The Bush Administration lied to America about Iraq’s nuclear program to rush us into war in 2003. Have we learned nothing from that disastrous episode?
When I was elected to the Senate in 2012, I had served as governor from 2006-2010, during a tremendous upsurge in the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I visited our troops multiple times in the Green Zone, in Baghdad and Afghanistan. I went to the deployments and the homecomings. I went to the wakes and the funerals.
And I told myself when I came to the Senate, that if I ever had the chance to stop this nation from getting into an unnecessary war, I would do everything I could to stop it.
I believe that the United States engaging in a war against Iran — a third war in the Middle East since 2001 — would be a catastrophic blunder for this country.
There are some in the Senate who disagree with me on that.
But we should ALL be able to agree, having taken an oath to the Constitution, that the U.S. should not be at war without a vote of Congress.
It’s a fundamental constitutional principle: We shouldn’t be in a war if Congress doesn’t have the guts to debate it and vote on it.
I introduced a war powers resolution that will be subject to a vote on the Senate floor this week about whether or not war should happen without a vote of Congress — and I’m asking you to show your support for it.
My perspective is simple: How dare we ask the men and women serving in our military to make the ultimate sacrifice if we don’t have the spine to have a public debate and decide whether a war is in the interest of this country?
If you agree that any war MUST be debated and voted on by Congress, please add your name today to show your support for my war powers resolution.
Thank you for speaking up with me.
-Tim Kaine
