Kaine, Schumer, and Schiff: Senate to Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution Tomorrow

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that the Senate will vote on their bipartisan War Powers Resolution for Iran tomorrow. The bipartisan resolution, which was introduced on January 29, would stop President Donald Trump's illegal, unnecessary war with Iran and ensure any U.S. participation in hostilities against Iran is explicitly authorized by Congress. It does not prevent the U.S. from defending itself or Israel from an Iranian attack.

"Americans want President Trump to lower prices-not drag us into unnecessary forever wars. Yet he has unilaterally launched strikes at Iran without congressional authorization, failed to articulate a clear strategy, and callously said he doesn't 'have the yips about boots on the ground,'" said Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. "The Senate will vote on our bipartisan War Powers Resolution tomorrow, and every senator will have to go on the record to declare whether it is in our best interest to send our sons and daughters into conflict against Iran. I pray that my colleagues will vote to end this dangerous and unnecessary war that has already resulted in the loss of six servicemembers and injured others. We owe it to those in uniform, their families, and all Americans to not make the same mistakes that we made in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Trump is engaging in a war of choice right now in the Middle East. Donald Trump has launched America into a conflict with no clear objectives, no plan, and no authorization from Congress," said Leader Schumer. "The American people do not want an endless war that will cost billions and risk the lives of America's sons and daughters. Congress has the duty to rein in Trump's belligerence. Tomorrow, Senators have the opportunity to reassert our Constitutional authority and pass the War Powers Resolution. My colleagues will have their own choice to make - will you stand with American families who reject forever wars or stand with Donald Trump as he sleepwalks our country into wider conflict?"

"The Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war," said Schiff. "That power was placed in our hands by our Founders - not by accident, but by design - because they feared an executive growing too fond of war-making. I believe the Founders' worst fears have come to pass. Donald Trump has become too fond of going to war, and has done so again without Congressional authorization. Congress must demand that the president - if he believes the threat from Iran justified going to war; that war is justified; that the deaths of our troops is acceptable; that the expenditure of billions not on the American people, not on their health care, their groceries, or their housing is worth the cost - come to Congress and make his case for this war. Supporting our War Powers Resolution would ensure that Congress, at this critical moment, does not give up its constitutional power and its voice in the most perilous of policy decisions."

Last June, the Senate voted on a similar War Powers Resolution introduced by Kaine to prevent the use of military force against Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress. The June resolution gained bipartisan support but did not receive enough votes to advance.

###