Bill Lee: “the issue we are confronting today is one that deals with the separation of powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.…”

“the issue we are confronting today is one that deals with the separation of powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Our system of government was set up in such a way as to protect the people from the dangers associated with the excessive accumulation of power in the hands of a few. We knew from our experience under British rule that bad things happen, especially at a national level, when too few people exercise too much of the power. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of the war power. In fact, much of the Revolutionary struggle that led to the creation of our Nation resulted from wartime activities undertaken by a Monarch thousands of miles and an ocean away. It is important today that we remember those same concerns and the constraints placed in our Constitution as we run our government nearly 2\1/2\ centuries later. I am happy to be here with my colleague, Senator Sanders, to file a discharge motion for our resolution, S.J. Res. 54. Whether you are present in the Chamber today, physically with us, or whether you are tuning in at home, I hope you will listen closely so that we can fill you in on the unauthorized Middle East war that your government--the government of the United States of America--is supporting and actively participating in as a cobelligerent. This war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians--human beings, lest we forget--each one of them possessing innate, immeasurable worth and dignity.…”