Political Quotes

“I rise to override the President's veto of S.J. Res. 68, which requires the removal of U.S. troops from hostilities against Iran that Congress may not have authorized. It seems like ages ago that we were truly on the brink of a potentially devastating, costly, and unnecessary war against Iran, but it was actually just a few months ago. Make no mistake--even as Iranians have suffered the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the Middle East, we have witnessed Iran continue its support for terrorism, harassment of American naval vessels, and general malfeasance throughout the region. Indeed, it now seems that Iran may be principally responsible for driving the spread of COVID-19 throughout the region. I don't think there is any question about Iran's malign activity. More to the point of the legislation at hand, I shed no tears for Qassem Soleimani, who left a legacy of terrorism, bloodshed, and American deaths. However, this body has a constitutional responsibility and prerogative to declare war, to make the decision about whether to send our sons and daughters into battlefields. We have the responsibility to ensure that the Executive is effectively deploying every diplomatic tool it can before rushing recklessly into battle, particularly one without clearly defined outcomes or clarity of purpose. We must exercise our check over the Executive, particularly when it comes to the life and death of Americans.…”