'This Country Should Not Have A King': Moran Slams Biden's 'Ham-Fisted' Violations Of War Powers Act

3 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) spoke about the War Powers Resolution.

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Transcript

00:00Oh, Senator from Kansas.

00:07Madam President, Senator from Arizona, thank you for recognizing me.

00:11I want to speak just briefly about the vote that we just cast,

00:15but more than the vote, the topic that it represents.

00:20The pier constructed to deliver aid to Gaza is a failure, was a failure,

00:26and it was a very expensive failure,

00:29and it's cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

00:32It was an idea poorly conceived and poorly executed.

00:35It is unsustainable to maintain and is not fulfilling its purpose.

00:40It should be dismantled, and there are already plans underway to eliminate the pier

00:44after remaining aid has been distributed or removed.

00:49Our U.S. forces, as they were in this instance,

00:53were called upon to deliver aid to areas of the world that are plagued by violence

00:57or areas that are hostile to the United States.

01:01And my complaint about the planning is nothing to distract from my admiration

01:07and respect for those who serve our country,

01:10and that continues in those individuals in the military who have served

01:15in the effort to try to provide aid to the people of Gaza.

01:19But this is not an isolated instance in which the United States

01:24military are asked to serve.

01:27The United States has previously assisted Iran after a devastating earthquake.

01:31This year, U.S. forces delivered aid to Haiti, which is wracked with gang violence.

01:36The capabilities of the United States military

01:38and the generosity of the American people to help innocent victims,

01:41no matter who they are or what government rules over them,

01:45is a testament to America's goodness and to American power.

01:51The point I want to make is the War Powers Resolution

01:55allows Congress to remove forces, quote,

01:58engaged in hostilities without specific authorization.

02:02I want to caution my colleagues against utilizing these authorities

02:06and setting a precedent that Congress can or should intervene

02:10any time we simply don't like the entity, the people who are receiving the aid.

02:16I wholeheartedly respect Congress's ability to utilize war powers when appropriate.

02:21There is no greater responsibility we have than deciding

02:24when to send our sons and daughters to take part in a war.

02:29This decision should not and must not be allowed to reside with the president,

02:33with the executive branch alone.

02:35Yet, too often, it's exactly what we do,

02:38ignoring our obligations as members of Congress.

02:42The framers of our nation determined that war is to be declared by Congress,

02:48and in too many instances and way too often,

02:52we fail to live up to our constitutional responsibilities.

02:57I believe there are many more opportunities,

02:59more pressing and more damaging to our troops,

03:02than just this failure of the pier where Congress could and should intervene.

03:08At this moment, for example, the United States sailors are engaged

03:10in kinetic activities against the Houthis without any such authorization.

03:15Just like the Gaza Pier, the Biden administration has placed service members in harm's way

03:20without any strategy for success at significant cost to taxpayers and finite defense munitions.

03:28This pier demonstrated President Biden's ham-fisted approach to the Middle East.

03:34Why should we allow him, but the point is broader than that,

03:37why should we allow him or any president to continue missions that are adrift

03:41and have no prospect of a solution?

03:44It is the failure of Congress' part to assert our constitutional obligations in matters of war.

03:50Today's vote was a step, a step, I think, in the right direction,

03:54but we have much more to do to carry out the responsibilities we were elected to.

03:58I've said this on the Senate floor many times when Congress looks the other way.

04:03When a president of either party issues executive orders or rules and regulations

04:08that make no sense under the law that was enacted that they are operating under,

04:15it is important, I think, again, I've said this on the floor before,

04:19too many times people just want the result they want

04:22and they don't care about the process by which they get it.

04:25And the process is what protects our freedoms and liberties.

04:28The process is what the Constitution is about.

04:31We ought to be fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities,

04:34certainly when it comes to the ability to have members of our military in harm's way.

04:39Our freedoms and liberties are determined by that.

04:42The framers understood that this country should not have a king

04:47and that the powers are vested in the legislative branch, not the executive.

04:53Madam President, I yield the floor.

'This Country Should Not Have A King': Moran Slams Biden's 'Ham-Fisted' Violations Of War Powers Act

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