignified transfers. When planes with dead Americans in flag-draped transfer cases first come off the back of a C-17 to a waiting family and an honor guard.

I've stood on the flight line at Dover next to President Trump, President Biden, President Obama, and a whole range of senior military officers as we've witnessed this grave, solemn duty. I was last there in December with President Trump and the two senators from Iowa, as we witnessed those Iowans who'd fallen in Syria. And I soon hope to return to be able to join in witnessing and honoring the homecoming of Capt. Cody Khork, of Sgt. 1^st Class Noah Tietjens, of Sgt. 1^st Class Nicole Amor, and Sgt. Declan Coady. And there are two more Americans fallen in this war whose names have not yet been released. All four I just named, from Iowa.

I am so grateful to the men and women to AFMAO - the [Air Force] Mortuary Affairs Operations unit - and to Fisher House, a non-profit, funded, special place for the families of the fallen on the grounds of Dover Air Force Base, where those who've just learned of their deep loss are hosted. These are special missions and special places. The volunteers from our community at Fisher House, the service members who staff and support AFMAO, the folks at the personal effects depot who do an incredible job preparing the remains of the fallen for return to their home states for burial, the members of the chaplaincy corps and the military liaison officers who help comfort and engage and support the families. It's the very least we could do as a nation to respect and honor our brave and bold who volunteered to be a part of the greatest military in the world.

I'm always grateful when other members of this body join for these dignified transfers, and in the last year, two senators from Illinois, two senators from Georgia, as well as members of the House have come and joined in these strikingly awful ceremonies.

There is a sound that a mother and a widow make when they first recognize the movement of a flag-draped coffin holding the remains of their loved one that you can never unhear. And that presence, that sound, that grief, that keening into the wind should be on the heart of every senator, of every American leader, as we vote on whether or not to commit our nation's armed forces to war.

I come from a family with a long record of military service, back to our nation's first war. My brother, my sister-in-law, my father, my uncles all served. I grew up in a home where my father's veteran friends visited and where I knew my brother would follow in my father's footsteps. It seemed just a part of American life. And it is in my view a great blessing to represent 10,000 service members and their families who are stationed at Dover Air Force Base and to have had the opportunity to visit and to fly and to support the crews of the C-17s and C-5As based at Dover and to see how much they have done around the world. To reequip and support our troops, to support our partners and allies, to deliver badly needed relief in the case of disasters. They carry out an incredible mission.

And I can only imagine the heartsick feeling of knowing on the news that there are six fallen Americans but not yet knowing who, and wondering if that terrible knock will come on your door - whether in Dover, Delaware, or any other American base.

We should be careful about opening a door into chaos in the Middle East when we can't see the other side of it. We should not take our men and women into war without clear plans, without clear purposes. With our bases now under continuous fire, our president talked casually the other day about how he's been through so much. He has refused to rule out sending boots on the ground to Iran. He has made it clear that he understands there will be casualties, maybe many, many more and says that death, in war, it's just part of 'the way it is.'

These six fallen so far, and two dozen others severely injured, have sacrificed for our nation. Those honored dead give a last full measure of devotion for us, and we owe them and their families that same respect.

Earlier today, just two hours ago on this floor, we voted on whether to proceed to a war powers resolution. And I voted yes. I voted to rein in this reckless war of choice. At the very least, what we owe our service members is a debate - a public briefing, an explanation, an accounting of why this war and what its ends are.

Just last week during the president's State of the Union address at the other end of this building in the House chamber, I sat respectfully as President Trump spoke for nearly two hours on every imaginable subject, but he spent just three minutes on Iran.

For the strengths and weaknesses of President Bush and the approach that led to the Iraq War, I will at least say this - there was briefing after briefing, debate after debate, and a vote in this chamber to authorize that war, as the Constitution requires. That is not happening now. It is not happening here. And it should.

So, to the families of the fallen, to the men and women of our nation who are in that 1% that serves and stands in harm's way, know that your nation mourns with you and honors you.

Proverbs teaches that the memory of the righteous is a blessing. We hold the memory of these beloved fallen in our hearts, and I pray that the Lord will comfort those who mourn, bind up their wounds, and heal their heartbreak.

I pray God grants us all the grace to find a path forward together where more do not needlessly join those who have already fallen in this new war in the Middle East.

Thank you, Mr. President. With that, I yield the floor.