Tim Kaine: “I rise in opposition to the amendment, not because my colleague from Wisconsin is completely wrong about the need for…”

“I rise in opposition to the amendment, not because my colleague from Wisconsin is completely wrong about the need for WHO accountability. The facts he stated are facts that are troubling. But the bill that is on the floor is a bill to repeal the Iraq war authorizations of 1991 and 2002. The bill has nothing to do with global health or the WHO. The Senate has not repealed a war authorization since 1971--52 years. This is a historic debate. When we authorized the wars in Iraq, the Gulf war and the invasion of 2003, we did it in authorizations that didn't include extraneous amendments. The Senate deemed these important enough that other matters, even if they were important, were not added onto the declarations of war. I strongly believe we should take up this repeal, keep it limited precisely to the question on the floor--should we repeal the Iraq war authorizations--and not add in extraneous matter, even if that matter has some merit. And for that reason, I would ask my colleagues to vote against the amendment. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.”