Soleimani, the commander of the revolutionary guard for the i codes force. In the days since, i have become increasingly alarmed at theen strike. A strike that was carried out with insufficient transparency without consultation of congress and without a clear plan that comes next. President trump had promised to keep the United States out of endless wars in the middle east. The president s actions have seemingly increase the risk that we could be dragged into the exactly such a war. It is indicative of President Trumps Foreign Policy record, which is riddled by chaotic, uninformed, erratic and impulsive decisionmaking. Without adequate consideration for the consequences. And just about every Foreign Policy area President Trump touches, we are worse off off them a were before he started with that. With china, north korea, syria, russia, the president has careened from one impulsive action to the next with no coherent strategy. North korea today, despite what President Trump said, we dont have to worry about them, is a greater Nuclear Threat than they have ever been. Terms actions have been disastrous. North korea has more Nuclear Weapons and by all reports has even developed or is close to developing an icbm that can hit the United States mainland. And that is a result of President Trumps bumbling. The situation in syria is much worse than before. Doing what he didnt syria, pulling out those troops made no sense to anyone including all the foreignpolicy people we have. And, every time the president seems to deal with prudent, prudent seems to come out ahead. Looking at the president s chaotic and hot spots around the globe, its hard to conclude that any of the situations are better off. Then when the president took office three years ago. His policy seems to be characterized by erratic, impulsive, and often egotistical behavior with little regard to a longterm strategy that would advance the interests of the United States. At times like this, it is essential for congress to provide a check on the president and assert our constitutional role in matters of war and peace. In my view, President Trump does not, does not have authority to go to war with iran. And thereo are several important pieces of legislation that seek to again assert congress authority and prerogative on these matters. Senator kaine has war powers resolution that would force a debate and vote in congress to seek further escalation with iran. That resolution will be privileged so well have to come to the floor. My colleagues we are going to vote on it. Senator sanders has introduced a bill that would block funding for the o war with iran. I am supportive about senator kaine and senator sanders efforts. And i urge the senate to consider both in the coming days. Additionally, the Trump Administration must start acting with greater transparency. By law the Trump Administration must make a notification to congress when itth conducts a military operation like the one last friday. Thats known as a war powers act notification. And usually, the Trump Administration made the notification saturday, after the action had occurred. And then they did it in a completely classified formats. Let me be clear, andot entirely classified notification in the case of this particularly military operation, is simply not appropriate. And it appears to be no legitimate justification for classifying this notification. So it Ranking Member menendez and i sent a letter to the president urging declassification. It is critical that National Security matters of such importance, war and peace, the possibility of another quote endless war in the middle east, acknowledge of the actions and justification should be shared with the American People in a timely manner. Toits americans who will be asked to pay for such a war if it w occurs. Its american soldiers who will risk their lives oncere again and im sure it will be bravely. The, reason mr. President , that the Founding FathersGave Congress the warmaking authority is very simple. They were afraid of an overreaching executive. They wanted to make sure that any acts as important as war, war and peace, be discussed in an open manner by the congress so it could be vetted, so questions could be asked, so small little insular group, and the president s a group seems more and more insulin, anyone of strength and courage mcmaster and others who disagree with the president disagree with the president leave. That leaves a bunch of yes people who seem to want to do whatever the president wants. And that means that having a debate in congress were questions are asked, coming to the American People so that people can hear a justification and see if it is actually a valid one, is vital. The Administration Still has to answer several really crucial questions about their actions last week. Among them, iran has many dangerous people in the region and a whole range of possible responses. Which response do we expect . Which responses do we expect . Which are the most likely . What do we know about what iran would plan to do in retaliation . And then what are our plans to counter all of these responses . And how effective does our military, does our cia, does our state Department Think these responses will be . Next question what is this action mean for the longterm stability of iraq . What is it mean towards our presence in iraq . And what does it mean to the trillions ofnd dollars, trillions, and thousands of american lives sacrificed there. How does what we are doing now fit into that . How does the Administration Plan to manage any excess escalation of the hostilities . And how does the Administration Plan to avoid a larger and endlesshe conflict in the middle east . These are crucial questions and not one has been answered by the president or anyone it Administration People all of the tweeting, a all of the bravado is no substitute for Strategic Thinking and longterm Foreign Policy goals and ways to achieve those goals. This administration seems to be devoid of that. It certainly was when it came to north korea. Certainly was when it came to see it syria, it certainly is when it comes to russia, and it seems likely the same case is now occurring with iran. The questions that i have mentioned at a minimum must be answered. This is an important moment for our nation, the American People need clarity that the Trump Administration has a plan, not just a tweets, a plan topl keep our troops, our nation, and our people safe. On impeachment, as my colleagues return for the holiday recess one question looms before us. Will the United States senate impeachmentir trial of the president of the United States . Will we search for all of the facts . Or will we look for a coverup . A sham trial. On one of the most important powers the Founding Fathers gave the American People. Framers gave the senate the sole power to try president ial impeachments because they could not imagine a nether body with quote confidence enough in its own status to quote preserve the necessary impartiality unquote. Its up to every senator now to live up to that awesome profound responsibility. At the moment, there is a very clear difference of opinion between the republican leader and myself about what it means to have a fair trial. I believe a fair trial is one that considers all the relevant facts. It allows for relevant witnesses andwi documents. As a feature of every single impeachment trial of a president and the history of our nation, we have never had been with no witnesses, not once. Later mcconnell likes to cite president and that president s stance steers in his face and cant answer. My republican counterpart believes it trial should feature no relevant witnesses, none of the relevant documents, and as he made clear in his public appearance on fox news that he will go along with the white house. Glaringly the republican leader has to make one single argument while witnesses should not testify. One single argument, i am waiting to hear it later mcconnell. Give a specific answer why these witnesses should not come forward. Dont call names, dont finger. , dont gett angry at nancy pelosi, tell us why here in the senates, witnesses and documents should notwa come forward that are directly relevant to the charges against the president of the United States of america . So, later f mcconnell has sort of exempted himself from fair debate. He does not want a fair trial, he wants a quick and sham trial. Now it is up to every senator, every other senator. Every senator will have his say a essay and deciding which of the two views wins out. But we have a fair trial . Or coverup . Two we hear the evidence or do we try to hide it . And it will not be me and not the republican leader alone, but the majority of senators who will decide e whether we have the fair trial with facts and evidence or will we have a senate sponsored coverup of the president s alleged misconduct . Make no mistake, there will be votes. On whether to call each of the four witnesses we have proposed. And subpoena the documents we identified. Under the rules of the senatee trial, the minority will be able to offer motions subject to a majority vote. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, your constituentsit, the voice of hitch history is watching. You will bee required to vote on whetherit we have a fair trial with witnesses and documents or you will say i am running away from the facts, i am scared of the facts, and go for a coverup. A few hours ago, the momentum for uncovering the truth and the senate trial gathered even more momentum. One of the key witnesses i have asked for, mr. Jon bolton, former National Security advisor to President Trump correctly acknowledge that he needs to comply with the Senate Subpoena for his testimony. Previously mr. Bolton said he was leaving the question of his testimony up to the courts. Today he made it perfectly clear that hee will come if the senate asks as he should. The other potential witness we would let have identified, mr. Mulvaney, mr. Duffy, mr. Blair should do the same. We know that mr. Bolton, like mr. Mulvaney, mr. Duffy and mr. Blair the three other witnesses have crucial, crucial eyewitness knowledge of the president s dealings with ukraine. About how decisions were made to withhold Security Assistance and about how opposition within the administration to that delay that President Trump seem to want was overcome. A simple majority is all it takes to ensure that the Senate Issues a subpoena for these witnesses. If only for republicans decide that mr. Bolton and the three other witnessesea ought to be heard, they will be heard because every democrat will vote to hear them. It is now up to four Senate Republicans to support bringing in mr. Bolton and the three other witnesses, as well as the key documents we have requested to ensure all the evidence is presented at the outset of the senate trial. Given that mr. Boltons lawyers have stated he has new and relevant information to share, if any Senate Republican poses issuing subpoenas toqu the four witnesses and documents we have requested, they would make it absolutely clear theyre participating in a coverup on one of the most sacred duties we have in this congress, in this senate. And c that is to keep a president in check. Now leader mcconnell has suggested we follow the 1999 example and beginning the impeachment trial first and then deciding on witnesses and documents after the arguments are complete. He keeps making this argument and it does not gather any steam. Because it is such a foolish one. Let me again respond for the benefit of my colleagues. Witnesses and documents are the most important issue, and we should deal with them first. To hear leader mcconnell say no witnesses now but maybe some later is just another indication he has no argument against witnesses and documents on the merits. Ss he is afraid to address the argument because he knows its a loser so he says lets decide it later. Why . Why . No reason, in fact it is sort of backwards. We are going to have all the arguments, and then they say maybe we will have witnesses and documents . The arguments first the evidence later . As i have said, leader mcconnells view of the trial is an alice ind wonderland view. First the trial, then the evidence. And, more important than precedence is the fact that his analogy plainly does not make sense because you dont have both sides present their arguments first and then after words ask for the evidence we know out there. The evidence should inform the trial not the other way around. When later mcconnell proposes we follow the 1999 presidencies essentially arguing we should conduct the entire impeachment trial first and then once it is over decide whether or not we need witnesses and documents. Again, mcconnells view was alice in wonderland, first the trial than the evidence. If this senate were to agree to leader mcconnells proposal, the senate will act as little more than a nationally televised meeting of a mock trial club. Leader mcconnells proposal on witnesses and documents later is a poorly disguised trap. He has already made clear what his goals are. He said it, on fox news radio after weve heard the arguments we ought to vote and move on. No witnesses, no documents. Well, at least 47 deccan democrats and i hope some republicans wont fall for that kind of specious logic. What mcconnell says does not sound like someone who will reasonably consider witnesses and documents at a later date. Atmore sounds like someone who is already made up his mind. You cannot, you cannot have a fair trial without the facts. Without the testimony from witnesses of knowledge of the events and related documents. At trial without all the factsm is a farce. If the president is acquitted at the end of the show him trial with no witnesses or documents, his acquittal will not carry much weight in the minds of the American People or in the judgment of history. So President Trump you are heard about this acquittal, this impeachment, and you are wishing for a fair trial in a real acquittal . Join us in asking for the witnesses to come forward. Join us in asking for the documents. What are you hiding President Trump . What are you afraid of President Trump . If you think you have done nothing wrong, you would not mind having witnesses, your own witnesses they are people you have appointed, to come here. Most americans know, President Trump is afraid, seems to be afraid of the truth. 64 of all republicans who almost always side with President Trump in the polling data say there should be witnesses and documents. 64 . A trial without all of the facts is a farce. The verdict of a Kangaroo Court are empty. It is time for a bipartisan majority in this chamber, democrat, republican, to support the rules and procedures for a fair trial. A vote to allow witnesses and documents does not presume a vote for conviction in any way. It nearly ensures that when the ultimate judgment is rendered, whatever that judgment may be, it will be based on the facts. We dont know what the witnesses will say. They could be exculpatory for President Trump. Or, they could be more condemning. But whatever they will be, we should have the facts come out, let the chips fall where they may. Senate democrats believe we must, we must have a fair trial and Senate Republicans, we will see. I yield the floor. Sumac mr. President. Senator from texas. Mr. President er i have some prepared remarks about the soleimani strike and others but i wanted take a moment to respond briefly to my friend the democratic leader. There seems to be a lot of irony involved in this question of the articles of impeachment. First of all of course Speaker Pelosi who said this is an urgent fulfilling of a constitutional duty once the articles of impeachment who were voted on in the house, she has been radio silence. And appears to be getting cold feet on whether or not she will even send the articles of impeachments to the senate. So i would suggest that the first thing we need to know is if Speaker Pelosi is actually serious about this. Because if she is not, there is no occasion for us to even begin this conversation about how the senate trial will proceed. Speaker pelosi is mistaken if she thanks she can direct or influence the senates decision on how the trial will proceed. In fact one of the things im pretty sure of is the senate will not replicate this circus like atmosphere of the impeachment inquiry in the house. Which has been one of the most partisan, undertakings that i have seen on my time in the senate. I think they are really grasping at straws recognizing they did a poor job of developing the case and leaving the two articles of impeachment. One because of a disagreement over the manner in which the president exercised his authorities under the constitution engaged in foreign relations. And the other based on this bogus idea that by saying i need to go to court to get some direction on a claim of executive privilege that somehow, even though mr. Schiff drops the subpoena or no longer seeks that witness testimony, that somehow they have obstructed an investigation of the congress. All of this without even alleging any crime. But i suggest that the senate is an institution that follows the rules. And we follow our precedents. The most obvious precedent for this impeachment trial is the clinton impeachment trial. There we a saw 100 senators agreed to a procedure that allowed both sides to present their cases after which there was a vote to see whether additional testimony would be required. And indeed there was an agreement to provide three additional witnesses. Not live in a circus like atmosphere on the floor of the senate but through depositions taken out of court that could then be out of the chamber and those egg serves those depositions could be offered as additional evidence. That is the procedure that was supported by the endemic craddick leader the senator from new york. And i suggest that what is fair for president clinton is fair for President Trump. Itnd is not much more complicated than that. And that indeed is the most relevant precedents. Now with regard to this claim that some senators arent demonstrating impartiality, i recall reading where the senator from new york, when he was running against ther incumbent, or he said a vote for me for the senate will be a guaranteed vote of acquittal of president clinton. Hardly impartial. And now he protests too much, and i think demonstrates his hypocrisy when it comes to the standard by which he holds himself and others. And im sorry madame president but i just cant believe Elizabeth Warren and senator sanders would qualify under anybodys judgment as impartial juror. But that is our constitutional system. I think what is happened, they realize their face the realized their cases fallen short and the president is not going to happen and they are grasping at straws. Madam president on another madam matter last friday they woke up to the news one of the worlds worst terrorists had been killed. Qassem soleimani was killed in an airstrike by u. S. Military bringing to end his decades long reign of terror. You could legitimately call general soleimani af master of disaster. Because that defined his entire professional life as irans military. Actually, he was the head of the is islamic Guard Quds Force which is a designated terrorist organization. General soleimani is the number one leader in iran which has been designated by the u. S. State department is sponsored terrorism since 1994. Ts general soleimani squashed movements at home and abroad by any means necessary. Hit he and his army of terrorist export of violence around the region and engaged in gross Human Rights Violations against the iranian people. G if you are curious how the iranian government treats its own citizens, just look at the recent protests that started as complaints of her increased. Gas prices. When iranian citizens took to the streets in peaceful protest, the ayatollah, the supreme leader, called them enemy agents and thugs. And the government attacked as many as 450 iranians were killed in those peaceful protests. Some 2000 were injured and 7000 were detained. This is not a government protecting its people, its a network of criminals masquerading as a government. And one of the ayatollahs most loyal henchmen was soleimani. And additionally the attacks on attacks terrorists around the country, he played a crucial role in making siri of civil war. So lomeli helped finance and aid the butcher and the slaughter of the syrian people. The death toll in the Syrian Civil War is estimated to be half a million as high as half a million syrians and the number of refugees and displaced persons goes into the millions. While the greatest death and destruction orchestrator by soleimani was concentrated in the middle east, United States was one of his and i rons biggest targets. From the iranian hostage crisis back in 191879 to the recent shooting down of the u. S. Drone and the death of an American Contractor in iraq. Actions at every turn shows a desire of death to america. To reality. Tran one was known to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds ofdi american soldiers. Heve and his Iranian Regime supplied explosively formed penetrators which cut through american armor like a hot knife through butter. And left hundreds indeed more than hundreds maybe thousands es more americans soldiers disabled as a result of this deadly instrument of war. Since 2003 at least 600 u. S. Soldiers have been killed by iranian proxies in iraq and many more injures as a have said. I and others in this chamber have seen their activities firsthand in the Army Medical Center in san antonio. And other places where they received treatments like Walter Reed Hospital here in washington d. C. Its where the victims of these iranian improvised explosive devices were treated for amputation, for burns, or functional limb loss if they survived those injuries in the first place. These soldiers are a reminder of the selfless commitment are men and women in uniform make each day. Ndas well as the perilous threat posed by iran under soleimani leadership. For decades, since the iranian revolution in 1979 ty ron has raged war against the United States and her allies. And recent reports indicate a soleimani was in the process of plotting even more acts of aggression against the u. S. And u. S. Interests. Hardly surprising though since he has been doing that for many years. And that is precisely why he was targeted. Just as quickly as news of this to an attack spread sounded anti trump rhetoric. Instead of celebrating the fact that the chief terrorist was dead, and could kill no more, a number of our democratic colleagues chose to bash the president. They claimed his action was on authorize even illegal, or that he should have sought a congressional approval before hand. E. Well none of that is true. The president not only has the authority under the constitution, but the responsibility to defend the United States from terrorist organizations like the eye rain and revolutionary guard corps and its leaders like Qassem Soleimani. This was not an assassination, particularly loathsome allegation that isnt been made on social media. No more was it an unprovoked attack. This was the president of the United States exercising his Lawful Authority to protect the United States, our allies and international interest. Just like president s before have done. Perhaps the most stark comparison is when barack obama directed the killing of osama bin laden. Where were the people who now claims soleimanis death was an abuse of power . I dont remember anyone calling the killing of osama bin ladens and assassination. When he was killed, they were not on cable tv criticizing, we were all celebrating. Some of our democratic friends will simply never pass on an opportunity to criticized the president , no matter how unfair. Thank goodness are democrats like former department of Homeland Security jay johnson informers senatoran lieberman said President Trumps order to take out Qassem Soleimani was morally, constitutionally, and strategically correct. It should have more bipartisan support than has been received thus far from my fellow democrats. That was senator joe lieberman. I am also grateful for the informed comments by luminaries like former centcom commander and former cia director contrasts and ambassador ryan crocker who both rightly said that this action was authorized and necessary. It is unquestionable that the death of soleimani was a major blow to the regime and a strong message of deterrence to all stateed sponsors of terrorism. The blood of hundreds of american soldiers and countless civilians is on soleimanis hands. And because of the Decisive Action taken by President Trump he ison gone. I fully support this move by the president and commend the president s willingness to send a strong message of deterrence to the terrorist threat in the middle east and particularly that directed against that the United States, are citizens, or our interest. And finally, madam president , i want to join my thanking those brave men and women in uniform who fighting continued to fight terrorists acts brought about by people like general soleimani and the quds force. Especially those who are fighting and prepared to defend our interest in the middle east today. America must never back down in the face of this evil. Our world is safer today be because Qassem Soleimani is dead. And it would not be possible without the actions that President Trump has taken. As well as the resolve of our military leaders and our Courageous Service members who put their lives on the line each day. Its also on the floor today democratic cane came to the floor to discuss the war powers resolution that would force a debate and vote in congress to prevent war and escalation apostolate is with iran. Heres his remarks now. Madam president i am glad to be joined by my colleague from illinois who is a personal mentor of mine today. We are here to talk about the threat of war with iran. And about the constitution. Iav