Iran
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, yesterday, the U.S. Senate got an update from the administration about Saturday's strike on Iran. We heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine, who is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They told us, beyond a doubt, the Iran strikes were successful.
Two things are clear: one, President Trump protected our country; and, two, America drew a redline on Iran--no nuclear weapons--and President Trump enforced it.
Every recent President has said a nuclear Iran is unacceptable. Bill Clinton said it. George W. Bush said it. Barack Obama said it. Joe Biden said it. Even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said back in 2015:
If there is only a 10 percent chance Iran uses a nuclear weapon, it is vital we prevent it.
That is exactly what President Trump did, and he did it effectively. For over 40 years, Iran has targeted, threatened, and terrorized the United States and our allies. We know from our own intelligence and from independent experts that Iran was dangerously close to getting nuclear weapons.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have called for diplomacy. Well, President Trump tried diplomacy for months. President Trump laid down guidelines and deadlines, and then he drew a redline. Iran used diplomatic talks to stall. It did so as it continued to race toward a nuclear weapon.
As Commander in Chief, President Trump has the full authority to act. He did so consistent with article II, section 2 of the Constitution, and he did so decisively. It was a limited, powerful, and precise strike. It was aimed specifically at Iran's nuclear facilities--not at Iran's leadership, not at the Iranian people. And here is more good news: No American lives were lost--absolutely none.
This was a powerful message to Iran, but not just to Iran--also to Russia, to China, to North Korea, and to anyone else who is an adversary of the United States. The message is this: America means what it says, and America will keep our people safe.
Now, Democrats, of course, rushed to turn this successful strike into a political fight. Even today, they are forcing the Senate to vote this very afternoon on a resolution that says the President lacked the authority to do what he did. They have gone so far as to imply that the successful protection of the American people is an impeachable offense. Democrats are calling for the President's impeachment because of his successful attack on the Iranian nuclear program.
National security should be something that unites us. But let's not forget that Democrats have said Presidents can act without a vote of Congress. They have said it many times in the past. Recall, when President Obama struck Libya in 2011, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress wasn't needed because the strike was ``limited.''
Now that there is a Republican in the White House, what we are seeing is that Democrats are suddenly trying to rewrite the rules. National security moves fast. That is why our Constitution gives the Commander in Chief real authority. President Trump seized the moment. He did it responsibly; he did it decisively; and he did it constitutionally. America and our allies are safer today because of it.
And the resolution from Senator Kaine that we are voting on today I believe is not needed, and I most certainly will oppose it. If passed, it would prevent the President from protecting us in the future. I urge all of my colleagues to reject it.
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