The United States is at a "very dangerous moment" in its relations with Iran, and lawmakers must repeal the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, Rep. Barbara Lee, the only member of Congress to vote against the measure put in place after the 9/11 attacks, said Friday.
"We need to, one, work with our allies to de-escalate this very troubling, intense situation, and secondly, it appears to me and I think to the entire country and the world, that this administration really has no plan," the California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
The authorization was a "blank check," but experts will all say that it has no relationship to Iran and it shouldn't be used for force there, said Lee, who has presented an amendment to repeal the AUMF and require presidential administrations to come to Congress if force is to be used.
"We have to make sure that Congress debates the costs and consequences of any military action," said Lee. "Hopefully this signals to the administration that they cannot use force unless they come to Congress."
Lee also on Friday commented about the situation occurring at the border with the care of children who have been separated from their families, calling it a "humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions" and "horrendous."
"It is inhuman what is taking place," she said. "We have to make sure, first of all, these children receive the type of medical care, the type of food and the humane conditions that they deserve. No child deserves to be treated like barbarians….but long-term, we need comprehensive immigration reform and we have to make sure that the policy of family separations is stopped."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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