Gary Peters: Congress Just Can’t Write a ‘Blank Check’ for Military Activities; That’s Not Responsibility

RUSH TRANSCRIPT CUOMO Now ░░░░░░░░ Will Hurd out of ░░░░░░░░ Republican was just on ░░░░░░░░ show And he says ░░░░░░░░ you guys do support ░░░░░░░░ military because you fund ░░░░░░░░ operations So it s ░░░░░░░░ But I think there ░░░░░░░░ a larger kind of ░░░░░░░░ that is absent which ░░░░░░░░ what you re talking ░░░░░░░░ which is the debate ░░░░░░░░ everybody says they want ░░░░░░░░ have but you never ░░░░░░░░ And that s why ░░░░░░░░ have the same AUMF ░░░░░░░░ you ve had since ░░░░░░░░ 2002 if you count ░░░░░░░░ Iraq War I want ░░░░░░░░ play for you what ░░░░░░░░ Hurd said about why ░░░░░░░░ s not a big ░░░░░░░░ of needing an AUMF ░░░░░░░░ clip starts HURD Well ░░░░░░░░ know an authorized use ░░░░░░░░ military force is not ░░░░░░░░ know is not the ░░░░░░░░ way to take responsibility ░░░░░░░░ activities overseas Supporting our ░░░░░░░░ with training and funding ░░░░░░░░ one way to do ░░░░░░░░ Making sure administrations past ░░░░░░░░ present have the tools ░░░░░░░░ need in order to ░░░░░░░░ their job clip ends ░░░░░░░░ See here s the ░░░░░░░░ You re giving them ░░░░░░░░ money arguably I know ░░░░░░░░ many in the Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ the military would argue ░░░░░░░░ that and say you ░░░░░░░░ not giving them enough ░░░░░░░░ but that s a ░░░░░░░░ point You don t ░░░░░░░░ the political reality of ░░░░░░░░ decisions Because you don ░░░░░░░░ debate it you don ░░░░░░░░ vote on it and ░░░░░░░░ re not on record ░░░░░░░░ it And it seems ░░░░░░░░ me that s why ░░░░░░░░ is no debate because ░░░░░░░░ with all due respect ░░░░░░░░ every lawmaker we have ░░░░░░░░ this show says Yeah ░░░░░░░░ we ve got to ░░░░░░░░ after this Except Will ░░░░░░░░ He s really the ░░░░░░░░ one I ve heard ░░░░░░░░ he doesn t think ░░░░░░░░ s that important Everybody ░░░░░░░░ says it s very ░░░░░░░░ but it never happens ░░░░░░░░ doesn t it happen ░░░░░░░░ And I will agree ░░░░░░░░ you it has to ░░░░░░░░ It should happen And ░░░░░░░░ guess from the previous ░░░░░░░░ it s true we ░░░░░░░░ our military We are ░░░░░░░░ appropriators to make sure ░░░░░░░░ they have the resources ░░░░░░░░ you just can t ░░░░░░░░ a blank check To ░░░░░░░░ that s not responsibility ░░░░░░░░ s not really functioning ░░░░░░░░ the Congress should which ░░░░░░░░ an oversight And the ░░░░░░░░ has the constitutional authority ░░░░░░░░ putting the United States ░░░░░░░░ war situations CUOMO Right ░░░░░░░░ yet you punt And ░░░░░░░░ s what I don ░░░░░░░░ understand It seems to ░░░░░░░░ what you call in ░░░░░░░░ a ham and egg ░░░░░░░░ The money is the ░░░░░░░░ A chicken can give ░░░░░░░░ But when a pig ░░░░░░░░ to give ham that ░░░░░░░░ a different situation That ░░░░░░░░ a sacrifice not a ░░░░░░░░ And you don t ░░░░░░░░ to have this debate ░░░░░░░░ quid pro demonstrateo you ░░░░░░░░ t want to have ░░░░░░░░ debate Do you think ░░░░░░░░ lives are enough to ░░░░░░░░ giving away power to ░░░░░░░░ This isn t all ░░░░░░░░ president Trump senator He ░░░░░░░░ new there These troops ░░░░░░░░ put there by President ░░░░░░░░ You gave him the ░░░░░░░░ that he wanted You ░░░░░░░░ bush the power that ░░░░░░░░ wanted But it was ░░░░░░░░ power and you could ░░░░░░░░ it wasn t yours ░░░░░░░░ give away Do you ░░░░░░░░ we ll see a ░░░░░░░░ debate here this time ░░░░░░░░ I certainly hope so ░░░░░░░░ you say we haven ░░░░░░░░ taken a vote We ░░░░░░░░ As you know there ░░░░░░░░ an amendment to repeal ░░░░░░░░ aumf and start with ░░░░░░░░ fresh discussion that just ░░░░░░░░ last month I was ░░░░░░░░ of those individuals that ░░░░░░░░ for that CUOMO But ░░░░░░░░ didn t happen PETERS ░░░░░░░░ there were 30 of ░░░░░░░░ We have to get ░░░░░░░░ over 51 CUOMO Why ░░░░░░░░ are they holding out ░░░░░░░░ I can t speak ░░░░░░░░ others as to why ░░░░░░░░ won t want to ░░░░░░░░ it But it may ░░░░░░░░ for the reasons that ░░░░░░░░ mentioned that if you ░░░░░░░░ t voting for it ░░░░░░░░ you re not on ░░░░░░░░ hook And that s ░░░░░░░░ It s not what ░░░░░░░░ should be doing here ░░░░░░░░ Congress It s why ░░░░░░░░ voted the way I ░░░░░░░░ I hope we get ░░░░░░░░ 20 plus colleagues in ░░░░░░░░ Senate to vote with ░░░░░░░░ and the others who ░░░░░░░░ that we need to ░░░░░░░░ this kind of discussions ░░░░░░░░ certainly after this tragic ░░░░░░░░ And our heart goes ░░░░░░░░ to the families who ░░░░░░░░ a very tragic loss ░░░░░░░░ Niger and the American ░░░░░░░░ deserve to have answers ░░░░░░░░ folks who serve in ░░░░░░░░ military every day as ░░░░░░░░ as the public as ░░░░░░░░ where our activities are ░░░░░░░░ it should be up ░░░░░░░░ the Pentagon to make ░░░░░░░░ case to members of ░░░░░░░░ as to why we ░░░░░░░░ there and then make ░░░░░░░░ that we buy in ░░░░░░░░ have support if that ░░░░░░░░ something that we believe ░░░░░░░░ should do And you ░░░░░░░░ I want to say ░░░░░░░░ are very dangerous places ░░░░░░░░ being in Nigeria there ░░░░░░░░ some serious challenges that ░░░░░░░░ Nigerian government has to ░░░░░░░░ with We don t ░░░░░░░░ to have safe places ░░░░░░░░ terrorists can operate But ░░░░░░░░ s the ultimate responsibility ░░░░░░░░ places like Nigeria and ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ the rule of law ░░░░░░░░ their country And we ░░░░░░░░ be very helpful in ░░░░░░░░ resources particularly intelligence resources ░░░░░░░░ is why we have ░░░░░░░░ drone base there to ░░░░░░░░ to provide more information ░░░░░░░░ to folks on the ░░░░░░░░ CUOMO But we re ░░░░░░░░ the reality now As ░░░░░░░░ saw when you were ░░░░░░░░ we call it advise ░░░░░░░░ we don t You ░░░░░░░░ call it advise and ░░░░░░░░ And it makes it ░░░░░░░░ be benign And we ░░░░░░░░ being told well U ░░░░░░░░ Troops aren t the ░░░░░░░░ out in front Well ░░░░░░░░ re dead now And ░░░░░░░░ re dead because they ░░░░░░░░ out in front They ░░░░░░░░ in an ambush and ░░░░░░░░ were doing advise and ░░░░░░░░ and it was an ░░░░░░░░ mission So it ain ░░░░░░░░ safe It should be ░░░░░░░░ and it should be ░░░░░░░░ out and you should ░░░░░░░░ on the record I ░░░░░░░░ senator you re one ░░░░░░░░ the senators that owns ░░░░░░░░ initiative I know you ░░░░░░░░ get political cover because ░░░░░░░░ media and the left ░░░░░░░░ the right would much ░░░░░░░░ talk about the feud ░░░░░░░░ the trump and congressman ░░░░░░░░ But it s hard ░░░░░░░░ say these families are ░░░░░░░░ when they re not ░░░░░░░░ enough to have this ░░░░░░░░ Senator thanks for being ░░░░░░░░ the show We ll ░░░░░░░░ on it and I ░░░░░░░░ check with you on ░░░░░░░░ regular basis PETERS Appreciate ░░░░░░░░