TRANSCRIPT: Leader Schumer Remarks Following The Bipartisan Advancement Of The Venezuela War Powers Resolution

Washington, D.C. – Today, following the bipartisan vote to discharge the Venezuela War Powers Resolution, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about the need for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority over foreign conflicts in response to the Trump administration’s reckless military operations. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

So today, the Senate really took a critical step to reasserting its constitutional authority and towards stopping President Trump as he's lurching towards another endless, expensive war, all the while American families here are struggling with skyrocketing costs. Next week, this fight will continue in the Senate. The more the American people hear about what's going on in Venezuela, and the more they learn about it, the less they're going to like it, the more fiercely they will oppose it. This vote moves the resolution one step closer to final passage because Democrats forced Republicans to confront reality. The President is openly signaling a long-term military and financial commitment abroad, with no authorization, with no plan, another endless war.

Now this wasn't just a procedural vote. It's a clear rejection of the idea that one person can unilaterally send American sons and daughters into harm's way without Congress, without debate. At the closed hearing, both Tim [Kaine] and I, my first question to the panel, including Rubio and Hegseth and all of them, is we need to have a full discussion in front of America, not just in a SCIF, a classified room with only senators. The whole American people ought to hear about it, listen to it, debate it, and they won't like it. We know that. They already don't like it. And they demurred. They wouldn't do it. None of our committee chairs, despite Tim [Kaine]'s requests, my requests, Adam [Schiff]'s requests, would hold public hearings.

And as a result, the Congress today voted on the War Powers Resolution, or actually discharging the War Powers Resolution, simply so we could have a debate on this, one of the most important issues that ever faced the American people going to war. And we've always learned, we've learned through the years, that when we try regime change and nation-building of this sort, American families pay the price in treasure and all too often in blood. This vote shows that the American people don't want more military adventures. They don't want more nation-building. The pressure is now on Senate Republicans to do the right thing and take a stand. Now, just today, as you probably saw, President Trump said in the New York Times that the U.S. involvement could last much longer than a year. “A year? Longer?” The reporter asked. “I would say much longer,” the president replied. “We're going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.” So, a long war fought with American dollars, to give money to Venezuela and with American soldiers, in all likelihood, on the line. When the president said that I think it sent shockwaves even through the Republican caucus. I think that's one of the reasons the number of votes have grown. And then when he doubled down, said “we're going to be giving money to Venezuela,” that's a stunning admission. Years of involvement, billions of dollars when families here are struggling to pay the bills, to pay their health care costs. Why isn't that money going to help the average American family have their health care premiums stay stable instead of going up $500 or $1,000 a month? Donald Trump, when he ran, promised no more endless wars. And yet he's sliding straight to another one in South America.

Americans are not asking for an endless war that does not improve their ability to pay their bills. Families should not have to choose between filling their gas tank and putting food on the table while the president casually floats billions for foreign rebuilding without transparency, without authorization, and only or even a semblance of a plan. We don't even know what the plan is. Can't go over what happened in the SCIF, but it was appalling. It seemed like back-of-the-envelope stuff. So, what we did today was not a partisan act. I'm very grateful to the Republicans who joined us. It was not a partisan act; it was a constitutional one. We forced Republicans to face what is obvious. Trump will not stop here and won't stop now. But today's vote sends a clear signal. No president, no matter how reckless, no matter how egotistical, gets a blank check to wage large-scale military action abroad. Unlike Republicans, Democrats are focused on the real issues here at home—health care costs, childcare, housing, power.

And those priorities, we believe, must come first. And the contrast between what’s happening in the House, where led by Democrats and Leader Jeffries they will in, all likelihood, send us a bill to extend for three years our [ACA] tax credits, and what’s happening here in the House. Most Republicans are resisting even a debate on this: the right, the ability to go to war. The contrast is glaring. So, the President said it himself, as I said, this will last for years. As Americans read the newspapers this morning and hear that it’s going to last for years, what do they think of? What the hell is going on in his mind?

So, next week we continue the fight. We’re going to force debate, we’re going to force votes, and we’re going to hold our Republican colleagues accountable. That’s our job. For whether they stand with the Constitution and the American families or unchecked presidential power. I’ll say it again: the more the American people hear about what’s going on in Venezuela, the more they learn about it, the more fiercely they’ll oppose it. And the more the American people hear about this, the more Senate Republicans will have to confront the reality that the last thing the American people want is another endless war.

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