By Gloria Ogbonna
During a Thursday appearance on All In, Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen delivered a forceful rebuke of what he described as an “illegal war” initiated by President Donald Trump, making it clear he would not support any additional funding tied to the conflict.
Speaking with host Chris Hayes, Van Hollen criticized both the financial cost of the war and what he characterized as Congress’ silence on the issue in recent weeks. Hayes pointed to the broader economic consequences Americans are facing, including rising gas and diesel prices, which have had ripple effects on fertilizer, food costs, and other essential goods. He also noted that just weeks earlier, discussions had surfaced among members of the Democratic Caucus about passing a supplemental spending bill to replenish military resources, including munitions and cruise missiles, potentially adding hundreds of billions of dollars to Pentagon expenditures.
However, Hayes observed that momentum around such legislation appears to have stalled, with no new proposals gaining traction and little public debate taking place. He questioned whether lawmakers would eventually be required to formally appropriate additional funds and whether the issue had simply faded from public view.
Van Hollen responded by asserting that nothing had been missed — instead, he argued, leaders had deliberately chosen to avoid further public discussion about the financial burden of the war. According to the senator, the American people are already feeling the strain, not only through increased fuel prices but also through what he described as more than $1 billion per day in taxpayer spending related to the conflict.
He contrasted the lack of debate over war funding with what he described as the Senate’s recent priorities. Van Hollen pointed to a marathon session that extended until 4 a.m., during which lawmakers focused heavily on allocating tens of billions of additional dollars to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. He criticized that decision, arguing that Congress should instead be concentrating on ending the war and addressing rising costs for American families.
The senator suggested that the legislation under consideration could have served as a vehicle to include additional war funding if leadership had chosen to pursue that route. The fact that it did not, he implied, reflected political calculations rather than a resolution of the issue.
Reiterating his position, Van Hollen declared unequivocally that he would not vote to approve “one dime” in funding for what he maintains is an unlawful military action. His remarks underscore ongoing divisions in Washington over war powers, federal spending priorities, and the economic impact of prolonged international conflicts.
Aource Breitbart
Original article
Comments