Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, today urged his congressional colleagues to reclaim their war powers and hold the Trump Administration accountable for its ongoing military adventurism abroad.
Crow’s push came the same day that the U.S. House voted on a Crow-backed War Powers Resolution reining in the Administration’s unauthorized military action in Venezuela.
In his remarks, Crow warned that the Trump Administration risks plunging the U.S. into another forever war in Venezuela. He highlighted Americans’ lack of appetite for more reckless foreign intervention and underscored the need for leaders to focus on bringing down costs for every American.
Crow was joined by fellow Democratic veterans Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Derek Tran (D-CA-45), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02); former Congressman and VoteVets Senior Advisor Max Rose; and a number of veterans.
Watch Congressman Crow’s remarks here, and find a transcript of them below.
In his remarks, Crow said:
“Good afternoon, I’m Jason Crow from the great state of Colorado, and I’m surrounded here by my fellow veterans, congressional veterans, and non-congressional veterans. We stand here in solidarity for Congress to retake its Constitutional power over War Powers, and to do the right thing for millions of veterans and military families.
“I served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sent to war to help enrich oil companies and oil executives, saw Americans give their lives, and saw people have to go on tour after tour after tour, while people in this building failed to take the votes, failed to debate, failed to take votes to pay for it, so it added to our debt.
“So I’m sorry, I get pretty damn hot as a three-time combat veteran when a five-time draft dodger like Donald Trump bangs the war drums and talks tough about sending our men and women into battle, into harm’s way, yet again.
“Because what I learned years ago is that when elites in Washington, D.C. bang the war drums and talk tough, they’re not talking about sending their kids into battle, they’re talking about sending people like me and the people behind me into war—working class folks from towns around this country, from rural areas, from small towns. They’re the ones that have to jump into the tanks and pick up rifles and jump into helicopters and do the tough thing. Well, I’ve had enough of it. The appetite in America for endless wars and endless conflict for trillions of dollars just to pad the pockets of big oil and large executives, it should be done.
“This is our chance. Congress has the opportunity to end it. To reinsert, as the Constitution required, this building, and these folks, back into the conversation and to resume control over war powers, and to end the endless cycle of war and conflict that we have seen over the last two decades. So we are standing here to call on every member of Congress to take the vote today to end these endless conflicts, to step back into the driver’s seat, and to do the right thing.”
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