Iran
Floor Speech
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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today, I rise in opposition to Donald Trump's illegal war in Iran.
I come to ask a simple question: What has this war gotten us?
Here is what we do know: It has tragically cost the lives of 13 servicemembers. It has caused hundreds of others to be injured. It has cost taxpayers tens upon tens of billions of dollars. It has cost the average American more than $250 more at the pump on average. It has cost farmers nearly 50 percent more on fertilizer.
This war has been a disaster, and the American people agree. When the war began, it was the most unpopular war in U.S. history and has only gotten more unpopular as it has gone on. The President clearly gets that, so he has released a 2\1/2\-page bullet-point memorandum of understanding that he claims will be the panacea to end the war.
Look, ending the war is absolutely a good thing, but with this alleged deal, there are a few major catches.
For starters, this flimsy memorandum of understanding agreement has not and will not actually end the war.
This is a plan to make a plan later. And what the Trump administration is learning in real time is that a final deal--like the Obama-era deal--on Iran takes hard work.
Secondly, this short-term deal has been broken already.
Lastly, if it were to be followed to a tee, it would be an embarrassing fold to the Iranians and a loser for the American people.
We would green-light $300 billion to go to this hard-line Iranian regime. We would lift sanctions on this regime and let it freely sell oil, allowing them to make billions more.
We would show that Iran can control the Strait of Hormuz and our global economy whenever it wants. And what do we get? Not much--no freedom for the Iranian people who were protesting a brutal regime mere months ago; no end to Iran's nuclear capabilities.
So I, again, ask: What has this war of choice gotten us? This war has been bad for the American people, and now this off-ramp is bad for the American people.
Congress had the opportunity to end this war months ago, and we should have done just that to avoid this exact scenario.
My Republican colleagues refused, but that does not mean it is too late. It is clear as day that we cannot trust this President to be left to his own devices. We need to use the power we have to end this war and head down the path of real diplomacy. Let's take it.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this concurrent resolution.
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