Kaine Statement on President Trump’s Threats to Use Military Force in Mexico and Greenland

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Western Hemisphere subcommittee, released the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s statements threatening to use U.S. military force toviolate Mexican sovereigntyandinvade a NATO ally:
“Throughout my travels in Virginia, I’m hearing about the need to stabilize our economy and lower prices—not start new wars right across our southern border in Mexico, or with our NATO ally Denmark. Using U.S. military personnel in this manner would be a waste of taxpayer money and military resources at a time when we should be focusing on how to best counter real adversaries like China, Russia and Iran, and on serious law enforcement initiatives to tackle the threats posed by cartels.
“The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare wars and to authorize the use of military force; there is no authorization for military action within Mexican or Danish territory. Should Trump order unauthorized military action in Mexico or Greenland, I will immediately file legislation to force a vote to stop it. If we’re going to order our young men and women in uniform to risk their lives in conflict, we owe it to them to have a robust debate and vote.”
For years, Kaine has been the leading voice in Congress raising concerns over Presidents’ efforts to expand the use of military force without congressional authorization. In September of 2017, Kaine wrote a piece inTIMEwarning of the consequences if Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran. In July of 2018, Kaine wrote a piece inThe Atlanticwarning that President Trump was blundering toward war with Iran. In 2020, Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution seeking to avoid a needless war with Iranpassed both houses of Congresswith bipartisan majorities. Kaine’sbipartisan legislationto repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations of Military Force and formally end the Gulf and Iraq Wars was passed by the Senate in 2023.
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