TRANSCRIPT: At Press Conference After Senate Republicans Block War Powers Resolution, Leader Schumer Condemns Republicans For Abdicating Constitutional Responsibility And[...]

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) condemned Senate Republicans for blocking a War Powers Resolution that some even previously supported as they continually abdicate their constitutional responsibility to check the President's reckless military adventurism. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks:

Americans tonight are wondering how they're going to pay their bills, and Republicans in the Senate abdicated their responsibility and said, "If you want to go to war in South America, go ahead." How does that look?

The bottom line is, Senate Republicans continually fall in line behind Donald Trump, no matter how reckless, no matter how unconstitutional, no matter the potential cost of American lives. And what happened here is such a glaring contrast.

On the one hand, this afternoon, we went to the floor and asked to extend the [ACA] tax credits by three years, and they blocked that. But here, they go along with the President, who is defying what the Constitution requires and is reckless, really, in my judgment. And the chances of us getting into an endless war are even greater, because when the Republicans rubber-stamp everything he does, the constraints go away.

Donald Trump said he's not afraid of putting boots on the ground in Venezuela when asked how long it would take - one year, two years, three years. Even that wasn't long enough. He said much longer. That's not ambiguous.

So why wouldn't our Republican colleagues just do what Congress is supposed to do, assert our authority, and say, "Let's have a debate"? Let's say if he's going to go any further in Venezuela, he needs congressional approval.

What has happened tonight is a roadmap to another endless war, because this Senate, under Republican leadership, failed to assert its legitimate and needed authority. So, one thing's absolutely clear: the American people don't want endless war.

The Republicans who voted to allow that to happen are politically going to pay a price. We've learned that over the years. But the American people don't want it. And it's the American people who have, in the past, when we have tried to do this kind of regime change and nation building, paid the price in treasure and even blood.

Americans don't want military adventurism and prolonged conflict with no plan, no transparency, no articulated goals. And make no mistake about it: this vote makes things more dangerous, not less. It emboldens Donald Trump to push further down this reckless path.

And so, I want to say to my colleagues, thank you. Senate Democrats will continue to do what Republicans refuse to do: stand up for our service members, stand up for the American people, stand up for the Constitution.

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