MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today issued a statement following the successful lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to unilaterally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC program):

“Disaster preparedness shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and this court order means the Trump Administration can’t shut down a program designed to keep New Jersey communities safe. This is great news for Highlands, which had a $12 million award taken away by President Trump. I’m going to keep pushing to make sure this Administration follows the law and delivers every dime. Our state is on the front line every hurricane season, and we know that every dollar invested in disaster preparedness saves property and lives. Trump is hellbent on abolishing FEMA and illegally gutting vital disaster assistance programs, and this lawsuit confirms that the power to legislate lies with Congress—and not a power-hungry president.”

The BRIC program is the core of FEMA’s disaster mitigation efforts and has invested approximately $4.5 billion in funding nationwide and $180 million in New Jersey for projects such as evacuation shelters, grid strengthening, wastewater management infrastructure, road fortification, and flood walls.

After the Trump Administration moved to unilaterally cancel funding for the program, attorneys general from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit to block the Administration’s actions, arguing they were in direct violation of the Appropriations and Spending Clauses, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Separation of Powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. The judge’s decision prevents FEMA from unilaterally terminating the BRIC program and mandates the immediate restoration of these funds.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement in response to the State Health Planning Board’s decision to hold a special public meeting, Thursday December 16th, to consider RWJ Barnabas Health’s proposal to move Monmouth Medical Center hospital from Long Branch to Tinton Falls:

“At their last meeting on December 4th, the state health planning board echoed the concerns of community members who spoke out against the proposed removal of Monmouth Medical Center hospital from Long Branch. The Board had several questions about health disparities in the Long Branch area, transportation, and the impact on nearby hospitals and whether RWJ Barnabas Health would keep medical services in Long Branch long-term.

 

The Board asked serious questions that deserve answers with full analysis so we can better understand the impact of RWJ Barnabas’ proposal. Instead of moving the hospital away from families who need it most, the State should invest in a solution that works for everyone.

 

As I have said from the beginning of this process, I continue to try and find a path forward in Long Branch to keep critical inpatient and outpatient acute care services with a full-service emergency department. We had a compromise that achieved that objective and if there’s enough political will, we can make it a reality.”

Pallone has led opposition to RWJ Barnabas Health’s plan to close Monmouth Medical Center hospital in Long Branch from day one, arguing that the plan would worsen health care outcomes for area residents and deepen the national health care crisis for the region.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

NJ Residents Face Sharp Premium Hikes Without ACA Credit Extension Which NJ Congressmen Publicly Claim to Support But Did Nothing to Save

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement following the final New Jersey State Health Planning Board meeting on the future of Monmouth Medical Center:

 

“At this point, Commissioner Brown has all the information he needs to do the right thing and keep Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch open. The State Health Planning Board has raised serious, unresolved concerns about access to care, transportation barriers, existing health disparities, and the strain this move would place on surrounding hospitals. If the Commissioner were to decide to close the Long Branch hospital after all of that has been put plainly on the record, it would be a conscious decision to ignore the facts, the data, and the voices of this community. Long Branch deserves real health care access, not more excuses.”

 

“We have been crystal clear: the consequences of closing Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch would be immediate and lasting. Patients would face longer travel times for emergency care, particularly seniors. The loss of a full-service hospital would push patients farther from trauma care, inpatient beds, and a comprehensive emergency department. This would delay treatment when minutes matter and increase the risk of worse health outcomes.”

 

“Over time, the closure of the Long Branch Hospital would weaken the entire regional health care safety net. Nearby hospitals would be forced to absorb additional patients despite already operating near or at capacity, leading to longer wait times, fewer available beds, and increased pressure on emergency departments. Long Branch, a diverse, working-class community with well-documented health disparities, would bear the brunt of that strain, widening gaps in care and leaving residents with fewer options and less stability.”

 

“The Commissioner should not let a low-income community become a hospital desert because RWJ Barnabas wants to capture a wealthier population in Tilton Falls.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), along with Representatives Dave Min (CA-47), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Gabe Amo (RI-01), David Valadao (CA-22), and Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced the Armenia Security Partnership Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to strengthen U.S. policy toward Armenia while holding the Government of Azerbaijan accountable for continued aggression and human rights abuses.  It requires the President of the United States to certify to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps to:

• Completely withdraw all military forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia;
• Unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners;
• Cease engaging in hostilities toward Armenia; and
• Recognize the right of return for ethnic Armenians to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and commit to the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious sites in the region.

If the President is unable to make such a certification, the bill would:

• Require a comprehensive review of U.S. security assistance to Armenia to identify gaps in Armenia’s long-term defense needs and assess the threat posed by Azerbaijan; and
• Prohibit the reauthorization of the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, thereby enforcing existing statutory prohibitions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Armenia is a key partner in a volatile region and deserves meaningful support as it faces continued threats to its sovereignty and security,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “This legislation sends a clear message that the United States will not turn a blind eye to aggression, human rights abuses, or the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians. Accountability must be at the center of our foreign policy.”

Congressman Pallone added, “For far too long, Azerbaijan has been allowed to act with impunity to destabilize the South Caucasus, commit horrific human rights abuses, and threaten the Armenian people. Our bill is a great step in the right direction to finally hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity and threats to lasting peace in the region. I look forward to working with Congressman Bilirakis and the rest of my colleagues to pass it into law.”

“A durable peace in the South Caucasus must be built on respect for sovereignty, human rights, and international law, not force or coercion,” said Congressman Brad Sherman, Democratic Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenia Caucus. “Azerbaijan’s continued aggression against Armenia, the detention of Armenian prisoners, and the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites demands a serious response. This bipartisan legislation makes clear that the United States will not reward violations of international law and that Armenia deserves a reliable partner as it works to secure its borders and pursue a just and lasting peace.”

“As co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Armenia Security Partnership Act,” said Congressman Valadao. “Azerbaijan’s aggression in the South Caucasus has gone on for far too long, and this bipartisan bill takes meaningful steps to hold them accountable for ongoing human rights abuses and hostilities against the sovereign territory of Armenia.”

The Members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, have long worked to promote policies that uphold international law, protect vulnerable populations, and support regional stability.

“We thank Congressman Bilirakis for proactively introducing this important, bipartisan, legislation. Azerbaijan’s continuing aggression toward Armenia and its reluctance to fully embrace the August 8 Joint Declaration must stop if a just and durable peace is to be achieved,” said Timothy Jemal, President of Global ARM. “We are hopeful this bill will receive broad, bipartisan support, and that Congress will actively consider and pass this legislation to strategically bolster peace negotiations and support U.S. interests in the South Caucasus.”

“The ARMENIA Security Partnership Act represents a common-sense approach to both checking Azerbaijani aggression and strengthening America’s partnership with Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “This bipartisan legislation grounds U.S. policy in concrete benchmarks for peace – the release of Armenian prisoners, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from occupied Armenian land, and the protection of Armenian cultural heritage. We need to stop incentivizing continued Azerbaijani hostility, by normalizing its genocide of Artsakh and ongoing violations of international law, and start holding its Aliyev regime accountable for its crimes.”

“We commend Congressmen Bilirakis and Pallone for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this vital legislation,”said Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director of the Armenian Assembly. “Azerbaijan’s continued unlawful holding of Armenian hostages underscores the need for this bill and the importance of enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, while also strengthening America’s support for Armenia’s security and sovereignty.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement following the signing of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law:

“This NDAA package includes several priorities I have spent years working to enact, including the historic repeal of the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). I was honored to carry forward the work of former Representative Barbara Lee, whose leadership made this long overdue repeal possible. For too long, presidents of both parties have misused AUMFs to justify unrelated military actions. The repeal of the 2002 AUMF removes a dangerous blank check and helps ensure no president can drag us into reckless foreign wars the American people do not want, and which Congress has not authorized. 

“This bill also includes my legislation, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, which targets the flow of illegal arms fueling Haiti’s crisis and holds accountable those elites enabling it. It also restores the State Department’s Office of Haitian Affairs, a bipartisan rebuke of Secretary Rubio’s rushed and illegal reorganization. And the NDAA preserves the Rangel, Payne, Pickering, and Veterans Innovation fellowships, sustaining bipartisan commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the State Department. 

“While the reauthorization of the Development Finance Corporation was not finalized on a fully bipartisan basis, I was able to secure essential guardrails to protect its core mission and safeguard taxpayer dollars. While I support what good provisions there are in the final package, it is in the interest of the American people for the NDAA to remain a bipartisan process.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led 13 House Democrats today in introducing the Restoring Export and Security Trade Restrictions for Integrated Circuit Technologies (RESTRICT) Act, legislation to protect U.S. national security and preserve American leadership in artificial intelligence.

The RESTRICT ACT would prohibit the sale of the most advanced U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chips to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and other countries of concern, while strengthening U.S. competitiveness by creating a secure, license-free export pathway for trusted American companies operating data centers abroad.

“President Trump’s decision to sell H200s to China further proves that national security is for sale under this administration. That decision not only risks undercutting U.S. dominance in the AI race, but also compromises our national security by giving those capabilities directly to our chief strategic competitor. My legislation would prohibit the sale of these advanced chips to China, while making it easier for American companies to compete with China globally across the AI technology stack. Trump cannot be allowed to jeopardize U.S. national security by supercharging the PRC’s AI capabilities and, in turn, its military and malign influence capabilities,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

A PDF copy of the bill can be found here.

Bill Highlights:

• Prohibits the sale of H200 and other advanced AI chips to China. The bill directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security to deny export license applications for any advanced integrated circuits to countries of concern.
• Codifies current restrictions on the export of U.S. advanced integrated circuits and products to China. The bill does not impose new controls; instead, it codifies existing restrictions as currently articulated in the Federal Register.
• Applies prohibitions to all arms-embargoed nations. The bill defines “countries of concern” as those countries under a U.S. arms embargo as of January 1, 2025. 
• Safeguards national security while allowing our export controls to adapt as technology advances. The bill allows the Under Secretary of Commerce to revise the definition of “advanced integrated circuit or product” after two years, if he/she has certified to Congress that doing so would not harm U.S. national security. 
• Facilitates secure global operations for U.S. firms. The bill calls on the Under Secretary to publish regulations outlining physical security, cybersecurity, remote access security, and other requirements that companies must meet to qualify for license-free transfers to their overseas facilities. Only U.S.-owned facilities outside of countries of concern are eligible.

The original cosponsors of the RESTRICT Act include: Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Joaquin Castro, Dina Titus, Greg Stanton, Jim Costa, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Madeleine Dean, Gabe Amo, Jared Moskowitz, Johnny Olszewski, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Josh Gottheimer, and Brad Sherman. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (NY-5), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-8), Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, led a broad bipartisan coalition of House Members to introduce the Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act of 2025, comprehensive legislation that translates ongoing negotiations into decisive congressional action and advances the bill toward House Floor consideration in January.

Co-leads on the bill include Representatives Don Bacon (NE-2), Mike Turner (OH-10), Tom Suozzi (NY-3), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Bill Keating (MA-9), and Marcy Kaptur (OH-9), reflecting broad, bipartisan agreement that Congress must lead with resolve as diplomatic efforts continue.

“Russia won’t negotiate an end to its war unless real pressure is applied on the Kremlin to stop its brutality. I’m proud to have worked with Rep. Fitzpatrick on a compromise Russia sanctions bill that would impose real costs on Russia and those fueling its war effort, while avoiding further harmful global tariffs. I thank Rep. Fitzpatrick for also signing my discharge petition for the Ukraine Support Act, helping work towards both measures reaching the House floor for a vote. There is strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the House, and this agreement makes clear that Russia cannot wait it out or continue its war of aggression without facing significant consequences,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

“Negotiations do not relieve Congress of its responsibility to act,” said Fitzpatrick. “That responsibility has been clear for some time, and waiting is no longer an option. Peace through strength is the discipline of negotiating from strength—of standing with Ukraine, making unmistakably clear that Russia’s campaign of aggression will not be normalized or rewarded, and affirming that America still enforces the rules that keep peace possible. This is not just about ending one war. It is about setting the rules for a world that is watching whether America still enforces them. We can end this war. We can end Putin’s tyranny. And we must lead the American way—through peace, through strength. I am grateful to be working hand in hand with Ranking Member Meeks to push any and all solutions forward to the House Floor, including the Ukraine Support Act. We can end this war. We can end Putin’s tyranny. And we must lead the American way—through peace, through strength.”

“The only viable path to peace in Ukraine is putting pressure on the Kremlin. It is beyond important that both sides of the aisle have come together on compromise legislation to impose strong sanctions on Russia for its illegal war of aggression as well as to take additional steps to move the bipartisan discharge petition for the Ukraine Support Act forward in the House,” said HFAC Subcommittee on Europe Ranking Member Keating. “As Ukraine continues to defend itself from Russian aggression, the Ukrainian people must know that Ukraine has strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. The Kremlin must also know that we will not rest until a durable Ukraine-supported peace deal is achieved.”

We must take firm action against the Russian Federation. This bill sends a clear message: any refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations for peace or any violation of agreements will not go unpunished. We stand with Ukraine and affirm our commitment to ensuring that they are protected from further aggression. It’s time for diplomacy,” said Turner. 

“Putin’s regime only responds to resolve and takes advantage of weakness and vacillation. During these failed negotiations, Russia has continued bombing Ukrainian cities with increasing intensity. We must play hardball by sending Ukraine the weapons it needs and imposing tough sanctions on Russia that cripple his war economy, an approach Americans overwhelmingly agree with,” said Bacon. “I’m pleased to join Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in co-leading the bipartisan Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act to impose sanctions and other measures if Russia refuses to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine.”

“Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine is a direct assault on sovereignty, democracy, and the international rules-based order. The United States will not reward aggression or allow Vladimir Putin to stall, violate agreements, or prepare for another invasion without serious consequences. Peace will only come when Russia understands that continued violence carries real costs. I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation to strengthen sanctions, hold bad actors accountable, and stand firmly with the Ukrainian people,” said Lawler.

“Peace through strength means standing up to dictators through actions, not just words,” said Suozzi. “The Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act does exactly that by cracking down on those responsible for the kidnapping of Ukrainian children, increasing sanction pressure on Russia, and expanding sanctions to Russian partners in North Korea. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to say that the United States will not tolerate Putin’s murderous war in Ukraine, and will defend our democratic allies across the world.”

“Through force, Dictator Putin aspires to rewrite the structure of Europe and end democratic practice across the continent. America’s foreign policy must promote Liberty, not bow to Tyranny,” said Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. “With this new bipartisan bill, we are putting forward the most significant legislation introduced this Congress to place economic sanctions on Russia for its war crimes against Ukraine.”

The Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act of 2025 builds on Fitzpatrick’s constant efforts since the beginning of the conflict in 2022 to advance designed to force meaningful negotiations, deter further aggression, and ensure any peace agreement is real, durable, and accepted by the free and independent Government of Ukraine.

Unlike piecemeal sanctions, the legislation establishes a comprehensive structure that directly links Russia’s economic isolation to its willingness to pursue—and honor—peace. It reflects overwhelming bipartisan support for empowering the United States to use strong economic pressure as a tool to help bring this war to an end.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Mandate sanctions on senior Russian officials, oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, and entities supporting Russia’s defense, energy, and transportation sectors
• Sever Russia’s access to the global financial system, including blocking transactions with Russian financial institutions, prohibiting U.S. investment in Russia, banning trading of Russian entities on U.S. securities exchanges, and targeting financial messaging systems used to evade sanctions
• Close loopholes fueling Russia’s war economy, including ending refined oil import workarounds and prohibiting U.S. purchases of Russian sovereign debt
• Target Russia’s energy leverage, prohibiting new U.S. investment and sanctioning foreign actors who enable Russian oil, gas, LNG, and uranium production
• Impose sanctions for war crimes, including the kidnapping and wrongful deportation of Ukrainian children and Russia-North Korea cooperation supporting Russia’s illegal war
• Increase duties up to 500 percent on goods imported from the Russian Federation to further isolate Russia economically

The legislation also establishes a clear and enforceable off-ramp: sanctions may only be terminated if Russia signs a peace agreement accepted by Ukraine and fully ceases hostilities—subject to congressional review to prevent premature or politically motivated rollbacks.

With negotiations ongoing, Fitzpatrick and his bipartisan colleagues will continue building support with the goal of bringing the Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act of 2025 to the House Floor in January—ensuring Congress does its part to match diplomacy with decisive action.

Read the full bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks on the floor during debate on House Concurrent Resolution 61, a War Powers Resolution he introduced that would end the Trump administration’s extrajudicial military strikes in the Western Hemisphere.

Full remarks as prepared:

“Since September 2, the administration has carried out 23 known strikes killing 95 people. 

“Among these was a so-called ‘double-tap’ strike, where U.S. forces killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a destroyed vessel in the open sea. The administration now refuses to release the video of this strike denying the American people the ability to see for themselves what is being done in their names. Many believe this strike may constitute a war crime.

“Following another strike, on October 16, the Department of Defense repatriated two survivors to their home countries rather than prosecuting them in U.S. courts, as we would expect if these individuals were, in fact, dangerous drug traffickers bound for the United States. No arrests. No interrogation. No intelligence collection. That decision raises serious questions about the administration’s own assessment of threat, necessity, and purpose.

“These strikes have not been authorized by Congress, and the administration has not sought Congressional authorization to use lethal military force to address alleged criminal activity that, under U.S. law, does not carry the death penalty. That is a profound escalation, and one Congress has neither debated nor approved.

“If this is truly about addressing drugs, the administration’s actions tell a very different story. Why did the president pardon Ross Ulbricht, who ran one of the largest online drug marketplaces in history, and was serving a double life sentence?

“Why did the president pardon the former President of Honduras, whom a U.S. court convicted and sentenced for flooding the U.S. with 400 tons of cocaine and bragged he would, quote, ‘shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos.’

“I’m a former special narcotics prosecutor and I know this: you don’t run a serious counternarcotics strategy by carrying out the death penalty for those on the bottom of the drug trade while freeing those at the very top.

“At the same time, the administration asks us to believe that deploying fighter jets, an aircraft carrier, and more than 15,000 troops to the Caribbean is merely a counter-drug mission. This is the largest U.S. military buildup in the region since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

“If this was really about drugs, why are U.S. forces seizing oil tankers? The stated mission, the scale of the buildup, and the actions taken simply do not align. 

“The administration can’t keep its story straight and it is no longer trying to hide its real motivations. Senior officials, including President Trump himself, have made clear that the real objective is provoking a conflict with Venezuela to oust Maduro. As Trump’s Chief of Staff said to Vanity Fair, quote, ‘he wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.’

“They’ve openly coveted Venezuela’s oil. And despite promising to end wars, this president is threatening military invasions not just in Venezuela, but across the Western Hemisphere.

“Just last night Trump declared, quote, ‘Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,’ and that the ‘shock’ will be like nothing they have ever seen.

“This is not strategy. This is a game. And the president is playing it with the lives of American service members, threatening a regime change war with no plan for what comes next.

“This president wants to be judge, jury, and executioner. But Congress is a co-equal branch, and the Constitution vests this body with authority over matters of war and peace. That power has too often been ceded. But earlier this month, on a bipartisan and bicameral basis, we repealed outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force to prevent presidents of either party from abusing it. We cannot now abandon our constitutional duty over these strikes in the Western Hemisphere.

“Even if you disagree with me when I say these strikes are not about making Americans safer… That they’re about oil… That they’re about another reckless foreign war… Or stretching presidential power toward that of a king.

“This vote is ultimately not about whether you agree with the administration’s policy. It is about whether any president can take these actions without congressional approval. Congress must make clear that no president can unilaterally draw the U.S. into a conflict the American people do not want. 

“I urge my colleagues to reject the administration’s shifting legal rationales and vote yes on this War Powers Resolution. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks on the floor during debate on House Concurrent Resolution 64, a War Powers Resolution Rep. McGovern introduced to prohibit the Trump administration’s hostilities against Venezuela.

Full remarks as prepared:

“As I said earlier today on this floor, during the debate on my War Powers Resolution to end this administration’s extrajudicial strikes on boats in the Western Hemisphere, those bombings are not about drugs. If the administration did want to stop drugs, Trump would not have pardoned the former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, or Ross Ulbricht, who operated the Silk Road drug marketplace. He wouldn’t be seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Or threatening CIA operations, blockades, and ground strikes on Venezuela.

“It’s not about drugs, it’s about regime change, and it’s about oil. That’s not just me saying that. It’s Trump himself saying it. It’s President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, who said Trump wants to, and I quote, “keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.” And it relies on the magical thinking that military force can bring democracy in Venezuela or anywhere else.

“But his chief of staff also conceded, as any reasonable person with any knowledge of the constitution should, that if Trump, quote, “were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.”

“On that, she’s right. Congress would need to pass an Authorization for the Use of Military Force if Trump wanted to put boots on the ground or conduct military strikes on Venezuela. And for that, Republicans in Congress would need to cast their vote on whether to commit U.S. armed forces to an open-ended conflict their constituents certainly do not want.

“Trump ran on ending forever wars, but now he’s forgotten what they are. What his own Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth characterized as, quote, “interventionism, undefined wars, regime change, and feckless nation building.” Yet with Venezuela, Trump is provoking a new war right in our backyard and threatening to destabilize an entire region.

“And let’s be clear…claiming a war with Venezuela will be quick and easy – that’s a fantasy. Maduro is by no means a good guy. He lost his last election and has violently repressed the Venezuelan people to stay in power against their democratic will. But to think that if the U.S. military just chases him out, then Venezuela’s military and armed groups around the country will welcome democracy with open arms is naive at best.

“This administration has no plan for the day after. It has no strategy. And if Members do not vote for Mr. McGovern’s War Powers Resolution, they are signing their name to everything that comes after: a forever war in our own hemisphere. A quagmire the likes of Vietnam, in a country twice the size of Iraq, for a length of time unknown.
How many billions of taxpayer dollars would be spent so Pete Hegseth can cosplay as a wartime general? How many U.S. servicemembers would make the ultimate sacrifice so Donald Trump could do in Latin America what Vladimir Putin does in Europe?

“The power over matters of war and peace is Congress’ most solemn duty, given in the Constitution of the United States. Votes like this are our most consequential, literally about life and death. And if history has taught us anything, wars are easy to start, but incredibly difficult to end. The choice you make on this vote will carry a long tail. What will the downstream effects be of destabilizing a country, an entire region? Anyone who tells you they know is lying.

“What we do know is the American people do not want this. That is unequivocal. Even President Trump’s supporters do not understand why he would do this. I ask you all again, listen to your constituents, and do not tie yourself to a warmongering decision that itself is a sinking ship.

“Thank you. I reserve the balance of my time.”