Crow Introduces War Powers Resolution to Rein in Trump Military Action in Venezuela
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, today introduced a War Powers Resolution to rein in the Trump Administration’s unilateral, unauthorized military action in Venezuela.
Following a classified Congressional briefing by Administration officials, Crow warned that the Trump Administration risks plunging the U.S. into another forever war in Venezuela. He highlighted Americans’ lack of appetite for more foreign intervention and underscored the need for leaders to focus on bringing down costs for every American.
Crow was joined by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), and Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20).
Watch Congressman Crow’s remarks here, and find a transcript of them below.
In his remarks, Crow said:
“As a three-time combat veteran, I get pretty damn hot when a five-time draft dodger like Donald Trump and soft-handed elites like Stephen Miller, bang the war drums in Washington, D.C., and talk about sending our troops on the ground and how tough they're gonna be.
“Because what I learned years ago as a Ranger and a paratrooper is that when elites here, bang the war drums and pound their chest, it's not them or their kids that they're talking about. It's working class kids and folks around this country, people like me and who I grew up with, that have to grab a rifle, get into a helicopter, get into a ship and do the thing.
“America is done with that. Americans are done with sending our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters to fight endless quagmire nation building wars on behalf of elites and oil executives, and to shed blood year, after year, after year.
“As we sat there in Iraq and Afghanistan, every year, the generals and the admirals would say, one more year, one more troop surge, one more new strategy, and we'll figure this out. Twenty years later, thousands of American lives and trillions of taxpayer dollars later, they ended in failure.
“The ghosts of those wars haunt us today. That's what this is about, because nobody can ever tell me that if this body, the United States Congress, had done its job and constantly and every year debated, and voted, and went back to town halls, and high school gymnasiums, and rotary clubs around this country, and sat there in front of their constituents and said, ‘This is why you should spend trillions of dollars. This is why we should spend thousands of Americans to go and die,’ that they wouldn't have ended earlier and differently.
“This is that moment for the Congress to retake its power, and its authority, and do its damn job. And if our colleagues are not willing to do their damn job, then they should go home. And if later on, when they're called for a vote, they still aren't willing to do their damn job, then later this year, we will send them home.
“America has had enough. We are stepping up to lead. We will stop the insanity. Americans deserve affordable healthcare, good infrastructure, affordable homes, and a strong and smart foreign policy and national security. They do not deserve the endless adventurism and corruption of Donald Trump and his administration. We are here to end it.”
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