Directing the President Pursuant to Section 5(C) of the War Powers Resolution to Remove United States Armed Forces From Unauthorized Hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Floor Speech

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Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, from his first day in public office, President Trump has made it clear that he wants to rule America by imperial decree. He didn't want to be king just for a day in America. He wants to be king of the universe. Congress is just a nuisance that can be avoided, the courts are an occasional speed bump, and international law is just a suggestion to this President.

In his decree declaring war on Iran, he glibly responded to the loss of American lives by saying: ``That's the way it is.''

With no clear objectives, no approval from the Congress, and no commitment to keep the ground troops out, more American deaths and billions of taxpayer dollars wasted will be ``the way it is.''

We know that in this regard, Trump is not America First. At best, he is America second, as Secretary Rubio confessed this week.

Trump is too weak to follow President Bush's wise example of saying no to Netanyahu. He has dragged us into a war without an imminent threat. He has committed us to a war that will further destabilize an already unstable region of the world, and in Trump's own words, this war will go on ``as long as it takes.''

The last war like that cost 4,400 American lives and $2 trillion of taxpayer money.

While certainly I do not mourn the death of any of these despots in Iran who have done so much harm, under Trump's clueless approach, we may just be replacing one tyrant with another. We already see what is happening to our embassies, our military facilities, and our airports where many Americans are stranded abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I urge approval of this resolution to stop Trump's forever war. Unless it is approved, Trump will only be encouraged to grab more and more power on his drive for total authoritarian, one-man rule in this country and the world.

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