Pramila Jayapal

Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Procedure Mr. Speaker, Claims · 26 wordsI rise to urge the United States House of Representatives to pass my War Powers Resolution to end President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional war in Iran. Procedure · 19 wordsLet me be clear: We should not have to be here, yet again, voting on another War Powers Resolution.Procedure Claims · 39 wordsFor the first time in history, both the House and Senate passed a War Powers Resolution to rein in this reckless war and reassert our constitutional authority under Article I, Section 8 to authorize the use of military force.¹ Positioning · 43 wordsHowever, the President is, once again, showing his contempt for Congress and for the Constitution, continuing this destructive, deadly, and costly war despite Congress having already passed a War Powers Resolution that has the force of law declaring that this war must stop.Positioning Claims · 127 wordsInstead of respecting Congress’ Article I sole constitutional authorities over war, the President has doubled down on more illegal strikes, escalating the situation in the region and leading to more Iranian strikes that killed two United States soldiers as well as an additional servicemember who was killed during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone.² Gas prices across the country have gone up again. The memorandum of understanding has turned into a deadly memorandum of misunderstanding with the Iranian Government continuing to utilize leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. This is an illegal and unconstitutional war waged without authorization from Congress and at a tremendous cost of a total of 18 U.S. servicemembers who have lost their lives and hundreds more who have been injured.³ Thanks · 34 wordsI give tremendous honor and respect to our servicemembers, those who serve, those who have sacrificed their lives, including U.S. Air Force Captain Ariana G. Savino who is from my home State of Washington.Thanks Claims · 77 wordsThe cost of this war is incalculable. Not only have we lost 18 U.S. servicemembers, but this war has been waged at the cost of thousands of civilians who have been displaced or killed in the region, and all on the backs of U.S. taxpayers who desperately want this administration to focus on the crisis of their pocketbooks: The basic inability of Americans in the richest country in the world to afford healthcare, gas, groceries, and housing. Positioning · 64 wordsFrom the beginning, this war has had no clear mission, no strategy, no end goal. It has been driven over and over again by a President who won his election by telling the American people that he would end forever wars and instead has launched us into more forever wars to distract the American people from the real issues they are facing at home.Positioning Claims · 127 wordsAs the secretary of forever wars, Pete Hegseth, announced, we have already spent $37.5 billion on this illegal and unconstitutional war.⁴ Donald Trump has called affordability a hoax, stated that we have no money for healthcare, and refused to sign a bipartisan bill to help address the housing crisis that this country is facing.Off point Today, on the House floor, Republicans have put bills forward to demand $1.15 trillion for the Pentagon, the only Federal agency that has actually failed eight consecutive audits, ⁵and he is about to put another $73 billion into this illegal war.⁶ What an insult to the tens of millions of Americans who have lost healthcare and nutrition assistance, all to pay, initially, for $4 trillion in tax breaks for giant corporations and billionaires.⁷Off point Procedure · 5 wordsAgain, let’s be very clear.Procedure Claims · 134 wordsThe American people are paying the price of this war literally through our tax dollars that Donald Trump refuses to spend to benefit the lives of Americans here at home; through the lives of our United States servicemembers who ask only that their willingness and their pride in serving be rewarded with our real thoughtfulness of purpose before sending them into war; through the pain at the gas pump and the grocery store as prices continue to tick up; through the broken relationships with allies around the world who no longer believe that the United States is a real partner to them; through the sacrifices of the American people who desperately want this administration and this Congress to focus on making their lives affordable so they can actually thrive rather than just barely survive. Reasoning · 13 wordsRegime change, Mr. Speaker, doesn’t work. It never has, and it never will.Logical leapUnearned certainty Claims · 59 wordsIn Iraq, more than 4,000 troops were killed and 32,000 were injured.⁸ In Afghanistan, 2,400 troops were killed, ⁹and 20,000 were injured. Those two wars alone cost at least $2.4 trillion, ¹⁰and neither led to freedom or peace for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the toll on our own people--lives lost and ruined, PTSD, wasted dollars--is immense. Reasoning · 14 wordsWe have got to stop thinking that bombs are the answer. They are not. Claims · 61 wordsLet us remember that it was Donald Trump in his first term who pulled us out of the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA, a landmark agreement negotiated by President Obama that required 2 years of careful negotiations to restrict Iran’s ability to enrich and stockpile enriched uranium and to ensure regular inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, supply chains, ¹¹and uranium mines. Reasoning · 40 wordsHad the JCPOA been left in place, we would not be in this situation today. It would have worked to minimize Iran’s nuclear threat and strengthen Iranian civil society instead of slapping sanctions on and deepening the brutal regime’s hold. Thanks · 87 wordsI want to thank Ranking Member Meeks for his tremendous leadership on this issue. I want to thank my Democratic and Republican colleagues who are voting for this bill for their clarity of conscience and of Constitution. I also want to thank Congressman Crow for his partnership on this War Powers Resolution as well as the bipartisan group of Members who have cosponsored, many of whom have served in uniform for our country and uniquely understand the immense sacrifice and duty of serving in our Armed Forces.Thanks The ask · 38 wordsI hope that there are even more on the other side who listen to this debate and are moved to join us in passing this War Powers Resolution with even more strength in votes than the last one. Reasoning · 64 wordsOur Founders knew that going to war was one of the most solemn decisions that our country would face and that it had to be debated and authorized only by the elected Representatives of the people of the United States of America, Congress, not by a President who ignores his obligation to the institution and his obligation to the people of the United States. Mr. Speaker, The ask · 16 wordsI urge a ``yes’’ vote on this War Powers Resolution. We must end this war now. Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 wordsI reserve the balance of my time.Procedure