Discussion · Senate
Amy Klobuchar Democrat
“I want the Senate to pass this resolution to pull our troops out of the war with Iran. Congress never approved this war. It has gone on for six months with no plan to end it. It has killed American troops, cost billions of dollars, and driven up gas prices. The President must end it.”
“Mr. President, I rise today to urge the Senate to assert its constitutional authority and to demand accountability for the grave costs that servicemembers, their families, and the American people have shouldered because of the President’s war in Iran. After more than 6 months--6 months--it is clear that the President had no plan when the war started and has no plan for how to end it. To be clear, Iran is a terrorist state and should never have a nuclear weapon, and the regime’s aggression in the region and repression of Iranian citizens must end. That is why I have long supported sanctions against Iran as well as the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by President Obama and our allies. And I opposed President Trump’s decision to take us out of that agreement. Our ultimate goal must be peace in the region. But more than 6 months into this conflict, American servicemembers have been killed, including my constituent MSG Nicole Amor, who was among those killed by an Iranian strike on a United States facility in Kuwait on March 1. Innocent civilians across the region have also been killed, and the costs keep mounting. Beyond the toll on human life, the costs of the war to taxpayers is staggering. The Pentagon recently estimated that it has already spent $42 billion on this unauthorized war so far--$42 billion. This is money that could be used to expand childcare or to restore healthcare premium tax credits to help millions of Americans who have seen their healthcare premiums double or triple this year or how about the 8 million people who, just this last year, have given up coverage entirely? That $40 billion, that could have extended the tax credits to help people afford their insurance premiums for over a year. And now the President is asking for $70 billion more. That is 2 more years of those tax credits. As a result of this war, American families continue to face spiking gas prices, costing consumers more than $800 per family in higher gas and diesel costs. American people, outside of what I just outlined that the Pentagon has spent of its taxpayer money, have spent over $100 billion on this war in higher prices. In Minnesota, gas prices are up more than a $1.50 since the day before the war started. Diesel prices--right as farmers are going to harvest--have doubled across the country. These higher fuel prices also make trucking, in addition to farming and freight, more expensive, hitting families and small businesses over and over again when you add to that the tariffs. That is why Congress must step up and assert our authority under the Constitution. Congress did not authorize this war. And more than 6 months in, Congress still has not authorized this war--6 months in. And our colleagues on the other side of the aisle keep just giving up their authority. Why even come here? Why even take this job if you are going to just let one President run over you and be able to make his own calls and just say: Hey, we are going to a war. It is going to cost the American people over $100 billion. It is going to spike up prices across the country. Innocent people are going to be killed, and then we are going to lose soldiers at the same time. In fact, both Houses of Congress have passed resolutions to stop this unauthorized war. I have voted a dozen times to stop this war, unless Congress passes an authorization, and I will continue to vote that way until Congress restores its role in decisions of war and peace. The American people are asking what this war has accomplished: Are we closer to a strong and strict agreement to curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions? The answer is no. Are we now dealing with Iranian leaders who are less hardline? The answer is no. Have we preserved open shipping routes that are so important for trade? Answer, no. It is time for the President to end this war. It is time for the work to bring costs down for the American people and foster lasting peace in the region. This is our moment. I yield the floor.”
Mr. President, I rise today to urge the Senate to assert its constitutional authority and to demand accountability for the grave costs that servicemembers, their families, and the American people have shouldered because of the President’s war in Iran. After more than 6 months--6 months--it is clear that the President had no plan when the war started and has no plan for how to end it. To be clear, Iran is a terrorist state and should never have a nuclear weapon, and the regime’s aggression in the region and repression of Iranian citizens must end. That is why I have long supported sanctions against Iran as well as the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by President Obama and our allies. And I opposed President Trump’s decision to take us out of that agreement. Our ultimate goal must be peace in the region. But more than 6 months into this conflict, American servicemembers have been killed, including my constituent MSG Nicole Amor, who was among those killed by an Iranian strike on a United States facility in Kuwait on March 1. Innocent civilians across the region have also been killed, and the costs keep mounting. Beyond the toll on human life, the costs of the war to taxpayers is staggering. The Pentagon recently estimated that it has already spent $42 billion on this unauthorized war so far--$42 billion. This is money that could be used to expand childcare or to restore healthcare premium tax credits to help millions of Americans who have seen their healthcare premiums double or triple this year or how about the 8 million people who, just this last year, have given up coverage entirely? That $40 billion, that could have extended the tax credits to help people afford their insurance premiums for over a year. And now the President is asking for $70 billion more. That is 2 more years of those tax credits. As a result of this war, American families continue to face spiking gas prices, costing consumers more than $800 per family in higher gas and diesel costs. American people, outside of what I just outlined that the Pentagon has spent of its taxpayer money, have spent over $100 billion on this war in higher prices. In Minnesota, gas prices are up more than a $1.50 since the day before the war started. Diesel prices--right as farmers are going to harvest--have doubled across the country. These higher fuel prices also make trucking, in addition to farming and freight, more expensive, hitting families and small businesses over and over again when you add to that the tariffs. That is why Congress must step up and assert our authority under the Constitution. Congress did not authorize this war. And more than 6 months in, Congress still has not authorized this war--6 months in. And our colleagues on the other side of the aisle keep just giving up their authority. Why even come here? Why even take this job if you are going to just let one President run over you and be able to make his own calls and just say: Hey, we are going to a war. It is going to cost the American people over $100 billion. It is going to spike up prices across the country. Innocent people are going to be killed, and then we are going to lose soldiers at the same time. In fact, both Houses of Congress have passed resolutions to stop this unauthorized war. I have voted a dozen times to stop this war, unless Congress passes an authorization, and I will continue to vote that way until Congress restores its role in decisions of war and peace. The American people are asking what this war has accomplished: Are we closer to a strong and strict agreement to curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions? The answer is no. Are we now dealing with Iranian leaders who are less hardline? The answer is no. Have we preserved open shipping routes that are so important for trade? Answer, no. It is time for the President to end this war. It is time for the work to bring costs down for the American people and foster lasting peace in the region. This is our moment. I yield the floor.