After the Trump Administration’s 75-minute briefing to the US Senate on the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) was deeply critical, calling it the worst briefing he’d gotten in his nine years in the Senate.
Saying the administration’s briefers offered little on the legal or practical justification for the attack, Sen. Lee particularly took umbrage at them warning the Senators that they must not debate the War Powers authorization for a war with Iran .
Those giving the briefing objected to the very idea of the Senate discussing the matter publicly, saying it would “embolden Iran.” Sen. Lee noted that this is a power Constitutionally reserved explicitly for the legislature.
“For them to tell us … for us to debate and discuss these things on the Senate floor would somehow weaken the American cause and embolden Iran in any other actions, I find very insulting ,” Lee said, who did not specify to reporters on Capitol Hill which briefer made the assertion.
"It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government – I don’t care if they’re with the CIA, the Department of Defense or otherwise – to come in and tell us that we can’t debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran, " Lee added. — ABC
Not only did Lee express annoyance that there was no pushback from any of the briefers on telling the Senate not to debate something legally in their purview, but he said that while he’d had problems with the language of Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) resolution, he has now decided that he will support the resolution, on condition of some amendments.
Watch a frustrated Sen. Lee slam the briefing to reporters below:
Now we know where @TWR@Dr_Manhattan@DMK and @asaratis were earlier today. They were off at the Senate delivering the worst briefing on Iran in history along with a message to Senators that they aren’t allowed to debate or discuss potential military engagement against Iran because that emboldens Iran and weakens America. If our members weren’t the ones giving the briefing today, then the briefers lifted their comments straight off this site. It’s good to see rational people outraged by such nonsense. Those of us who have been questioning this since the day it happened have had to deal with a relentless onslaught of propaganda, primarily from @TWR, that suggests we are all proffering “conspiracy nut bs” for simply debating and discussing the theories and reason surrounding conflict with Iran. It’s a shameful display but I am glad there are others who feel the same.
This is great and it’s exactly what our elected officials should be saying and doing. The Constitution matters and the American people don’t want another war that isn’t absolutely necessary. While Congress is a complete mess at the end of the day we need to hold them accountable and force them to follow the processes as laid out in the Constitution. This is a good example of Senators trying to do just that.
Yeah but unfortunately there’s 50 odd chickenshits who aren’t. And the two who did speak out are having their asses dropped in the grease by fellow republicans who are essentially accusing them of TREASON!!! We’re so fucked.
If you are serious about joining the military then I strongly recommend that you read the Constitution over and over again until you understand it.
The people you are criticizing are the same people who have the power to declare war. It’s the role of the president to guide the execution of the war once it has been declared by Congress.
I’m sure that @TWR will declare that video to be a lie and call the Federalist Papers “conspiracy nut BS”
From a comparative history perspective @TWR embodies the personality and characteristics of an American-born British loyalist during the Revolutionary War. Someone who would report their fellow countrymen to the crown in exchange for being looked favorably upon by the head, attached to the body, attached to the boot on his neck.
I wasn’t going to say, but they turned me down for now. I’d rather not say why. But I’ve got a few things to work on. A little depressed but I’m sure the naysayers will do a happy dance.
I think Senator Lee was right to be upset. I would be upset too if I was the elected person in the room listening to a bunch of unelected bureaucrats tell me what I can and can’t do.
