Kaine to Thune on Iran War: “Call the Senate Back into Session”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to bring the Senate back into session this week to address the Iran war, following social media posts by President Donald Trump in which he threatened to commit war crimes against Iranian civilians:

"I ask Senate Majority Leader Thune to call the Senate back into session this week. The President's unhinged social media postings over the weekend, particularly his profane threats on Easter Sunday to commit war crimes against Iranian civilian targets, show an increasing mental and moral instability that cannot be ignored. When combined with the Secretary of Defense's unexplained firing of respected Army leaders late last week, and so many other recent chaotic actions hurting our citizens, these trends are a flashing red warning light for our nation.

"America has stood as a beacon of democracy and diplomacy since President Teddy Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for brokering the end of the Russo-Japanese War. We've made many mistakes along the way as human institutions inevitably do. But we've been the go-to nation when global leadership was needed to solve massive humanitarian problems or stop the violent march of those who would crush the freedoms of everyday people anywhere.

"This meaningful legacy is now being shredded by an Administration that punishes allies with crushing tariffs and idiotic insults, tears up functioning diplomatic deals, and abandons international institutions and agreements that we formed over decades to enhance global stability. The President is emboldening our adversaries and dictators of all stripes, who seek to squash dissent and avoid being accountable to their people.

"The Senate was formed with a specific purpose-to be a zealous guard of a Constitution formed to prevent the executive tyranny our nation's founders chose to escape. Allowing this President unfettered latitude to wage war, tank the economy, engage in offensive and juvenile attacks on allies, trash our nation's commitment to human rights, and ignore the will of the American public is a massive abdication of responsibility at the very time when the nation most needs us.

"Let's return to Washington and deliberate on how we can fulfill the responsibilities we were entrusted with and preserve our democracy against the tyranny our Founders foresaw. The President has the power that Article II of the Constitution provides. But he cannot gag the Article I branch from exercising its own power. The question is whether Congress will continue to gag itself."

###