The $200 billion funding request from the Pentagon to pay for the war in Iran hasn’t been made official yet, but Democratic opposition to the massive ask is lining up fast.
Republicans are the same party that claimed the country could not afford to spend $60 billion over two years to make sure that millions of people did not face rising health insurance premiums and losing their access to health care, but they now want to spend $200 billion to pay for an unpopular war in the Middle East that is costing taxpayers billions of dollars a day.
Just like the rest of the American people, Democrats were not consulted with or asked in advance for their support of this war.
Given the fact that people are struggling to afford food, utilities, gas for the car, and health insurance, it makes sense that Democrats would not want to just toss $200 billion at the Pentagon for Trump’s war of choice.
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was on CNN’s State Of The Union where Dana Bash asked if Jeffries will encourage Democrats to vote no, “Is that something that, if it comes up before the House, you will whip, meaning will you urge your fellow Democrats to vote no on any funding or will you allow them to vote their conscience?
The House Minority Leader answered:
Well, we will have that leadership conversation when we actually have a piece of legislation that is in front of us.
But I can tell you there is strong opposition right now to the notion that this war of choice that is reckless, that’s costing the American people now more than $30 billion should continue. We need to move, which we plan on doing in short order, a war powers resolution so we can bring this situation to a close.
Jeffries’s answer was very important because Senate Republicans have already made it clear that they don’t want to be solely responsible for funding Trump’s war.
Rep. Jeffries also made an important argument about what America should be spending its money on instead of war.
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