Tim Kaine

“Pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1546a and in accordance with section 601(b) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act, I move to discharge the Committee on Foreign Relations from further consideration of S.J. Res. 185. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: Motion to discharge from the Committee on Foreign Relations, S.J. Res. 185, a joint resolution directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.”

“Mr. President. Founded in 1865, the Salvation Army has been unfailingly committed to serving those in need without discrimination. For more than 150 years, the Salvation Army has provided essential social services, including disaster relief, food assistance, shelter, rehabilitation programs, and youth development initiatives in local communities across the United States.”

“I oppose S. 2 and believe it reflects profoundly misplaced priorities for America. Accordingly, it is my intention to make the following motions to commit the bill: A motion to commit the bill to the Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report back to the Senate with provisions that require the Office on Violence Against Women of the Department of Justice to distribute grant funds from fiscal year 2025 that have yet to be disbursed.”

“And to all here, I rise today to speak about the breaking news that the President has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the war he started on February 28. The news has included a release from the White House of a memorandum of understanding with Iran about the end to the war. We in the Senate have not been briefed on this. We have received news accounts from journalists that have the terms of the memorandum. But the White House has confirmed that those terms are accurately reported.”

“I rise to speak upon a matter that will be brought to the floor for a vote within the next hour or so. The matter is what is called a 502B resolution filed by my colleague Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, and a 502B resolution directs the State Department to issue a human rights report on topics voted upon by the Senate. This particular 502B resolution concerns a most serious human rights and criminal justice matter and one of the worst abuses of the Presidential pardon power in the history of the United States.”

“I rise to speak, along with my colleagues, on the War Powers Resolution, followed by Senator Warnock, that will be called up soon. I have spoken on this topic often, about once a week, since the war against Iran began at the end of February, sometimes speaking on behalf of my own resolutions and sometimes speaking on behalf of the resolutions of colleagues. I am very happy that Senator Warnock's resolution will be called up today. I believe he will be the last speaker before we begin voting. And you have heard from other colleagues.”

“If you met Gerry once, you would remember a very, very fun and colorful guy. He studied for the priesthood to be a Maryknoll priest and then left the priesthood to marry his wife ``Smitty'' who studied to be a nun and then left her order. His first job after he left the seminary was a staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and then he went onto this wonderful career, as Mark described, on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors before eventually becoming chairman of that board and then coming to Congress.”