{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-bill-no-war-in-north-korea-without-congressional-authorization", "New Bill: No War in North Korea Without Congressional Authorization", "2017-10-31", "2017", "2017-10", "Independent", "House", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "New Bill: No War in North Korea Without Congressional Authorization\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, October 31, 2017\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013\u00a0U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)\u00a0on Tuesday led\u00a0U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and\u00a0Tom Udall (D-N.M.)\u00a0in introducing a bill prohibiting President Trump from starting a preemptive war against North Korea, absent an imminent threat or without express authorization from Congress. The bill, introduced amidst the escalation of irresponsible rhetoric and contradictory behavior from President Trump and officials in his administration, prohibits funds from being used for kinetic military operations without Congressional approval unless the United States faces an imminent threat or such action is necessary to defend citizens or our allies.\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe full text of the bill is available\u00a0here.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe need to take the president seriously when he threatens war, because the dam could break at any moment. Republican and Democratic Senators are alarmed over the path we\u2019re on, and it\u2019s important we join forces to reclaim Congress\u2019 constitutional role in matters of war and peace before there\u2019s no turning back,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Murphy.\u00a0\u201cThis bill shouldn\u2019t be controversial since it essentially restates current law, but Congress needs to make it crystal clear that the President does not have the authority to take preemptive military action in North Korea without congressional consent.\"\r\n\u201cA preemptive strike against North Korea could be catastrophic for the nearly 80,000 American servicemembers who are stationed in the region and for the tens of millions of innocent human beings who live on the Korean Peninsula,\u201d\u00a0said combat Veteran and Senator Duckworth.\u00a0\u201cWe need our nation\u2019s Commander-in-Chief to show a steady hand and sound judgement, not to engage in irresponsible and dangerous verbal attacks that only serve to escalate an already dangerous situation and put American lives at risk.\u00a0As the drums of war beat louder each day in both the White House and the Pentagon, I am proud to stand alongside Senators Murphy, Booker, Schatz and Sanders to ensure those in power understand the true costs of war \u2013 not just in dollars and cents but in human lives \u2013 before they consider starting a conflict that could lead to widespread devastation.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cOur bill makes it clear that the president does not have the authority to engage in preventive war without approval from Congress, and it goes so far as to tie the purse strings so that the president will have to ask for Congressional approval before taking any preventive action, \u201d\u00a0said Senator Schatz.\u00a0\u201cI want to emphasize what this bill does not do. It does not limit the ability of the United States to protect our allies. Japan, South Korea, and every other ally of the United States should rest assured that we stand with them, and we will have their backs.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cAt a time when President Trump\u2019s rhetoric is growing increasingly belligerent and his foreign policy decisions are becoming even more erratic, this bill reaffirms\u00a0Congress\u2019 authority and provides a critical safeguard to help keep the President from launching the United States and our servicemen and servicewomen into a pre-emptive war of untold magnitude and destruction,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Booker. \u201cThis important legislation clarifies that the President\u2019s authority to defend the United States from an imminent threat or attack cannot be\u00a0stretched to include starting an unprovoked war with North Korea.\u201d\r\n\r\nSenator Sanders said,\u00a0\u201cClearly we have got to do everything that we can to prevent a nuclear war which will likely cost the lives of millions and millions of people. Congress has an enormously important oversight responsibility in matters of war, and this legislation blocking a preemptive strike against North Korea is an appropriate step in fulfilling that responsibility.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe President\u2019s erratic, blustering approach to North Korea has created a huge risk of stumbling into a disastrous war,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Merkley.\u00a0\u201cA preemptive strike on North Korea would immediately be met by retaliation that could kill tens of thousands of South Koreans as well as many Americans within hours. This outcome is unacceptable. We need to make sure that Congress exercises its constitutional responsibilities to prevent profound and destructive misjudgments.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-bill-no-war-in-north-korea-without-congressional-authorization"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9117312729358673, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}