Sen. Tim Kaine appeared on MSNBC Friday to explain why he introduced a War Powers resolution to prevent a war with Iran. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
Sen. Tim Kaine Files War Powers Resolution to Stop Trump From 'Stumbling Into a War With Iran'
"Congress cannot be a bystander," said Quaker lobbying group FCNL. "The #EndlessWars must stop!"
Saying the situation in the Persian Gulf had now reached "a boiling point," Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a War Powers resolution on Friday in an effort to stop the Trump administration from waging war on Iran.
"For years, I've been deeply concerned about President [Donald] Trump stumbling into a war with Iran," said Kaine (D-Va.). "We're now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump puts even more of our troops in harm's way. We owe it to our servicemembers to have a debate and vote about whether or not it's in our national interest to engage in another unnecessary war in the Middle East."
The Senate is obligated to vote on the legislation, as War Powers resolutions are privileged.
The measure, which has Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as a co-sponsor, says that the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) provide no authorization for waging war against Iran and calls for the president to remove troops from engaging in hostilities against Iran within 30 days "unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force."
"I feel it is very foolish for the us to be involved in another war in the the Middle East," Kaine told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Friday afternoon. "But however you think about that question--Should we be at war?--I do know this. We should not go to a war with Iran based on a presidential decision with no consultation of Congress."
"We should not be committing our troops to war unless Congress has the guts to debate and vote that it's in the national interest," he added.
FCNL, the Quaker lobby, praised Kaine's call earlier Friday for restraint. "Congress cannot be a bystander," the group tweeted Friday. "The #EndlessWars must stop!"
In a later tweet, the faith-based group echoed Kaine's call for congressional action.
"War is not the answer; neither is assassination or mass killings of civilians," the group said. "We call on Congress to exercise its constitutional authority and stop the march to war."
Kaine's resolution was filed after the assassination Thursday night of Iran's top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, on orders from Trump. That killing sparked warnings from peace advocates and some Democratic lawmakers that the U.S. had set the stage for an all-out conflict with Iran.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just four days to go in our Spring Campaign, we are not even halfway to our goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Saying the situation in the Persian Gulf had now reached "a boiling point," Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a War Powers resolution on Friday in an effort to stop the Trump administration from waging war on Iran.
"For years, I've been deeply concerned about President [Donald] Trump stumbling into a war with Iran," said Kaine (D-Va.). "We're now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump puts even more of our troops in harm's way. We owe it to our servicemembers to have a debate and vote about whether or not it's in our national interest to engage in another unnecessary war in the Middle East."
The Senate is obligated to vote on the legislation, as War Powers resolutions are privileged.
The measure, which has Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as a co-sponsor, says that the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) provide no authorization for waging war against Iran and calls for the president to remove troops from engaging in hostilities against Iran within 30 days "unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force."
"I feel it is very foolish for the us to be involved in another war in the the Middle East," Kaine told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Friday afternoon. "But however you think about that question--Should we be at war?--I do know this. We should not go to a war with Iran based on a presidential decision with no consultation of Congress."
"We should not be committing our troops to war unless Congress has the guts to debate and vote that it's in the national interest," he added.
FCNL, the Quaker lobby, praised Kaine's call earlier Friday for restraint. "Congress cannot be a bystander," the group tweeted Friday. "The #EndlessWars must stop!"
In a later tweet, the faith-based group echoed Kaine's call for congressional action.
"War is not the answer; neither is assassination or mass killings of civilians," the group said. "We call on Congress to exercise its constitutional authority and stop the march to war."
Kaine's resolution was filed after the assassination Thursday night of Iran's top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, on orders from Trump. That killing sparked warnings from peace advocates and some Democratic lawmakers that the U.S. had set the stage for an all-out conflict with Iran.
Saying the situation in the Persian Gulf had now reached "a boiling point," Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a War Powers resolution on Friday in an effort to stop the Trump administration from waging war on Iran.
"For years, I've been deeply concerned about President [Donald] Trump stumbling into a war with Iran," said Kaine (D-Va.). "We're now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump puts even more of our troops in harm's way. We owe it to our servicemembers to have a debate and vote about whether or not it's in our national interest to engage in another unnecessary war in the Middle East."
The Senate is obligated to vote on the legislation, as War Powers resolutions are privileged.
The measure, which has Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) as a co-sponsor, says that the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) provide no authorization for waging war against Iran and calls for the president to remove troops from engaging in hostilities against Iran within 30 days "unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force."
"I feel it is very foolish for the us to be involved in another war in the the Middle East," Kaine told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Friday afternoon. "But however you think about that question--Should we be at war?--I do know this. We should not go to a war with Iran based on a presidential decision with no consultation of Congress."
"We should not be committing our troops to war unless Congress has the guts to debate and vote that it's in the national interest," he added.
FCNL, the Quaker lobby, praised Kaine's call earlier Friday for restraint. "Congress cannot be a bystander," the group tweeted Friday. "The #EndlessWars must stop!"
In a later tweet, the faith-based group echoed Kaine's call for congressional action.
"War is not the answer; neither is assassination or mass killings of civilians," the group said. "We call on Congress to exercise its constitutional authority and stop the march to war."
Kaine's resolution was filed after the assassination Thursday night of Iran's top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, on orders from Trump. That killing sparked warnings from peace advocates and some Democratic lawmakers that the U.S. had set the stage for an all-out conflict with Iran.