Schumer Condemns Iran Strike in Pointed Floor Speech: Trump May Have Brought Us ‘Closer to Another Endless War’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned President Donald Trump’s military strike that killed a top Iranian general, arguing the president may be drawing the U.S. into “another endless war.”
“Last night, the United States contacted a military operation designed to kill major general Qasem Soleimani, a notorious terrorist. No one should shed a tear over his death,” the New York senator said in a floor speech Friday, going on to note that Trump did not brief the Gang of Eight on the significant military action.
“When the security of the Nation is at stake, decisions must not be made in a vacuum,” Schumer said. “The framers of the Constitution gave war powers to the legislature and made the executive the commander-in-chief for the precise reason of forcing the two branches of government to consult with one another when it came to matters of war and of peace.”
“It is paramount for administrations to get an outside view to prevent groupthink and rash action,” he continued.
“The administration did not consult in this case and I fear that those very serious questions have not been answered and may not be fully considered. Among those questions, what was the legal basis for conducting this operation? And how far does that legal basis extend? Iran has many dangerous surrogates in the region and a whole range of possible responses. Which responses do we expect, which are most likely? Do we have plans to counter all of the possible responses” Schumer asked rhetorically.
“The president’s decision may add to an already dangerous and difficult situation in the Middle East. The risk of a much longer military engagement in the Middle East is acute and immediate. This action may well have brought our nation closer to another endless war – exactly the kind of endless war the president promised he would not drag us into,” Schumer concluded.
Watch above, via Fox News.
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