Directing the Removal of United States Armed Forces From Hostilities Within or Against Venezuela That Have Not Been Authorized By Congress--

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KIM. Mr. President, I rise today because since early September, Donald Trump has ordered our military to engage in 16 strikes in the Caribbean and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Those strikes have killed more than 65 people. Each one of those strikes--each person killed--was done without the necessary legal basis or proper justification to this Congress and the American people. Now, amid a buildup of forces in the Caribbean, the administration is even reportedly considering action against Venezuela itself.

We are not powerless against this lawlessness. That is why I rise today in support of this resolution.

I rise because no President can unilaterally decide to use our military to target or kill anyone that they simply claim to be a threat.

I rise because if we do not hold this President accountable, we abdicate our responsibility to be a voice for the American people and instead embolden Trump to intensify this conflict.

I rise because these actions can quickly escalate into a conflict that could destabilize the Western Hemisphere and would put the lives of American troops on the line.

I rise because as we see this President abuse the fundamental trust and purpose of our powerful military both abroad and here at home in our own cities, it is imperative that we push back against his relentless lawlessness.

I have seen this from my own perspective. Whether that was working as a State Department officer embedded with the military out in Afghanistan or in my work at the Pentagon or in my work at the National Security Council working to try to counter the terrorist group ISIS, I saw the importance of our being able to do that but doing it in a way that is in accordance with our own laws, to be able to both ensure unity as a government but also to ensure that our servicemembers who are fighting have the protections that they need, that they know that the entirety of our government leadership is behind them and that our country is with them. But that is not what we have right now.

The first step in fighting back against the lawlessness is understanding the importance of the War Powers Resolution.

In this very Chamber 53 years ago, Senator Javits, in debating the overturning of President Nixon's veto of the War Powers Resolution, called the power to bring America into war the ``most awesome power in the possession of any sovereignty.'' This resolution, he said, is about ensuring the ``broad representation of the people in the Congress a voice'' in exercising that power.

Senator Javits reminded this Chamber in the wake of the Vietnam war that ``wars cannot be successfully fought except with the consent of the people and with their support.''

What we have seen is a President in Donald Trump who thinks he can use that awesome power against anyone he wants, anytime he wants. That is not what the law says, and it is not what our Founders intended. Our Founders intended for the people to have a say in when we commit our sons and daughters to harm's way.

Even in an emergency, the law requires the President to seek Congress's approval within a 60-day window to continue action. In this circumstance, that window closed on Monday with zero indication that this White House will stop taking military action even without having a clear, legal basis to continue.

They first recognized the legal parameters of the War Powers Resolution back in September, but now the administration is arguing that they are not bound by this law. They have changed their tune and are contradicting their own arguments in order to get around the law.

Of course, that won't stop them from pretending they have legal grounds and fabricating justification where none exists. You will hear them reference a list that designates certain cartels as ``terrorist groups,'' but the authority to pursue groups on this list provides absolutely no basis for the use of deadly force. Even worse, they still have provided zero proof of how they know the individuals they have targeted are linked to these cartels.

Trump is simply giving himself the power to designate and then to kill enemies without there being a proper legal review or transparency for the American people. That is not a power any President should have alone, and we cannot allow this to proceed under our watch. After all, it will not be Donald Trump who feels the consequences of further conflict; it will be military families and the American people. That is why decisions of war require deliberation, careful consideration, and a clear legal basis. That is why they require congressional authorization.

Through this resolution, we can uphold our responsibility to give voice to Americans on the safety of our troops and the security of our great Nation. We need to give that voice in this moment because this is a crisis that can spiral into a conflict and from a conflict into an all-out war.

While Trump tries to claim their targets are boats from Venezuela, in reality, reports show strikes have hit boats from Colombia and apparently those carrying citizens from other neighboring countries.

The administration has even admitted they don't know each individual identity of those targeted. To still execute legal strikes is a reckless and dangerous use of our powerful military.

As Trump considers expanding strikes to include land targets within Venezuela--that is what we are talking about, within Venezuela--we move further toward a war that would destabilize the entire region.

The American people don't want us to start a war within Venezuela, and their voices should be heard, not ignored by this President.

There is a final reason why I rise in support of this resolution because letting Donald Trump ignore the law abroad makes him think he has a free pass to do it right here at home.

Donald Trump thinks if he can do this in the Caribbean, he can do it on the streets of Chicago. He could use the military for his own political retribution and consolidation of power in and outside our borders.

After all, he said in his own words:

We're under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy but more difficult in many ways because they don't wear uniforms.

That is what the President said.

We cannot be complacent as he sends troops into our cities as a tool of intimidation against his political enemies.

As I close here, I just want to say that we know the American people are not blind to what Trump is doing. They know we are not powerless to stop it. It is time to step up and show them we believe in the law; that we believe in the voices of the American people; that we believe in protecting our servicemembers; and that we won't stand idly by in the face of lawlessness.

I hope all of my colleagues join me in passing this resolution. It is our power. It is our duty. It is our responsibility.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source