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RECOGNIZE THE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA.
MR. SCHIFF: MR. PRESIDENT, I AM PROUD TO JOIN MY COLLEAGUE, SENATOR KAINE, AND SENATOR PAUL IN INTRODUCING THIS WAR POWERS RESOLUTION THAT PROVIDES THAT WE HAVE NOT AUTHORIZED THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST VENEZUELA. WE MEET AT A PRECARIOUS MOMENT WHEN WE MIGHT BE ON THE PRECIPICE OF WAR WITH THAT COUNTRY.
TODAY IN THE CARIBBEAN ON ITS WAY TO THE REGION ARE THE FOLLOWING MILITARY ASSETS. THREE ARLEIGH BURKE-CLASS DESTROYERS, THE U.S.S. LAKE ERIE, THE U.S.S. NEWPORT NEWS, A NUCLEAR SUBMARINE WITH TORPEDOES AND TOMORRAHAWKS, HELICOPTERS, M.V. OCEAN TRADER, REAPER DRONES, HAIR YET JETS, FIFTH-GENERATION FIGHTERS, INCREDIBLY LETHAL AIRCRAFT. BUT THIS IS NOT ALL. THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER EVER BUILT, THE U.S.S. GERALD R. FORD, IS ON ITS WAY NOW FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN. THIS MEANS WE WILL SEE UPWARDS OF AN ADDITIONAL TWO DOZEN SUPER HORNETS AND TWO DOZEN ADDITIONAL F-35'S. THIS WAR SHIP WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE ADDITIONAL DESTROYERS, BRINGING AT LEAST TEN OF AMERICA'S BEST NAVAL WARSHIPS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF CARACAS. ALL TOLD, THERE WILL BE MORE THAN 400 MISSILES AND OTHER VERTICAL LAUNCH SYSTEMS ON NICOLAS MADURO'S DOORSTEP. 115 TOMAHAWKS ALONE WITH AN ADDITIONAL 17 COMING WITH THE FORD.
ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ONLY ABOUT STRIKING SPEEDBOATS? IF SO, WHY WILL THERE BE 10,000 AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS IN THE VICINITY? WHY FLY THREE B-52'S FROM THE UNITED STATES FROM THE REGION? WHY HAVE A B MANUFACTURE 1 SUPERSONIC BOMBER FLOWN OFF THE COAST OF VENEZUELA IN JUST A FEW WEEKS FOR A SO-CALLED BOMBER ATTACK DEMONSTRATION. THAT'S WHAT THE PENTAGON CALLED IT. A BOMBER ATTACK DEMONSTRATION FOR, WHAT? TO BLOW UP FISHING VESSELS? WE ALL NEED TO SEE THAT THIS HAS QUICKLY BECOME SO MUCH BIGGER AND SO MUCH MORE DANGEROUS AND MAYBE THAT WAS THE POINT -- TO FOCUS THE NARRATIVE ON DRUG TRAFFICKING -- SO WE DON'T RECOIL FROM WHAT MAY BE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER WITH VENEZUELA AND THAT IS THE USE OF FORCE A CHIEF THE GOAL OF REGIME CHANGE.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THE PRESIDENT THIS WEEKEND SAID THAT HE WAS NOT INCLINED ALONG THOSE LINES. BUT I URGE MY COMPLETION TO LOOK AT THE ADMINISTRATION -- BUT I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO LOOK AT THE ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS AND NOT ONLY ITS WORD OZ. IF IT WALKS AND TALKS LIKE A MILITARY BUILDUP, IT MIGHT BE A MILITARY BUILDUP. TWO WEEKS AGO THE PRESIDENT SAID WE'RE LOOKING AT LAND NOW BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE SEA VERY WELL UNDER CONTROL. NOW THE BUILDUP I JUST DESCRIBED. PEOPLE MAY BE PUTTING A LOT OF STOCK INTO THE PRESIDENT'S MOST RECENT WORDS SAYING HE WOULD NOT STRIKE VENEZUELA WHEN HE WAS ON "60 MINUTES" ON SUNDAY. BUT WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE LEADER OF VENEZUELA'S DAYS WERE NUMBERED, HE SAID, YES, I THINK SO. THAT'S WHAT OUR LEADER SAID WITH THE LARGEST CARRIER SAILING CLOSE TO VENEZUELA. WE KNOW WHAT WE WOULD BELIEVE WAS TAKING PLACE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS -- AMERICANS DO NOT WANT ANOTHER WAR. THEY DON'T WANT AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS PUT INTO HARM'S WAY FOR A WAR NOT AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS. MOTHERS AND FATHERS OF AMERICAN SAILORS, MARINES, SOLDIERS, PILOTS DO NOT WANT TO LAY AWAKE AT NIGHT WONDERING IF THEIR CHILDREN MIGHT BE IN ANOTHER ARMED CONFLICT THIS TIME IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WE CAME WITH A RESOLUTION TO END THE UNLAWFUL STRIKES THE ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN TAKING AGAINST BOATS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS AND CAME UP A FEW VOTES SHORT. BUT WHILE WE REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE ONGOING STRIKES, THIS DEBATE IS ABOUT A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION. THIS RESOLUTION IS TAILOR-WRITTEN ABOUT A WAR IN VENEZUELA. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT ASKED CONGRESS TO AUTHORIZE SUCH A WAR. BUT THE ADMINISTRATION APPEARS TO BE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR ONE ANYWAY. IF THEY BELIEVE A WAR IS NECESSARY, LET THEM COME TO CONGRESS TO MAKE THE CASE FOR ONE.
MADURO IS A MURDEROUS DICTATOR, HE IS AN ILLEGITIMATE LEADER HAVING OVERTURNED THE LAST ELECTION WITH THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE. HE IS A BAD ACTOR. BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO WAR TO TOPPLE THIS REGIME, IN THE HOPES THAT SOMETHING BETTER MIGHT FOLLOW. IF THE ADMINISTRATION FEELS DIFFERENTLY, LET THEM COME TO THE CONGRESS AND MAKE THE CASE, LET THEM COME BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND MAKE THE CASE. LET THEM SEEK AN AUTHORIZATION TO USE FORCE TO GET RID OF MADURO. BUT LET US NOT ABDICATE OUR RESPONSIBILITY. LET US VOTE TO SAY NO TO WAR WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL. WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT, NOR SHOULD WE WAIT FOR THAT WAR TO BEGIN BEFORE WE VOTE.
THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION VERY CLEARLY AND INTENTIONALLY GIVES CONGRESS THE ABILITY TO PREVENT A PRESIDENT FROM GOING TO WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE WAR POWERS ACT MAKES THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT OBJECT, WELL, THESE AREN'T YET HOST Y HOSTIL HOSTILITIES, AND YET PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DYING, THEY MIGHT OBJECT, WELL, THIS IS NOT YET IMMINENT, AND YET, WITH THE KIND OF MILITARY FORCE BEING BROUGHT TO THE REGION, WITH THE DANGER TO OUR SAILORS, OUR MARINES, OUR SOLDIERS, AS SENATOR KAINE OUTLINED, BECAUSE IF VENEZUELA BELIEVES THAT WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE OF WAR, THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST OUR SHIPS, IT CLEARLY MEETS THE DEFINITION OF IMMINENT. OUR PREDECESSORS IN CONGRESS DESIGNED THIS LAW PRECISELY TO RESPOND TO THE VERY TYPE OF MILITARY BUILDUP THAT WE SEE HERE AND ACT IN ADVANCE OF THE U.S. BEING DRAGGED INTO ANOTHER WAR WITHOUT CONGRESS' AUTHORIZATION.
WE IN THIS BODY SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE TOLD US FOR YEARS, NOW FOR DECADES, NO MORE WAR, NO MORE USE OF MILITARY FORCE FOR REGIME CHANGE. WE MUST REASSERT OUR CONSTITUTIONAL POWER. OUR DUTY TO HAVE THE SOLE DECISION WHEN AMERICAN LIVES COULD BE ON THE LINE, WHEN WAR IS ON THE LINE. I SHARE MY COLLEAGUE SENATOR KAINE'S CONCERNS, HAVING READ THE OPINION OF THE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE VIEW OF THE MERITS OF THAT OPINION, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A WHOLE OTHER MATTER. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS POTENTIAL WAR WITH VENEZUELA. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS A MASSIVE MILITARY AND NAVAL BUILDUP IN THE REGION. WHEN HOSTILITIES MAY BE IMMINENT, UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES CLEARLY CONTEMPLATED BY CONGRESS WHEN IT PASSED THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION.
I HAVE DEBATED SENATOR KAINE, WHETHER THIS IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT POWER, THAT IS THE POWER TO DECLARE WAR, OR TO REFUSE TO DECLARE WAR, OR WHETHER IT IS THE POWER OF THE PURSE. IT MAY, INDEED, BE A BIT OF BOTH, IN THE SENSE THAT ONE WAY OF CUTTING OFF A MILITARY CAMPAIGN IS BY CUTTING OFF SUPPORT FOR THAT MILITARY CAMPAIGN, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY SO ABDICATED OUR POWER OF THE PURSE IN THIS INSTITUTION. SHOULD WE ALSO ABDICATE OUR RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT THE ABILITY TO DECLARE WAR AND ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION, ANY ADMINISTRATION, ANY PRESIDENT, TO USURP THAT AUTHORITY. AS THE FOUNDERS WROTE, THE POWER WAS GIVEN TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH TO DECLARE WAR BECAUSE THE POWER TO MAKE WAR WAS SOMETHING THAT AN EXECUTIVE MIGHT GROW TOO FOND OF. SO, THE POWER WAS GIVEN TO CONGRESS, TO THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY. LET'S USE THAT POWER. LET'S REASSERT AUTHORITY. LET'S SAY THROUGH THIS RESOLUTION, IF THE PRESIDENT OR THE ADMINISTRATION WANT TO GO TO WAR FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGIME CHANGE OR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, THAT IT MUST COME TO CONGRESS AND MAKE THE CASE TO US AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND I URGE AND I VOTE O