Duckworth Joins Democratic Leadership to Push Importance of Reigning in Trump with War Powers Resolution

Duckworth Joins Democratic Leadership to Push Importance of Reigning in Trump with War Powers Resolution

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) to disavow Donald Trump's unjustified and illegal war against Iran and announce she will force Senate Republicans to vote tomorrow on her War Powers Resolution. Video of Duckworth's remarks are available on YouTube.

Key Quotes:

• "He's chosen to pick fights with the Pope of all people rather than try to engage in any semblance of real diplomacy to end the war… caring more about saving face than saving lives. Now, after one half-assed day of so-called negotiations, he's whipsawed to his next idea: a dangerous, complex, partial military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz-once again launching a risky new front in this war at our servicemembers' expense… with no justification, explanation, or even 'concept of a plan' of how to get to an end-state."

• "He's declaring 'we did it, we're winning,' but everyone can see that he hasn't won a single thing. We're still at war, Americans are still at risk, civilians across the region are still dying. And Trump can't give one damn reason why. In reality, the only thing that Trump has accomplished over the last six weeks is more chaos."

• "My Republican colleagues have a choice. It's simple: They can vote with me to end this conflict and prove that they're actually putting America first-or vote to put Trump's ego first. With this war growing more and more out of control each day, it's clear that they cannot do both."

War Powers Resolutions are privileged, meaning they can be brought to the Senate floor for a vote by any Senator 10 calendar days after they are filed. Over the past several weeks, a group of Democratic Senators-including Duckworth-has been forcing votes on War Powers resolutions to stop Donald Trump's illegal and disastrous war of choice with Iran and reassert the Senate's constitutional role in matters of war and peace. Duckworth's War Powers Resolution is set to come up for a vote on the Senate floor tomorrow.

Full remarks as prepared below:

Hello everyone.

I don't know if it's just me, but I seem to remember Donald Trump campaigning on the promise of supposedly "making America great again."

But at this point, it's beyond clear that when Trump looks at the word "America" he only sees the second and third letters: M-E.

Donald Trump wouldn't know what the what "sacrifice" meant if we wrote the definition in big sharpie letters right in front of him.

But despite the fact that he ran away from danger and right to his podiatrist when his nation needed him to serve in Vietnam, thousands of the bravest Americans you or I could ever meet are actively facing needless danger abroad: because they volunteered to make the sacrifice Donald Trump was too cowardly to make.

And already, because of Trump's unjustified, unwanted and unauthorized war, thirteen of our heroes are dead, while hundreds more have been wounded.

From the moment this conflict began, Trump has tried to shroud his incompetence behind the valor of our servicemembers.

When asked to justify his actions, he's tried to hide his ignorance and cowardice behind their courage.

He's tried to act as if questioning why we're at war is the same as questioning the skill and bravery of our troops themselves.

It isn't. Not at all.

I know that our military will always do the best job possible.

When given a mission, our servicemembers don't say, "Why me?"

They don't ask, "But will I be safe?"

No.

Instead, they pack their rucksacks.

They lace up their boots.

They show up. And they do what's asked of them.

Time after time, tour after tour.

They will always, always execute their orders to the maximum capability of their professionalism.

And they're proud to do it.

The problem is that the man who's supposed to be their leader has no idea what he's doing.

The problem is that their Commander-in-Chief not only has no idea what the end-state looks like in his war of choice. He probably doesn't even know what the term "end-state" means at all.

The problem is that even in the last two weeks, the man in charge of this whole mess has somehow gotten even more erratic.

He's threatened the annihilation of an entire civilization-terrifying people overseas and here at home, who are understandably worried about retaliatory strikes.

He's chosen to pick fights with the Pope of all people rather than try to engage in any semblance of real diplomacy to end the war… caring more about saving face than saving lives.

Now, after one half-assed day of so-called negotiations, he's whipsawed to his next idea: a dangerous, complex, partial military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz-once again launching a risky new front in this war at our servicemembers' expense… with no justification, explanation, or even "concept of a plan" of how to get to an end-state.

But Trump is Trump-and is actively, unabashedly, telling us to ignore what we're seeing with our own eyes.

Day after day, he tries to declare "mission accomplished" - even though day after day, we're seeing more and more failures of his own making.

We're still at war, Americans are still at risk, civilians across the region are still dying for no reason anyone can articulate.

He's declaring "we did it, we're winning," but everyone can see that he hasn't won a single thing. We're still at war, Americans are still at risk, civilians across the region are still dying. And Trump can't give one damn reason why.

In reality, the only thing that Trump has accomplished over the last six weeks is more chaos.

His actions… his incompetence… have led to:

The installment of new, younger Ayatollah who seems perhaps even more radical, more dangerous than his father...

More Gold Star parents grieving their children...

And more American families struggling to afford the spiking gas prices…

Unsure if they can pay every time they go to the gas station-yet forced to, because they need to get to work… they need to take their kid to the third grade… they need to take their aging parent to the doctor.

Only someone as inept and unfit… someone as callous and cruel… as Trump would see this as "winning."

Only a draft-dodging coward would think that this is the right way to engage in war.

We cannot let this chaos continue unchecked.

As our troops continue to sacrifice whatever is asked of them, we Senators need to do the absolute minimum required of us.

That's why, this week, I'm going to demand a vote on my War Powers Resolution to end Trump's illegal war.

My Republican colleagues have a choice:

It's simple: They can vote with me to end this conflict and prove that they're actually putting America first-or vote to put Trump's ego first. With this war growing more and more out of control each day, it's clear that they cannot do both.

Thank you.

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