On the recordFebruary 13, 2020
I have great respect for my distinguished colleague from Alaska, and I appreciate his service to our country and his thoughts today. I stand in opposition to his amendment because, if there is one thing we don't need right now, it is anything else that would give more authority to the military-industrial complex to start and finish wars without authorization from Congress. Anytime we introduce additional ambiguity into a field that is already ripe with ambiguity, given the inherent tension between ambiguities surrounding the inherent article II Commander in Chief power and the article I power that Congress has to declare war, we run into problems. This would open up that ambiguity. The legislation we are addressing here, this resolution, is bipartisan. It has as its object to clarify that, for future, offensive action, we need congressional authorization. We have been lied to by the Pentagon for years regarding a war that has gone on for two decades. That is long enough. We don't want to create additional ambiguities. We don't want any more wars without the people's elected representatives being able to debate it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
