Iran

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. On Iran, Donald Trump and members of his administration have referred to the fighting in Iran as a ``skirmish,'' a ``mini- war'', a ``little excursion,'' a ``blip'' and most recently ``a love tap.'' Let's call the ongoing hostilities with Iran for what they are-- a war.

Let me repeat: Donald Trump dragged America into a war--an illegal, costly war--without any goals, without any endgame.

It has been over a week since we hit the 60-day threshold under the War Powers Act, which means the hostilities must cease unless Trump gets authorization from Congress.

Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tried to skirt the deadline when they told us the timer had stopped because the fighting was over.

Tell that to the American servicemembers who were dodging Iranian drones and missiles in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Tell that to the American people who just saw headlines the other day about Trump saying we are getting ready for a protracted blockade.

The war is over? Bunk, poppycock, craziness to even say it, but Trump says anything that enters his head which he thinks will please him in the moment--even if he gets himself in trouble by the end of the day.

And to this war, there is still no end in sight. Just today, the most recent round of negotiations with Iran fell apart. Trump keeps digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole.

Meanwhile, Americans are now paying over $4.50 for a gallon of gas. Families need real relief at the pump, and Senate Democrats will support real action to lower costs, but let's not pretend $0.18 of gas tax relief per gallon makes up for the damage Trump created with this war. Mr. President, $0.18 cents isn't $1.50, which is how much the price of gas has gone up since this war started.

Trump wants credit for handing the American people a glass of water to put out the fire he started--the massive fire he started--when he launched this war.

Americans don't need just a few cents back--they need an end to the chaos that sent gas prices soaring in the first place.

The best way to lower costs is to end this illegal war. Trump could end this war tomorrow and prices would plummet by far more than $0.18 a gallon.

And Republicans know that this blunder didn't magically end when the 60-day clock ran out. It is time to do something about it, so Democrats are forcing a seventh vote on our War Powers Resolution this week to withdraw United States troops from hostilities with Iran.

If Republicans care about preserving our War Powers, keeping our servicemembers safe, lowering Americans' costs, they need to support the War Powers Resolution and end this war.

If Republicans vote against our resolution, they will continue to bear the blame for Trump's war. Not a skirmish, not a blip, not an excursion--it is a war.

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