Rep. Balint Introduces Amendment to Republican Budget Resolution to Stop Funding for Unauthorized War in Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL) introduced an amendment during the House Budget Committee's markup of the Republican budget resolution to strike $73 billion in funding for President Trump's unauthorized war in Iran. Balint's amendment would have prohibited funding for military action that has not been explicitly authorized by Congress, reaffirming Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and rejecting what she called another Republican "blank check" for President Trump's military escalation. "A colleague on the other side earlier in this hearing said this was all a game...It's not a game at all. It's deadly serious," said Rep. Balint during the committee markup. "Americans are disgusted when we think of the work that we do here as a game. And it's truly astounding that we're here, again, considering a highly partisan budget resolution for a third Republican reconciliation bill that increases costs and does nothing to help the people back home. So, let's level set. What are we doing here? Why are we here today? This is about waging war, a war that we were told for the last five months isn't really a war." Balint criticized Republicans for rushing the budget resolution through committee with little transparency while proposing tens of billions of dollars in additional military spending without identifying how it would be paid for. "My [Republican] colleagues constantly howl that the deficit is one of the nation's greatest challenges, yet this resolution contains no substantive ideas for how to pay for this massive increase in spending,” Balint said. “Meanwhile, we hear constantly that we can't possibly afford healthcare or food for Americans...and yet, when it comes to approving tens of billions of dollars in additional Pentagon spending, they’re a rubber stamp...there's always time for more war." Balint noted that Congress had already passed a bipartisan War Powers Resolution directing the President to end U.S. military involvement in Iran absent explicit congressional authorization. "Republicans are in charge of Congress, and they have repeatedly written a blank check for however much Donald Trump wants to pay for any of his pet projects and priorities. They have given up the people's power spelled out in Article I of the Constitution,” she remarked. “Our power as members of Congress is the people's power. That's why I'm introducing an amendment that would prohibit any spending on unauthorized wars, striking the $73 billion in spending [dedicated for the Department of Defense.]" Later, Balint pushed back against Republican claims that opposing the funding package would weaken national security. "With all due respect, Mr. Chair, I am sick and tired of hearing from my colleagues on the other side that Democrats want to put national security at risk. Tired of it. When I've got family members of people who are in harm's way right now in the Middle East, who are put in harm's way in Venezuela, who don't have confidence that we are making smart decisions about how we spend our military money. So please, spare me,” said Balint. “The bottom line is that this budget resolution is a poorly planned, poorly drafted backdoor deal to pay for President Trump's decision to start a war with Iran. It's irresponsible. He didn't know how he was going to get out of it. And we see it played out every single day on the news. We deserve so much better than that.” Balint urged her colleagues to support her amendment and reject the Republican budget resolution, arguing it prioritizes funding an unauthorized war over lowering costs and investing in the needs of American families. Ultimately, the amendment failed on a party-line vote, with every Republican on the committee voting against it. ###