Tuesday on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said the Senate approved a war powers resolution seeking to block President Donald Trump from restating U.S. military action in Iran.
Cooper asked, “So it’s obviously not the first time the Senate held a vote on this measure. Why do you think it’s succeeded today?”
Murphy said, “Well, this war is the most unpopular war in modern history. People know that it’s a disaster for our security, but they also are feeling the impact of it. Gas prices are above $6 in a lot of places. Grocery prices are going up. And even though you have hostilities suspended for a period of time, those prices aren’t coming down anytime soon. It’s going to take a long time to get oil production back up to its previous levels. Transportation costs are going to remain high, which means grocery prices are going to remain high. People didn’t want this war. And the effects of it are going to stick around for a long time. So I just think as time goes on, you’re going to have more Republicans, especially as we get closer to the election, joining us in these resolutions to put an end to the war.
Cooper said, “Well, critics of the measure, including those in the white House, say that because the conflict in Iraq is essentially paused during these negotiations, a vote like the one that passed tonight is unnecessary.”
Murphy said, “Well, I don’t think anybody is sure that this war is over. This seems like a very fragile ceasefire, for instance. It relies upon Israel and Lebanon remaining in ceasefire. And at any moment, that conflict could restart, which would probably cause Iran to close the strait again. So we want to just make it absolutely clear that this war was illegal, and it was. The president can’t launch a war like he did in Iran without congressional approval, and that he is restrained from restarting it again without the consent of Congress. So I just don’t think anybody can bet that this really fragile, really badly negotiated ceasefire is going to hang around for much longer. I hope it does, but I’m not sure we can count on it.”
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