threat for some time. ever since president trump chose to ignore the advice of his key national security professionals and allies by abandoning america's commitment to a diplomatic big deal to eliminate nuclear. the presidents action since that tragic decision and the easily predictable responses by ron's actions have resulted in an escalating set of hostilities between the united states and iran and its proxies. i'llon stayed at the outset my conclusion. i believe that the u.s. should not be at war with iran and that indeed another war in the middle east now would be catastrophic. but i recognize that some of my colleagues may have a different.of view. so i speak in the hopes of forging a consensus on at least one issue. and that issue is this, if there is to be a war with iran, it should not be initiated by this president or any president. they are acting on his or her

own. it should only be initiated by vote of congress following an open public debate in full view of the american people. every member of congress should vote and then be accountable for the question of whether another war the middle east is a good idea. the demand for congressional accountability is constitutional and required unique constitutional framework that we have we pledge to support and defend the principal. it's up to congress to declare war not the president. if we engage in a war, the odds are high that young american men and women will be killed or injured. some will see their friends killed and injured. some will have the remainder of their lives affected by physical and emotional injuries, posttraumatic stress, the pain of losing friends.the pain of losing and their families and friends will bear the scars as well. if we are to order our troops and their families to run that risk, than it should be based

on a public consensus that is reflected in an open congressional debate and vote that wars in the national interest. and if congress debates the matter in full view of the public and reaches a econclusion that war is necessary, so be it. even if our to vote no, if the majority of my colleagues voted yes i would agree that the decision to go to war was a legitimate basis to order our best and brightest into yharm's way. but by what right do we consign our troops to possible injury and death if we are unwilling to have a debate and cast a vote ourselves? we cannot hide under our desks, outsource our constitutional duty to any president, and pretend we can avoid accountability for war and its consequences. over the course of this week, i will address three topics about the issue of war with iran. the first subjectet while addressed today is how did we get here? how did we come to the place

with the u.s. and iran portrayed a violent attacks against one another, and what does that mean for our country, the region, in the world? in the coming days i will address two additional topics for it i will discuss how congress should reclaim its constitutional warmaking powers by acting on a privilege revolution that durbin hen i have filed on january 3 to remove u.s. troops from hostilities with iran unless congress passes a new declaration or legal authorization initiating such war. the resolutionou which is also being offered on the house side by representative slotkin will give all 535 members of congress the opportunity to declare where they are on the advisability of a war with iran. and it will also give them an opportunity to affirm their commitments to office.ll and finally later in the week i will address the larger question of how the united states should de-escalate tension in the middle east so

we might better protect american lives and promote peace and stability very differently. how did we get here? the u.s. and iran have a very troubled history. when i ron's democratic please selected prime minister supported efforts to nationalize private energy resources, the u.s. and britain orchestrated a coup that led to disaster 1953. the overthrow of iran's democratic government partially with u.s. support, led to these who ruled iran as he was overthrown in the revolution in 1979. his dictatorial role with strong support from the united states, increasingly alienated the iranian population. when he fled the country during the revolution, iran demolished the monarchy and declared itself a republic. and within a few months after the revolution that took over the american embassy in iran.

those of us to sell a protest outside the american embassy in baghdad last week, the kiinventions of the hostagetaking 1979 when the front's of her mind. thehe protesters cited americans rolled. in 1953 coup and they asked the u.s. to return the shah who would come to the u.s. seeking mill medical attention iran held 52 americans hostage for more than 442 days until they were finally released the first days of the ragged anadministration. after this attack, this inexcusable attack. those relations were severed. the u.s. has imposed economic sanctions for decades. the u.s. provided support for iraq in its war, eight-year war against iran in which hundreds of thousands of iranians were killed. in a 1988, the u.s. navy cruiser, shot down and i

iranian commercial airliner killing 290 passengers and ngcrew. iran has engaged in hostilities against the united states and our allies during this time as well. through targeted tax on ss nations around the world. covert support for terrorist organizations. development of weapon system in violation of un security resolutions. iran has been directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of americans. and indirectly responsible for many, manyor more. these activities over many decades, have let america view iran is a key promoter of terrorism and what is most concerning nation y adversaries in the united states. in recent years, a particular focus has been iran's nuclear program. despite i ron's claim that it sought nuclear power solely for peaceful purposes. legitimate suspicion led to a global campaign led by the united states to sanction iran even more as a means of

getting the country to abandon its quest for new player weapons. after years of negotiations between the six nations, france, britain, u.s., china, iran, russia, an agreement was reached where iran would pledge never to seek, acquire or develop nuclear weapons for relaxing of u.s. sanctions against iran. the agreement known had strict limits on iran's nuclear program and that would gradually relax over 25 years. iran pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons was permanent. was they would abide by protocol and compliance with that pledge. the jc poa was not perfect. but it carefully preserve the ability of the u.s. and other nations to continue sanctions against iran for those activities. and it offered an opportunity for the first time in four

decades for the u.s. on iran to communicate through an established diplomatic process. as a trump administration took office, the president pledged to undo this diplomatic deal. the nations that agreed to the dealmp pointed out that iran was complying with the deal as did the iaea. and the key officials of president trump's national security team defense secretary, secretary of state, national security adviser, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff's allat agreed that the agreement was working and should be maintained. that president trump made the decision that the u.s. should abandon the diplomatic deal. the abandonment of a working diplomatic deal was historic. no u.s. president had ever walked away from an diplomatic commitment of this kind. many of us at the time warned the president that abandoning

diplomacy against the advice of allies and our national security professionals, would likely lead us to an unnecessary war. it was just a matter of time. and indeed since the beginning of the trump administration there has been increasing back and forth provocations that have nowet let us to a state of active hostilities between the united states and iran. unclassified examples of u.s. activities that have escalated hostilities with iran include the following. on december 12, 2017 the u.s. and israel reached its joint strategic workplan to counter iranian activities in the middle east that included preparation for military escalation scenarios against iran. may 8, 2018, president trump unilaterally withdraws from the jc poa after promising to do so for months. on may 21, 2018 secretary of state mike pompeo who had earlier expressed a preference for bombing iran, rather than

entering into the jc poa vowed to vote and crush those operatives. on july 23 president trump tweeted a threat to iranian president warning that iran would suffer consequences the likes few throughout history have suffered before. august 6, 2018 the trump administration unilaterally imposes economic sanctions, lifted as part of the jc poa despite i ron's continued compliance with that deal. september 2018 it was reported that new national security advisor jon bolton, had asked the department of defense to the bank war plans for iran later in the month bolton warned iran there be hell to pay if they cross the united states. october 3, 2018 the lump trump administration terminated a 1955 treaty of amnesty affirming friendly relations iran. the treaty itself had long ago

been made irrelevant by the actual hostilities between the nations, the action of the u.s. signing the treaty and publicly turning terminating it unilaterally was seen as a pattern of hospitalization. as early as the fall of 2018 the department of defense officials began to express concern that the u.s. maximum-security pressure campaign since iran was raising the risk of iranian retaliation against american troops in iraq and syria. in october 26 article in the wall street journal, dod officials were quoted as expressing concern that i ron's belief that the u.s. was helping israel with airstrikes or jeopardize american lives in the region. on november 5, 2018 president trump impose additional sanctions on my iranian oil banking and financing. on february 2319 president trump set on facing nascent troops from syria would be moved from my iraq to serve as a check against iran.

on february 11, 2019 advisor bolton released a video address to the 40th anniversary of the iranian revolution stating that i ron's leaders would quote not have many more anniversaries to enjoy. on february 13, 2019, the trump administration convened a meeting in poland that was publicly done described as israeli prime minister on his official website as designed to advance the common interest of war against iran. inre march 2019 accounts revealed department of energy had approved seven transfers of nuclear technical information from u.s. companies to saudi arabia dwithout informing congress. theme transferred were made despite u.s. awareness but that government of saudi arabia had publicly threatened to develop nuclear weapons to counter iran. on april 8, 2019 the u.s. designated g that i the first time it had ever been used to

apply a foreign government entity. on may 5, 2019 advisor bolton announced deployment of the lincoln terrorists striker and a bomber task force to u.s. central command for the express purpose of countering around. maa toy 19 the trump administration ordered new sanctions against iran's metal industry.nd may 10, 2019 the new york times report on war plans developed by theio administration that could deploy up to 120,000 additional u.s. troops the middle east to counter iran. on the same day the administration deployed patriotr mitchell's central command for iran. in many 24 the trump administration bypass congress declaring an emergency i iranian malign activity to sell weapons weapons to saudi arabia. in june of 2019 president trump ordered 3500 more troops to the u.s. military to the middle east to check iran.

on june 20, 2019 the u.s. had a strike against iranian positions that was aborted at the last minute by president trump. on june 24 toy 19 president trump impose additional and sanctions gets iran. on september 15, 2019 after drone attacks on two key oil installations in saudi arabia, president trump tweeted the u.s. was locked and loaded waiting on verification from the kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of the attack. on november 19, 2019 president trump notified congress pursuant to the war powers resolution that he was deploying additional u.s. weapons and troops to saudi arabia to counter iran. on december 29, 2019, following a rocket attack from iranian backed militia and iraq that kills an american contractor and wounded several others, the u.s. military struck i iranian backed b militia groups killing dozens. on january 2, 2019 president trump ordered the drone strike

killing qassem soleimani the key i iranian military commander as well as a key i rocky military leader. the december and generous strikes and iraq were carried out despite the objections of the iraqi government and without any prior notification to congress. two days after the soleimani strike the president notified congress of the action which had been in the newspaper obviously, quoteam consistent with the war powersra resolution. not during the same time iran has conducted escalatory as well. their behavior includes continued arming and financial backing of hezbollah of terrorist organization which carried out the bombing of the marine barracks in beirut. as well as efforts to target is rarely citizens and troops. supplying ballistic missiles and escalating civil war in yemen.

support for the popular mobilization committee affiliated she had military groups and iraq which pose a direct threat to u.s. personnel. unjust attention of u.s. citizens. cyber attacks on u.s. officials, agencies and companies. the downing of the u.s. american aerial vehicle in june of 2019. uab strikes against saudi oil for silts is still it is in september 2019, persistent interference with commercial shipping in the straits of removes. militia attacks on the iraqi basic kills an american contractor and stoking popular unrest against the u.s. and iraqaq that encourage the assault on the u.s. embassy in baghdad last week. i have given you these examples for a reason. as you can see the reason. there has been an escalation that began with the u.s. decision to destroy a diplomatic deal. and it has been one nation acting and the other responding and the other acting and the other responding. and now we are on the brink of

war. the escalation has been so significant between the u.s. on iran, now each country has dbeen responsible for actively inflicting injuries and deaths on the other. and we are at the brink of war. thous of american service members enjoyingin holidays with their families were surprised by notices in the last few days that they must now deployed to the middle east yet again. and the current state of hostilities is causing other serious consequences. the u.s. abandonment of the diplomatic deal and other actions has seriously jeopardize our relations with many t allies and particularly our european allies. the u.s. abandonment of a diplomatic deal over nuclear program is made it much harder to find a diplomatic deal with north korea. the u.s. decision to carry out the strikes on iraqi soil over i rocky objections has badly damaged u.s. iraq relations. just yesterday there iraqi parliament asked for all u.s. troops to leave iraq.

if that occurs, it will further destabilize a country that has been wracked with protests in recent months. it will embolden both isis and iran. u.s. actions have had the unlikely effect of driving three of our principal nations adversaries into historically unprecedented levels of cooperation, just recently iran, china, and russia conducted joint naval operations. and notably the u.s. actions that i have described here, have been carried out mostly by president trump without congressional approval. and often without any notice or any consultation of congress. member of congress on the relevant committees of had to read about these actions and the newspapers rather than being informed by the trump administration. at this particular moment, but the specter of war so present, it is time for congress to assert itself. we cannot let a president destroy american diplomacy on

his own. we cannot let a president take our nation, take our troops, take our best and brightest into an unnecessary war on his own. indeed we cannot lead the lives of our troops up to a whim of this president or any president. that is why senator durbin and i have introduced pursuant to the same war powers act by the president a resolution that will reinforce the removal of u.s. troops with the hostilities of iran unless congress independently votes that we should be at war. congress has the responsibility, and congress must act to shoulder its responsibility. i will offer more comments :

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washington dc and around the country so you can make up your own mind. credit by cable in 1979 c-span is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. c-span your unfiltered view of government. >> this week on the communicators we want to introduce you to adrian shahbaz with a group called freedom house where he is the research director in the areas of tech and democracy. mr. shahbaz, before we get into the freedom of the net report that freedom house has put out what is freedom house? >> guest: is an independent organization founded in 1941 to promote democracy both in the united states and overseas. we do this through research, advocacy and on the ground programming in many countries around the world. >> host: how are you funded and is there government funding abou