Joint Statement of VoteVets and Concerned Veterans for America, on Senate Vote on Iran War
“We have come a very long way from the days of blank checks, that wrongly used the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force as an excuse to send troops all around the world, at any given time.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States Senate voted 50-40 in support of a bill from Senators Udall and Kaine, that made clear that no military action against Iran is authorized, until specifically voted on, and authorized, by Congress. Though the bill needed 60 votes to move to passage, half of the Senate is now on the record as opposing military action in Iran, without a debate and vote, first.
Dan Caldwell, an Iraq War Veteran and Senior Adviser to Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative veterans group, and Jon Soltz, an Iraq War Veteran and Chair of VoteVets, the largest progressive veterans group in America, released the following joint statement:
“Half of the United States Senate is now on the record – no war in Iran is authorized, unless the president comes to Congress and gets approval. We want to sincerely thank Senators who faced pressure to vote against Udall-Kaine, but did the right thing, by supporting it.
We have come a very long way from the days of blank checks, that wrongly used the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force as an excuse to send troops all around the world, at any given time. This change is happening because true conservatives on the right, and progressives on the left, are coming together to say that Forever Wars must come to an end, and no new ones can be launched, without a full debate. We will carry this momentum into the House of Representatives, which will take up the issue, soon.
Concerned Veterans for America and VoteVets will continue to combine our political muscle for that debate, and we are confident we will get a majority in that body.”
VoteVets and Concerned Veterans for America announced their joint effort to end Forever Wars, in March. Their announcement was featured in the New York Times, among other outlets.