On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) discussed a push by some Senate Democrats for public testimony on Iran and responded to a question on arguments that the Trump administration is following standard procedure on briefing Congress by saying that “we’re not in normal times, and most Americans know the math doesn’t add up. This is an administration that took a chainsaw, cutting people’s healthcare, millions of Americans losing healthcare, cutting veterans’ benefits, seeing their prices going up on everything from energy to the cost increases because of the tariffs. At the same time, going to the most expensive military engagement we have had since the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “Well, and there have been those classified briefings and Secretary Rubio, who was once Sen. Rubio, says this is more than we ever got when President Biden was in office, how much he’s been up there, the questions he’s answered behind closed doors. The administration might hear this tonight and say, well, we’re doing what is standard procedure. What would you say to that, Senator?”
Booker answered, “I would say we’re not in normal times, and most Americans know the math doesn’t add up. This is an administration that took a chainsaw, cutting people’s healthcare, millions of Americans losing healthcare, cutting veterans’ benefits, seeing their prices going up on everything from energy to the cost increases because of the tariffs. At the same time, going to the most expensive military engagement we have had since the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the biggest disruption of the oil industry we’ve seen, which is jacking up prices at the pump. So, the math doesn’t add up. This is a major military conflict with a major power in the Middle East, American lives are being lost. And the Senate of the United States of America is rolling over and doing nothing, no oversight, no hearings, no checks and balances. Republicans in the Senate are letting this president act unilaterally, which the Constitution says there’s no way a president can indiscriminately pick countries he wants to invade. That power lies with Congress. But Congress has got to use their power, and that’s why the four of us, along with Sen. Murphy (D-CT), Sen. Duckworth (D-IL), and others, are saying, enough, no more business as usual. Our country is in crisis, the costs for average Americans are skyrocketing, and this president wants to spend tens of billions of dollars in his adventurism overseas without coming to Congress.”
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