May, 07 2020, 12:00am EDT
Statement: Trump Vetoes Iran WPR Against The Will of the People
Win Without War Executive Director Stephen Miles released the following statement regarding President Trump's veto of Sen. Kaine's Iran War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res.68):
WASHINGTON
Win Without War Executive Director Stephen Miles released the following statement regarding President Trump's veto of Sen. Kaine's Iran War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res.68):
"Once again Donald Trump has gone out of his way to trample both the powers of Congress and the will of the people, all in order to bring us closer to a catastrophic war with Iran and distract from his failures to address this global pandemic.
"A majority of Congress has repeatedly and unequivocally declared its opposition to war with Iran. The House has spoken through two Iran War Powers votes, as well as bills to block funding for an unauthorized war and to repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization for use of military force, which the Trump administration erroneously claims provides authority for war with Iran. As a co-equal branch of government with the sole constitutional authority to declare war, a bipartisan resolution supported by a majority of Congress should be enough. Simply put: Trump is not authorized to start a war. But he refuses to listen.
"In the six times that Trump has used his veto during his presidency, all six were to override Congress's attempts to check his reckless misuse of national security powers, including another War Powers Resolution on U.S. involvement in the catastrophic war in Yemen. Today's act of disregard for constitutional separation of powers comes mere weeks after Trump baselessly claimed that his 'authority is total,' prompting bipartisan condemnation.
"The COVID-19 crisis should be a wake-up call: the war-first foreign policy status quo has made the world less safe, not more. Now is the time to rein in U.S. militarism, not risk another war."a
Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and organizations working for a more peaceful, progressive U.S. foreign policy. We believe that by democratizing U.S. foreign policy and providing progressive alternatives, we can achieve more peaceful, just, and common sense policies that ensure that all people--regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion, or economic status--can find and take advantage of opportunity equally and feel secure.
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Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Tuesday again blocked the passage of House-approved bipartisan legislation meant to shield journalists and telecommunications companies from being compelled to disclose sources and other information to federal authorities.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) brought the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act—which would prohibit the federal government from forcing journalists and telecom companies to disclose certain information, with exceptions for terroristic or violent threats—for a unanimous consent vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued Tuesday that passing the PRESS Act is "more important now than ever before when we've heard some in the previous administration talk about going after the press in one way or another," a reference to Republican President-elect Donald Trump's threats to jail journalists who refuse to reveal the sources of leaks. Trump, who has referred to the press as the "enemy of the people," repeatedly urged Senate Republicans to "kill this bill."
Cotton, who blocked a vote on the legislation in December 2022, again objected to the bill, a move that thwarted its speedy passage. The Republican called the legislation a "threat to national security" and "the biggest giveaway to the liberal press in American history."
The advocacy group Defending Rights and Dissent lamented that "Congress has abdicated their responsibility to take substantive steps to protect the constitutional right to a free press."
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Trump has picked Harmeet Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She has stated that it must be "made unsafe" for hospitals to provide trans care, and frequently shares Libs of TikTok posts. She intends to target trans people in blue states. Subscribe to support my journalism.
[image or embed]
— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com) December 10, 2024 at 8:14 AM
Reed continued:
Dhillon's most prominent work includes founding the Center for American Liberty, a legal organization that focuses heavily on anti-transgender cases in blue states. The organization's "featured cases" section highlights several lawsuits, such as Chloe Cole's case against Kaiser Permanente; a lawsuit challenging a Colorado school's use of a transgender student's preferred name; a case against a California school district seeking to implement policies that would forcibly out transgender students; and a lawsuit against Vermont for denying a foster care license to a family unwilling to comply with nondiscrimination policies regarding transgender youth.
Reed also highlighted Dhillon's attacks on state laws protecting transgender people, as well as her expression of "extreme anti-trans views" on social media—including calling gender-affirming healthcare for trans children "child abuse."
Last year, The Guardian's Jason Wilson reported that the Center for American Liberty made a six-figure payment to a public relations firm that represented Dhillion in both "her capacity as head of her own for-profit law firm and Republican activist."
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