Feingold’s opening statement
The Reporter: Read Feingold’s opening statement 01/30/07
Text of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s opening remarks this morning to the Senate Judiciary Committee
For The Reporter
The following is the text of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s opening remarks this morning to the Senate Judiciary Committee:
Good morning, and welcome to this hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee entitled “Exercising Congress’s Constitutional Power to End a War.� We are honored to have with us this morning a distinguished panel of legal scholars to share their views on this very important and timely issue.
I thank Chairman Leahy for allowing me to chair this hearing. Let me start by making a few opening remarks, then I will recognize Senator Specter for an opening statement, and then we will turn to our witnesses.
It is often said in this era of ubiquitous public opinion polls that the only poll that really matters is the one held on election day. On November 7, 2006, we had such a poll, and all across this country, the American people expressed their opinion on the war in Iraq in the most significant and meaningful way possible — they voted. And with those votes, they sent a clear message that they disagree with this war and they want our involvement in it to stop.
The President has chosen to ignore that message. So it is up to Congress to act.
The Constitution gives Congress the explicit power “[to] declare War,� “[t]o raise and support Armies,� “[t]o provide and maintain a Navy,� and “[t]o make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces.� In addition, under Article I, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.� These are direct quotes from the Constitution of the United States. Yet to hear some in the Administration talk, it is as if these provisions were written in invisible ink. They were not. These powers are a clear and direct statement from the founders of our republic that Congress has authority to declare, to define, and ultimately, to end a war.
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