On the recordJanuary 7, 2020
The House cannot sit still and allow Trump to become an imperial President, answerable to no one. Without consultation with House leadership or even leaders in the Republican Senate, Trump ordered the killing of a major military leader, Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Like countless officials worldwide, Soleimani was a bad actor whose forces were responsible for the deaths of Americans. However, Soleimani was not killed on the battlefield but was targeted by President Trump in Baghdad. Trump may have been seeking revenge for the storming and damaging of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the largest, most fortified embassy in the world. Tit-for-tat is not a policy. It is a childish and dangerous response that could lead to all-out hostilities. The U.S. lacks credibility to start diplomatic efforts. I hope that our allies will intervene as emissaries before it is too late. ____________________
