Defend The Vote Action Fund Executive Director Brian Lemek released the following statement calling on Congress to end the illegal war in Iran, which the President began without congressional authorization and has continued despite bipartisan votes in Congress directing him to stop.
“The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and Congress has told this President to end this one. He called those votes meaningless and kept going – ignoring a bipartisan majority in Congress, the law and the Constitution.
“Now, that corrupted process means Americans are paying for a war they don’t want. They never got a say and the price tag is at least tens of billions in taxpayer funds to fund the war – on top of sky high fuel costs. Worse is the tragic loss of lives of 18 brave American servicemembers and hundreds more injured.
“The damage from the White House’s disregard for accountability will outlast this war. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to decide when our country goes to war — to prevent any president from exercising unchecked power. When a president ignores those limits, it is not just a broken rule. It undermines the checks and balances that protect our democracy and every American’s voice in it. Ignoring a law without consequence is an invitation for others in government to do the same. No democracy can survive if those entrusted with upholding the law can simply choose which laws to follow.”